Magikarp. The name itself often evokes images of a pathetically flopping fish, seemingly incapable of battling and known more for its weakness than any strength. This iconic Water-type Pokémon from Generation 1 is notorious for its terrible stats and, most famously, its signature move Splash – a move that literally does nothing. For trainers encountering Magikarp, a common question arises: When Does Magikarp Learn A New Move that actually deals damage or has some strategic value?
Understanding Magikarp’s moveset is key to appreciating its unique design and its incredible potential for evolution. Let’s dive into the details of Magikarp’s move learning journey, exploring when and what moves this seemingly useless Pokémon can learn.
Magikarp’s Move Learning Journey Across Generations
Magikarp’s move pool is intentionally limited, reflecting its status as the quintessential weak Pokémon. However, this scarcity of moves is also part of its charm and the setup for one of the most rewarding evolutions in the Pokémon world. Across different generations of Pokémon games, Magikarp’s level-up moves have remained remarkably consistent, highlighting its core identity.
Generation 1: The Beginning of Splash
In the original Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, Magikarp’s move options were stark. Upon catching a Magikarp, trainers would find it knew only one move: Splash. And that’s it. For a long time, Splash was Magikarp’s sole move learned through leveling up in these initial games. This cemented its reputation as weak, as Splash has no effect in battle, neither damaging the opponent nor providing any stat buffs or status changes.
An official artwork of Magikarp designed by Ken Sugimori. This image represents Magikarp’s classic look, emphasizing its reddish-orange scales and yellow fins, key visual elements for identifying this Water-type Pokémon.
This design choice emphasized the player’s journey of perseverance. Training a Magikarp in Generation 1 was a testament to patience, requiring trainers to switch it in and out of battle to gain experience without it contributing offensively.
Generation 2 Onwards: Tackle and Flail Enter the Scene
Starting from Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, Magikarp’s move pool expanded slightly, offering a glimmer of offensive capability – albeit still very limited. In these and subsequent generations, Magikarp eventually learns two additional moves:
- Level 15: Tackle. Finally, at level 15, Magikarp learns Tackle, a Normal-type Physical move with a base power of 40 and 100% accuracy. While still not powerful, Tackle is Magikarp’s first and only direct damaging move learned by level up for a significant portion of its training. It allows Magikarp to contribute some physical offense, a monumental upgrade from solely using Splash.
- Level 30 (later changed to Level 25): Flail. Reaching level 30 (and later level 25 in more recent games like Scarlet and Violet), Magikarp learns Flail, another Normal-type Physical move. Flail’s power is variable; it’s a damage calculation based on the user’s remaining HP. The lower Magikarp’s HP, the higher the power of Flail, potentially reaching a base power of 200 at minimum HP. This move, while situational, provides Magikarp with a surprisingly strong offensive option, especially when on the brink of fainting.
Scarlet & Violet: Current Move Set
In the latest installments, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Magikarp’s level-up move set remains true to its established pattern:
| Lv. | Move | Type | Cat. | Power | Acc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Splash | Normal | — | — | — |
| 15 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100 |
| 25 | Flail | Normal | Physical | — | 100 |
As you can see, the core moveset of Splash, Tackle, and Flail remains consistent, emphasizing Magikarp’s design as a Pokémon that starts incredibly weak but has latent potential.
Legends: Arceus: A Simpler Approach
Pokémon Legends: Arceus took a slightly different approach to move learning. In this game, Magikarp’s learnset is even more streamlined:
| Lv. | Move | Type | Cat. | Power | Acc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Splash | Normal | Status | — | — |
In Legends: Arceus, Magikarp only learns Splash by level up. This stripped-down move pool further emphasizes the challenge and reward associated with training Magikarp in this particular game. However, it’s important to note that Legends: Arceus has different mechanics for move learning, and moves can be learned through other means beyond level up.
Why Does Magikarp Learn So Few Moves?
The extremely limited move pool of Magikarp is a deliberate design choice with several key reasons behind it:
Design Philosophy: The Weakling with Potential
Magikarp is intentionally designed to be the weakest Pokémon. Its poor stats across the board, combined with its initially useless move Splash, underscore this weakness. This design serves several purposes:
- Teaching Tool: Magikarp serves as a basic tutorial in understanding Pokémon types and battling. It highlights the importance of type matchups and move effectiveness, as trainers must rely on strategic switching and other Pokémon to overcome battles while training Magikarp.
- Humor and Character: Magikarp’s pathetic nature is played for comedic effect. Its constant flopping and splashing, as described in many Pokédex entries, make it a memorable and endearing character despite its ineffectiveness in battle.
- Reward for Perseverance: The sheer effort required to train a Magikarp makes its evolution into Gyarados all the more satisfying. It teaches players about patience and the rewards of hard work within the game.
The Focus on Evolution: Gyarados Transformation
Magikarp’s weakness is intrinsically linked to its evolution into Gyarados. The dramatic transformation from a feeble fish to a powerful, dragon-like Water/Flying-type Pokémon is one of the most iconic evolutions in the entire series.
The limited moveset of Magikarp makes the evolution feel even more impactful. Trainers invest significant time and effort into raising a Pokémon that is initially almost useless, only to be rewarded with a Gyarados that is a formidable battler with a diverse and powerful move pool. This contrast between Magikarp’s weakness and Gyarados’s strength is central to Magikarp’s design.
Training Magikarp: Leveling Up and Evolution
While Magikarp’s moves are limited, evolution is the ultimate goal for most trainers. Here’s how to effectively train a Magikarp:
Effective Training Strategies
- Switch Training: The most common method is to switch Magikarp into battle and immediately switch it out for a stronger Pokémon. Magikarp will gain a portion of the experience without having to battle directly. Held items like the Exp. Share can further enhance experience gain.
- Battling Weak Opponents: Seek out extremely weak wild Pokémon to battle directly with Magikarp, using Tackle once it learns it. Early routes in most Pokémon games often have very low-level Pokémon that Magikarp might be able to defeat with persistent Tackles.
- Patience and Persistence: Training Magikarp requires patience. It’s not a Pokémon that levels up quickly through solo battling in its early stages. Focus on consistent, incremental progress.
The Importance of Level 20
Magikarp evolves into Gyarados at Level 20. This is the key level to aim for when training Magikarp. Once it reaches level 20, it will initiate evolution, transforming into the much more powerful Gyarados. The relief and satisfaction of finally evolving a Magikarp are experiences many Pokémon trainers remember fondly.
A visual representation of Magikarp’s evolution into Gyarados. This evolution at level 20 is a core aspect of Magikarp’s identity, showcasing its dramatic transformation from a weak fish to a powerful dragon-like Pokémon.
Magikarp’s Stats, Abilities, and More
While its moves are limited, understanding Magikarp’s other attributes provides a fuller picture of this Pokémon:
- Type: Water
- Abilities: Swift Swim (increases Speed in rain), Rattled (hidden ability, increases Speed when hit by Bug, Ghost, or Dark-type moves).
- Base Stats: Magikarp’s base stats are incredibly low, totaling only 200. Its Speed is surprisingly decent at 80, but its Attack, Special Attack, and Defense stats are abysmal.
- Evolution: Evolves into Gyarados at level 20.
- Catch Rate: Very high catch rate of 255, making it easy to catch.
These stats and abilities further reinforce Magikarp’s role as a weak, early-game Pokémon designed to evolve into something much stronger.
The Legendary Transformation: From Magikarp to Gyarados
The evolution from Magikarp to Gyarados is not just a stat boost; it’s a complete transformation in power and usability. Gyarados gains a dual Water/Flying typing, significantly improved stats, and access to a much wider and more powerful move pool.
Gyarados can learn strong Water-type moves like Waterfall and Hydro Pump, as well as powerful Flying-type moves. It also gains access to Dragon-type moves, reflecting its dragon-like appearance. In stark contrast to Magikarp’s limited offensive presence, Gyarados becomes a potent offensive threat.
Conclusion
So, when does Magikarp learn a new move? While the answer is technically at level 15 and level 25 for Tackle and Flail respectively (beyond the initial Splash), the real answer lies in understanding Magikarp’s design. Magikarp’s limited moveset and inherent weakness are deliberate choices to highlight its journey towards evolution.
Magikarp is not meant to be a strong battler in its base form. Its purpose is to be trained, to test a trainer’s patience, and to ultimately reward that dedication with the powerful evolution into Gyarados. The lack of moves early on only makes the eventual transformation and the power of Gyarados that much more impressive and satisfying. Magikarp teaches a valuable lesson in the Pokémon world: even the weakest beginnings can lead to incredible strength with perseverance and training.
