Staring at that empty #114 slot in your Sinnoh Pokédex? The Pokémon you’re looking for is Tangrowth, a massive Grass-type known for its tangled blue vines. While it might seem new, it’s the powerful evolution of Tangela, a classic Pokémon from the original 151 (Sinnoh Dex 114).
Getting Tangrowth isn’t as simple as finding one in the tall grass; it requires evolving a Tangela using a specific method.
How to Find Tangela in the Sinnoh Region
To get a Tangrowth, you first need to catch its pre-evolution, Tangela. This classic Pokémon is found exclusively in the Great Marsh, a large, safari-like park located in Pastoria City. In the original Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum games on the Nintendo DS, you can find Tangela hiding in the tall grass there from your first visit, though it may take some patience to encounter one.
However, if you’re playing the newer Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl, there’s an important extra step. Tangela will only start appearing in the Great Marsh after you’ve unlocked the National Pokédex. This major game milestone happens after you become the Sinnoh Champion, making many more Pokémon available to catch throughout the region.
The Secret to Evolving Tangela into Tangrowth
Once you have your Tangela, you might notice that it doesn’t evolve no matter how high its level gets. That’s because Tangela has a special evolution method that isn’t based on level alone. To trigger its evolution into Tangrowth, your Tangela must level up while knowing the specific Rock-type move, Ancient Power.
Getting this move onto your Tangela is straightforward, even if you missed it.
- Natural Learning: Tangela will automatically try to learn Ancient Power when it hits level 33.
- The Fix: If your Tangela is already past level 33, simply visit the Move Relearner in Pastoria City. For the price of a single Heart Scale, he can teach this essential move to your Tangela at any time.
With Ancient Power in its moveset, just level up Tangela one more time to finally get your Tangrowth.
Is Tangrowth a Good Pokémon For Your Sinnoh Team?
So, is Tangrowth worth adding to your team? For your main adventure, absolutely. Its greatest strength is its incredibly high defense, which means it can take a lot of physical hits without fainting. Think of it as a sturdy, living wall for your party. Just be mindful of its weaknesses; as a pure Grass-type, it takes extra damage from common Fire, Ice, Flying, Bug, and Poison-type attacks.
Beyond its stats, Tangrowth has a useful Ability—a special passive skill—called Chlorophyll. This doubles its Speed during sunny weather, allowing this normally slow Pokémon to suddenly outpace and attack its opponents first.
Completing Sinnoh Dex #114
That empty slot for Sinnoh Pokédex number 114 is no longer a mystery. To fill it, you simply need to find a Tangela, teach it the move Ancient Power, and level it up once to trigger its evolution into Tangrowth.
Using Tangrowth in a Sinnoh playthrough gives you a fantastic defensive wall that many opponents will find difficult to counter. Go add this rare and powerful Vine Pokémon to your team and get one step closer to completing your adventure!