Introduced in generation three, with the Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire games, Wynaut is a monotype psychic Pokemon. It is the base evolution of Wobbuffet and evolves upon reaching the level threshold. Wynaut is classified by the Pokedex as the “Bright Pokemon” which indicates its general behavior and mood. This guide will showcase Wynaut’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Wynaut.
About Wynaut
While Wynaut was released with the generation three games, it first appeared in the anime in the episode Fangs for Nothin’ in the original series. It appeared throughout the Blackthorn City arc where it was under the ownership of Team Rocket member Jessie. The Pokedex mentions how Wynaut’s face is not an indicator of its mood and you will need to look at its tail to see when it is angered.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Original Series: Fangs for Nothin’ |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire |
| Region | Hoenn |
| Evolution | Base evolution of Wobbuffet, not known to evolve from any other Pokemon |
| 1st Evo level | 15 |
| 2nd Evo level | N/A |
| Pokedex Entry | Wynaut can always be seen with a big, happy smile on its face. Look at its tail to determine if it is angry. When angered, this Pokémon will be slapping the ground with its tail. |
Wynaut Base Stats
| HP | 95 |
| ATTACK | 23 |
| DEFENCE | 48 |
| SP. ATTACK | 23 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 48 |
| SPEED | 23 |
| TOTAL | 260 |
Appearance
Wynaut is a small, bipedal, blue Pokemon and its entire body is blue except for its black tail. On its tail, there seems to be a single eye. There is a large growth on its forehead and its eyes are almost always pointed upwards in a smile. Its mouth is wiggly and often spread open to show its pink tongue while on either side of Wynaut’s head are long droopy ears. Wynaut is a small Pokemon at only 2 feet, or 0.6 meters, tall.
Behavior
Wynaut always seems to be a cheerful Pokemon, but it has a powerful fighting spirit. While it tends to live in caves, its cheery behavior hides a desire to constantly become more powerful. In the wild, Wynaut will live together and travel in herds, always squeezing up against each other to build up endurance. Its happy demeanor is also a bit misleading as it will maintain its smile even when angered. The Pokedex mentions Wynaut’s social behavior as well as how they build up their endurance together.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Wynaut’s strengths are not in its stat distributions. Its ability Shadow Tag can be oppressive against a Pokemon that typically only deals counter damage and can almost assuredly go one for one against any Pokemon. While it has weak base stats, its health pool is strong for a base evolution Pokemon. As a monotype psychic Pokemon, Wynaut takes 2x damage from bug, ghost, and dark type moves. It is immune to no types, but is resistant to fighting and psychic moves.
Best Moveset
While Wynaut is only a base evolution Pokemon, it is often banned from LC (Little Cup) brackets of competitive play. This is because of its access to the ability Shadow Tag, as well as the fact that two Wynauts in battle against each other can never defeat the other. Wynaut’s power comes from its unique moveset where it relies on the player’s ability to read the opponent’s Pokemon. Consider running Encore, Counter, Mirror Coat, and Destiny Bond/Safeguard. Encore can ensure that you know which move is coming, Counter is for the physical attacking Pokemon, Mirror Coat is for special attacking Pokemon, and Destiny Bond/Safeguard are interchangeable depending on how confident you are at reading your opponent.
| Encore | Counter |
| Mirror Coat | Destiny Bond/Safeguard |
How to Catch Wynaut in Pokemon Go?
If you would like to obtain a Wynaut in Pokemon Go, there are a few ways of doing so. You can find Wynaut spawning in the wild at a boosted rate near residential areas at night, hospitals, and grassy areas. You can also hatch a Wynaut from 2, 5, and 7 km eggs. While it has not appeared as a raid boss in the past, its evolution Wobbuffet has appeared as a tier three raid boss at Pokemon Gyms. You will need only 25 candies to evolve Wynaut into a Wobbuffet.
Trivia
- In generation three, Wynaut was the only baby Pokemon that could be found in the wild. This was reversed in generation four where it was the only baby Pokemon that could not be found in the wild.
- The inspiration for Wynaut’s design is likely based on the Okiagari-koboshi doll, a Japanese doll with squinted eyes that could stand upright when pushed over.
- The name Wynaut is a play on the phrase “Why not?”
FAQ
How do you get a Wynaut?
In generation three it was simply encounterable in the wild on Route 130 or from hatching the egg from the old couple in Lavaridge Town. In the other Pokemon generations, you will likely need to breed a Wobbuffet holding a Lax Incense held item or trade it up from previous generations.
Why is Wobbuffet banned?
Wobbuffet’s ability Shadow Tag presents problems in competitive play. You should be able to counter Pokemon by switching but Wobbuffet simply prevents this from ever happening. It is also problematic that two players with Wobbuffet cannot end the battle through Struggle if both players have the held item Leftovers.
At which level does Wynaut evolve?
Wynaut will evolve into Wobbuffet once it reaches level 15. There are no special conditions to fulfill with this evolution and it will begin to evolve once it reaches the level threshold. After battle is finished and Wynaut is level 15, it will begin to evolve. Just allow the evolution animation to play without pressing the “B” button and you will obtain a Wobbuffet.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Bright Pokemon”. Wynaut’s evolution line has caused numerous problems for competitive play thanks to its counter-potential as well as its Shadow Tag ability. It is an incredibly unique Pokemon that requires unique rules to prevent from being abused in competitive play. While it seems somewhat unassuming, Wynaut and Wobbuffet are some of the most powerful Pokemon in the franchise.
