Introduced in generation three, with the Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire games, Lotad is a dual type water and grass Pokemon. It is the base evolution of Ludicolo and evolves into Lombre upon reaching the level threshold. Lotad is classified by the Pokedex as the “Water Weed Pokemon” which points to the way it lives in the Pokemon universe. This guide will showcase Lotad’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Lotad.
About Lotad
As a generation three Pokemon, Lotad first appeared in the Ruby and Sapphire season of the anime with the episode The Lotad Lowdown. It was the Sapphire exclusive Pokemon of routes 102 and 114, and could not be caught in the wild in Pokemon Ruby. Lotad evolves into Lombre upon reaching level 14, and Lombre will evolve once a Water Stone is used. The Pokedex states that its leaf grew too large for it to live on land, and instead it floats on the surface of the water.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire The Lotad Lowdown |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire |
| Region | Hoenn |
| Evolution | Base evolution of Ludicolo, evolves into Lombre |
| 1st Evo level | 14 |
| 2nd Evo level | Lombre evolves into Ludicolo when a Water Stone is used |
| Pokedex Entry | Lotad live in ponds and lakes, where they float on the surface. It grows weak if its broad leaf dies. On rare occasions, this Pokémon travels on land in search of clean water. |
Lotad Base Stats
| HP | 40 |
| ATTACK | 30 |
| DEFENCE | 30 |
| SP. ATTACK | 40 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 50 |
| SPEED | 30 |
| TOTAL | 220 |
Appearance
Lotad has a blue body with a large green lilypad on top of its head and six stubby legs. It can walk but is often seen floating on the water’s surface. Not only that, it has two wide eyes with black pupils and a mouth that resembles a duck’s bill, with no teeth to show. Lotad is 1 foot and 8 inches, or 0.5 meters, tall.
Behavior
According to the Pokedex, Lotad was a vaguely amphibious Pokemon. It used to live on land, but because the leaf on its head grew too large, it returned to live in ponds and lakes. It will occasionally travel across land in search of clean water. Other Pokemon will also use Lotad as a ferry if they are small enough. The large leaf on its head can wilt without water, and Lotad will grow weak if the leaf wilts.
Strengths and Weaknesses
As a base evolution Pokemon, Lotad is not particularly powerful in any way, shape or form. It has balanced stats across the board, but a low base stat total and thus you’ll want to evolve Lotad before it manages to keep up in battle. As a grass/water type Pokemon, Lotad takes 2x damage from flying, poison, and bug type moves, is immune to no types, but will take half damage from ground and steel types while only taking a quarter from water type moves.
Shiny Lotad
It is very easy to tell the difference between a Shiny Lotad and a regular Lotad. Almost the entirety of Shiny Lotad’s color palette is swapped as most of its body is now black and it's lilypad also changes to a teal green. The only color that does not change in Shiny Lotad’s colors is its yellow duck bill. Like all shiny Pokemon, Shiny Lotad gains a starry animation upon entering battle.
Best Moveset
As a base evolution, Lotad is strictly limited to the LC (Little Cup) brackets of competitive play as this bracket only allows base evolution Pokemon in battle. While Lotad’s stats leave a lot to be desired, it can make up for the difference with the Swift Swim ability along with Life Orb, as a held item. Consider running Surf, Rain Dance, Giga Drain/Energy Ball, and Ice Beam. Surf benefits from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) and functions as Lotad’s main source of damage. Rain Dance is a must have in order to activate Swift Swim, Giga Drain and Energy ball are interchangeable as Lotad’s grass type moves. Finally, Ice Beam exists for type coverage.
| Surf | Rain Dance |
| GIga Drain/Energy Ball | Ice Beam |
How to Catch Lotad in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain a Lotad in Pokemon Go, there are a few ways of doing so. Finding Lotad in the wild is quite simple because as a base evolution, it’s a common spawn in grassy or watery areas. You can even find them at a boosted rate if it is raining in your area. Lotad has also been hatched from 2, 5, and 7 km eggs, and has also appeared as a tier one raid boss in the past, so you keep your eyes peeled for one. There are many different ways you can obtain a Lotad in Pokemon Go, you just need to take the first opportunity that comes your way.
Trivia
- Lotad’s evolution line is the only Pokemon line that has the grass/water type combination.
- The inspiration for Lotad’s design likely comes from a combination of a lilypad and the kappa (a Japanese folklore demon with a turtle-like beak).
- The name Lotad is a combination of the words lotus and lilypad.
Video
FAQ
Is Lotad a good Pokemon?
As a base evolution, Lotad is not capable of doing too much. Even with Swift Swim active, Lotad struggles to keep up with other Pokemon and thus you should consider evolving it as quickly as possible if you want to see success with this evolution line.
Is Lotad in Pokemon Ruby?
Lotad can only be obtained in Pokemon Ruby by trading with another trainer. You cannot encounter a Lotad in the wild in Pokemon Ruby as it is the Pokemon Sapphire exclusive that you can encounter on routes 102 and 114. This exclusivity was removed in the generation four games, but returned with generation five as Lotad was only available in Pokemon White instead of Black. In generation six, the trend continued and Lotad stayed exclusive to the Alpha Sapphire version of the game.
Is Lotad a Platypus?
Lotad is more likely based on the Japanese kappa or a yokai that has a turtle-like beak and a water-filled dish on its head. While Lotad certainly resembles a platypus with its duck-like bill, the inclusion of the lilypad points towards Japanese folklore rather than a real life counterpart.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Water Weed Pokemon”. While Lotad is not particularly powerful, as a base evolution, it does become much more significant further down its evolution line. An ability that doubles your Pokemon’s speed in rain is highly sought after as a quick and easy way to boost your Pokemon’s capabilities. Consider reserving a slot on your team for Lotad if you want a fast, defensive Pokemon through setting up.
