Its greatest asset is Defense — higher than 82% of species. Weak point: Sp. Def — among the lowest in the entire Pokédex. This is not the final form yet — it evolves once more, so the numbers above describe this stage, not what it will end up as. Defensively it can rely on 2 weaknesses and 4 resistances.
Base stats
Last column: what percentage of 1084 species and regional forms have a lower value. Strong point: Defense; weak point: Sp. Def.
A nature can improve this entry further: its boost hits hardest on Defense, the stat in which this species already leads. Which nature does that — see the list of natures.
Which nature to choose
The stats describe a physical wall — it hits weakly on both sides, but its Defense stays high. A nature does not touch HP, so extra bulk can only be added on this side. Evolution does not change it, so pick it for the final form, not for these numbers.
- Impish +Def · −SpA Raises what this species uses to absorb hits, at the cost of Sp. Atk — a stat it does not use anyway.
- Relaxed +Def · −Spe The same defensive gain, paid for with Speed it does not have anyway. Under Trick Room the drop becomes an advantage.
- Hidden Power and Weather Ball still deal damage based on Sp. Atk. If either of them is going into the set, lowering Sp. Atk is no longer free.
A conclusion drawn from base stats alone — a specific moveset can reverse it. All 25 natures.
Regional numbers 9
The header shows the national number. Inside the game the Pokédex counts from the beginning — below is the number you will see in your version.
| Kanto | #090 | Red/Green (Japan) , Blue (Japan) , Red / Blue , Yellow , FireRed / LeafGreen , Let's Go Pikachu / Eevee |
|---|---|---|
| Johto | #169 | Gold / Silver , Crystal |
| Johto | #171 | HeartGold / SoulSilver |
| Kalos | #036 | X / Y |
| Alola | #115 | Sun / Moon |
| Alola | #138 | Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon |
| Galar | #150 | Sword / Shield |
| Isle of Armor | #131 | Sword / Shield , Sword/Shield: The Isle of Armor |
| Paldea | #329 | Scarlet / Violet |
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 Protects against damage from weather.
Pokédex entry
Its hard shell repels any kind of attack. It is vulnerable only when its shell is open.
Resistances and weaknesses
Type chart →How much damage Shellder takes when it is hit by a move of each type.
How it was drawn
1996–2019The sprites come straight from the games in which Shellder appeared — one from each release.
Variant gallery
The gallery shows only the appearance variants that exist for this Pokémon. Every image shows the same character and differs in source — a Pokémon HOME render or a pixel sprite — and in coloring, regular or shiny.
TCG cards (11)
All Shellder cards →Shellder has 11 cards in 10 sets. The oldest of them are shown below.
Breeding
All Egg Groups →Offspring can come from 34 species from the same Egg Groups (with opposite genders) or from Ditto. Below are the first 12 by Pokédex number.
The Egg hatches after 20 cycles, which is roughly 5,400 steps. The exact cycle length depends on the game — newer titles shortened it noticeably — so treat this number as an order of magnitude, not a countdown. Having the Flame Body Ability in your party halves the wait.
Where to catch it (44)
All locations →The first 40 of 44 locations. The levels shown are the widest range across all game versions — in a specific release it may be narrower. The exact area, catch method and chance are on the page of each location.
Alola
Galar
Johto
Kalos
Kanto
Orre
Sinnoh
Unova
Moves (76)
Full move list →Below are the moves learned by leveling up. The rest (62 via TM/TR, 13 via Egg, 16 via tutor) are on the full list.
| Lv. | Move | Type | Cat. | Power | Acc. | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tackle | Normal | Physical | 40 | 100% | 35 |
| 1 | Water Gun | Water | Special | 40 | 100% | 25 |
| 4 | Withdraw | Water | Status | — | — | 40 |
| 8 | Ice Shard | Ice | Physical | 40 | 100% | 30 |
| 12 | Leer | Normal | Status | — | 100% | 30 |
| 13 | Icicle Spear | Ice | Physical | 25 | 100% | 30 |
| 16 | Whirlpool | Water | Special | 35 | 85% | 15 |
| 20 | Supersonic | Normal | Status | — | 55% | 20 |
| 22 | Clamp | Water | Physical | 35 | 85% | 15 |
| 24 | Aurora Beam | Ice | Special | 65 | 100% | 20 |
| 28 | Protect | Normal | Status | — | — | 10 |
| 32 | Razor Shell | Water | Physical | 75 | 95% | 10 |
| 36 | Iron Defense | Steel | Status | — | — | 15 |
| 40 | Ice Beam | Ice | Special | 90 | 100% | 10 |
| 44 | Brine | Water | Special | 65 | 100% | 10 |
| 44 | Shell Smash | Normal | Status | — | — | 15 |
| 48 | Hydro Pump | Water | Special | 110 | 80% | 5 |