Mixed
Balanced
525High
70Moderate
BTier

Nothing about Cloyster screams competitive powerhouse, and that's fine. Water/Ice means only weak to Electric, Grass, Fighting, and Rock. An original Gen 1 pick. Needs some investment to avoid getting outsped.

Defense leads and Sp. Def gets almost nothing. That's Cloyster's stat line in a nutshell. 3 stats sit in respectable range, but the spread is brutal. Moderately hard to find and yields 2 Defense EVs.

Base Stats
525High
HP50
D
Attack95
B
Defense180
S
Sp. Atk85
C
Sp. Def45
D
Speed70
C
Total525
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Cloyster yields +2 Def
HPAtkDef+2SpASpDSpe
Details
Catch60Challenging•Slow1.25M XP•1.5m / 4'11"•132.5kg / 292.1 lbs•184Base XP
Pokedex Entries

For protection, it uses its harder-than-diamonds shell. It also shoots spikes from the shell.

Lets Go Pikachu / Lets Go Eevee

Cloyster Weakness

Vulnerable

Cloyster's Water/Ice typing leaves it vulnerable to Electric, Grass, Fighting, and Rock moves. Cloyster's physical bulk (base 180 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.

4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
ElectricGrassFightingRock
½xResisti
Water
¼xResisti
Ice
0xImmunei
None
STAB (6)i
FireGroundRockGrassFlyingDragon
4Weak
2Resist
0Immune
Scorei-5
Stealth Rock25% on switch
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
Shell ArmorProtects against critical hits.
Skill LinkExtends two-to-five-hit moves and triple kick to their full length every time.
OvercoatHAProtects against damage from weather.

Getting Cloyster requires an evolution item, not just grinding levels. The chain starts at Shellder. Breed this form to get Shellder eggs (average hatch time). Defense grew the most through evolution (+80 over Shellder), and Cloyster peaks at 525 total stats.

How to Evolve

2 Forms
Shellder
#090Shellder
Water Stone
Cloyster
#091Cloyster
Stat Comparison 2 Stages
Shellder
Water
Cloyster
WaterIce
HP
30
50+20
ATK
65
95+30
DEF
100
180+80
SP.ATK
45
85+40
SP.DEF
25
45+20
SPE
40
70+30
BST
305B-Tier
525B-Tier+220
ROLE
Balanced
Balanced
TYPE
Physical
Mixed
Breeding
Very Easy

Breed with Cloyster to get Shellder eggs easily from the Water3 egg group.

Egg Groups
Water3
Gender
♂50.0%♀50.0%
Hatch Time
20 cycles·5,140 steps
Quick~5 min with Flame Body

One guaranteed turn is all Cloyster needs. Focus Sash buys it, max Attack and Speed EVs make it count, and Skilllink adds something extra. The goal: deal early damage and deal damage with Liquidation. The remaining moves gives it play beyond just the lead turn.

Best Build

Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee uses different battle mechanics.

Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.

Level-up moves are just the starting point for Cloyster. TMs unlock Normal and Bug coverage and turn a straightforward STAB kit around Blizzard and Ice Beam into something with actual range.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Barrier
——20Psychic
Lv 1
Leer
—10030Normal
Lv 1
Spike Cannon
2010015Normal
Lv 1
Tackle
4010035Normal
Lv 1
Twineedle
2510020Bug
Lv 1
Water Gun
4010025Water
Lv 1
Withdraw
——40Water

TM Moves

Src
TM51
Blizzard
110705Ice
TM12
Facade
7010020Normal
TM01
Headbutt
7010015Normal
TM48
Hyper Beam
150905Normal
TM55
Ice Beam
9010010Ice
TM26
Poison Jab
8010020Poison
TM07
Protect+4
——10Normal
TM09
Reflect
——20Psychic
TM05
Rest
——10Psychic
TM42
Self-Destruct
2001005Normal
TM08
Substitute
——10Normal
TM47
Surf
9010015Water
TM04
Teleport-6
——20Psychic
TM27
Toxic
—9010Poison
TM28
Tri Attack
8010010Normal

Egg Moves

Cloyster doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Cloyster can't learn any Tutor moves

Cloyster tops out at low spawn rates across 4 locations in late-game water routes. The encounters below are sorted by rate so you can see exactly what you're working with.

Where To Catch Cloyster in Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee

To get Cloyster, start by catching Shellder through surfing encounters at Lv. 39-44. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.

  1. Shellder
    Step 1Catch Shellder
    Seafoam Islands - Area 2
    Let's Go EeveeSurfing on waterLv.39-4430%LateWater
    EASY
    Seafoam Islands - Area 2
    Let's Go PikachuSurfing on waterLv.39-4430%LateWater
    EASY
    Seafoam Islands - Area 3
    Let's Go EeveeSurfing on waterLv.39-4430%LateWater
    EASY
    Seafoam Islands - Area 3
    Let's Go PikachuSurfing on waterLv.39-4430%LateWater
    EASY
  2. Cloyster
    Step 2Cloyster ✓
    Seafoam Islands - Area 2
    Let's Go EeveeSurfing on waterLv.39-441%LateWater
    LEGENDARY
    Seafoam Islands - Area 2
    Let's Go PikachuSurfing on waterLv.39-441%LateWater
    LEGENDARY
    Seafoam Islands - Area 3
    Let's Go EeveeSurfing on waterLv.39-441%LateWater
    LEGENDARY
    Seafoam Islands - Area 3
    Let's Go PikachuSurfing on waterLv.39-441%LateWater
    LEGENDARY
    or evolve from Shellder (Step 1)

  • We rate Cloyster B-Tier — a solid choice for the right team. At 525 BST, the stats are spread pretty evenly. Base 180 Defense stands out.

  • Watch for Raikou (Electric), Venusaur (Grass), and Hitmonlee (Fighting) when using Cloyster. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Rock-type attackers are also a problem.

  • Shellder evolves into Cloyster using a Water Stone. Cloyster is the fully evolved form. At 525 BST, it's got solid stats to work with.

  • Shell Armor protects against critical hits — that's the one you want on Cloyster. Overcoat is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses. Skill Link works too if your team needs something different.

  • Base 70 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Cloyster is a mixed attacker — base 95 Attack and 85 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Enough bulk to take a hit or two.

  • Cloyster appears in 20 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.

One of the original 151, Cloyster has appeared in 20 games — nearly every mainline game. From Red & Blue through the latest titles, it's rarely been left out of a regional Pokedex.