Is Shellder Good in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Playthrough?
Wild Water-type with sky-high physical Defense. The real story is Cloyster via Water Stone. AbilitySkill Link turns multi-hit moves into guaranteed max damage, and Cloyster hits like a truck.
Shellder trades roughly evenly with Ilima's team.
Hala's team hits Shellder's weaknesses hard.
Lana's team hits Cloyster's weaknesses hard.
ElectricSteelReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou... (Ultra Moon only)
BugElectricReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou... (Ultra Sun only)
GrassReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou... (Ultra Sun only)
GhostFairyReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou...
Cloyster has the type edge here and should clean up Kiawe's team.
Cloyster trades roughly evenly with Mallow's team.
Cloyster has the type edge here and should clean up Olivia's team.
Cloyster has the type edge here and should clean up Sophocles's team.
Cloyster trades roughly evenly with Acerola's team.
Cloyster trades roughly evenly with Nanu's team.
Cloyster trades roughly evenly with Mina's team.
Cloyster has the type edge here and should clean up Hapu's team.
Cloyster trades roughly evenly with Molayne's team.
Cloyster has the type edge here and should clean up Olivia's team.
Cloyster has the type edge here and should clean up Acerola's team.
Cloyster has the type edge here and should clean up Kahili's team.
Cloyster trades roughly evenly with Kukui's team.
Catch Shellder on Kala'e Bay (Super Rod fishing, Lv 10-17).
You can pick up the Water Stone in Paniola Ranch.
How to Get Shellder in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Shellder is available from early-game fishing spots onward at high spawn rates. 4 encounter spots give you plenty of options. Grab one early and it'll be ready to evolve or train by mid-game.
Where To Catch Shellder in USUM
To get Shellder, start by catching Shellder through fishing encounters at Lv. 10-22. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.
Step 1Shellder ✓Kala'e BayLv.10-22Super RodRate 35%Shaking spotKala'e BayLv.10-17Super RodRate 5%
Step 2Evolve into Cloyster
Shellder Weakness
Type-wise, Shellder takes extra damage from Electric and Grass. It resists 4 types, giving it decent defensive coverage. Shellder's physical bulk (base 100 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Electric, Grass |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Water, Ice, Steel |
What is Shellder Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Shellder
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Gible's Earthquake hits Shellder for 37-44%.
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemBerryjuice NatureHardy Moves
Damage vs Shellder View Pineco builds →Rapid Spin13-15% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityRough Skin ItemRocky Helmet NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Shellder View Gible builds →Earthquake37-44% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemEviolite NatureImpish Moves
Damage vs Shellder View Hippopotas builds →Earthquake28-33% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySandrush ItemEviolite NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Shellder View Sandshrew builds →Earthquake37-44% Rapid Spin19-22% Knock Off25-29% | ||
D | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySheerforce ItemLife Orb NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Shellder View Bagon builds →Crunch43-51% Rock Slide40-48% | ||
Shellder Evolutions
Evolving Shellder into Cloyster takes an evolution item. It's not a simple level-up, so check the chain details below. Evolving adds up to 220 stat points total. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
USUM Shellder Best Moveset
Water at 65 Attack with AbilitySkill Link guaranteeing five hits on multi-hit moves and AbilityOvercoat blocking weather damage as a hidden ability. The moveset at pre-evolution power cannot contribute. Cloyster one evolution away earns B-tier through MoveShell Smash.
Best Build
Shellder best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Icicle Spear
- Rock Blast
- Shell Smash
- Explosion
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
The egg pool carries weight here. Aqua Ring and Avalanche aren't available any other way for Shellder, and they meaningfully change what it threatens. Stack those on top of Hydro Pump and Surf for solid options.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
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.
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.
Shellder Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Guide
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Shellder does the job early-game if you need a Water type on your team. Evolve it into Cloyster before the later gyms and it holds up fine through the story.
Game Availability
Shellder has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 20 titles across all 10 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves