Where does Shedinja come from?
Evolve one Nincada and get two Pokémon. How?
Case status: Open. The games leave it unanswered, so nobody can say for sure.
What the games say
When Nincada evolves into Ninjask at level 20, something odd can happen. If you have an empty spot in your party and a spare Poké Ball in your bag, a Shedinja appears too. It is the only Pokémon that shows up this way.
The Pokédex calls it peculiar. FireRed and LeafGreen say it somehow appears in a Poké Ball when a Nincada evolves. Diamond, Pearl and later games say it is a discarded bug shell that came to life. Other entries note that it floats without flapping its wings and that its body is hollow. It also has just 1 HP in battle, with an ability called Wonder Guard.
What fans think
A popular fan idea is that the Poké Ball is the key. You have to have a spare one, so maybe the ball's technology gives the empty shell a spark of life. It is a neat guess, and the games don't say anything like it.
Other fans say the shell is simply a shed skin that, in the world of Pokémon, can wake up. That one fits the Pokédex, but it doesn't explain the ball.
Our verdict
Case status: Open
Open. The games tell us what it is (a shell that came to life) but not how or why it happens. "Peculiar" is the official word, and we agree.
What do you think?
What do you think brings Shedinja to life?
- The Poké Ball
- A mysterious spark
- It is just a shed skin
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