Introduced in generation three, with the Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire games, Nuzleaf is a dual type grass and dark Pokemon. It is the middle stage evolution of its three stage evolution line and evolves from Seedot once it reaches the level threshold. Nuzleaf is classified by the Pokedex as the “Wily Pokemon” which may be a nod to its general design and behaviour. This guide will showcase Nuzleaf’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Nuzleaf.
About Nuzleaf
As a generation three Pokemon, Nuzleaf first appeared in the Ruby and Sapphire Series of the anime in the episode Jump for Joy! In this episode, Nurse Joy is carried away by a Shiftry and taken to its tree top home to care for a sick Nuzleaf. After Ash and friends fight Team Rocket, Nurse Joy stays to heal the sick Nuzleaf. The Pokedex mentions that Nuzleaf uses the leaf on its head like a flute to play ominous noises in the forest.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire | Episdoe AG037: Jumping for Joy! |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire | |
| Region | Hoenn | |
| Evolution | First evolution of Seedot, evolves into Shiftry | |
| 1st Evo level | 14 | |
| 2nd Evo level | Evolves when a Leaf Stone is used | |
| Pokedex Entry | This Pokémon pulls out the leaf on its head and makes a flute with it. The sound of Nuzleaf's flute strikes fear and uncertainty in the hearts of people lost in a forest. |
Nuzleaf Base Stats
| HP | 70 |
| ATTACK | 70 |
| DEFENCE | 40 |
| SP. ATTACK | 60 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 40 |
| SPEED | 60 |
| TOTAL | 340 |
Appearance
Nuzleaf is a tan bipedal Pokemon with a green leaf growing from its head and most of its body is tan except for its lighter colored face and legs. It has a long, pointed nose and triangular black eyes. Its hands are shaped like mittens with only thumbs, and it has three blocky toes on each foot. Female Nuzleaf have a smaller leaf on their heads as compared to a male Nuzleaf.
Behavior
Nuzleaf can commonly be found in dense forests, though it will occasionally venture out of the forest to scare people. Nuzleaf pulls the leaf from its head to play it like a flute and its ominous song makes those lost in the forest feel uneasy. Nuzleaf greatly dislikes having its long nose pinched--if its nose is gripped, it loses its power.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Nuzleaf lacks both the offensive and defensive stats to keep up with fully evolved Pokemon. However, as a mid-game Pokemon, it can be an offensive threat in Sunny weather. Chlorophyll will allow Nuzleaf to outspeed most of the competition, knocking them out before they can attack. It is weak to Fighting, Flying, Poison, Fire, Ice, and Fairy type moves, with a quadruple weakness to Bug types as well. However, Nuzleaf is resistant to Ground, Ghost, Water, Grass, Electric, and Dark type moves, with an immunity to Psychic type moves. If you opt to use a Chlorophyll Nuzleaf, you will need to be extra wary of opposing fire types, as their super effective moves will also be boosted.
Best Moveset
As a middle stage evolution, Nuzleaf is much weaker than its evolution Shiftry. It does not have the defenses to run Eviolite, and its offensive stats are too low to knock out fully evolved Pokemon. However, Nuzleaf can make use of Shiftry’s best moveset while you are still searching for a Leaf Stone. With the ability Chlorophyll, Nuzleaf can outspeed most of its foes while in the sun. Knock Off provides useful coverage versus opponents that resist Grass, and Low Kick can knock out heavy Steel types. If you don’t have an easy way to set up the sun, you will want to use Leaf Blade instead of Solar Blade.
| Growth | Solar Blade |
| Knock Off | Low Kick |
How to Catch Nuzleaf in Pokemon Go?
While Nuzleaf has previously been available via raid battles, and Seedot has been available from eggs, Nuzleaf is currently only able to be obtained in the wild. You will need to catch a Seedot and eventually evolve it into Nuzleaf. As a base evolution Pokemon, Seedot spawns commonly in the wild. You can find it spawning, at a boosted rate, near countrysides, farms, fields, forests, parks, and grassy areas. It, however, does not hatch from eggs and it is not available as a raid boss. You will need 25 candies in order to evolve Seedot into Nuzleaf, and you will need 100 candies to evolve Nuzleaf into Shiftry.
Trivia
- Even though many of its Pokedex entries describe Nuzleaf using the leaf on its head to play music, it has never been able to learn the move Grass Whistle.
- Nuzleaf appears to be based on a tengu, a type of forest-dwelling Japanese yōkai with long noses that often played tricks on visitors. It also resembles the Disney character Pinocchio, having a wooden body and long nose.
- The term Nuzlocke, a self imposed Pokemon challenge, comes from a comic series by Nick Franco. Franco’s Nuzleaf, nicknamed Nuzlocke, was the name-sake for the webcomic.
FAQ
What level does Nuzleaf evolve at?
Nuzleaf does not evolve via level-up. Instead, Nuzleaf evolves into Shiftry when a Leaf Stone is used on it. There is no level threshold to meet for this evolution and you can evolve Nuzleaf as soon as you find a Leaf Stone. After the Leaf Stone is used, the evolution animation will begin to play.
Is Nuzleaf a good Pokemon?
Nuzleaf can prove to be a difficult Pokemon to shut down thanks to its ability Chlorophyll. However, if your opponents have a fast Fire or Bug type Pokemon, it can defeat Nuzleaf with ease. It is best to take out Pokemon strong against Nuzleaf before switching it in.
What is Nuzleaf strong against?
As a Grass-Dark Pokemon, Nuzleaf is strong against Rock, Ground, Ghost, and Water types Pokemon. Nuzleaf’s evolution, Shiftry, also has access to moves like Heat Wave to super-effectively attack Steel and Ice types.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Wily Pokemon”. While Nuzleaf does not seem like the most intimidating Pokemon, it can offer a lot of sustainability for your other Pokemon. When given proper support by the rest of your team, Nuzleaf can shred through your opponents before they have a chance to attack. Reserve a slot on your team for Nuzleaf for an offensive grass and dark type Pokemon.
