Volcarona Pokémon

Last Modified Jun 30, 2021 09:24 GMT

Introduced in generation five with the Pokemon Black and White games, Volcarona is a dual type fire and bug Pokemon. Volcarona is a bit atypical of regular bug types in Pokemon as its pre evolution evolves late at level 59. It evolves from Larvesta, and is the only Pokemon that is capable of learning fiery dance. Despite Volcarona’s relatively short time in competitive battle formats, it has made quite the impact. This guide will showcase Volcarona’s appearances in the anime, its capabilities in battle, as well as other general facts about Volcarona.



About Volcarona


One of the key characteristics of bug type Pokemon is their ability to evolve with early levels. Larvesta and Volcarona stray away from this dynamic. Larvesta will only evolve into Volcarona after reaching level 59. There is no middle evolution for this line, so once you reach this level threshold, you can reap the rewards of Volcarona. It first appeared in the anime with the Black and White season with the episode Guarding the Guardian of the Mountain!. The Pokedex states that Volcarona is capable of engulfing the entire battlefield in flames.


First appearance in animePokemon the Series: Black and White Guarding the Guardian of the Mountain!
First appearance in gamePokemon Black and White
Region Unova
Evolution Evolves from Larvesta at level 59
1st Evo level59
2nd Evo levelN/A
Pokedex EntryWhen volcanic ash darkened the atmosphere, it is said that Volcarona's fire provided a replacement for the sun.


Volcarona Base Stats


HP85
ATTACK60
DEFENCE65
SP. ATTACK135
SP. DEFENCE105
SPEED100
TOTAL550


Appearance


A large moth-like Pokemon, it has bug-like compound eyes. Volcarona’s eyes are blue, its wings are red, and it has two horn-like designs around its head. Like moths in real life, Volcarona’s body is rather fuzzy and matches with its body’s white color. It also has four stubbly legs that can be seen near its chest. Volcarona has six wings that, according to the Pokedex, acted as a replacement for the sun in dark times.



Behavior


Volcarona is an ancient Pokemon, even worshipped by a group of people in the Relic Castle remains. It was regarded as a fiery God, hatching from a cocoon of flames to free the world from freezing climates. Despite its rather altruistic story, ancient civilizations feared Volcarona as it was referenced as the “rage of the sun”. Whether its fiery power is a result of benevolent behavior or righteous fury is never cleared up, but Volcarona certainly lives up to its wrathful reputation.


Strengths and Weaknesses


Volcarona has a solid defensive typing, only being beat out by water and flying types with 2x effectiveness. Rock type moves have 4x effectiveness, so you will want to avoid sending Volcarona into Pokemon that have access to rock type moves. With a very respectable speed stat and high special attack and defense, Volcarona can make quick work of an opposing team. Its physical defense stat is not very high, so you can easily get through a Volcarona with a physical rock move.


Shiny Volcarona


The design for Shiny Volcarona is quite striking. Almost the entirety of Shiny Volcarona’s colors are swapped, with only the white fuzz around its body remaining the same. Shiny Volcarona’s wings change color from red to yellow, befitting the imagery associating it with a raging sun. The horns around its head are changed from red to orange, and the white body it had is replaced with purple. Even Shiny Volcarona’s eyes change color from blue to green. Like all shiny Pokemon, Shiny Volcarona gains a starry animation upon entering battle.


Credit to TrainerParshen on Deviantart for the below picture.



Best Moveset


Since Volcarona’s statline allows for a special defensive and offensive moveset, it is quite menacing to face in battle. Its health stat is decent when coupled with its high special defense, and along with its strong speed stat and special attack stat, it can be difficult removing a well placed Volcarona. For moves, consider running Quiver Dance, Flamethrower, Bug Buzz, and Roost. Quiver Dance is one of the most powerful set up tools in the game, Flamethrower benefits from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus), Bug Buzz also gains this benefit while posing a relevant stat debuff, and Roost can help Volcarona’s sustainability in longer fights.


Quiver DanceFlamethrower
Bug BuzzRoost


How to Catch Volcarona in Pokemon Go


Both Larvesta and Volcarona are particularly rare in Pokemon Go. If you are trying to find one for yourself, consider looking while it is raining or during sunny weather. This will give you boosted spawn rates for bug types and fire types respectively, making its rare spawn slightly more common. Unfortunately, to match its rarity, Larvesta requires a total of 400 candies in order to evolve into Volcarona. If you manage to locate one, you ought to keep it regardless of its stat values, solely to farm enough candies as your buddy. At this point in time, neither Larvesta or Volcarona has appeared as a raid boss, you will have to get a Volcarona the hard way.



Trivia


  1. Larvesta is the latest two stage evolution line you can find in the entire game. Evolving into Volcarona at level 59.
  2. The name Volcarona is a portmanteau of the words volcano and corona (Latin for crown).
  3. The design for Volcarona is likely based on seraphim, fiery angels of Ancient Judaism. Both the seraphim and Volcarona have six red wings.


Video Guide


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FAQ


Is Volcarona a Legendary?


Despite Volcarona’s capabilities in battle, it is not a legendary Pokemon in any regard. The classifications for a legendary Pokemon are its base stat totals, its lack of evolutions (ignoring Manaphy), and its ability to be bred at a Pokemon Daycare. Volcarona does not fit into any of the classifications for a legendary Pokemon.


Is Volcarona any Good?


Volcarona is almost too good in competitive Pokemon battles. It is consistently in the OU (Over Used) tiers and its statline and access to powerful tools makes it a force to be reckoned with. In addition to its natural bulkiness, it also has a chance to have the Flame Body ability, which can inflict burn and a subsequent 1/2 cut to the burned Pokemon’s physical attack. Volcarona covers its own weaknesses while presenting a true sweeping threat.


Is Volcarona based on Mothra?


It is more likely that Volcarona is based on the seraphim of ancient Judaism. The seraphim are angels that are associated with fire, and like Volcarona’s design, have six red wings. While Volcarona’s real life counterpart is almost certainly moths, that is where its similarities with Mothron end. Both Mothron and Volcarona are based off of moths, but Volcarona is not likely based off of Mothra.


Conclusion


Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this sun Pokemon. Volcarona has made quite an impact on competitive battling since its inclusion with the Pokemon Black and White games. It is also unique in that it strays away from typical bug type dynamics of evolving quickly. However, like many Pokemon that require a long time investment, Volcarona is well worth the time. Save a slot on your team for Volcarona and you will not be disappointed.