#0213 · Johto · Generation 2

Shuckle

Mold Pokémon · Bug/Rock-type

Shuckle is a Bug/Rock-type Pokémon, the Mold Pokémon, number 213 (#0213) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 2 and comes from the Johto region. It is 0.6 m tall and weighs 20.5 kg.

Shuckle is the Mold Pokémon, a soft yellow creature in a tough red shell that ferments Berries into juice. Its Special Defense of 230 is the highest of any Pokémon, and its Defense matches it, shared only with two Mega Evolutions, while its Attack and Speed are almost nothing.

How to pronounce Shuckle

Shuckle is pronounced SHUK-ul. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Shuckle said out loud:

In Japanese it is ツボツボ (Tsubotsubo).

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Shuckle is 0.6 m (2 ft) tall and 20.5 kg (45.2 lb), with a limp-looking yellow body inside a red shell full of holes rimmed in white. According to the Pokédex, fluid from its toes eats holes in rock where it nests, and that fluid can be blended with Berries into a drink.

Behaviour

In the anime Pokédex Shuckle is naturally shy. When threatened it tucks itself under a rock and keeps perfectly still, as the game Pokédex describes. Bulbapedia adds that it gathers Berries instead of hunting.

Habitat

The Pokédex lists mountains. In Gold and Silver a Poké Maniac in Cianwood City gives you one, and Sword and Shield has wild ones in the Stony Wilderness. It is not available in Scarlet and Violet or Legends: Z-A.

Diet

It stores Berries in its shell, where its digestive juices ferment them into a juice that it drinks.

Powers

Its Abilities are Sturdy and Gluttony, with Contrary hidden. It learns Stealth Rock, Sticky Web, Rock Slide and Shell Smash. It is built to stall rather than strike, and its base Speed of 5, tied lowest with Munchlax and Pyukumuku among obtainable Pokémon, means it moves last.

Name origin

Shuckle may combine 'shuck' (husk) with 'barnacle' or 'turtle'. The Japanese name is Tsubotsubo (ツボツボ), which may come from tsubo ('jar') and fujitsubo, the acorn barnacle.

Design inspiration

Shigeki Morimoto designed Shuckle, according to his dialogue in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Bulbapedia reads it as an endolith, a creature that lives inside rock, and its category hints at a mould. It also suggests snake wine and barnacles. These are fan readings.

In the games

In Gold and Silver, the games that introduced it, the Poké Maniac in Cianwood City hands over a Shuckle. It is absent from Legends: Arceus, Scarlet and Violet, and Legends: Z-A.

In the anime

In 'A Better Pill to Swallow', an old man harvests Shuckle's Berry Juice to make medicine. Conway's Shuckle was hard for Ash's Noctowl and Donphan to beat in 'Working on a Right Move!'.

Fun facts

• Bulbapedia says Shuckle's base stats are spread more unevenly than those of any other Pokémon, with a standard deviation of 103.21.
• Power Trick lets it trade its Attack and Defense, which gives it a temporary effective base Attack of 230.
• In Generation II, the first Shuckle in your party that is holding a Berry has a 1 in 16 chance of turning it into Berry Juice after each battle.
• Bulbapedia notes that Iris, the hatchling in the film Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris, looks similar to Shuckle, and that its designer took inspiration from Pokémon.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Shuckle (Pokémon) · Serebii: Shuckle (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex): 404, not in the game

Base stats

• HP: 20
• Attack: 10
• Defense: 230
• Sp. Atk: 10
• Sp. Def: 230
• Speed: 5

Shuckle’s base stat total is 505. Its highest stat is Defense and Sp. Def.

Type matchups

What is Shuckle weak to?

Shuckle takes extra damage from Water (2×), Rock (2×), Steel (2×) moves.

It resists Normal (½×), Poison (½×).

Evolution

Shuckle does not evolve, and it does not evolve from any other Pokémon.

Abilities

• Sturdy: Prevents being KOed from full HP, leaving 1 HP instead. Protects against the one-hit KO moves regardless of HP.
• Gluttony: Makes the Pokémon eat any held Berry triggered by low HP below 1/2 its max HP.
• Contrary (hidden ability): Inverts stat changes.

Moves

Moves Shuckle learns by level up in Sword / Shield

TM moves (32)

Shuckle can learn 32 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Dig, Safeguard, Rest, Rock Slide, Snore, Protect, Attract, Sandstorm, Sunny Day, Facade, Helping Hand, Rock Tomb, Sand Tomb, Mud Shot, Rock Blast, Venoshock, Round, Bulldoze, Body Slam, Earthquake, Substitute, Reversal, Sludge Bomb, Endure, Sleep Talk, Encore, Iron Defense, Gyro Ball, Earth Power, Stone Edge, Stealth Rock, Sludge Wave.

Egg moves (9):Acid, Acupressure, Covet, Defense Curl, Final Gambit, Infestation, Knock Off, Sweet Scent, Toxic.

Move tutor moves (3): Meteor Beam, Skitter Smack, Steel Roller.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Bug.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 190 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 1 Defense and 1 Sp. Def effort values.
• Base experience yield: 177.

Pokédex entries

The berries stored in its vaselike shell eventually become a thick, pulpy juice. (Black 2, White 2, Shield)

It stores Berries inside its shell. To avoid attacks, it hides beneath rocks and remains completely still. (Silver, FireRed, SoulSilver, Y, Sword)

Shuckle quietly hides itself under rocks, keeping its body concealed inside its hard shell while eating berries it has stored away. The berries mix with its body fluids to become a juice. (Ruby, Sapphire, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire)

The berries stored in its jar-like shell eventually become a thick, pulpy juice. (X)

It stores berries in its shell. The berries eventually ferment to become delicious juices. (Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Black, White)

The Berries it stores in its vase-like shell decompose and become a gooey liquid. (Gold, LeafGreen, HeartGold)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Slowest Pokémon: 5 Speed, shared with 2 others.
• Highest Defense of all Pokémon: 230.
• Highest Sp. Def of all Pokémon: 230.
• Slowest Bug type: 5 Speed.
• Highest Defense among Bug types: 230.
• Highest Sp. Def among Bug types: 230.
• Slowest Rock type: 5 Speed.
• Highest Defense among Rock types: 230.
• Highest Sp. Def among Rock types: 230.
• Slowest Pokémon in Gen 2: 5 Speed.
• Highest Defense among Gen 2 Pokémon: 230.
• Highest Sp. Def among Gen 2 Pokémon: 230.
• Slowest Bug type in Gen 2: 5 Speed.
• Highest Defense among Bug types in Gen 2: 230.
• Highest Sp. Def among Bug types in Gen 2: 230.
• Highest base stat total among Bug types in Gen 2: 505.
• Shortest Rock type in Gen 2: 0.6 m, shared with 2 others.
• Slowest Rock type in Gen 2: 5 Speed.
• Highest Defense among Rock types in Gen 2: 230.
• Highest Sp. Def among Rock types in Gen 2: 230.
• Taller than 25% of all Pokémon (0.6 m).
• Heavier than 43% of all Pokémon (20.5 kg).
• Base stat total 505, ranked #262 of 1,025.
• Its best stat is Defense, ranked #1 of 1,025.
• Highest base Defense of any Pokémon.
• One of 6 Pokémon that are both Bug and Rock.
• One of 88 yellow Pokémon.
• Number 62 of 100 Pokémon introduced in Generation 2 (Johto).
• Can learn 56 different moves in Sword / Shield.
• Catch rate 190: about 24.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Appears in 8 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: Shuckle (Pokémon), Serebii: Shuckle (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex): 404, not in the game.
• Pronunciation (SHUK-ul): 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

Bug-type Pokémon · Rock-type Pokémon · Bug/Rock weaknesses and matchups · Johto region guide · Sturdy ability · Gluttony ability · Contrary ability · Compare Shuckle · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

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Gen 2 Bug-type Pokémon · Gen 2 Rock-type Pokémon · Gen 2 Pokémon list · Yellow Pokémon list · Bug egg group · Pokémon that start with S

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