Ferroseed
Ferroseed is a Grass/Steel-type Pokémon, the Thorn Seed Pokémon, number 597 (#0597) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 5 and comes from the Unova region. It is 0.6 m tall and weighs 18.8 kg.
Ferroseed is the Thorn Seed Pokémon, a living iron seed that sticks its spikes into cave walls and eats the minerals in the rock. Threatened, it fires a barrage of spikes and rolls away, though the Pokédex admits its aim starts out poor.
How to pronounce Ferroseed
Ferroseed is pronounced FAIR-oh-seed. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Ferroseed said out loud:
In Japanese it is テッシード (Tesseed).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Ferroseed resembles a durian: a metal body marked with black stripes and polygon-shaped spots, small yellow eyes with black pupils and many green thorns for protection. It is 0.6 m tall and 18.8 kg. Bulbapedia says that from Generation VI it is drawn embedded in the ground in battle, with only its top half showing.
Behaviour
Ferroseed shoots spikes when in danger, and rolling away gives it a chance to escape. Its aim is not very good at first and improves only with a lot of practice. In the anime it uses nutrients from rock to grow moss for oxygen.
Habitat
The Pokédex says it prefers mossy caves and hangs from cave ceilings, sticking its spikes into the walls.
Diet
It absorbs iron and other minerals from rock through its spikes, and the Pokédex says enzymes in moss help those spikes grow big and strong.
Powers
Ferroseed has only Iron Barbs, which damages anything that makes contact with it. It learns Pin Missile, Flash Cannon, Iron Head and Gyro Ball, and can lay Spikes or Stealth Rock. Base Defense of 91 and Special Defense of 86 make it sturdy, but its Speed of 10 is rock-bottom.
Name origin
Ferroseed may combine 'ferrous' (containing iron) and 'seed'. The Japanese name is Tesseed (テッシード), possibly from tetsu (iron) and 'seed'.
Design inspiration
Ferroseed appears to be based on plants with clingy seeds, like cockleburs, burdocks or cleavers. It may also draw on durians, conkers or datura fruits, all famous for tough, thorny skins, or on a mace or flail. These are fan readings.
Evolution notes
Ferroseed evolves into Ferrothorn at level 40.
In the games
Wild Ferroseed live in Chargestone Cave in Black and White, where it debuted. It returns in Sword and Shield, including the Crown Tundra expansion, and Bulbapedia lists it as unobtainable in Scarlet and Violet and in Legends: Z-A.
In the anime
Ferroseed debuted in 'Crisis at Ferroseed Research!', where Professor Malveaux's experiment on them with electric stones from Chargestone Cave spun out of control and moss spread around the institute.
Fun facts
- Bulbapedia says that before Generation VII, no Pokémon besides Ferroseed and Ferrothorn could have Iron Barbs.
- Bulbapedia says Ferroseed's Hidden Ability is also Iron Barbs, so a Hidden Ability Ferroseed can evolve into a Ferrothorn that has Anticipation.
- No Steel Pokémon other than Ferroseed and Ferrothorn belongs to the Grass Egg Group, and Bulbapedia says no other Pokémon shares their Egg Group pairing.
Base stats
- HP: 44
- Attack: 50
- Defense: 91
- Sp. Atk: 24
- Sp. Def: 86
- Speed: 10
Ferroseed’s base stat total is 305. Its highest stat is Defense.
Type matchups
What is Ferroseed weak to?
Ferroseed takes extra damage from Fire (4×), Fighting (2×) moves.
It resists Grass (¼×), Normal (½×), Water (½×), Electric (½×), Psychic (½×), Rock (½×), Dragon (½×), Steel (½×), Fairy (½×).
It is immune to Poison moves.
Evolution
How does Ferroseed evolve?
Ferroseed evolves into Ferrothorn at level 40.
The whole family: Ferroseed, Ferrothorn.
Abilities
- Iron Barbs: Damages attacking Pokémon for 1/8 their max HP on contact.
Moves
Moves Ferroseed learns by level up in Sword / Shield
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 1 | Harden | Normal | Status | — |
| 5 | Metal Claw | Steel | Physical | 50 |
| 10 | Pin Missile | Bug | Physical | 25 |
| 15 | Ingrain | Grass | Status | — |
| 20 | Flash Cannon | Steel | Special | 80 |
| 25 | Iron Head | Steel | Physical | 80 |
| 30 | Self-Destruct | Normal | Physical | 200 |
| 35 | Iron Defense | Steel | Status | — |
| 41 | Curse | Ghost | Status | — |
| 45 | Gyro Ball | Steel | Physical | — |
| 50 | Explosion | Normal | Physical | 250 |
TM moves (29)
Ferroseed can learn 29 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Pin Missile, Solar Beam, Thunder Wave, Self-Destruct, Rest, Snore, Protect, Giga Drain, Attract, Sunny Day, Facade, Revenge, Bullet Seed, Payback, Assurance, Round, Thunderbolt, Substitute, Spikes, Endure, Sleep Talk, Iron Defense, Gyro Ball, Poison Jab, Seed Bomb, Energy Ball, Flash Cannon, Iron Head, Stealth Rock.
Egg moves (5):Acid Spray, Gravity, Knock Off, Leech Seed, Toxic.
Move tutor moves (2): Steel Beam, Steel Roller.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Grass, Mineral.
- 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 Defense effort value.
- Base experience yield: 61.
Pokédex entries
Mossy caves are their preferred dwellings. Enzymes contained in mosses help Ferroseed's spikes grow big and strong. (Shield)
It defends itself by launching spikes, but its aim isn't very good at first. Only after a lot of practice will it improve. (Sword)
It absorbs the iron it finds in the rock while clinging to the ceiling. It shoots spikes when in danger. (Black 2, White 2, Y, Alpha Sapphire)
When threatened, it attacks by shooting a barrage of spikes, which gives it a chance to escape by rolling away. (Black, X, Omega Ruby)
They stick their spikes into cave walls and absorb the minerals they find in the rock. (White)
Names around the world
| Japanese | テッシード |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Tesseed |
| French | Grindur |
| German | Kastadur |
| Spanish | Ferroseed |
| Italian | Ferroseed |
| Korean | 철시드 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 种子铁球 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 種子鐵球 |
Trivia
- Slowest Grass type: 10 Speed, shared with 1 other.
- Slowest Steel type: 10 Speed.
- Slowest Pokémon in Gen 5: 10 Speed.
- Slowest Grass type in Gen 5: 10 Speed.
- Slowest Steel type in Gen 5: 10 Speed.
- Taller than 25% of all Pokémon (0.6 m).
- Heavier than 40% of all Pokémon (18.8 kg).
- Base stat total 305, ranked #833 of 1,025.
- One of 3 Pokémon that are both Grass and Steel.
- One of 107 gray Pokémon.
- Number 104 of 156 Pokémon introduced in Generation 5 (Unova).
- Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
- Can learn 42 different moves in Sword / Shield.
- Catch rate 255: about 33.3% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 5 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: Ferroseed (Pokémon), Serebii: Ferroseed (Sword/Shield Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (FAIR-oh-seed): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.
Last checked: . Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.
Explore
Grass-type Pokémon · Steel-type Pokémon · Grass/Steel weaknesses and matchups · Unova region guide · Iron Barbs ability · Compare Ferroseed · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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