Shellder
Shellder is a Water-type Pokémon, the Bivalve Pokémon, number 90 (#0090) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 0.3 m tall and weighs 4 kg.
Shellder is the Bivalve Pokémon, a clam with a shell the Pokédex says is harder than diamond and a soft body inside that is surprisingly tender. Its tongue always hangs out, and a good tug on it makes the shell pop open.
How to pronounce Shellder
Shellder is pronounced SHEL-der. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Shellder said out loud:
In Japanese it is シェルダー.
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Shellder is a small mollusc in a spiky blue-violet shell, with round white eyes and a long red tongue that stays outside even when the shell is shut. It is 0.3 m tall and weighs 4 kg. Sand collects inside the shell and slowly turns into a pearl, but the Pokédex says Shellder spits it out because it gets in the way.
Behaviour
Shellder swims backwards by snapping its shell open and shut, and the Pokédex says it is surprisingly fast. At night it digs a hollow in the sand with its tongue and sleeps there with the shell closed. Clamping onto an enemy exposes its soft parts, so it does that only as a last resort.
Habitat
The Pokédex habitat list puts Shellder in the sea, and Scarlet and Violet have it in all four of Paldea's seas, plus 1 and 2 star Tera Raids.
Powers
Its Abilities are Shell Armor and Skill Link, with Overcoat hidden. Shellder raises its Defense with Withdraw and Iron Defense, fires Water Gun and Aurora Beam, and can learn Ice Shard, Razor Shell and Shell Smash. Its base Defense is 100, but its HP of 30 and Special Defense of 25 are poor.
Name origin
Shellder may come from 'shell' and perhaps 'shelter'. The Japanese name is Shellder (シェルダー).
Design inspiration
Shellder looks like a clam, with the tongue standing in for a clam's foot. Bulbapedia suggests that its shell-flapping movement may come from scallops. This is a fan reading.
Evolution notes
Shellder turns into Cloyster when it meets a Water Stone. The Slowbro and Slowking Pokédex entries also have it clamping onto a Slowpoke's tail or head, though no game actually requires it.
In the games
Shellder's most notable game role is as three bumpers on the Red Table of Pokémon Pinball, which score points when hit. It is a Generation I original and is not available in Legends: Z-A.
In the anime
The first unevolved Shellder appeared in 'The Bridge Bike Gang', where it was sick. In 'The Evolution Solution', Jessie caught one on Seafoam Island, and when it bit a Slowpoke's tail and made a Slowbro it left Team Rocket.
Fun facts
- The Spaceworld '97 demo hints at an early Tāban (ターバン), either a form or an evolution of Shellder, that looked like the shell worn by Slowbro and Slowking.
- Bulbapedia says Shellder can float through the air in Pokémon Snap, something seen in no other media.
- Before Generation V, only Shellder and Cloyster were known to be able to have the Ability Skill Link.
- Clamp was its signature move before Generation III.
Base stats
- HP: 30
- Attack: 65
- Defense: 100
- Sp. Atk: 45
- Sp. Def: 25
- Speed: 40
Shellder’s base stat total is 305. Its highest stat is Defense.
Type matchups
What is Shellder weak to?
Shellder takes extra damage from Electric (2×), Grass (2×) moves.
It resists Fire (½×), Water (½×), Ice (½×), Steel (½×).
Evolution
How does Shellder evolve?
Shellder evolves into Cloyster (Water Stone).
The whole family: Shellder, Cloyster.
Abilities
- Shell Armor: Protects against critical hits.
- Skill Link: Extends two-to-five-hit moves and Triple Kick to their full length every time.
- Overcoat (hidden ability): Protects against damage from weather.
Moves
Moves Shellder learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 |
| 1 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 |
| 4 | Withdraw | Water | Status | — |
| 8 | Ice Shard | Ice | Physical | 40 |
| 12 | Leer | Normal | Status | — |
| 16 | Whirlpool | Water | Special | 35 |
| 20 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — |
| 24 | Aurora Beam | Ice | Special | 65 |
| 28 | Protect | Normal | Status | — |
| 32 | Razor Shell | Water | Physical | 75 |
| 36 | Iron Defense | Steel | Status | — |
| 40 | Ice Beam | Ice | Special | 90 |
| 44 | Shell Smash | Normal | Status | — |
| 48 | Hydro Pump | Water | Special | 110 |
TM moves (30)
Shellder can learn 30 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Protect, Water Pulse, Chilling Water, Facade, Swift, Icy Wind, Mud Shot, Avalanche, Endure, Rain Dance, Snowscape, Sleep Talk, Rock Blast, Waterfall, Rest, Spikes, Toxic Spikes, Substitute, Iron Defense, Liquidation, Surf, Ice Spinner, Helping Hand, Ice Beam, Hydro Pump, Blizzard, Tera Blast, Icicle Spear, Whirlpool.
Egg moves (4):Aqua Ring, Bubble Beam, Life Dew, Water Pulse.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Water 3.
- Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
- Catch rate: 190 out of 255.
- Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
- Growth rate: Slow (1,250,000 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 1 Defense effort value.
- Base experience yield: 61.
Pokédex entries
Its hard shell repels any kind of attack. It is vulnerable only when its shell is open. (Red, Blue, LeafGreen, X, Shield)
It swims facing backward by opening and closing its two-piece shell. It is surprisingly fast. (Gold, HeartGold, Sword)
The shell can withstand any attack. However, when it is open, the tender body is exposed. (Yellow, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)
Even when its shell is closed, its tongue still hangs out. If you give its tongue a good yank, the shock will cause Shellder to open its shell. (Ultra Moon)
The sand that accumulates inside its shell eventually becomes a pearl. But the pearl gets in the way, so it spits it out and discards it. (Ultra Sun)
This Pokémon's tongue is always hanging out. It uses its tongue with great dexterity to dig up sand from the seabed in its search for food. (Moon)
Names around the world
| Japanese | シェルダー |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Shellder |
| French | Kokiyas |
| German | Muschas |
| Spanish | Shellder |
| Italian | Shellder |
| Korean | 셀러 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 大舌贝 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 大舌貝 |
Trivia
- Lightest Water type in Gen 1: 4 kg.
- Shortest Water type in Gen 1: 0.3 m.
- Taller than 4% of all Pokémon (0.3 m).
- Heavier than 13% of all Pokémon (4 kg).
- Base stat total 305, ranked #833 of 1,025.
- One of 154 Water-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
- One of 87 purple Pokémon.
- Number 90 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
- Part of an evolution family of 2 Pokémon.
- Can learn 42 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
- Catch rate 190: about 24.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 13 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: Shellder (Pokémon), Serebii: Shellder (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (SHEL-der): 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
Water-type Pokémon · Kanto region guide · Shell Armor ability · Skill Link ability · Overcoat ability · Compare Shellder · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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