
TM36 Sludge Bomb can be obtained by talking to an NPC inside Dewford Hall, which is a building in Dewford Town located a bit above the Dewford Pokémon Center. Early in the game, you can only reach Dewford Town by asking Mr. Briney to take you there from Route 104.
Sludge Bomb is a Poison-type damage-dealing move that has a good chance of poisoning the target. When a Pokémon is poisoned, it will continue to take damage every turn until it faints.
In competitive battles, Sludge Bomb is the most reliable Poison-type move for special attackers. With a high base power, perfect accuracy, and a great additional effect, it’s usually the strongest attack for Pokémon like Gengar and Venusaur.
TM36 Sludge Bomb Location (Step-by-Step)
Dewford Hall is a building located north of Dewford Town’s Pokémon Center. Inside, town residents will talk about a “trendy phrase” that the player can change.
An NPC will also give you the TM for Sludge Bomb here.
Since Dewford Town is an isolated island southwest of mainland Hoenn, the only way to get there before you have Surf is by asking Mr. Briney to take you there on his boat.
To do that, make sure you’ve done the following first:
- Defeated Roxanne, the first Gym Leader from Rustboro City
- Retrieved the stolen Devon Parts and rescued Peeko in Rusturf Tunnel
- Received the Letter Key Item from Mr. Stone of Devon Corporation
If you’re all set, then you can either Surf/Fly to Dewford Town, or you can meet with Mr. Briney at Route 104’s south side.
Here’s how to get to Mr. Briney’s house & where to find TM36:
Step 1: From Rustboro City, head south to Route 104.

Step 2: Enter Petalburg Woods and go through its south exit.

Step 3: Head to Mr. Briney’s house near the docks.

Step 4: Talk to Mr. Briney, and he’ll take you to Dewford Town.

Step 5: From Dewford Town’s Pokémon Center, enter the building directly above it to the north.

Step 6: Talk to the trainer in the middle of the room that’s wearing a black backpack. He will give you TM36.

Sludge Bomb Details + Uses

Sludge Bomb Move Details | |
---|---|
Type | Poison |
Category | Special |
Power | 90 |
Accuracy | 100% |
PP | 10 (max. 16) |
Sludge Bomb is a Special Poison-type move that has a 30% chance of poisoning the target. It has a high base power of 90 and is 100% accurate. It’s a very reliable Special Same-type Attack Bonus (STAB) move for most Poison-types.
Sludge Bomb is nearly identical to another Poison-type move, Sludge Wave.
And since a lot of Pokémon learn both moves, you will have to decide which one is better for you to learn.
Sludge Wave has 5 more base power than Sludge Bomb, but it only has a 10% chance to poison the target.
Because of the higher probability of inflicting a status condition on your opponent, Sludge Bomb tends to be better in most situations.
The 5 base power difference is negligible since its additional effect is much more valuable. However, Sludge Wave can be better in Double Battles since it hits all opposing Pokémon.
Tip: Don’t use Sludge Bomb against Pokémon with the Ability Bulletproof since ball and bomb moves don’t affect them. This is one advantage Sludge Wave has over Sludge Bomb since it’s neither a ball nor a bomb move. As of Generation 6, only Chespin, Quilladin, and Chesnaught have this ability.
How Poison Status Works

The Poison status condition inflicts damage every turn until the Pokémon faints. Regardless of the Pokémon’s total HP or Defense stats, it will deal 1/8th or 12.5% of the afflicted Pokémon’s Max HP at the end of each turn.
Poison-type and Steel-type Pokémon cannot be afflicted with the Poison status condition.
List of Moves and Abilities that interact with Poison:
Ability/Move Name | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
Immunity | Ability | Pokémon with this Ability cannot be poisoned |
Poison Heal | Ability | While poisoned, HP is restored each turn instead |
Toxic Boost | Ability | While poisoned, the user’s Attack stat is increased by 50% |
Venom Drench | Move | Lowers a poisoned target’s Attack, Special Attack, and Speed |
Venoshock | Move | Damage is doubled against poisoned targets |
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Pokémon ORAS
- How To Get TM36 Sludge Bomb in Pokémon ORAS