Introduced in generation five, with the Pokemon Black and White games, Tympole is a monotype water Pokemon. It is the first stage evolution of its three stage evolution line and evolves into Palpitoad which then evolves into Seismitoad once they reach the level thresholds. Tympole is classified by the Pokedex as the “Tadpole Pokemon” which is likely referencing its general design. This guide will showcase Tympole’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Tympole.
About Tympole
As a generation five Pokemon, Tympole first appeared in the Black and White season of the anime in the episode Facing Fears with Eyes Wide Open!. In this episode, multiple Tympole are featured battling against an Oshawott underwater. The Pokedex mentions that Tympole will alert others nearby by vibrating its cheeks, the sound waves it emits are imperceptible to humans.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Black and White Facing Fear with Eyes Wide Open! |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Black and White |
| Region | Unova |
| Evolution | Base evolution of Seismitoad, evolves into Palpitoad |
| 1st Evo level | 25 |
| 2nd Evo level | 36 |
| Pokedex Entry | By vibrating its cheeks, it emits sound waves imperceptible to humans. It uses the rhythm of these sounds to talk. |
Tympole Base Stats
| HP | 50 |
| ATTACK | 50 |
| DEFENCE | 40 |
| SP. ATTACK | 50 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 40 |
| SPEED | 64 |
| TOTAL | 294 |
Appearance
Tympole is a small black and yellow Pokemon that resembles a tadpole. While most of its body is black, its face is yellow and there are blue spots found around its head and by its tail. It has a small face with two eyes, a mouth, and two stylized eyebrows. On both sides of its head are little oblong spheres with blue and black stripes. Its tail is short and it uses it to paddle through water. Tympole is a small Pokemon at only 1 foot and 8 inches, or 0.5 meters, tall.
Behavior
In the wild, Tympole is a social Pokemon. They will stick together to help each other survive and detect danger. When a Tympole senses danger, it will begin vibrating its cheeks to create a sound that can communicate with other Tympole. The vibration can also cause small ripples on the water’s surface. A group of Tympole are also capable of swimming and attacking together in groups. The Pokedex mentions that the rhythm of the Tympole’s vibrations can be used to communicate with one another.
Strengths and Weaknesses
As a base evolution Pokemon, Tympole is not particularly powerful. Its strongest stat is its speed, which is high enough to outspeed some other base evolution Pokemon. The rest of its stats are fairly balanced, but they will quickly become outscaled the later into the game you reach. As a monotype water Pokemon, Tympole takes 2x damage from grass and electric type moves. It has no immunities but is resistant to steel, fire, water, and ice type moves.
Best Moveset
In competitive play, Tympole is typically reserved for the LC (Little Cup) bracket. Here it can provide an offensive role utilizing its ability Swift Swim to quickly take out its opponents. With a Life Orb, as a held item, its attacks become more damaging and significant. To be successful in battle, Tympole needs to have its ability Swift Swim activated, so it is best to run Tympole with Rain Dance. Consider running Rain Dance, Hydro Pump, Earth Power, and Sludge Bomb. This set tries to set up the rain weather effect and have as many offensive options as possible to cover your opponent’s Pokemon types.
| Rain Dance | Hydro Pump |
| Earth Power | Sludge Bomb |
How to Catch Tympole in Pokemon Go?
If you would like to obtain a Tympole in Pokemon Go, there are a few different ways of doing so. As a base evolution Pokemon, Tympole is easier to find than its evolutionary relatives. You can find it spawning in the wild, at a boosted rate, near canals, docks, harbors, oceans, rivers, lakes, and other watery areas. Tympole can also be hatched from 5 and 7 km eggs. Not only that, you can also find Tympole and Palpitoad as raid bosses at Pokemon Gyms at tier one and tier three respectively. To evolve Tympole into Palpitoad it will take 25 candies and another 100 candies to evolve it into Seismitoad.
Trivia
- Tympole shares its Pokedex classification with Poliwag, Poliwhirl, and Poliwrath. They are all classified as the “Tadpole Pokemon”.
- The inspiration for Tympole’s design seems to be a combination of a toad tadpole and a loudspeaker.
- The name Tympole is a combination of the words timpani and tadpole.
FAQ
What abilities can Tympole have?
At the moment, Tympole is capable of having three different abilities. Swift Swim, Hydration, and its hidden ability Water Absorb. Swift Swim will double your speed in the rain, Hydration will cure any status condition as long as Tympole is in the rain, and Water Absorb will give Tympole water immunity while also healing it from any water type attacks.
Is Seismitoad a Legendary?
To be considered a legendary Pokemon, it must fulfill a few conditions. Typically, legendary Pokemon can only be encountered once per save file, cannot evolve, and cannot be bred at a Pokemon Daycare. Since Seismitoad does not fulfill any of these conditions, it is not a legendary Pokemon.
Is there a Shiny Tympole?
Like most Pokemon, there is a shiny variant of Tympole. Its blue colors are replaced with yellow, but a large portion of its color palette remains the same. Of course like all shiny Pokemon, a shiny Tympole will have a starry animation play whenever it enters battle.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Tadpole Pokemon”. While Tympole is typically reserved for a unique format of competitive play, it eventually evolves into a powerful Pokemon. Its balanced stat distribution remains throughout its evolution line and it only becomes stronger. Tympole and its evolution line does much better in the rain, so consider utilizing the rain weather effect if you want Tympole on your team. Reserve a slot on your team for Tympole if you want a balanced water type Pokemon.
