Introduced in the original generation one, with the Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green games, Raticate is a monotype normal Pokemon. It is the second stage evolution of its two stage evolution line and evolves from Rattata once it reaches the level threshold. Raticate is classified by the Pokedex as the “Mouse Pokemon” which is likely a reference to its general design. This guide will showcase Raticate’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Raticate.
About Raticate
As one of the original 151 Pokemon, Raticate first appeared in the Original Series of the anime in the episode Battle Aboard the St. Anne. In this episode, Ash trades his Butterfree for a Raticate, although he trades it back towards the end of the episode. The Pokedex mentions Raticate’s sturdy fangs grow steadily and it will bite down on rocks to keep its fangs from growing too large.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Original Series: Battle Aboard the St. Anne |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Red/Green (Japan) Pokemon Red/Blue (International) |
| Region | Kanto |
| Evolution | Evolves from Rattata , not known to evolve into another Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | 20 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | Raticate's sturdy fangs grow steadily. To keep them ground down, it gnaws on rocks and logs. It may even chew on the walls of houses. |
Raticate Base Stats
(Regular Raticate)
| HP | 55 |
| ATTACK | 81 |
| DEFENCE | 60 |
| SP. ATTACK | 50 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 70 |
| SPEED | 97 |
| TOTAL | 413 |
(Alolan Raticate)
| HP | 75 |
| ATTACK | 71 |
| DEFENCE | 70 |
| SP. ATTACK | 40 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 80 |
| SPEED | 77 |
| TOTAL | 413 |
Appearance
Raticate is a small brown and white Pokemon that resembles a large field rat. Most of its body is covered in brown fur, but its underside is white colored. It has two large fangs that continue to grow throughout its lifespan. There is a large tail at Raticate’s base and it has two hands and feet to move around with. There are also large whiskers on either side of Raticate’s mouth. Raticate is a small Pokemon at only 2 feet and 4 inches, or 0.7 meters, tall.
Behavior
When Raticate is threatened, it will stand on its hind legs and shriek at its enemy. While Raticate is often smaller than its aggressors, it will not hesitate to take on larger foes if it is provoked. They are also known to be pests in the Pokemon universe as Raticate will chew through the walls of houses. In fact, Raticate is capable of chewing through cinder blocks and toppling concrete buildings. The Pokedex mentions that Raticate will chew on anything it can get its teeth on.
Strengths and Weaknesses
While Raticate is the final evolution of its evolution line, it is still weak overall. It has a decent speed stat and a good physical attack, but the rest of its stats are subpar. Raticate is capable of learning moves that do not utilize stats as much, so you will want to prioritize these moves over others. As a monotype normal Pokemon, Raticate takes 2x damage from fighting type moves. It is immune to ghost type moves but does not resist any other type in the franchise.
Best Moveset
If you would like to use Raticate in competitive play, you will want to build an offensive Raticate. It is capable of pivoting into other Pokemon as well as presenting a threat itself. With the Guts ability paired with a Toxic Orb, as a held item, the attacks from Raticate can deal significant damage. Consider running U-Turn, Facade, Sucker Punch, and Protect/Swords Dance. This set is aimed at giving Raticate a way to switch into another Pokemon with U-Turn. Facade will deal its maximum damage with a Toxic Orb held item and Guts. Sucker Punch can give you some outplay potential. Finally, you can decide how defensive or aggressive you would prefer to be with Protect or Swords Dance.
| U-Turn | Facade |
| Sucker Punch | Protect/Swords Dance |
How to Catch Raticate in Pokemon Go?
If you would like to obtain Raticate in Pokemon Go, the easiest way to do so would be to first obtain a Rattata and eventually evolve it into Raticate. Like most evolved forms, its base evolution spawns more commonly in the wild which makes it easier to encounter than its final evolution. Rattata can be found spawning in the wild at a boosted rate near fields, roads, schools, residential areas, and other grassy areas. Rattata can also be hatched from 7 km eggs. While Rattata has not been featured as a raid boss, Raticate has been a tier two and tier three raid boss at Pokemon Gyms. To evolve Rattata into Raticate you will need 25 candies.
Trivia
- Raticate was originally much harder to catch in generations one and two. Its catch rate was increased in generation three to match its general potential.
- The inspiration for Raticate’s design is likely based on brown or black rats.
- The name Raticate is a combination of the words rat and eradicate.
FAQ
Is Raticate a good Pokemon?
Raticate does not have the most impressive base statline. Instead, you will want to utilize Raticate as a scaling offensive Pokemon. Using Swords Dance or using its Guts ability combined with a Toxic Orb can make its attacks hit for a lot. It is not the fastest offensive Pokemon, so you will need to keep an eye on your opponent’s speed values.
What animal is Raticate based on?
It is likely that Raticate is meant to represent a common field rat. It bears similarities to brown rats, muskrats, and even coypu due to its large body and webbed feet. The Alolan version of Raticate could be referencing the black rat or the Polynesian rat. Regardless, Raticate is meant to resemble a pest.
What can defeat Raticate?
As a monotype normal Pokemon, Raticate will take 2x damage from fighting type moves. Only fighting type moves will be super effective against Raticate although all other moves, except ghost, will deal regular damage to Raticate. Both forms of Raticate have higher special defenses than physical defenses so keep this in mind when attacking a Raticate.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Mouse Pokemon”. While Raticate is not as powerful as other Pokemon, it can scale its stats to become a menacing Pokemon. This strategy requires time but Raticate can take over battles if it is left alone. Raticate can be a powerful Pokemon if it is used correctly. Reserve a slot on your team for Raticate if you want an aggressive normal type Pokemon.
