Under Trick Room, Shiinotic's terrible Speed becomes its best asset — it 'outspeeds' nearly everything when turns are reversed. Dragon moves can't touch it, which offsets the 5 weaknesses somewhat. One of the newer additions from Gen 7. Known as the Illuminating Pokemon.
Shiinotic's spread favors special bulk over offense. Sp. Def leads the defensive side, Speed eats the cost. Yields 2 Sp. Def EVs per defeat. Medium-fast 1M XP curve to level.
Forests where Shiinotic live are treacherous to enter at night. People confused by its strange lights can never find their way home again.
It emits flickering spores that cause drowsiness. When its prey succumb to sleep, this Pokémon feeds on them by sucking in their energy.
Shiinotic Weakness
VulnerableShiinotic is weak to Poison, Fire, Ice, Flying, and Steel-type moves. Watch out for Poison attacks, those deal 4x damage. On the flip side, it's immune to Dragon-type moves entirely. 6 resistances give it solid defensive coverage on top of that.
Shiinotic is the evolved form of Morelull. Breeding produces Morelull eggs, and they're average hatch time. Evolving from Morelull gave Shiinotic the biggest boost in Defense (+25), bringing the total to 405 stats.
How to Evolve
Breed with Shiinotic to get Morelull eggs easily from the Plant egg group. Notable egg moves include Amnesia, Growth, Leech Seed and 2 more.
For a defensive wall, Shiinotic wants max HP and Sp. Def EVs and Bigroot. The Calm nature tilts toward special wall duty, and Effect Spore contributes without taking a move slot.
Best Build
Best Shiinotic Moveset
- Moonblast
- Spore
- Strength Sap
- Leech Seed
Recommended Teammates
Egg moves make a real difference. Shiinotic gets Amnesia and Growth exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Ghost and Psychic coverage and more rounds out the picture alongside Solar Beam and Moonblast.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Can't catch Shiinotic directly. Start with Morelull at solid rates from the locations below, then evolve at level 24. The 2-stage line from Morelull to Shiinotic is where the leveling time goes.
How to Obtain Shiinotic in Sun & Moon
The path to Shiinotic starts with Morelull at Lv. 14-27 via walking encounters. 1 catchable stage total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch MorelullEASYBrooklet Hill - NorthMoonGrassLv.14-1720%EarlyNightEASYBrooklet Hill - NorthSunGrassLv.14-1720%EarlyNightEFFORTLESSLush Jungle - NorthMoonGrassLv.18-2130%MidForestNightEFFORTLESSLush Jungle - NorthSunGrassLv.18-2130%MidForestNightEASYLush Jungle - SouthSunGrassLv.18-2120%MidForestNightEASYLush Jungle - SouthMoonGrassLv.18-2120%MidForestNightMODERATELush Jungle - WestSunGrassLv.18-2110%MidForestNightMODERATELush Jungle - WestMoonGrassLv.18-2110%MidForestNightMODERATERoute 11SunGrassLv.24-2710%MidRouteNightMODERATERoute 11MoonGrassLv.24-2710%MidRouteNight
Step 2Shiinotic ✓
Shiinotic has a 405 base stat total and ranks as C-Tier — a situational pick that fills a niche. It works best as a trick room. Base 100 Sp. Def is where it shines.
Shiinotic's biggest threats include Gengar (Poison), Arcanine (Fire), and Walrein (Ice), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Gengar is the most dangerous since Poison moves deal 4x damage. Flying and Steel-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. At base 30 Speed, Shiinotic won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Morelull evolves into Shiinotic at level 24. Shiinotic is the fully evolved form. It sits at 405 BST in its evolved form.
Illuminate is the go-to ability for Shiinotic. It doubles the wild encounter rate. Its hidden ability Rain Dish can work in specific setups. Effect Spore is the other option — pick based on what your team needs.
Shiinotic fills the trick room role. It's a special attacker with base 90 Sp. Atk. Base 30 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
Shiinotic can be found in Sword & Shield, Sun & Moon, and Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon.
Introduced in Sun & Moon, Shiinotic has appeared in 3 games across 3 generations. Later debuts mean fewer total appearances, but it's been a consistent presence since its introduction.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGS
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
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 VIISMDebut
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