Introduced in generation three, with the Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire games, Beldum is a dual type psychic and steel Pokemon. It is the base evolution of Metagross and evolves into Metang upon reaching the level threshold. The Pokedex classifies Beldum as the “Iron Ball Pokemon and it’s evolution line is also one of the pseudo legendary representatives of generation three. This guide will showcase Beldum’s evolution line’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Beldum.
About Beldum
Despite being one of the pseudo-legendary representatives of generation three, Beldum did not appear that often in the anime. It first made an appearance in the Ruby and Sapphire season of the anime with the episode Less is Morrison. Beldum will evolve into Metang at level 20 and into Metagross at level 45. The Pokedex mentions Beldum’s powerful magnetic prowess as it can keep itself floating through controlling magnetic forces as well as communicate through psychic waves.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire Less is Morrison |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire |
| Region | Hoenn |
| Evolution | Base evolution of Metagross, evolves into Metang |
| 1st Evo level | 20 |
| 2nd Evo level | 45 |
| Pokedex Entry | Instead of blood, a powerful magnetic force courses throughout Beldum's body. This Pokémon communicates with others by sending controlled pulses of magnetism. |
Beldum Base Stats
| HP | 40 |
| ATTACK | 55 |
| DEFENCE | 80 |
| SP. ATTACK | 35 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 60 |
| SPEED | 30 |
| TOTAL | 300 |
Appearance
Beldum is a small floating limb that is made of steel and a quick look at Metagross showcases that Beldum is one of the limbs from which it begins to form a body. Beldum has one spherical head with a set of spikes sticking out of its rear end. On its head there is one single red eye and most of Beldum’s body is blue with black around its eye and its spikes are white. It is fairly small at only 2 feet, or 0.6 meters, tall.
Behavior
As Beldum only appeared a few times throughout the anime’s history, most of what we understand about Beldum’s behavior comes from the Pokedex. The Pokedex states that it can keep itself floating through virtue of the magnetic force that is generated by its body. It also tells us that Beldum will communicate with other Beldum through magnetic or psychic forces. Depictions of Beldum often show groups of Beldum swarming together, either by choice or thanks to their magnetic capabilities.
Strengths and Weaknesses
At the base evolution, it can be difficult to believe that Beldum is part of a pseudo legendary line up. None of its stats are particularly exceptional but that changes quickly once it reaches its final evolution. Regardless, it has very good defensive typing and is resistant to normal, flying, rock, steel, grass, psychic, ice, dragon, and fairy types while also being completely immune to poison. However, it will take 2x damage from ground, ghost, fire, and dark type moves.
Shiny Beldum
While regular Beldum’s body is blue, Shiny Beldum’s body changes to a more metallic gray tone. There aren’t too many other changes between regular and Shiny Beldum but while the eye color remains the same, the spikes at the rear of Shiny Beldum turns yellow instead of white. Like all shiny Pokemon, Shiny Beldum gains a starry animation upon entering battle.
Best Moveset
There is little reason to run Beldum in competitive play, instead it is best to focus on Metagross. With access to a mega evolution, phenomenal statlines, and its strong defensive typing, there is no reason to consider Beldum over Metagross. In generations where its mega evolution is available, you will want to run Metagrossite, as its held item, to unlock its mega evolution. For a moveset consider running Meteor Mash, Zen Headbutt, Hammer Arm and Ice Punch/Bullet Punch/Pursuit. Meteor Mash is Metagross’s signature move, Zen Headbutt will benefit from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus), Hammer Arm is more so for type coverage, and Ice Punch/Bullet Punch/Pursuit exist for type coverage while also granting you some outplay opportunities.
| Meteor Mash | Zen Headbutt |
| Hammer Arm | Ice Punch/Bullet Punch/Pursuit |
How to Catch Beldum in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain a Beldum in Pokemon Go, it may be more difficult than any other base evolution. In fact, it may be best to wait for a community day event or some other type of event rather than hunting for Beldums in the wild. While Beldum will spawn in the wild, it is exceptionally rare for a base evolution. It has appeared as a tier one raid boss in the past so it could be more fruitful to look for tier one raids rather than hope you find them in the wild. Beldum requires 25 Beldum candies to evolve into Metang, and another 100 to evolve into Metagross.
Video
Trivia
- Beldum’s evolution line is the only Pokemon in the game (that are non-legendary) that have a catch rate of 3, the lowest in the game.
- Of all the pseudo legendary Pokemon, Beldum’s evolution line reaches its final evolution the fastest.
- The name Beldum likely comes from the word dumbbell.
FAQ
Is Beldum a Legendary?
Beldum is not a legendary Pokemon. Technically Beldum is not a pseudo legendary either, as Metagross is a pseudo legendary. The important distinctions between legendary and non-legendary status is their capability to be bred (excluding Manaphy), whether or not they can only be caught once per game and the fact that legendary Pokemon will not evolve.
Why is it so hard to catch Beldum?
While Beldum is part of a pseudo legendary line, it also has one of the lowest catch rates of all non-legendary Pokemon. The reason why could be attributed to its powerful evolution, to make it more exclusive, and it is often gifted rather than caught. There is no official answer, so it likely has to do with its power level.
What is a Beldum?
Given that Beldum’s name comes from a derivation of the word dumbbell, it could be concluded that Beldum’s design comes from this item. However, looking at Metagross clearly shows that Beldum begins to evolve from its limb rather than its body. Beldum will evolve into Metang which grows a body and eventually grows more limbs through Metagross.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Iron Ball Pokemon”. Beldum has an interesting design which eventually evolves into one of the most powerful Pokemon ever released in the franchise. On top of this, it received a mega evolution in generation six, cementing it as one of the strongest Pokemon you could possibly have. Even though Beldum is not particularly powerful on its own, its access to Metagross makes any investment into it well worth the time.
