Fuecoco Evolutions In Pokémon Scarlet And Violet: Level Requirements, Best Moves

The Gen 9 Fire-Type starter Fuecoco starts out strong and can grow into a truly exceptional Pokémon with the right guidance from its trainer. There are several reasons why some might even argue that it's the best out of all the starters in "Pokémon Scarlet" and "Violet". To start, it has great HP and Defense stats and an even more impressive Special Attack. The dual Fire/Ghost Type matchup that it gains in its final form is a natural powerhouse that would make an excellent foundation for any Pokémon team, but this is improved even further by its natural Blaze ability, which gives it an additional 50% boost to special attacks when using a Fire-Type move — which is what a majority of its attacks consist of. It's particularly helpful against the Bug and Grass-Type gym leaders that players will be facing early on, as well as the Ice-Type leader they will face towards the end of their quest to become champion.

Players who are just setting out on their Pokémon journey might be curious how to plan for their new partner's growth, however. Knowing when Fuecoco will evolve and what kinds of attacks it will unlock can help trainers plan and prepare for the journey ahead. Here's everything players need to know about Fuecoco's level requirements and best moves.

Starting off the list of Fuecoco evolutions is Fuecoco itself. Many players will choose this little fellow for its charming smile and puppy dog energy, but they will be pleased to find that it's also quite strong. According to its pokédex entries, this adorable little buck-toothed crocodile absorbs energy through its scales in order to create fire, but this energy is constantly leaking out through a little vent on top of its head because it has such a small "flame sac" in which to store this energy.

It has the base stats: HP 67, Attack 45, Defense 59, Sp. Attack 63, Sp. Defense 40, and Speed 36 for a grand total score of 310.

It should already know Tackle, Leer, and Ember at lvl. 1 before the trainer first chooses it as their starter. It will also learn Round at lvl. 7, Bite at lvl. 12, and the Special Fire-Type move Incinerate at lvl. 15. There are also dozens of moves that it can learn from TMs though. It can even pick up some of its own moves early, such as Flamethrower, Fire Blast, and Overheat — though most players probably won't be able to get these at the beginning of the game.

Fuecoco can first evolve into Crocalor at level 16. This taller, slightly chonkier croc's big teeth have finally grown in, but it now has a flame in the shape of an egg on its head. This, coupled with the wreath of embers around its brow, creates a shape that's fairly reminiscent of a sombrero. Its "Scarlet" pokédex entry states that Crocalor's fire and vitality have made the flame on its head egg-shaped while its "Violet" entry says that it can now launch its fire attacks when it makes a "guttural cry" due to the valve in its flame sac being connected to its vocal cords — once again reaffirming that middle-evolutions are the awkward teenage years of the "Pokémon" universe.

Its base stats are: HP 81, Attack 55, Defense 78, Sp. Attack 90, Sp. Defense 58, and Speed 49 for a total score of 411.

This Fuecoco evolution only naturally learns three moves during the 20 levels between evolutions. Crocalor learns Snarl at lvl. 24, Roar at 28, and Flamethrower at 32. Flamethrower is good, but most players will probably have to turn to TMs if they want Crocalor to learn any decent moves during the period before it evolves. That's alright though because its next evolution picks up some pretty powerful attacks.

Crocalor evolves into Skeledirge at level 36. Sprigatito and Quaxly grow increasingly more humanoid in their evolutions, but Fuecoco goes in the opposite direction. Its final evolution, Skeledirge, is essentially a big red and white crocodile that breathes fire and has a tiny bird made of flame that lives on its head and seems to have hatched from Crocalor's egg. According to its "Scarlett" pokédex entry, this bird hatched when the egg gained a soul (which is awfully metaphysical for a "Pokémon" game), and it shapeshifts when Skeledirge sings. The "Violet" entry also states that the crocodile's songs soothe those that hear it while its flame burns them at "over 5,400 degrees Fahrenheit" — well past the melting point of most metals.

Once it reaches this final evolutionary stage, its base stats jump up to: HP 104, Attack 75, Defense 100, Sp. Attack 110, Sp. Defense 75, and Speed 66 for a total score of 530.

Skeledirge learns its first Ghost-Type move, Shadow Ball, at lvl. 38, then it learns Hyper Voice at lvl. 42, Will-O-Wisp and Hex at 47, Fire Blast at 58, and finally Overheat at lvl. 64. These are some incredibly powerful moves, but there are a few ways to make Skeledirge even stronger.

Fuecoco and its evolutions have access to a lot of different moves — both those acquired through organic growth and via TMs — and there are a few different builds players can try to implement. It serves best as a Special Attack powerhouse though. This is why players should be careful to always favor Special moves over Physical ones. Fuecoco and its successive evolutions will always be able to hit significantly harder with their much higher Special Attack stat than they will with basic Physical attacks.

That's why Ember, Round, and Incinerate are going to be the best early moves, picking Snarl and Flamethrower help in the middle, and then Shadow Ball, Hex, Fire Blast, and Overheat will dish out the most punishment in the endgame.

Status moves like Sunny Day and Will-O-Wisp can make great additions if players want more utility in their battle style. But the strongest attack Skeledirge can learn is Blast Burn, which it has to get from a TM found in a cave in the northeastern part of Glaseado Mountain. This super powerful Fire attack has a 90% hit rate and a Power score of 150, which is even more powerful than its signature attack, Torch Song. That, coupled with Skeledirge's high Sp. Attack stat and Blaze ability is a surefire way to deal massive damage.

Get a hard-hitting move-set, and Skeledirge is guaranteed to be an excellent partner through the whole campaign and even into the post-game content.