How to Evolve Burmy

Evolving Burmy requires reaching level 20, but the resulting Pokémon depends entirely on two factors: gender and the battle environment. Unlike standard linear evolutions, this Bug-type relies on a split path that locks your choice permanently upon leveling up.

Male Burmy always evolve into Mothim regardless of their current cloak. This Bug/Flying-type moth discards its environmental camouflage completely. You do not need to worry about where you battle if your goal is obtaining a Mothim.

Female Burmy follow a stricter rule set. They evolve into Wormadam, a Pokémon that retains the exact cloak it was wearing at the moment it reached level 20. Because Wormadam's secondary typing and movepool change based on this cloak, managing your female Burmy's form before the evolution screen triggers is mandatory.

To control a female Burmy's evolution, you must change its cloak by finishing a battle in a specific terrain type. The cloak updates automatically at the end of the encounter. You must ensure the correct cloak is equipped before leveling up to 20.

• Plant Cloak: Battle in tall grass, forests, or open outdoor routes. This yields the Bug/Grass-type Wormadam.
• Sandy Cloak: Battle inside caves, on sandy beaches, or in desert areas. This results in the Bug/Ground-type Wormadam.
• Trash Cloak: Battle inside buildings, Gyms, or urban structures. This creates the Bug/Steel-type Wormadam.

Once a female Burmy evolves into Wormadam, the cloak becomes a permanent biological feature. A Trash Cloak Wormadam will never revert to a Plant Cloak, even if you battle in tall grass later. Always double-check your summary screen before using a Rare Candy or triggering the final level-up.

Mothim receives a generous 2/10 competitive rating. Operating strictly as a special sweeper or wallbreaker, its base 94 Special Attack and 94 Attack give it decent mixed potential. Access to Quiver Dance and the Tinted Lens ability allows it to hit through resistances with moves like Bug Buzz and Air Slash.

However, Mothim is severely crippled by a base 66 Speed stat. Even after a Quiver Dance boost, it fails to outspeed common threats in lower tiers. Its Bug/Flying typing also saddles it with a devastating 4x weakness to Stealth Rock, stripping away half its health upon switching in unless you run Heavy-Duty Boots.

In almost every competitive scenario, Mothim is entirely outclassed. Vivillon offers better speed and Sleep Powder utility, while Volcarona performs the Quiver Dance sweeper role flawlessly in higher tiers. Mothim remains viable only in the absolute lowest brackets of competitive play.

The three Wormadam forms vary wildly in viability, but the Trash Cloak stands out as the only usable option, earning a 3/10 rating. The Bug/Steel typing provides nine resistances and a vital poison immunity. This allows Wormadam Trash to function as a niche hazard setter and defensive wall in ZU or PU tiers, utilizing Stealth Rock, Toxic, and Gyro Ball.

Sandy Cloak Wormadam (Bug/Ground) earns a 2/10. While Earth Power and Quiver Dance provide a decent offensive combination, its base 36 Speed renders it incapable of sweeping. It takes too much damage before it can attack, and weaknesses to common Water and Ice moves limit its setup opportunities.

Plant Cloak Wormadam sits at a dismal 1/10 rating. The Bug/Grass typing is arguably one of the worst defensive combinations in the game, carrying crippling 4x weaknesses to Fire and Flying. It lacks the bulk to survive neutral hits and the speed to utilize its offensive moves, making it dead weight on any competitive roster. Disclaimer: Pokedex.me is an unofficial fan site. Pokémon and its trademarks are property of Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak.

If you insist on running these evolutions, specific effort value (EV) spreads are necessary to maximize their limited potential. For Mothim, a standard sweeper spread of 252 Special Attack and 252 Speed with a Timid nature is mandatory. This gives it the best possible chance to outspeed unboosted opponents after a Quiver Dance.

Wormadam Trash requires a fully defensive investment. Allocate 252 EVs to HP and 252 to Special Defense, using a Sassy or Careful nature. This maximizes its ability to absorb special hits from Fairy, Psychic, and Grass-type attackers while setting up Stealth Rock.

Avoid investing Speed EVs into any Wormadam form. With a base speed of 36, they will never outspeed relevant threats, even with maximum investment. Instead, leverage their low speed with Gyro Ball on the Trash Cloak form to punish faster offensive pivots.