Free switch-ins on Psychic moves make Shiftry useful in any team that needs that coverage. Chlorophyll doubles its Speed in sun. Can go either physical or special depending on the set. Part of the Gen 3 roster.
Everything pushes toward mixed damage here. Shiftry's Attack does the work, Defense pays the price. But you're still getting 3 Attack EVs per KO. Tough to catch, on a 1.06M XP medium-slow curve.
By flapping its leafy fan, it can whip up gusts of 100 ft/second that can level houses.
Shiftry Weakness
VulnerableShiftry's Grass/Dark typing leaves it vulnerable to Bug, Fire, Ice, Fighting, Poison, and Flying moves. Bug hits land at 4x, so they're the biggest threat. It shrugs off Psychic-type attacks completely. It resists 6 types, so it can switch into a lot of moves safely. Shiftry leans offensive (base 100 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
Shiftry evolved from Seedot's chain using an evolution item. It's a non-standard trigger, so check the details below. Breed this form to get Seedot eggs (quick to hatch). The evolution from Seedot pushed Shiftry to 480 total stats. Attack saw the largest single gain at +60.
How to Evolve
Breed with Shiftry to get Seedot eggs easily using 131 partners from the Ground and Plant egg groups. Notable egg moves include Amnesia, False Swipe, Leech Seed and 5 more.
Life Orb and Chlorophyll form the backbone. Shiftry invests max Attack and Speed EVs to play its physical attacker role properly, and Adamant nature pushes Attack higher. Lowkick handles the heavy lifting on offense. Normal coverage rounds it out.
Best Build
Best Shiftry Moveset
- Low Kick
- Explosion
- Dark Pulse
- Sucker Punch
Recommended Teammates
STAB runs through Leaf Storm and Solar Beam for the basics, but Shiftry's real strength is the 10-type coverage spread. Flying and Fighting hit common defensive types, and the movepool keeps going.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Transfer Moves
Can't catch Shiftry directly. Start with Seedot at moderate rates from the locations below, then evolve through a special method. The 3-stage chain from Seedot to Shiftry is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Shiftry in Platinum
Seedot is your first catch on the way to Shiftry. You'll find walking encounters from Lv. 5-48 across 7 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch SeedotCHALLENGINGRoute 203GrassLv.5RareEarlyRouteDual-slot: RubyCHALLENGINGRoute 204 - NorthGrassLv.10RareEarlyRouteDual-slot: RubyCHALLENGINGRoute 204 - SouthGrassLv.10RareEarlyRouteDual-slot: RubyCHALLENGINGEterna ForestGrassLv.13RareEarlyForestDual-slot: RubyCHALLENGINGRoute 210 - SouthGrassLv.18RareMidRouteDual-slot: Ruby
Step 2Catch or Evolve NuzleafCHALLENGINGRoute 210 - SouthGrassLv.20RareMidRouteDual-slot: RubyCHALLENGINGRoute 229GrassLv.48RarePostRouteDual-slot: Rubyor evolve from Seedot (Step 1)- Step 3Shiftry ✓
Shiftry looks average on paper at 480 BST. But Chlorophyll is why it sees play — build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier attacker on our tier list.
Watch for Scizor (Bug), Blaziken (Fire), and Lapras (Ice) when using Shiftry. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Scizor is the most dangerous since Bug moves deal 4x damage. Fighting, Poison, and Flying-type attackers are also a problem. With 6 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter.
Shiftry gets Chlorophyll, Wind Rider, and Pickpocket. But Chlorophyll is the one that matters — it's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Shiftry is a physical attacker with base 100 Attack. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. But the speed tells the real story — base 80 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. Fits the attacker role.
Shiftry appears in 15 games, including Ruby & Sapphire, FireRed & LeafGreen, and Emerald.
Since Ruby & Sapphire, Shiftry has been in 15 games. Requiring an item-based evolution to obtain means it's consistently available but requires more effort than simply catching it in the wild.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A