Special
Balanced
325Low
40Very Slow
DTier

Shellder is technically a pre-evolution of Cloyster, but it can still hold its own in battle. Only weak to Electric and Grass. Flexible enough to run physical or special sets. Been around since Gen 1.

Shellder's spread isn't flashy. Defense leads, HP trails, 1 stats clear the bar. Common in the wild and worth 1 Defense stat exp, on a slow 1.25M XP grind.

Base Stats
325Avg
HP30
F
Attack65
C
Defense100
B
Sp. Atk45
D
Sp. Def45
D
Speed40
D
Total325
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Shellder yields +1 Def
HPAtkDef+1SpASpDSpe
Details
Catch190Easy•Slow1.25M XP•0.3m / 1'00"•4kg / 8.8 lbs•61Base XP
Pokedex Entries

The shell can withstand any attack. However, when it is open, the tender body is exposed.

Yellow

Shellder Weakness

Avg

Type-wise, Shellder takes extra damage from Electric and Grass. Its Water typing keeps the defensive matchups simple. Shellder's physical bulk (base 100 Def) helps cushion physical weakness hits, but special attackers are the bigger threat.

Gen I Type Chart
  • Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
  • Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
  • Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split
4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
ElectricGrass
½xResisti
FireWaterIce
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
None
STAB (3)i
FireGroundRock
2Weak
3Resist
0Immune
Scorei-1
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.

Shellder starts a line toward Cloyster. Can't breed this Water type (325 stats), so keep the evolution path going. Evolving adds up to 200 stat points total.

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 not available · Introduced in Gen 2

Best Build

Gen 1 build content has limited support (no abilities, held items, or natures).

Try selecting a different game/generation filter, or check back later.

TMs define Shellder's movepool. The natural moves cover basics with Surf and Bubble Beam, but the real versatility comes from technical machines giving it Normal and Ice coverage. That's where the options open up.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Tackle
3510035Normal
Lv 1
Withdraw
——40Water
Lv 18
Supersonic
—5520Normal
Lv 23
Clamp
358510Water
Lv 30
Aurora Beam
6510020Ice
Lv 39
Leer
—10030Normal
Lv 50
Ice Beam
9510010Ice

TM Moves

Src
TM34
Bide+1
——10Normal
TM14
Blizzard
110905Ice
TM11
Bubble Beam
6510020Water
TM32
Double Team
——15Normal
TM10
Double-Edge
12010015Normal
TM47
Explosion
2501005Normal
TM13
Ice Beam
9510010Ice
TM31
Mimic
——10Normal
TM20
Rage
2010020Normal
TM33
Reflect
——20Psychic
TM44
Rest
——10Psychic
TM36
Self-Destruct
2001005Normal
TM50
Substitute
——10Normal
HM03
Surf
9510015Water
TM39
Swift
60—20Normal
TM09
Take Down
908520Normal
TM30
Teleport-6
——20Psychic
TM06
Toxic
—9010Poison
TM49
Tri Attack
8010010Normal
TM12
Water Gun
4010025Water

Egg Moves

Shellder doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Shellder can't learn any Tutor moves

Easy grab on Shellder with high spawn rates across 3 locations in early-game fishing spots. The sorted list below shows the full spread so you can pick the most convenient spot.

Best Locations

Bring Super Rod for Shellder. There are 3 fishing encounters from Lv. 10-40 with no walking alternatives. Pick the spot with the best rate and settle in.

Vermilion City - Harbor
Super RodLv.10UncommonEarlyCity
MODERATE
Route 18
Super RodLv.20-40CommonMidRoute
EASY
Route 17
Super RodLv.25-35CommonMidRoute
EASY

  • Shellder isn't fully evolved, so it's not built for competitive play. You'll want to evolve it into Cloyster to unlock its full potential. At 325 BST, it's a stepping stone rather than a team anchor.

  • Shellder's biggest threats include Jolteon (Electric) and Exeggutor (Grass), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Only 2 weaknesses means fewer dedicated counters to worry about. At base 40 Speed, Shellder won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.

  • Shellder evolves into Cloyster using a Water Stone. Shellder is the base form of this evolutionary line.

  • Shellder fills the balanced role. It's a special attacker with base 45 Special. Base 40 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go.

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

Shellder has been part of the series since Red & Blue, appearing in 20 titles across all 9 generations. As a Gen 1 original, it's one of the most consistently available Pokemon in the franchise.