Stats & Training
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.
It is said to arrive on chilly, wintry winds. Feared from long ago as the guardian of forests, this POKéMON lives in a deep forest where people do not venture.
Shiftry Weakness
Shiftry's Grass/Dark typing leaves it vulnerable to Bug, Fire, Ice, Fighting, Poison, and Flying. 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.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 4x (Critical) | Bug |
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Ice, Fighting, Poison, Flying |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Water, Electric, Grass, Ground, Ghost, Dark |
| 0x (Immune) | Psychic |
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
In Emerald, Aerodactyl's Double-Edge hits Shiftry for 75-88%. Forretress's Explosion hits Shiftry for 73-85%. Charizard's Fire Blast also KOs at 135-159%.
 Aerodactyl Rock | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRockhead ItemChoice Band NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Shiftry View Aerodactyl builds →Earthquake31-37% Rock Slide70-82% Double Edge75-88% | ||
 Forretress BugSteel | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemLeftovers NatureCareful Moves
Damage vs Shiftry View Forretress builds →Rapid Spin15-18% Explosion73-85% Earthquake15-17% | ||
 Charizard Fire | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityBlaze ItemLeftovers NatureHasty Moves
Damage vs Shiftry View Charizard builds →Fire Blast 2x135-159%KO | ||
 Regice Ice | B | |
Recommended Build AbilityClearbody ItemLeftovers NatureQuiet Moves
Damage vs Shiftry View Regice builds →Ice Beam 2x105-124%KO Thunderbolt17-20% Explosion55-64% | ||
 Medicham FightingPsychic | C | |
Recommended Build AbilityPure Power ItemSalacberry NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Shiftry View Medicham builds →Shadow Ball12-14% Rock Slide22-26% | ||
Emerald Evolution
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. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Shiftry to get Seedot eggs easily using 102 partners from the Ground and Plant egg groups. Notable egg moves include Amnesia, False Swipe, Leech Seed and 3 more.
Emerald Shiftry Best Moveset
Shiftry doesn't rely on pure speed. Leftovers gives it passive recovery each turn to stay healthy, and Jolly nature still pushes offense. Explosion and Normal coverage keep the pressure on while flexible EVs balance power and survivability.
Best Build
Shiftry best EVs are Speed and Attack
Utility Moveset
- Explosion
- Shadow Ball
- Brick Break
- Sunny Day
Recommended Teammates
Moves
You'll want to breed for Amnesia and False Swipe on Shiftry. These egg moves aren't just nice to have. Combined with STAB from Solar Beam and Giga Drain, they expand what Shiftry can actually threaten in practice.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
How to Get Shiftry in Emerald
Shiftry doesn't appear wild. Catch Seedot instead, it shows up but it's a rare spawn. Evolve it through a special method to get Shiftry. The 3-stage chain is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Shiftry in Emerald
The path to Shiftry starts with Seedot at Lv. 3-25 via walking and trade encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch SeedotRoute 102Grass Lv.3 Route1%EarlyRoute 117Grass Lv.13 Route1%EarlyRoute 120Grass Lv.25 Route1%MidRustboro City - HouseIn-game trade CityLimitedTrade for (give Ralts)
Step 3Shiftry ✓
Shiftry Guide
In Emerald, 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. Explosion with Leftovers is the standard set.
In Emerald, 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 special attacker with base 90 Sp. Atk. Enough bulk to take a hit or two, too. Speed tells the real story. Base 80 Speed is workable. Faster than some, slower than many. Fits the attacker role.
In Emerald, run Explosion, Shadow Ball, Brickbreak, and Sunnyday on Shiftry. Explosion is the most common pick at 23% usage. This set covers the attacker role with a mix of damage and utility.
Game Availability
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.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves