Grookey Evolution Guide: Stats, Moves, Type, And Location

Ready to join the Grookey Gang? Everyone’s favorite little green monkey from Pokemon Sword & Shield is here to be one of your most reliable and powerful Pokemon. Grookey’s powerful Branch Poke technique is the bane of Rock, Ground, and Water-types existences. His evolutions are even more fearsome. Grookey evolves into Thwackey at level 16 and Rillaboom at level 35. We’ll discuss where you can find Grookey and its evolutions in the Pokemon games, its stats, strengths, and weaknesses, and some of its best moves.

Grookey: Base Stats, Moves, and Where to Find

Grookey is a little green monkey Pokemon that has brown ears and a brown tail, along with orange hands, feet, and lips. He wields his trusty little stick that helps him deal damage to his foes, as well as create music using the world around him. Unsurprisingly, Grookey is a Grass-type Pokemon and serves as the traditional Grass-type starter Pokemon for the Galar region.

Grookey Base Stats

As far as starters go, Grookey has strong Attack and Speed base stats, but lacks Special Attack and Special Defense.

Grookey Best Moves

We joked about Branch Poke earlier but it serves as a powerful move for Grookey in the early game. However, before it evolves into Thwackey, it can learn Razor Leaf, which you should use instead of Branch Poke. If you choose to keep your Grookey unevolved for a while, it can also learn Knock Off and Wood Hammer. However, we recommend evolving your Grookey into Rillaboom as soon as possible.

Where to Find Grookey

In Pokemon Sword & Shield, you can select Grookey as your starter at the beginning of the game. If you opt for another starter, though, the only way to get one is through one of three methods. The first is to trade with someone, which shouldn’t be too much trouble.

The second way to get one without needing another player is to utilize Pokemon HOME. You can obtain a special Grookey from Pokemon HOME that has its Hidden Ability Grassy Surge as long as you have transferred a Pokemon from Pokemon Sword or Shield to HOME.

Lastly, you can catch a special Rillaboom from the Tera Raids in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, then breed it with a Ditto to get a Grookey. This Rillaboom also has the Hidden Ability Grassy Surge, which is its preferred Ability for competitive play.

Thwackey Base Stats

At level 16, Grookey enters its awkward teenage years and evolves into Thwackey. Thwackey is a slender, tall, and skinny light green monkey. It stands on its two legs and uses two sticks instead of just one. Thwackey is slightly stronger than Grookey but it won’t achieve its full potential until it evolves into Rillaboom.

Rillaboom Base Stats, Moves, Strengths, and Weaknesses

The King of the Jungle, Rillaboom, is Grookey’s final form, which it achieves at level 35. What was once a cute little monkey is now a fearsome gorilla clad in a mane of vines. It always carries around its signature drum which allows it to use its powerful Drum Beating move. When it Dynamaxes, Rillaboom’s single drum turns into a massive drumset that allows it to play the sickest beats ever. Rillaboom is a pure Grass-type Pokemon that has a 530 base stat total.

Rillaboom Best Moves

As a powerful Grass-type physical attacker, Rillaboom can use the many physical Grass-type attacks in the Pokemon games. For its main Grass-type attack, Rillaboom can use Drum Beating or Wood Hammer, depending on your preference. Drum Beating is weaker but does not cause recoil damage, unlike Wood Hammer. Rillaboom is also a powerful Grassy Glide user, especially if it has its Hidden Ability Grassy Surge. However, the move is severely limited in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet, which has caused many competitive players to ditch the move and utilize another set.

Rillaboom can also utilize powerful moves of different types to balance its moveset. It can use powerful Fighting-type moves like Drain Punch, Superpower, and Brick Break, strong utility moves like U-Turn and Knock Off, or become a dangerous Swords Dance sweeper.

Rillaboom Strengths and Weaknesses

As a pure Grass-type Pokemon, Rillaboom is strong against Water, Rock, and Ground-type Pokemon. It is weak to Flying, Poison, Bug, Fire, and Ice-type Pokemon. It resists attacks from Grass, Water, Electric, and Ground-type Pokemon. Its moves are resisted by Fire, Grass, Dragon, Steel, Flying, Bug, and Poison-type Pokemon. But don’t worry, even Pokemon that resist Rillaboom’s moves will fear its raw strength after a Swords Dance.