#0605 · Unova · Generation 5

Elgyem

Cerebral Pokémon · Psychic-type

Elgyem is a Psychic-type Pokémon, the Cerebral Pokémon, number 605 (#0605) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 5 and comes from the Unova region. It is 0.5 m tall and weighs 9 kg.

Elgyem is the Cerebral Pokémon, a small cyan Psychic type that rumour links to a UFO crash about 50 years ago. One entry even claims most reported alien sightings are really people mistaking Elgyem for an alien.

How to pronounce Elgyem

Elgyem is pronounced EL-jee-em. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Elgyem said out loud:

In Japanese it is リグレー (Ligray).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Elgyem is 0.5 m tall and weighs 9 kg. It has a cyan, oblong head with a dent on each side, symmetrical black lines down the front, and shiny green button-like eyes. Each hand has three fingers, coloured red, green and yellow. The Pokédex says it can squeeze an opponent's brain with psychic power to cause terrible headaches.

Behaviour

Bulbapedia describes Elgyem as welcoming and willing to help in tough situations, though it will protect something it thinks important with its life. The Sword Pokédex says strange scenery, said to be its home, shows up on a TV screen whenever Elgyem stands close by.

Habitat

Pokédex entries link its origin to a desert, where it was first seen and where a UFO is said to have crashed. In Unova it is found in the Celestial Tower.

Powers

Elgyem has Telepathy or Synchronize, with Analytic hidden. It attacks with Confusion, Psybeam and Psychic, and supports with Calm Mind and Recover. Its best base stat is Special Attack 85, but base Speed is just 30.

Name origin

Elgyem may come from LGM, short for 'little green men'. The Japanese name is Ligray (リグレー), which may combine 'little' or 'little green men' with 'grays', the small grey aliens of UFO lore.

Design inspiration

Elgyem seems to be based on the 'greys' of alien lore. Its rocky look may recall European stone circles or Japanese dogū figurines, both often linked to aliens, and its coloured fingers resemble the invaders in the 1953 film The War of the Worlds. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Elgyem evolves into Beheeyem at level 42.

In the games

Elgyem appears in the Celestial Tower in Black and White, its first game. It is available in Sword and Shield and in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, but it is unobtainable in Scarlet and Violet and in Legends: Z-A.

In the anime

Elgyem debuted in 'A UFO for Elgyem!' as the friend of Professor Icarus, showing people visions of danger, and it later saved Ash's life with one of them.

Fun facts

• Its evolution level may be a reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, where 42 answers the great question about life, the universe and everything.
• Bulbapedia notes that Elgyem's eyes stay open even while it sleeps.
• Elgyem's White entry and its Black 2 and White 2 entries all place its arrival 50 years ago, even though Black 2 and White 2 are set two years after the first games.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Elgyem (Pokémon) · Serebii: Elgyem (Sword/Shield Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 55
• Attack: 55
• Defense: 55
• Sp. Atk: 85
• Sp. Def: 55
• Speed: 30

Elgyem’s base stat total is 335. Its highest stat is Sp. Atk.

Type matchups

What is Elgyem weak to?

Elgyem takes extra damage from Bug (2×), Ghost (2×), Dark (2×) moves.

It resists Fighting (½×), Psychic (½×).

Evolution

How does Elgyem evolve?

Elgyem evolves into Beheeyem at level 42.

The whole family: Elgyem, Beheeyem.

Abilities

• Telepathy: Protects against friendly Pokémon's damaging moves.
• Synchronize: Copies burns, paralysis, and poison received onto the Pokémon that inflicted them.
• Analytic (hidden ability): Strengthens moves to 1.3× their power when moving last.

Moves

Moves Elgyem learns by level up in Sword / Shield

TM moves (40)

Elgyem can learn 40 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Thunder Wave, Screech, Light Screen, Reflect, Safeguard, Rest, Rock Slide, Thief, Snore, Protect, Steel Wing, Attract, Rain Dance, Facade, Imprison, Rock Tomb, Power Swap, Guard Swap, Trick Room, Wonder Room, Round, Thunderbolt, Psychic, Agility, Substitute, Psyshock, Endure, Sleep Talk, Shadow Ball, Uproar, Trick, Skill Swap, Cosmic Power, Calm Mind, Dark Pulse, Energy Ball, Nasty Plot, Zen Headbutt, Stored Power, Ally Switch.

Egg moves (4):Astonish, Destiny Bond, Disable, Psych Up.

Move tutor moves (2): Expanding Force, Meteor Beam.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Human-Like.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 255 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Sp. Atk effort value.
• Base experience yield: 67.

Pokédex entries

This Pokémon was discovered about 50 years ago. Its highly developed brain enables it to exert its psychic powers. (Shield)

If this Pokémon stands near a TV, strange scenery will appear on the screen. That scenery is said to be from its home. (Sword)

This Pokémon is shrouded in mystery. It's said to have appeared from a UFO that fell from the sky about 50 years ago. (Ultra Moon)

It controls tremendous psychic power. Most reports of alien sightings are actually just people mistaking Elgyem for an alien. (Ultra Sun)

Rumors of its origin are linked to a UFO crash site in the desert 50 years ago. (Black 2, White 2, Y, Alpha Sapphire)

It uses its strong psychic power to squeeze its opponent's brain, causing unendurable headaches. (Black, X, Omega Ruby)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Taller than 19% of all Pokémon (0.5 m).
• Heavier than 26% of all Pokémon (9 kg).
• Base stat total 335, ranked #731 of 1,025.
• One of 102 Psychic-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 170 blue Pokémon.
• Number 112 of 156 Pokémon introduced in Generation 5 (Unova).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 54 different moves in Sword / Shield.
• Catch rate 255: about 33.3% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 7 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: Elgyem (Pokémon), Serebii: Elgyem (Sword/Shield Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (EL-jee-em): no English source says it out loud, so it is our best guess from the parts of the name.

Last checked: 20 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Psychic-type Pokémon · Unova region guide · Telepathy ability · Synchronize ability · Analytic ability · Compare Elgyem · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 5 Psychic-type Pokémon · Gen 5 Pokémon list · Blue Pokémon list · Human-Like egg group · Pokémon that start with E

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