Spoink and Grumpig are often forgotten when it comes to psychic-type Pokemon, but the gen-three Pokemon return in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. With so many psychic Pokemon out there, do these two actually fit in anywhere?
Psychic types have a pedigree of being powerful, thanks to the dominance of Alakazam and Mewtwo in the original games. They’ve fallen off in the years since, but the sheer number of psychic-type legendaries that have been released ahead of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet means there is no shortage of very powerful psychic-type Pokemon.
That isn’t to say that all psychic Pokemon are powerful, though. Hypno showed early on that psychic typing wasn’t a guarantee of strength, and Grumpig picked up its torch in Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire. It’s worth taking a closer look at the Pokemon and discussing where it fits into the game today.
How to Catch and Evolve Spoink
Spoink can be found in South Province Area Three. This is the area directly east of Mesagoza, which allows players to get a Spoink very early in the game. It can’t be found anywhere else in Paldea, however, making it a bit rarer than other Pokemon despite not being especially sought-after.
After catching Spoink, players can evolve it by raising it up to level 32. Though Spoink is a fairly weak Pokemon, players can make it work by leveraging the Pokemon’s serviceable Sp. Defense and Sp. Attack stat.
How to Catch Grumpig
Grumpig can be found across North Province Areas One and Two. Perplexingly, Grumpig has a much larger habitat than Spoink does, making it comparatively easier to find and catch.
Grumpig can be found in the wild to the east of Medali, with its territory stretching all the way to the northeastern limits of Paldea. Alongside this, players can also find Grumpig in four-star Tera Raid battles.
Is Grumpig a Good Pokemon?
Grumpig is a below-average Pokemon that has limited potential across all of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet formats. It has serviceable bulk with the Thick Fat ability but has intense competition when it comes to being a bulky psychic Pokemon.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet have a number of strong psychic-type Pokemon, but especially when it comes to bulky psychic-types. Scream Tail, Armarouge, and Hatterene are all bulkier, with better offensive and support moves at their disposal. Grumpig is strong enough to be relied on in the story, but players need a better psychic type in ranked battles and raids.
Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are available now on Nintendo Switch.