Horse girls, this one's for you. We recommend you use the Pokémon Rapidash in all horse-based or fire-type teams - either in its fiery original form, or pastelized Galarian version that debuted in Pokémon Sword and Shield on the Nintendo Switch. Either way, Rapidash is pretty cool.
This horse and its equally cool pre-evolution Ponyta are some of my favorite fire Pokémon, due to it being a horse with a mane made of flames. What's cooler than that? Ice types, I guess.
Here's everything in our Rapidash guide:
Here's the key information you need to know about Rapidash:
| National Pokédex # | 0,078 |
| Type | Rapidash: Fire Galarian Rapidash: Psychic/Fairy |
| Abilities | Rapidash: Run Away or Flash Fire Galarian Rapidash: Run Away or Pastel Veil |
| Hidden ability | Rapidash: Flame Body Galarian Rapidash: Anticipation |
| Gender ratio | Male - 50% Female - 50% |
| Catch rate | 14.8% |
| Egg groups | Field |
| EV yield | Two speed |
Rapidash's evolution
Rapidash evolves from Ponyta as it hits level 40. This is the same for the Kanto and Galarian forms.
Rapidash's locations
Here are all the locations you can find Rapidash in each Pokémon game. Galarian Rapidash's locations are marked with the name. It doesn't appear before Gen VIII, as it debuted in Sword and Shield.
Gen 1 locations
| Red / Blue | Evolve Ponyta |
| Yellow | Evolve Ponyta |
Gen 2 locations
| Gold / Silver | Route 28, Mount Silver Trade a Gloom in Pewter |
| Crystal | Route 28, Mount Silver |
Gen 3 locations
| Ruby / Sapphire | Trade |
| Emerald | Trade |
| FireRed / LeafGreen | Kindle Road, Mount Ember |
| Colosseum | Trade |
| XD | Citadark Isle |
Gen 4 locations
| Diamond / Pearl | Evolve Ponyta |
| Platinum | Evolve Ponyta |
| HeartGold / SoulSilver | Route 28, Mount Silver |
Gen 5 locations
| Black / White | Route 12 |
| Black 2 / White 2 | Trade |
Gen 6 locations
| X / Y | Evolve Ponyta |
| Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire | Evolve Ponyta |
Gen 7 locations
| Sun / Moon | Pokémon Bank |
| Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon | Pokémon Bank |
| Let's Go Pikachu / Let's Go Eevee | Route 17 |
Gen 8 locations
| Sword | Trade (Kanto) Trade (Galar) |
| Shield | Trade (Kanto) Bridge Field, Hammerlocke Hills, Lake of Outrage, Rolling Fields (Galar) |
| Shield Expansion Pass | Evolve Ponyta (Kanto) Ballimere Lake, Giant's Bed, Old Cemetery, Path to the Peak, Snowslide Slope (Galar) |
| Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl | Evolve Ponyta |
| Legends: Arceus | Coronet Highlands, Obsidian Fieldlands: Horseshoe Plains |
Gen 9 locations
| Scarlet / Violet | Unobtainable |
| Legends: Z-A | Unobtainable |
Rapidash's base stats
Both Rapidash and its Galarian variant's base stats are as follows. As you level it up, these stats will grow.
- HP - 65
- Attack - 100
- Defense - 70
- Sp. Atk - 80
- Sp. Def - 80
- Speed - 105
Rapidash's type strengths and weaknesses
The two versions of Rapidash have different strengths and weaknesses to pay attention to in battle:
Rapidash
| Normal damage | Dark, Dragon, Electric, Fighting, Flying, Ghost, Normal, Poison, Psychic |
| Weak | Ground, Rock, Water |
| Resistant | Bug, Fairy, Fire, Grass, Ice, Steel |
| Immune | None |
Galarian Rapidash
| Normal damage | Bug, Dark, Electric, Fairy, Fire, Flying, Grass, Ground, Ice, Normal, Rock, Water |
| Weak | Ghost, Poison, Steel |
| Resistant | Fighting, Psychic |
| Immune | Dragon |
Rapidash's moveset
In the latest generation of Pokémon games, Rapidash can learn the following moves:
Rapidash
Level up moves
| Level | Move | Type |
| One | Smart Strike | Steel |
| One | Megahorn | Bug |
| One | Poison Jab | Poison |
| One | Tackle | Normal |
| One | Quick Attack | Normal |
| One | Growl | Normal |
| One | Tail Whip | Normal |
| One | Ember | Fire |
| Evo. | Smart Strike | Steel |
| 15 | Flame Charge | Fire |
| 20 | Agility | Psychic |
| 25 | Flame Wheel | Fire |
| 30 | Stomp | Normal |
| 35 | Fire Spin | Fire |
| 43 | Take Down | Normal |
| 49 | Inferno | Fire |
| 56 | Fire Blast | Fire |
| 63 | Flare Blitz | Fire |
Galarian Rapidash
Level up moves
| Level | Move | Type |
| One | Psycho Cut | Psychic |
| One | Megahorn | Bug |
| One | Tackle | Normal |
| One | Quick Attack | Normal |
| One | Growl | Normal |
| One | Tail Whip | Normal |
| One | Confusion | Psychic |
| Evo. | Psycho Cut | Psychic |
| 15 | Fairy Wind | Fairy |
| 20 | Agility | Psychic |
| 25 | Psybeam | Psychic |
| 30 | Stomp | Normal |
| 35 | Heal Pulse | Psychic |
| 43 | Take Down | Normal |
| 49 | Dazzling Gleam | Fairy |
| 56 | Psychic | Psychic |
| 63 | Healing Wish | Psychic |
Rapidash
Learnable TMs in Sword and Shield
| Move | Type |
| Agility | Psychic |
| Ally Switch | Psychic |
| Attract | Normal |
| Baton Pass | Normal |
| Body Slam | Normal |
| Bounce | Flying |
| Charm | Fairy |
| Drill Run | Ground |
| Endure | Normal |
| Facade | Normal |
| Fire Blast | Fire |
| Fire Spin | Fire |
| Flamethrower | Fire |
| Flare Blitz | Fire |
| Giga Impact | Normal |
| Heat Wave | Fire |
| High Horsepower | Ground |
| Hyper Beam | Normal |
| Iron Tail | Steel |
| Low Kick | Fighting |
| Megahorn | Bug |
| Mystical Fire | Fire |
| Overheat | Fire |
| Pay Day | Normal |
| Play Rough | Fairy |
| Poison Jab | Poison |
| Protect | Normal |
| Rest | Psychic |
| Round | Normal |
| Sleep Talk | Normal |
| Smart Strike | Steel |
| Snore | Normal |
| Solar Beam | Grass |
| Solar Blade | Grass |
| Substitute | Normal |
| Sunny Day | Fire |
| Swift | Normal |
| Swords Dance | Normal |
| Throat Chop | Dark |
| Wild Charge | Electric |
| Will-O-Wisp | Fire |
Learnable TMs in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
| Move | Type |
| Attract | Normal |
| Double Team | Normal |
| Endure | Normal |
| Facade | Normal |
| Fire Blast | Fire |
| Flamethrower | Fire |
| Giga Impact | Normal |
| Hyper Beam | Normal |
| Iron Tail | Steel |
| Overheat | Fire |
| Poison Jab | Poison |
| Protect | Normal |
| Rest | Psychic |
| Sleep Talk | Normal |
| Solar Beam | Grass |
| Strength | Normal |
| Substitute | Normal |
| Sunny Day | Fire |
| Swagger | Normal |
| Swords Dance | Normal |
| Will-O-Wisp | Fire |
Galarian Rapidash
Learnable TMs
| Move | Type |
| Agility | Psychic |
| Ally Switch | Psychic |
| Attract | Normal |
| Baton Pass | Normal |
| Body Slam | Normal |
| Bounce | Flying |
| Calm Mind | Psychic |
| Charm | Fairy |
| Dazzling Gleam | Fairy |
| Drill Run | Ground |
| Endure | Normal |
| Facade | Normal |
| Future Sight | Psychic |
| Giga Impact | Normal |
| High Horsepower | Ground |
| Hyper Beam | Normal |
| Imprison | Psychic |
| Iron Tail | Steel |
| Low Kick | Fighting |
| Magic Room | Psychic |
| Megahorn | Bug |
| Misty Terrain | Fairy |
| Mystical Fire | Fire |
| Pay Day | Normal |
| Play Rough | Fairy |
| Protect | Normal |
| Psychic | Psychic |
| Psychic Terrain | Psychic |
| Psycho Cut | Psychic |
| Rest | Psychic |
| Round | Normal |
| Sleep Talk | Normal |
| Smart Strike | Steel |
| Snore | Normal |
| Stored Power | Psychic |
| Substitute | Normal |
| Swift | Normal |
| Swords Dance | Normal |
| Throat Chop | Dark |
| Trick Room | Psychic |
| Wild Charge | Electric |
| Wonder Room | Psychic |
| Zen Headbutt | Psychic |
Rapidash
Egg moves in Sword and Shield
| Move | Type | Breed with |
| Double Kick | Fighting | Nidoran, Nidorino, Nidoking, Jolteon, Combusken, Blaziken, Buneary, Lopunny, Bunnelby, Diggersby, Litten, Torracat, Incineroar, Mudbray, Mudsdale, Scorbunny, Raboot, Cinderace, Wooloo, Dubwool |
| Double-Edge | Normal | Tauros, Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon, Sylveon, Dunsparce, Zigzagoon, Linoone, Obstagoon, Hippopotas, Hippowdon, Stufful, Bewear, Passimian, Scorbunny, Raboot, Cinderace, Wooloo, Dubwool |
| Horn Drill | Normal | Rhyhorn, Rhydon, Rhyperior, Excadrill |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Munna, Musharna |
| Morning Sun | Normal | Espeon |
| Thrash | Normal | Galarian Meowth, Perrserker, Tauros, Piloswine, Mamoswine, Sandile, Krokorok, Krookodile, Darumaka, Darmanitan, Cubchoo, Beartic, Litten, Torracat, Incineroar, Stufful, Bewear, Passimian, Morpeko |
Egg moves in Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
| Move | Type | Breed with |
| Ally Switch | Psychic | Smeargle |
| Charm | Fairy | Pikachu, Raichu, Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon, Snubbull, Granbull, Teddiursa, Ursaring, Phanpy, Donphan, Skitty, Delcatty, Piplup, Prinplup, Empoleon, Pachirisu, Buneary, Lopunny, Glameow, Purugly |
| Double Kick | Fighting | Nidoran, Nidorino, Nidoking, Jolteon, Combusken, Blaziken, Buneary, Lopunny |
| Double-Edge | Normal | Rattata, Raticate, Tauros, Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon, Sylveon, Dunsparce, Phanpy, Donphan, Stantler, Zigzagoon, Linoone, Skitty, Delcatty, Numel, Camerupt, Spinda, Hippopotas, Hippowdon |
| Flame Wheel | Fire | Growlithe, Arcanine, Ponyta (Kanto), Rapidash (Kanto), Cyndaquil, Quilava, Typhlosion, Numel, Camerupt, Torkoal, Chimchar, Monferno, Infernape |
| High Horsepower | Ground | Smeargle |
| Horn Drill | Normal | Rhyhorn, Rhydon, Rhyperior |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Stantler, Spinda, Glameow, Purugly |
| Low Kick | Fighting | Mankey, Primeape |
| Morning Sun | Normal | Espeon |
| Thrash | Normal | Mankey, Primeape, Tauros, Teddiursa, Ursaring, Piloswine, Mammoswine, Spinda |
Galarian Rapidash
Egg moves
| Move | Type | Breed with |
| Double Kick | Fighting | Nidoran, Nidorino, Nidoking, Jolteon, Combusken, Blaziken, Buneary, Lopunny, Bunnelby, Diggersby, Litten, Torracat, Incineroar, Mudbray, Mudsdale, Scorbunny, Raboot, Cinderace, Wooloo, Dubwool |
| Double-Edge | Normal | Tauros, Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Glaceon, Sylveon, Dunsparce, Zigzagoon, Linoone, Obstagoon, Hippopotas, Hippowdon, Stufful, Bewear, Passimian, Scorbunny, Raboot, Cinderace, Wooloo, Dubwool |
| Horn Drill | Normal | Rhyhorn, Rhydon, Rhyperior, Excadrill |
| Hypnosis | Psychic | Munna, Musharna |
| Morning Sun | Normal | Espeon |
| Thrash | Normal | Galarian Meowth, Perrserker, Tauros, Piloswine, Mamoswine, Sandile, Krokorok, Krookodile, Darumaka, Darmanitan, Cubchoo, Beartic, Litten, Torracat, Incineroar, Stufful, Bewear, Passimian, Morpeko |
There you are - all the key information on the Pokémon Rapidash.