Swampert

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Swampert (巨沼怪)
Species/Race	Pokémon; the Mud Fish Pokémon, evolved from Marshtomp 190 450
Gender	Male 97
Affiliation	Zhang Cheng’s team 190 208
Occupation/Role	Rain Team physical attacker, Electric-type counter, and defensive support 50 263 297
Type	Water/Ground 216
Potential	A-grade 97 208
Ability	Torrent, documented as Mudkip; strengthens Water-type moves when HP is low 97
Additional Form	Mega Swampert 352
Status	Still able to battle, but barely conscious after Mega Gardevoir’s Magical Leaf in the latest supplied encounter 487
First Appearance	Earliest supplied appearance as Mudkip: 94. First documented appearance as Swampert: 190

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Mudkip — Level 8	95	Reaches level 8 through battles against wild Pokémon in the Yellow Sand Mountains; learns Foresight.
Mudkip — Level 14	108	Battles a level-14 Bonsly and first uses Toxic in combat. Reaching level 16 and evolving into Marshtomp remains a training goal.
Marshtomp — Level unspecified	170	Evolution is complete by this chapter; learns Rock Slide to improve coverage against Flying types.
Swampert — Level 36	190	Evolves from Marshtomp by the end of May and learns Muddy Water.
Swampert — Level 40	219	Reaches level 40 alongside Poliwrath and Pidgeot before joint training for the Toxicroak mission.
Mega Swampert	352	Zhang Cheng uses an Evolution Crystal during the battle against Lu Luan’s Mega Tyranitar. Swampert becomes more muscular, and its stats increase considerably.

Background / History

Zhang Cheng identified Swampert as a desirable addition before obtaining Mudkip. His developing Rain Team was vulnerable to Electric attacks, particularly against opponents with Volt Absorb or Lightning Rod. Swampert’s Ground typing offered a solution, though Zhang expected finding a good Mudkip to be difficult 50.

As Mudkip, it trained in the Yellow Sand Mountains against Rock- and Ground-type opponents. Zhang selected favorable matchups rather than relying on level alone: Mudkip defeated a level-9 Geodude with two Water Guns and later challenged a level-13 Geodude while still level 8. During the latter battle, its faster follow-up attack interrupted Geodude’s attempt to retaliate 95 98.

Zhang initially invested in Toxic rather than additional offensive moves because Mudkip’s low level limited its direct damage. He intended to combine poisoning with Protect until evolution made stronger attacks more practical. Mudkip subsequently demonstrated independent defensive judgment by using Protect during its battle with Bonsly without needing another command 94 108.

After becoming Swampert, it still had less match experience than Poliwrath and Pidgeot. Zhang hired Xia Bin for a three-on-three training battle specifically to develop Swampert and Ampharos’s practical experience 190 208.

Appearance

• Normal form: A massive, muscular body with powerful limbs and a large mouth. It charges on all fours and can plant its limbs to draw energy from the ground 277 279 335 417 481.
• Mega form: Its entire body becomes noticeably more muscular after Mega Evolution 352.
• As Mudkip: Its head fin functions as a sensitive radar, detecting its surroundings through movements in water or air 97.

Personality

Swampert is eager to fight, particularly in direct contests of strength. It becomes excited when an opponent resists its attacks and continues hammering defensive barriers with increasing force. Although proficient with Toxic, it prefers straightforward combat and uses poisoning as a practical means of winning 277 462 481.

Its confidence is supported by considerable perseverance. It overcomes the pain of Slowking’s Psychic under Zhang Cheng’s encouragement, continues firing Mud Shot after Mega Mawile removes four-fifths of its HP, and follows a carefully timed finishing strategy while badly poisoned against Zhao Kuang’s Swampert 295 417 451.

Swampert can feel fear or pressure without abandoning its Trainer’s commands. It defends against Lapras’s Sheer Cold despite being frightened and responds quickly when Zhang orders Wide Guard against Mega Gardevoir’s overwhelming Psychic 335 487.

Abilities & Skills

Water-Type Offense

Swampert is a powerful physical attacker on Zhang Cheng’s Rain Team, while also possessing several ranged Water-type attacks 263 315 481.

• Waterfall: Cloaks its body in Water-type energy for a charging attack. Rain, Mystic Water, and its same-type bonus combine to produce particularly powerful strikes 263 264.
• Barrier-breaking: Waterfall breaks through Wigglytuff’s and Seismitoad’s Protect, although the barriers absorb part of its force 279 285.
• Hydro Pump: Knocks out Rhyperior in one hit under rain with Mystic Water; can also be fired into a Dig tunnel to force an opponent out 315 441.
• Hydro Cannon: A high-powered projectile used when Zhang needs immediate damage. Its recharge leaves Swampert vulnerable, notably against Tropius 450 464.
• Brine: Exploits targets below half HP, bringing Zen Mode Darmanitan close to defeat 481.
• Other demonstrated moves: Water Gun, Water Pulse, Muddy Water, Scald, and Bubble Beam 95 190 269 278 279.

Ground-Type Offense

Swampert excels at drawing Ground-type energy through its limbs and shaping it into attacks. It can sustain repeated ranged fire rather than relying solely on close combat 231 417.

• Mud Bomb: Produces explosive masses of mud; used against Empoleon, Drapion, Magneton, and Starmie 208 233 244 442.
• Mud Shot: Fires successive clumps of mud. Its sustained barrage interrupts Electivire’s attempts to attack 417 430.
• Bulldoze: Channels Ground-type energy through its limbs for a heavy physical assault 217 463.
• Earth Power: Sends energy through the battlefield and erupts beneath the target 442.
• Earthquake: Identified as its best physical move; removes two-fifths of Mega Gardevoir’s HP by targeting its weaker physical defense 487.

Toxic and Battle Control

Toxic is a central part of Swampert’s training and battle style, developed from its early days as Mudkip 94 108 277.

• Attrition: Poisons an opponent, then alternates attacks and defensive moves while the toxin steadily drains HP 217 296 443.
• Punishing recovery: Lands Toxic while opponents use Slack Off or Recover, exploiting their inability to evade during healing 441 442.
• Forcing defensive openings: Uses Waterfall to draw out Primarina’s Protect, then lands Toxic immediately after the barrier ends 277.
• Venoshock: Deals increased damage to an already badly poisoned target; reduces Tsareena to half HP during their exchange 370.
• Limits: Steel typing prevents poisoning, while Safeguard temporarily shuts down the strategy 396 430 462.

Defensive Moves

Swampert uses both individual and shared barriers to absorb attacks and prevent status conditions 208 297 431.

• Protect: Forms a transparent barrier; blocks attacks such as Slowking’s Confusion and prevents Seismitoad’s Supersonic from landing 285 296.
• Wide Guard: Creates a broad, deep-yellow barrier from Rock-type energy. It can cover both Swampert and an ally 277 297.
• Status prevention: Wide Guard blocks Ferrothorn’s Leech Seed, while Protect stops Wigglytuff’s Toxic 278 431.
• Power limits: Powerful attacks or coordinated assaults can shatter either defense. Examples include Empoleon’s Hydro Pump, the Sharpedo pack’s Aqua Jet, and Mega Gardevoir’s Psychic 209 298 487.

Recovery and Tactical Utility

• Aqua Ring: Surrounds Swampert with flowing water that gradually restores HP during prolonged battles 393 397.
• Thief: Damages an opponent and steals its held item. Against Empoleon, its main purpose is to remove Mystic Water and weaken subsequent Water attacks 209.
• Mirror Coat: Returns damage after Swampert withstands Empoleon’s Brine, enabling a decisive counterattack 209.
• Endeavor: Reduces Zhao Kuang’s healthier Swampert to similarly critical HP, setting up a final Water Gun 451.
• Rain Dance: Establishes rain before Swampert attacks Rhyperior 314.
• Foresight: Learned at level 8 to help deal with highly evasive opponents 95.
• Counter: Listed among its inherited egg moves as Mudkip, though no supplied encounter shows it being used 97.

Coverage Moves

• Rock Slide: Learned as Marshtomp; defeats Emolga and pressures Froslass. Repeated use improves Swampert’s control of Rock-type energy 170 251.
• Hammer Arm: Provides a Fighting-type option against Ferrothorn’s Steel typing 431.
• Hyper Beam: Inflicts substantial damage on Ferrothorn, but its recovery period allows Ferrothorn to finish Swampert with Energy Ball 431.

Typing and Weather

• Electric immunity: Its Ground typing neutralizes Electric attacks and gives Zhang an answer to opponents such as Magneton and Jolteon 244 296.
• Rock and Steel resistance: Reduces damage from attacks such as Stone Edge and Metal Burst, though sufficiently powerful hits remain dangerous 256 397 417.
• Sandstorm immunity: Both normal and Mega Swampert can fight without taking sandstorm damage, making it effective against sandstorm teams 352 441.
• Grass weakness: Grass attacks deal quadruple damage. Grass opponents repeatedly force difficult exchanges or defeat it outright 209 431 464.
• Burn vulnerability: Burn weakens its physical attacks; after Darmanitan burns it, Zhang switches to the special move Scald 285 482.
• Water Absorb counterplay: Waterfall restores Lapras’s HP instead of damaging her 335.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Mystic Water — Initially stolen from Xia Bin’s Empoleon through Thief. Zhang later selects one specifically to strengthen Swampert’s Water attacks and improve its rainy-weather offense 209 259 264.
• Evolution Crystal — Used by Zhang Cheng to Mega Evolve Swampert against Mega Tyranitar 352.
• Toxic Technical Machine — Purchased for Mudkip as an early investment in its poison-and-defense strategy 94.

Relationships

• Zhang Cheng — Trainer. Designs its training, develops its unconventional move combinations, and encourages it through painful or unfavorable battles 94 208 295 451.
• Poliwrath — Teammate and frontline partner. Swampert’s Wide Guard can protect them both; they defend together against the Sharpedo pack, and Swampert retaliates after the leader bites Poliwrath 297 298.
• Ampharos — Teammate whose support creates openings. Swampert follows up Ampharos’s paralysis against Seismitoad and helps hold off Sharpedo while Ampharos attacks 285 298.
• Xia Bin — Training opponent and battle coach. Recognizes Swampert’s unusual reliance on Thief and Toxic rather than exclusively powerful Water attacks 208 210.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Early Competitive Development

Encounter	Contribution and outcome
Du Peng’s Luxray	As Marshtomp, draws out Protect with Mud Bomb, follows with Toxic, and uses Wide Guard against Luxray’s empowered Swift 179 180.
Xia Bin’s Empoleon and Shiftry	Defeats Empoleon through Thief, Mirror Coat, and Mud Shot. Shiftry knocks it out, but Swampert lands Toxic before falling 208 209 210.
Wild Whiscash	Combines Toxic, Waterfall, Wide Guard, and Bulldoze; poison drains Whiscash’s final HP 216 217.
R Organization confrontation	Defends against Drapion and Scolipede’s focused assault, then joins the coordinated counterattack with Mud Bomb. The opposing Trainers decide to retreat 231 232 233.

Tournament and Assessment Battles

Encounter	Contribution and outcome
Lin Peng’s Magneton	Exploits Magneton’s quadruple Ground weakness, but Explosion produces a double knockout 244 245.
Wang Lu’s Emolga and Froslass	Defeats Emolga with Rock Slide, then uses the same move to pressure Froslass’s Protect 251.
Chen Dian’s Pupitar	Replaces the defeated Poliwrath and trades Stone Edge for Muddy Water in a favorable matchup; the supplied exchange ends before the result 256.
Duan Hong’s Espeon	Knocks out the partly healed Espeon with a rain- and Mystic Water-boosted Waterfall, securing Zhang’s place in the top ten 263 264.
Li Han’s Delphox and Medicham	Defeats both opponents and wins the match while surviving with less than one-sixth HP 269.
Bai Lu’s team	Poisons Primarina, defeats Wigglytuff with Bubble Beam, and is recalled after becoming badly poisoned 277 278 279.
Li Ao’s Seismitoad	Capitalizes on Ampharos’s paralysis support and wins with Mud Bomb, surviving Seismitoad’s final Surf with about a quarter HP 285.
Chen Hao’s Slowking and Jolteon	Uses Toxic, defensive barriers, and attacks that interrupt recovery to defeat both. The victory earns Zhang Gym-level Trainer certification 295 296.
Han Tian’s Rhyperior and Gyarados	Sets rain and knocks out the level-61 Rhyperior with Hydro Pump. It then contests Waterfall directly against level-63 Gyarados; the supplied battle remains unresolved 314 315.
Su Qian’s Lapras	Blocks Sheer Cold, but its Waterfall heals Lapras through Water Absorb while Blizzard damages Swampert 335.
Lu Luan’s Mega Tyranitar	Mega Evolves and counters Crunch with Waterfall while remaining immune to the sandstorm 352.
Chen Shan’s Mega Aggron	Uses special Ground attacks, Aqua Ring, and defensive counters to gain control; Zhang orders a finishing Mud Shot against the exhausted opponent 396 397.

Later High-Level Battles

Encounter	Contribution and outcome
Mega Mawile	Continues a Mud Shot barrage despite losing four-fifths of its HP to a Swords Dance-boosted Iron Tail 417.
Yuwen Tian’s Electivire and Ferrothorn	Defeats Electivire by repeatedly interrupting its attacks. Ferrothorn withstands Hammer Arm and Hyper Beam, then knocks Swampert out during its recovery period 430 431.
Mark’s team	Defeats Hippowdon with Water attacks and Toxic, then stalls poisoned Starmie behind defensive barriers until it falls. It subsequently engages Mega Kangaskhan 441 442 443.
Zhao Kuang’s Swampert	Enters badly poisoned by Toxic Spikes. Zhang baits Protect with Toxic, uses Endeavor to equalize their remaining HP, and orders a final Water Gun. Both Swampert faint 450 451.
Sun Hai’s Sylveon and Tropius	Defeats Sylveon but is poisoned before the knockout. Tropius exploits its Grass weakness and Hydro Cannon recharge to finish it with Energy Ball 462 463 464.
Su Jun’s Darmanitan and Mega Salamence	Defeats Darmanitan with Water Gun but receives a burn. Mega Salamence evades Scald with Fly and knocks Swampert out 480 481 482.
Bai Yuling’s Mega Gardevoir	Wide Guard fails against Psychic. Swampert retaliates with Earthquake, removing two-fifths of Gardevoir’s HP, but a guaranteed-hit Magical Leaf leaves it barely able to battle 487.

Notable Quotes

“Your Swampert really doesn't play by the usual rules. First Thief, then Toxic.”
— Xia Bin, after Swampert poisons Shiftry before being knocked out 210.

“You did very well. Come back, Swampert.”
— Zhang Cheng, after Swampert forces a draw despite entering the battle badly poisoned 451.