There are a lot of healing moves in thePokemonseries and a large number ofPokemonthat can use them. But if players are looking for themost effective self-healers, there are some that rise to the top.
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Admittedly not allhealer Pokemonare useful in PVP situations. Some are situational, while others are only available in certain generations; however, if players are looking for some interesting self-healers to add to their team, then thesehealing Pokemonshould be at the top of their list.
Updated on July 06, 2025 by Ben Painter: With the release ofPokemon Scarlet & Violet, comes newPokemonto catch, collect and battle with the goal to become aPokemonMaster. One of the best ways to battle in the franchise is by using moves likeSoftboiled,RestandGiga Drainto heal up thePokemon’s HP.
When the HP is gone thePokemonfaints and therefore the battle is lost. So to gain some back is a great strategy.Pokemonfamous for this are Chansey, Snorlax and Venusaur. But many others are capable of these moves and even more so in the Generation 9 gamesPokemon Scarlet & Violet. Included in this update is generation 9PokemonArboliva who has an interesting new ability that heals it every turn.
20Roserade
Roserade is a bit of a glass cannon in that she doesn’t have a whole lot of HP or defense. What she does have however is access toGrassy TerrainandLeech Seed. Grassy Terrain causes the battle arena to turn into a grassy environment. This provides passive healing, 1/8 of HP every turn, and boosts her Grass attacks.
She can also plant Leech Seed in her foes to obtain 1/16 HP every turn at the expense of the enemy. When combined she can gain 1/8 HP from the environment and sap 1/16 of the enemy’s health. Combine with her standard attacks and she can be in pretty good shape at the end of a battle.
19Chesnaught
Chesnaught has a decent Defense against standard attacks that protect his HP. More importantly, he has access to the self-healing abilitiesPain SplitandLeech Seed. Leech Seed will drain 1/16 of an enemy’s HP and give it to Chesnaught.
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Pain Split is a powerful move that can bring Chesnaught back from the brink if used correctly. It will combine Chesnaught and his enemy’s HP and then divide splits it evenly between the two. If Chesnaught is down to 10% health and the enemy is at 90% Pain Split will cause both to have 50% health, effectively healing Chesnaught and damaging the enemy by 40%.
18Gourgeist
Gourgeist has a lot of Defense but is a bit low on HP. This makes its self-healing movesPain SplitandLeech Seedvery important for its survival. Leech Seed can be used to obtain 1/16 of the enemy’s HP every round passively.
When in dire straits the Pain Split move can be used to drain an opponent’s health and heal Gourgeist if done correctly. The enemy needs to have more HP than Gourgeist for it to work. But when done correctly will leave both Pokemon on equal footing and keep Gourgeist in the fight.
17Giratina
Giratina may seem like a strange choice for ahealer pokemonbut it can work surprisingly well. With a large HP pool and decent Defense and Special Defense stats Giratina can take quite a beating. Its self-healing ability comes in the form ofPain Split.
Pain Split can enable Giratina to rob the enemy of their HP and give it to himself if done correctly. Pain Split will add up the two Pokemon’s HP and separate it out evenly. If Giratina is on the brink of death and the other Pokemon is healthy Pain Split can even things out.
16Wailord
Wailord can work as an effective tank thanks to its large HP and self-healing abilities. Its main method of self-healing is through the moveRest. In two moves Wailord can fully heal itself and be ready to fight again.
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Admittedly it isn’t as good at this task as say Snorlax, but for players who need a water-based self-healer, it isn’t a bad choice. Wailord may not be the most exciting of Pokemon, but it can be great on a stall team for players who don’t mind using Rest.
15Venusaur
Venusaur is a familiar face for those who’ve played the Generation I games or the remakes. As a lowly Bulbasaur, it learns the moveLeech Seedwhich can be planted in the opponent and siphon away their health each turn.
In Generation I the move was a lot weaker as it only took 1/16 of the opponent’s HP. It received a massive boost in Generation II by now taking 1/8 of the opponent’s HP, making Bulbasaur a powerfulgrass starter. Venusaur isn’t the best fighter, but it is available in every Generation of games and is one of the few passive methods of dealing damage while healing the user.
14Rayquaza
This legendary ranks a bit lower on this list because it simply doesn’t have the same defensive stats others do when it comes to usingRest, which recovers 100% of the user’s HP and then puts it to sleep for two turns.
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Its strong attack abilities mean it can use a move or two to dish out some damage before regenerating all of its lost health through Rest. Its ability to tap into its Mega form without an Orb is also handy for increasing its self-healing uses.
13Shuckle
Shuckle may be the butt of many jokes regarding Pokemon, but it makes good use of one of the best healing moves in the games,Rest. Rest will regenerate 100% of the user’s health at the cost of putting it to sleep for two turns.
Shuckle may be goofy, but it is a very, very strong tank. With lots of HP, great defense, and special defense, it’s capable of taking a lot of damage and remaining standing afterward. A solid strategy is to apply astatus effecton the opponent, and then sleep away any damage done via Rest. Shuckle with Rest is available starting Generation II.
12Palossand
Palossand’s healing abilities are incredible. With the moveShore Up, it’s capable of regenerating 50% of its health outside of Sandstorms and recovering 2/3 of its HP in Sandstorms. Obviously, players will want to be in the right environment, but even if players aren’t this move is still powerful.
Admittedly, thanks to mediocre stats and combat abilities, Palossand isn’t terribly effective in PVP situations. Nevertheless, it can be an effective tank in the ideal environment and can make a mess of things with Stealth Rock or Shadow Ball.
11Celesteela
Another Pokémon that can use Leech Seed, Celesteela is easily the strongest and most equipped to take advantage of this passive healing method. With its decent stats and strong defensive capabilities, it can use moves like Protect to stall incoming damage to reap the benefits ofLeech Seed.
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Unfortunately, Celesteela is only available in Generation VII, and Leech Seed is completely ineffective against Grass types. Against any other Pokémon, Celesteela can be a strong self-healer that holds its own in PVP.
