Introduced in the original generation one, with the Pokemon Red, Blue, and Green games, Venonat is a dual type bug and poison Pokemon. It is the first stage evolution of its two stage evolution line and evolves into Venomoth once it reaches the level threshold. Venonat is classified by the Pokedex as the “Insect Pokemon” which is likely a reference to its general design. This guide will showcase Venonat’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Venonat.
About Venonat
As one of the original 151 Pokemon, Venonat first appeared in the Original Series of the anime in the episode The Lost Lapras. In this episode, a recurring character named Tracy uses a Venonat in his party. The Pokedex mentions that the stiff coat of fur around its body is used for protection. Its large eyes are capable of spotting even the tiniest prey.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Original Series: The Lost Lapras |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Red/Green (Japan) Pokemon Red/Blue (International) |
| Region | Kanto |
| Evolution | Evolves into Venomoth, not known to evolve from another Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | 31 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | Venonat is said to have evolved with a coat of thin, stiff hair that covers its entire body for protection. It possesses large eyes that never fail to spot even minuscule prey. |
Venonat Base Stats
| HP | 60 |
| ATTACK | 55 |
| DEFENCE | 50 |
| SP. ATTACK | 40 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 55 |
| SPEED | 45 |
| TOTAL | 305 |
Appearance
Venonat is a small purple and hairy Pokemon that resembles a flea. Most of its body is purple, but its eyes and mouth are red. It has two curved fangs sticking out of each side of its mouth. There are two white antennae sticking out of Venonat’s head. It has two small brown hands and two large brown feet. Its two large eyes resemble a fly’s and it is segmented to give Venonat powerful vision. Venonat is an average sized Pokemon at 3 feet and 3 inches, or 1 meter, tall.
Behavior
In the wild, Venonat can only be found in dense forests and it makes a home for itself in the hole of a tree until nightfall. Once night comes, Venonat will search for insects to eat and its two giant red eyes can detect any movement no matter how miniscule it is. They can even be weaponized and shoot giant beams. The Pokedex mentions that Venonat is attracted to bright lights, but its eyes work best in the dark. It also mentions how poison can ooze from its body making it a dangerous Pokemon to encounter.
Strengths and Weaknesses
As the base evolution Pokemon of its evolution line, Venonat is weak overall. Its strongest stat is its base health pool but it is not anything too impressive. Its physical attack is stronger than its special attack, but its resistances are fairly matched. Venonant is a slow Pokemon, so it does better against slower Pokemon. As a dual type bug and poison Pokemon, Venonat takes 2x damage from flying, rock, fire, and psychic type moves. It is immune to no types but is resistant to fighting, poison, bug, grass, and fairy type moves.
Best Moveset
Venonat is typically reserved for a unique format of competitive play. It can be commonly found in the LC (Little Cup) bracket of competitive play thanks to its access to supportive and disruptive moves. You can use its Compound Eyes ability to give it more accuracy and using an Eviolite, as a held item, can help Venonat survive until it can get more of its moves off. Consider running Sleep Powder, Morning Sun, Sludge Bomb, and Psychic. This set is aimed at causing as much disruption to your opponent as possible. Using Sleep Powder can help prevent your opponent from getting use out of their Pokemon. Sludge Bomb and Psychic can help Venonat be more aggressive. Finally, Morning Sun can help keep Venonat alive in battle.
| Sleep Powder | Morning Sun |
| Sludge Bomb | Psychic |
How to Catch Venonat in Pokemon Go?
If you would like to obtain Venonat in Pokemon Go, there are a few different ways of doing so. As the base evolution Pokemon in its evolution line, Venonat is more common to encounter than most other Pokemon. You can find Venonat spawning in the wild, at a boosted rate, near parks, farms, forests, hiking trails, gardens, and other grassy areas. Venonat can also be hatched from 5 and 7 km eggs. Both Venonat and Venomoth have appeared as tier one and tier two raid bosses respectively. To evolve Venonat into a Venomoth you will need 50 candies.
Trivia
- The inspiration for Venonat’s design is likely based on fleas given their similar fangs. It also bears resemblance to the puss caterpillar as they are covered in long toxic hairs.
- The name Venonat is a combination of the words venom and gnat.
FAQ
Where can I find Venonat?
In generation one, you can find Venonat spawning on Routes 12, 13, 14, and 15, as well as in the Safari Zone. With Generation two, you can find Venonat spawning on Routes 24, 25, and 43. Generation three only featured Venonat in the remakes of generation one on the same routes. Generation four featured Venonat on Route 229 from Poke Radar. In generation five, it required you to breed a Venomoth. Finally, Venonat is unavailable in generation seven, unless you trade, and it is unavailable in generation eight.
What animal is Venonat?
Given its name, it seems like Venonat would be closest to a gnat. However, its flea-like fangs and purple thin hair make it share more similarities with fleas and the puss caterpillar. This caterpillar grows a toxic hair that could have inspired the design for Venonat. Many Pokemon designs reflect real life.
What beats Venonat?
As a dual type bug and poison Pokemon, Venonat takes 2x damage from flying, rock, fire, and psychic type moves. It has fairly even defenses, but its physical defense is slightly weaker. You can keep Venonat in against fighting, poison, bug, grass,and fairy type Pokemon without too much trouble.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Insect Pokemon”. While Venonat’s impact on competitive play is limited to a unique format, it can be a powerful Pokemon. It can slow down your opponent's Pokemon. This strategy can buy you time and Venonat can take over battles. Venonat can be a powerful Pokemon if it is used correctly. Reserve a slot on your team for Venonat if you want a supportive bug and poison type Pokemon.
