Mudkip in Emerald.
Mudkip is a starter in Pokemon Emerald: Professor Birch offers it at level 5 at the start, and it appears nowhere in the wild.
Evolution
3 stages
Mudkip
Marshtomp
SwampertEvolves into Marshtomp at level 16.
Evolve now or wait
from the game's learnsets and the relearner ruleMudkip evolves at level 16. Evolving then forfeits 2 moves that Mudkip would still learn: Whirlpool at 33, Hydro Pump at 42. Marshtomp learns 2 moves of its own after that: Muddy Water at 37, Earthquake at 46.
| Move you would forfeit | Level | Can you get it back? |
|---|---|---|
| Whirlpool | 33 | No. The Move Relearner only teaches moves from the current form's own level-up list, so once it is Marshtomp this move is gone. |
| Hydro Pump | 42 | No. The Move Relearner only teaches moves from the current form's own level-up list, so once it is Marshtomp this move is gone. |
Rule the game applies: the Move Relearner in Fallarbor Town (he takes a Heart Scale) teaches only the level-up moves of the form you hand him, at or below its current level. Delaying an evolution costs the evolved form's higher base stats for every level you wait; a move you barely use is not worth that.
Mudkip learnset in Emerald
12 level-up moves · 23 machinesBy level
Marshtomp by level
TMs and HMs it can learn (23)
HM03 Surf, HM04 Strength, HM06 Rock Smash, HM07 Waterfall, HM08 Dive, TM03 Water Pulse, TM06 Toxic, TM07 Hail, TM10 Hidden Power, TM13 Ice Beam, TM14 Blizzard, TM17 Protect, TM18 Rain Dance, TM21 Frustration, TM23 Iron Tail, TM27 Return, TM28 Dig, TM32 Double Team, TM39 Rock Tomb, TM42 Facade, TM43 Secret Power, TM44 Rest, TM45 Attract