Introduced in generation five, with the Pokemon Black and White games, Patrat is a monotype normal Pokemon. It is the first stage evolution of its two stage evolution line and evolves into Watchog once it reaches the level threshold. Patrat is classified by the Pokedex as the “Scout Pokemon” which is likely a reference to its general design. This guide will showcase Patrat’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Patrat.
About Patrat
As a generation five Pokemon, Patrat first made an appearance in the Black and White season of the anime in the episode The Shadow of Zekrom!. This was the first episode of the Black and White season and Patrat appeared alongside many other Pokemon’s first appearances. As a generation five Pokemon, it comes from Unova. Patrat is part of a two stage evolution line and evolves into Watchog at level 20. The Pokedex mentions that Patrat are extremely cautious and naturally perform as sentries.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Black and White The Shadow of Zekrom! |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Black and White |
| Region | Unova |
| Evolution | Evolves into Watchog, not known to evolve from another Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | 20 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | Using food stored in cheek pouches, they can keep watch for days. They use their tails to communicate with others. |
Patrat Base Stats
| HP | 45 |
| ATTACK | 55 |
| DEFENCE | 39 |
| SP. ATTACK | 35 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 39 |
| SPEED | 42 |
| TOTAL | 255 |
Appearance
Patrat is a small brown Pokemon that resembles a chipmunk. Its behavior is also similar to that of meerkats. Most of Patrat’s body is brown, but it has a lighter colored stomach. There is a dark, mask-like appearance around Patrat’s eyes. Patrat has red eyes with black pupils wit a long thin tail at its base with a ruffled bit of fluff at the end. It has a large overbite and its cheeks always seem puffed with food. Patrat is a small Pokemon at only 1 foot and 8 inches, or 0.5 meters, tall.
Behavior
In the wild, Patrat is a social Pokemon and spend much of their time together. They help each other by watching out for predators and signaling each other. Patrat can use their tails to communicate with one another. The Pokedex mentions that Patrat can stay vigilant for days by keeping days worth of food within their cheek pouches. Patrat are extremely cautious, but they are oblivious from behind. This is why they prefer to stay in groups to help watch each other’s backs.
Strengths and Weaknesses
As a base evolution Pokemon, Patrat is not a powerful Pokemon. Its strongest stat is in its physical attack, but its speed is nothing too impressive. Patrat does have access to setup moves, so it can become a threatening Pokemon with enough time. Its ability Analytic can also give Patrat a bonus to its damage if it is outspeeded. As a monotype normal Pokemon, Patrat takes 2x damage from fighting type moves. It is immune to ghost type moves, but does not resist any other type of move in the game.
Best Moveset
In competitive play, Patrat is typically reserved for the LC (Little Cup) format. In this format, Patrat can function as an aggressive Pokemon. Patrat can utilize moves like Swords Dance to make it menacing in prolonged battles. The Analytic ability can ensure that Patrat’s damage is significant, and an Eviolite, as a held item, can help keep Patrat alive. Consider running Swords Dance, Hypnosis, Return, and Zen Headbutt/Crunch. This set is aimed to give Patrat the capability of hitting any type of Pokemon. Swords Dance sets up Patrat to sweep the opposing team, and Hypnosis can disable a disruptive Pokemon. Return is Patrat’s main source of damage, and you can use Zen Headbutt/Crunch to discourage ghost type switches.
| Swords Dance | Hypnosis |
| Return | Zen Headbutt/Crunch |
How to Catch Patrat in Pokemon Go?
If you want to obtain a Patrat in Pokemon Go, there are a few different ways of doing so. As a base evolution Pokemon, Patrat is more common to encounter than its evolution. You can find Patrat spawning in the wild, at a boosted rate, near residential areas, universities, and parking lots. Patrat can also be hatched from 2 km eggs and you can find it as a tier one raid boss at Pokemon Gyms as well. Unfortunately, Watchog has not appeared as a raid boss yet. To evolve a Patrat into a Watchog, you will need 50 candies.
Trivia
- Patrat and Sentret share a Pokedex classification as the “Scout Pokemon”.
- The inspiration for Patrat’s design seems to be a combination of a chipmunk and a meerkat.
- The name Patrat is a combination of the words patrol and rat.
FAQ
Where do you catch Patrat?
Patrat only spawns in the wild naturally in the generation five games. With generation six, seven, and eight you will need to breed Watchog or trade it from a previous game. In the generation five games, you can find Patrat spawning in Dreamyard, and on Routes 1, 2, and 3. With Pokemon Black and White 2, you can find Patrat spawning on Routes 19 and 20, Floccesy Ranch, and Virbank Complex.
How does Patrat evolve?
Patrat will evolve into Watchog once it reaches level 20. There are no unique conditions to fulfill with this evolution, and Patrat will evolve naturally as long as it is leveled up. Once Patrat evolves into a Watchog, you have finished the Pokemon’s evolution line and can move on to collecting other Pokemon.
How good is Patrat?
Patrat can function as an offensive Pokemon thanks to its access to setup moves. With Swords Dance, Patrat can become a threatening Pokemon. If Patrat has enough time to set up, it can sweep opposing teams with little counterplay. As a base evolution Pokemon, it is fairly weak overall, but it can be a menacing Pokemon.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Scout Pokemon”. Since Patrat’s introduction in generation five, it has managed to represent an offensive threat that can dish out strong physical attacks. It is typically reserved for a unique format in terms of competitive play, but it can still function as an aggressive Pokemon. Reserve a slot on your team for Patrat if you want an offensive normal type Pokemon.
