#0770 · Alola · Generation 7

Palossand

Sand Castle Pokémon · Ghost/Ground-type

Palossand is a Ghost/Ground-type Pokémon, the Sand Castle Pokémon, number 770 (#0770) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 7 and comes from the Alola region. It is 1.3 m tall and weighs 250 kg.

Palossand, the Sand Castle Pokémon, is a Ghost and Ground type known as the Beach Nightmare. The Pokédex says each grain of its sand has a mind of its own, and it hates water enough to lose its castle shape in heavy rain.

How to pronounce Palossand

Palossand is pronounced PAL-uh-sand. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Palossand said out loud:

In Japanese it is シロデスナ (Sirodethna).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Palossand is a yellowish sand castle, 1.3 m (4'03") tall and 250 kg (551.2 lb), with a square keep, two round towers for arms and a ring of seashells. Bulbapedia says the shovel on its tallest tower rotates as it hunts and is thought to serve as a radar.

Behaviour

Palossand controls sand to hunt: the Pokédex says it pulls smaller Pokémon down into its body and drains their vitality, and that it whips up sandstorms to stop opponents in their tracks. Heavy rain ruins its castle shape, the Pokédex adds. Bulbapedia says that unlike Sandygast it can replenish lost sand itself.

Habitat

The Pokédex says it lives on beaches. In Scarlet and Violet it is found in Paldea's West Province Area Two and, Bulbapedia adds, around Casseroya Lake, and in Legends: Z-A it is a Mega Dimension DLC Pokémon in Hyperspace Lumiose.

Powers

Palossand shares Sandygast's Abilities, with Sand Veil hidden, which pairs neatly with its Sandstorm. It traps foes with Sand Tomb and hits with Shadow Ball and Earth Power. With 110 base Defense and 100 base Special Attack it is a tough, slow special attacker.

Name origin

Palossand may combine 'palace', 'loss' and 'sand', and puns on 'pile of sand'. The Japanese name is Sirodethna (シロデスナ), which may read as 'shiro desu na' ('that's a castle, huh') or blend shiro ('castle'), 'death' and suna ('sand').

Design inspiration

Palossand is based on a sand castle, and its Ghost type likely nods to haunted castles in horror stories. The way it drags prey under resembles depictions of quicksand. These are fan readings.

Evolution notes

Palossand evolves from Sandygast at level 42.

In the games

In Sun and Moon, where it debuted, you get a Palossand by evolving Sandygast. Sword and Shield's Expansion Pass added it to Loop Lagoon and Max Raid Battles.

In the anime

Palossand debuted in 'A Shivering Shovel Search!', when a Sandygast that had lost its shovel evolved and swallowed Ash and Litten. It grew as big as a building and whipped up sandstorms, and its victims could escape only after it took enough damage. It also appears for Acerola in the Pokémon Masters animated trailer.

Fun facts

• Bulbapedia notes that Palossand, Sandygast, Diglett, Dugtrio and Mega Gengar are all immune to Telekinesis.
• It is the heaviest Ghost type introduced in Generation VII and has the highest Special Attack of that generation's Ground types.
• In Pokémon Adventures it debuts as the evolved form of Acerola's Sandygast.

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

Base stats

• HP: 85
• Attack: 75
• Defense: 110
• Sp. Atk: 100
• Sp. Def: 75
• Speed: 35

Palossand’s base stat total is 480. Its highest stat is Defense.

Type matchups

What is Palossand weak to?

Palossand takes extra damage from Water (2×), Grass (2×), Ice (2×), Ghost (2×), Dark (2×) moves.

It resists Poison (¼×), Bug (½×), Rock (½×).

It is immune to Normal, Electric, Fighting moves.

Evolution

What does Palossand evolve from?

Palossand evolves from Sandygast at level 42.

Palossand is the final stage of its evolution family.

The whole family: Sandygast, Palossand.

Abilities

• Water Compaction: Raises this Pokémon's Defense by two stages when it's hit by a Water move.
• Sand Veil (hidden ability): Increases evasion to 1.25× during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.

Moves

Moves Palossand learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (46)

Palossand can learn 46 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Mud-Slap, Scary Face, Protect, Confuse Ray, Chilling Water, Facade, Bulldoze, Hex, Mud Shot, Rock Tomb, Night Shade, Fling, Endure, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Sandstorm, Body Slam, Sleep Talk, Rest, Rock Slide, Imprison, Flash Cannon, Skill Swap, Substitute, Iron Defense, Trick, Giga Drain, Shadow Ball, Stealth Rock, Energy Ball, Psychic, Amnesia, Earth Power, Sludge Bomb, Earthquake, Stone Edge, Giga Impact, Hyper Beam, Tera Blast, Sand Tomb, Spite, Gravity, Poltergeist, Pain Split, Scorching Sands, Curse.

Egg moves (6), which Sandygast can hatch knowing:Ancient Power, Curse, Destiny Bond, Spit Up, Stockpile, Swallow.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Amorphous.
• Egg cycles: 15 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 1,920).
• Catch rate: 60 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 2 Defense effort values.
• Base experience yield: 168.

Pokédex entries

This Pokémon lives on beaches, but it hates water. Palossand can't maintain its castle-like shape if it gets drenched by a heavy rain. (Shield)

Palossand is known as the Beach Nightmare. It pulls its prey down into the sand by controlling the sand itself, and then it sucks out their souls. (Sword)

Once it has whipped up a sandstorm to halt its opponents in their tracks, this terrifying Pokémon snatches away their vitality. (Ultra Moon)

Each of its grains of sand has its own will. Palossand eats small Pokémon and siphons away their vital essence while they're still alive. (Ultra Sun)

Buried beneath the castle are masses of dried-up bones from those whose vitality it has drained. (Moon)

Possessed people controlled by this Pokémon transformed its sand mound into a castle. As it evolved, its power to curse grew ever stronger. (Sun)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Highest Defense among Ground types in Gen 7: 110.
• Highest Sp. Atk among Ground types in Gen 7: 100.
• Heaviest Ghost type in Gen 7: 250 kg.
• Highest Defense among Ghost types in Gen 7: 110.
• Taller than 64% of all Pokémon (1.3 m).
• Heavier than 94% of all Pokémon (250 kg).
• Base stat total 480, ranked #405 of 1,025.
• One of 5 Pokémon that are both Ghost and Ground.
• One of 147 brown Pokémon.
• Number 49 of 88 Pokémon introduced in Generation 7 (Alola).
• Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
• Can learn 58 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 60: about 7.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 6 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: Palossand (Pokémon), Serebii: Palossand (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (PAL-uh-sand): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

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

Explore

Ghost-type Pokémon · Ground-type Pokémon · Ghost/Ground weaknesses and matchups · Alola region guide · Water Compaction ability · Sand Veil ability · Compare Palossand · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

Browse similar Pokémon

Gen 7 Ghost-type Pokémon · Gen 7 Ground-type Pokémon · Gen 7 Pokémon list · Brown Pokémon list · Amorphous egg group · Pokémon that start with P

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