Introduced in generation three, with the Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire games, Shelgon is a monotype dragon Pokemon. It is the second stage evolution of its three stage evolution line, and evolves from Bagon and into Salamence once it reaches the level thresholds. Shelgon is classified by the Pokedex as the “Endurance Pokemon”which is likely a reference to its general behavior. This guide will showcase Shelgon’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Shelgon.
About Shelgon
As a generation three Pokemon, Shelgon first appeared in the Ruby and Sapphire season of the anime in the episode Let Bagons Be Bagons. In this episode,a trainer named Michelle has her Bagon evolve into a Shelgon. The Pokedex mentions that the resilient shell forming around Shelgon is made of a material similar to bones. It can typically be found within caverns.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire Let Bagons Be Bagons |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire |
| Region | Hoenn |
| Evolution | Evolves from Bagon, evolves into Salamence |
| 1st Evo level | 30 |
| 2nd Evo level | 50 |
| Pokedex Entry | Inside Shelgon's armor-like shell, cells are in the midst of transformation to create an entirely new body. This Pokémon's shell is extremely heavy, making its movements sluggish. |
Shelgon Base Stats
| HP | 65 |
| ATTACK | 95 |
| DEFENCE | 100 |
| SP. ATTACK | 60 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 50 |
| SPEED | 50 |
| TOTAL | 420 |
Appearance
Shelgon is a small gray Pokemon that walks on four legs but while most of its body is gray, many of its features are hidden by its large armored shell. Its four legs come out from underneath, and two yellow eyes with black pupils can be seen at the shell’s opening. The shell is made up of six different segments, curving together to form an opening for Shelgon’s face. Shelgon is an average sized Pokemon at 3 feet and 7 inches, or 1.1 meters, tall.
Behavior
Due to Shelgon’s large shell, it can be difficult for Shelgon to mobilize. It prefers to hide in dark caverns, waiting patiently for evolution. While it is unknown what Shelgon’s appearance is underneath the shell, it is known that Shelgon is preparing its body for evolution. As it gets closer to evolution, its shell will begin to peel away. The Pokedex mentions how little Shelgon will eat while it waits for evolution but if it can endure the fasting period, it becomes stronger in the end.
Strengths and Weaknesses
As the middle evolution in its evolution line, Shelgon has yet to reach its true potential. It does have a strong physical defense and attack, but its health pool is weak and its speed stat is not great either. Shelgon can have trouble performing as either an offensive or defensive Pokemon due to its base stats. It can be more resilient with the Overcoat ability preventing residual damage. As a monotype dragon Pokemon, Shelgon takes 2x damage from ice, dragon, and fairy type moves. It has no immunities but is resistant to fire, water, grass, and electric type moves.
Best Moveset
Shelgon is typically reserved for a unique format of competitive play and in the NFE (Not Fully Evolved) bracket of competitive play, Shelgon can function as a bulky offensive Pokemon. This strategy does not intend to use Shelgon as its main damage dealer, but a threat that needs to be answered by your opponent. By using Shelgon’s ability to scale its stats, it can handle an entire team if left unanswered. Consider running Dragon Dance, Outrage, Rest, and Sleep Talk. This moveset is not the most consistent. Dragon Dance is a powerful scaling option, and Rest can help keep Shelgon healthy. Sleep Talk makes it difficult to plan around perfect situations, but the quality of its other moves should keep it stable in battle.
| Dragon Dance | Outrage |
| Rest | Sleep Talk |
How to Catch Shelgon in Pokemon Go?
If you would like to obtain a Shelgon in Pokemon Go, the easiest way to do so would be to first obtain a Bagon and eventually evolve it into Shelgon. Like most evolved forms, its base evolution spawns more commonly in the wild and is thus easier to encounter. You can find Bagon in the wild, at a boosted rate, near golf courses, landmarks, and other places of interest. Bagon can also be hatched from 7 and 10 km eggs but while Shelgon has not appeared as a raid boss, both Bagon and Salamence have been featured as tier one and tier three raid bosses respectively. To evolve Bagon into a Shelgon you will need 25 candies and then another 100 candies in order to evolve Shelgon into Salamence.
Trivia
- Shelgon was capable of learning Iron Defense from Move Tutors in generations four through generation seven, but Salamence could not learn Iron Defense.
- The inspiration for Shelgon’s design seems to be based on a dragon or giant tortoise.
- The name Shelgon is a combination of the words shell and dragon.
FAQ
What animal is Shelgon based on?
Shelgon bears some resemblance to turtles or dragons in myth but there is no direct real life comparison to make. It is meant to be the adolescent phase of a growing dragon. However its sturdy shell bears a likeness to turtles or the chrysalis of a caterpillar.
How do you evolve Shelgon?
Shelgon is the middle evolution of its three stage evolution line. It evolves from Bagon once it reaches level 30, and evolves into Salamence once it reaches level 50. There are no unique conditions to fulfill for this Pokemon’s evolution line and it will begin to evolve naturally as long as you level it.
Is Salamence a Legendary Pokemon?
To be considered a legendary Pokemon, it must fulfill a few conditions. Typically, legendary Pokemon can only be encountered once per save file, cannot evolve, and cannot be bred at a Pokemon Daycare. Since Salamence does not fulfill any of these conditions, it is not a legendary Pokemon.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Endurance Pokemon”. While Shelgon’s impact on competitive play is limited to a unique format, it can still be a menacing Pokemon. Thanks to its access to scaling moves, Shelgon can be useful with enough time. Even with many weaknesses, Shelgon can sweep an opposing team with enough set up. Reserve a slot on your team for Shelgon if you want a scaling dragon type Pokemon.
