#0009 · Kanto · Generation 1 · starter

Blastoise

Shellfish Pokémon · Water-type

Blastoise is a Water-type Pokémon, the Shellfish Pokémon, number 9 (#0009) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 1.6 m tall and weighs 85.5 kg.

Blastoise is the Shellfish Pokémon, a heavily armoured Water type with two water cannons built into its shell. Its jets punch holes through steel, and it is the face of Pokémon Blue.

How to pronounce Blastoise

Blastoise is pronounced BLAS-toys. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Blastoise said out loud:

In Japanese it is カメックス (Kamex).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Blastoise is a large bipedal turtle whose blue body is mostly hidden by a tough brown shell with a white ridge. Two cannons poke out over its shoulders and can be extended or withdrawn. It has thick three-clawed arms and a stubby tail. The Pokédex says its water jets pierce steel and can hit tin cans from almost 50 m away. It is 1.6 m tall and weighs 85.5 kg.

Behaviour

Blastoise makes itself deliberately heavy to withstand the recoil of its cannons, then crushes foes under that weight. In the anime it leads large groups of Squirtle and Wartortle. It can launch itself into the air with water from the back of its shell, and in a pinch it withdraws inside.

Habitat

Water's edge, according to the Pokédex habitat list: ponds and lakes. In the anime it rules an island of Squirtle and Wartortle.

Powers

Blastoise blasts Hydro Pump and Flash Cannon, spins out of danger with Rapid Spin and rockets into foes in jet-powered charges. Mega Blastoise swaps its two cannons for one giant one plus two on its arms, and stays pure Water; Gigantamax Blastoise uses the exclusive G-Max Cannonade. In battle it is a wall, with 105 base Special Defense and 100 base Defense.

Name origin

Blastoise likely combines 'blast' (for its cannons) with 'tortoise'. The Japanese name Kamex (カメックス) may combine kame ('turtle') with 'max'.

Design inspiration

Blastoise appears to be a turtle crossed with a tank. The shell of its Gigantamax form may draw on a battleship, or on Leonardo da Vinci's design for an armoured fighting vehicle, which was itself inspired by a turtle's shell. Bulbapedia credits Ken Sugimori, but no official source has named its final designer.

Evolution notes

Evolves from Wartortle at level 36. In Generation II, it and its pre-evolutions were the only Pokémon that learned Skull Bash naturally.

In the games

In Let's Go, Green's Blastoise always Mega Evolves, and in Sword and Shield's Isle of Armor, Honey's Squirtle grows into a Gigantamax-capable Blastoise. Blastoise fronts the box of Blue, the Trainer Red uses one, and it first appeared in Red and Green (Red and Blue outside Japan). It returns in Scarlet and Violet's The Indigo Disk and in Legends: Z-A.

In the anime

Neesha's Blastoise, Shellshocker, is captured by Mewtwo in 'Mewtwo Strikes Back' and freed by Ash. In 'Fit To Be Tide', Cissy races her Blastoise against Ash's Lapras across open sea.

Fun facts

• Blastoise is a turtle, yet it shares the Shellfish Pokémon category only with Kabuto and Kabutops; the Japanese category just means 'shell'.
• It was the first Pokémon printed on the test cards for the English Trading Card Game.
• Masahiro Sakurai considered Blastoise for Super Smash Bros. Brawl but chose Squirtle to balance the Pokémon Trainer's team by evolution stage.
• In 3D games before X and Y, its Hydro Pump fired two streams, one from each cannon; the animation came back in The Indigo Disk.
• Early Capsule Monsters art shows 'Karabajio', a Blastoise-like creature with no cannons at all.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Blastoise (Pokémon) · Serebii: Blastoise (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 79
• Attack: 83
• Defense: 100
• Sp. Atk: 85
• Sp. Def: 105
• Speed: 78

Blastoise’s base stat total is 530. Its highest stat is Sp. Def.

Type matchups

What is Blastoise weak to?

Blastoise takes extra damage from Electric (2×), Grass (2×) moves.

It resists Fire (½×), Water (½×), Ice (½×), Steel (½×).

Evolution

What does Blastoise evolve from?

Blastoise evolves from Wartortle at level 36.

Blastoise is the final stage of its evolution family.

The whole family: Squirtle, Wartortle, Blastoise.

• Squirtle evolves into Wartortle at level 16.

Forms

• Mega Blastoise (Mega): Water-type, base stat total 630 (HP 79, Attack 103, Defense 120, Sp. Atk 135, Sp. Def 115, Speed 78). Ability: Mega Launcher.
• Gigantamax Blastoise (Gigantamax): Water-type, base stat total 530 (HP 79, Attack 83, Defense 100, Sp. Atk 85, Sp. Def 105, Speed 78). Abilities: Torrent, Rain Dish (hidden).

Abilities

• Torrent: Strengthens Water moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
• Rain Dish (hidden ability): Heals for 1/16 max HP after each turn during rain.

Moves

Moves Blastoise learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

“Evo” means Blastoise learns the move the moment it evolves: Flash Cannon.

TM moves (53)

Blastoise can learn 53 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Scary Face, Protect, Water Pulse, Chilling Water, Facade, Icy Wind, Mud Shot, Rock Tomb, Fling, Avalanche, Endure, Rain Dance, Dig, Brick Break, Zen Headbutt, Body Slam, Ice Punch, Sleep Talk, Rest, Rock Slide, Body Press, Flash Cannon, Dark Pulse, Substitute, Iron Defense, Crunch, Liquidation, Aura Sphere, Dragon Pulse, Surf, Ice Spinner, Helping Hand, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Blizzard, Water Pledge, Earthquake, Giga Impact, Hydro Cannon, Focus Blast, Hyper Beam, Tera Blast, Roar, Haze, Smack Down, Gyro Ball, Focus Punch, Weather Ball, Flip Turn, Double-Edge, Whirlpool, Muddy Water.

Egg moves (9):Aqua Jet, Aqua Ring, Fake Out, Flail, Life Dew, Mirror Coat, Mist, Water Spout, Yawn.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 87.5% male, 12.5% female.
• Egg groups: Monster, Water 1.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 45 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium Slow (1,059,860 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 3 Sp. Def effort values.
• Base experience yield: 239.

Pokédex entries

The rocket cannons on its shell fire jets of water capable of punching holes through thick steel. (Silver, SoulSilver, Shield)

It crushes its foe under its heavy body to cause fainting. In a pinch, it will withdraw inside its shell. (FireRed, X, Sword)

Once it takes aim at its enemy, it blasts out water with even more force than a fire hose. (Yellow, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

Blastoise has water spouts that protrude from its shell. The water spouts are very accurate. They can shoot bullets of water with enough accuracy to strike empty cans from a distance of over 160 feet. (Ruby, Sapphire, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire)

The pressurized water jets on this brutal Pokémon's shell are used for highspeed tackles. (LeafGreen, Y)

The jets of water it spouts from the rocket cannons on its shell can punch through thick steel. (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Taller than 77% of all Pokémon (1.6 m).
• Heavier than 79% of all Pokémon (85.5 kg).
• Base stat total 530, ranked #163 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is Sp. Def, ranked #94 of 1,025.
• One of 154 Water-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 170 blue Pokémon.
• Number 9 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
• Can learn 71 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Has 2 alternate forms.
• Appears in 10 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Blastoise (Pokémon), Serebii: Blastoise (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (BLAS-toys): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 19 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Water-type Pokémon · Blastoise vs Venusaur · Blastoise vs Charizard · Blastoise vs Swampert · Blastoise vs Feraligatr · Blastoise vs Empoleon · Blastoise vs Greninja · Kanto region guide · Torrent ability · Rain Dish ability · Compare Blastoise · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

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