Igglybuff, Jigglypuff, Wigglytuff (SM)

A fairy type Pokémon that has become a cult favorite and pop culture icon despite a lack of competitive performance in game.

First location: Route 4

## Stats, Evolutions

Igglybuff has high HP for a first-stage Pokémon, but all of its other stats are dreadful, just like most other baby Pokémon. Its defenses are particularly bad, which offset its high HP. Since it's a pathetic Pokémon overall, you're best off babying it.

But why would you do that? It evolves into Jigglypuff via friendship. It takes about 14 levels for a Pokémon to evolve via friendship. Even if you friendship-grind, you'll be stuck with Iggs for quite a while. Fortunately, you can get Jigglypuff right away in a SOS encounter with Igglybuff. Not that you should do that, because Jigglypuff is still a pathetic excuse of a Pokémon, with its stats being lower than those of the starters at a point where your starters should already have evolved, or maybe even ready to evolve into their final form if it evolved via friendship. It gets more HP, but its stats are still as terrible as ever. Still slow, still frail... It's a wall. Not an iron wall, not even a stone wall, a *cotton candy* wall. Jigglypuff is \*not\* a cheap Kirby knockoff that doesn't deserve to be playable in game, and has taken center stage at some of the largest competitive levels known for its unusual playstyle in early games of the series most notably being SSB Melee.

Wigglytuff finally gets a significant improvement to its stats when it evolves via a Moon Stone, but don't expect him to YOOMTAH so hard the world turns into ruins. It still has the same stat distribution, but its Special Attack stat is actually decent. Doesn't have the destructive capabilities of a YOOMTAH, but it's still a bit above average. But, ugh, The Guildmaster pays the price with its other stats. Bad defense and bad speed still make him as frail as they get.

## Movepool, Abilities, Typing.

When you get it, it will have Defense Curl, Pound, Sweet Kiss and Copycat, and no other moves via level up. Wish I was joking. All four moves of its moves are terrible too. You can't help but feel sorry for Iggs, it's a baby and it fights like one.

Fortunately, Jiggs is better when it comes to level up moves, but only in quantity, not in quality. If you got it in a SOS encounter, it will most likely Disarming Voice, which isn't bad since it gets STAB, but Jiggs's terrible Special Attack stat and the fact that it has only 40 power means that you shouldn't have it for too long. The only noteworthy move after that is Round at 22, which is stronger than Disarming Voice and it also gets STAB. Also worth a mention is Stockpile + Spit Up + Swallow three levels later, but they're very impractical moves even though Spit Up gets STAB. You should mostly teach it Special moves since Wigglytuff gets no new moves on level up.

Wigglytuff has insane coverage via TMs: Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Flamethrower, Focus Blast, Charge Beam, Grass Knot... Easily its best aspect.

Abilities, still not too great. It has Cute Charm (has a chance of making an opposite-gendered foe fall in love if they make contact with them) and Competitive boosts its special attack stat if any other of its stats are lowered. It's a perfect fit for Wigglytuff.

Its typing, Normal/Fairy, gives it two weaknesses, two immunities and two resistances. Not bad, but he's going to get a lot of damage by moves that cause it normal damage because of how frail it is.

## Important Battles

Bad stats = Bad in battle. Not much of an use.

## Conclusion

Wigglytuff has next to no redeeming qualities. The only good things I can think about him are these:

* Amazing HP.
* Decent Special Attack.
* Competitive Ability.
* TM movepool.

And even then its flaws far outweigh its virtues. You'll be stuck with two pathetically weak Pokémon for 20 levels or so before evolving, and Wigglytuff is only moderately decent at best. Slow and devoid of defense makes it terribly frail. What else can I say? Don't use it. At least it makes a damn good punching bag, because it absolutely sucks at everything when in battle, and you can use it to lull the AI (or other players) into a false sense of security.

Rating: ADORABLE