Introduced in generation five, with the Pokemon Black and White games, Boldore is a monotype rock Pokemon. It is the middle evolution of its three stage evolution line and evolves from Roggenrola when it reaches the level threshold, and evolves into Gigalith once it is traded. Boldore is classified by the Pokedex as the “Ore Pokemon” which indicates its rocky design. This guide will showcase Boldore’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Boldore.
About Boldore
As a generation five Pokemon, Boldore first appeared in the Black and White season of the anime in the episode Battling the King of the Mines!. In this episode Ash’s Roggenrola evolved into a Boldore during his battle against Gym Leader Clay. Boldore is the second evolution of its three stage evolution line and it evolves from Roggenrola upon reaching level 25, and then evolves into Gigalith when it is traded with another trainer. The Pokedex mentions that Boldore is capable of quick movement in battle.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Black and White Battling the King of the Mines! |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Black and White |
| Region | Unova |
| Evolution | Evolves from Roggenrola upon reaching the level threshold, evolves into Gigalith when it is traded |
| 1st Evo level | 25 |
| 2nd Evo level | Evolves into Gigalith when traded |
| Pokedex Entry | When it is healthy, its core sticks out. Always facing the same way, it swiftly moves front to back and left to right. |
Boldore Base Stats
| HP | 75 |
| ATTACK | 105 |
| DEFENCE | 105 |
| SP. ATTACK | 50 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 40 |
| SPEED | 20 |
| TOTAL | 390 |
Appearance
Boldore is a large chunk of rocks which seems to have small veins of ore throughout its body. Most of its body is made up of dark blue rocks and there are orange crystals making up its legs and head. There are two yellow crystals that function as Boldore’s eyes and the orange crystals make up its legs, mouth, and spiked head. Boldore is an average sized Pokemon at 2 feet and 11 inches, or 0.9 meters, tall.
Behavior
Boldore had a decent chunk of screen time as it was a part of Ash’s team throughout the Unova region. It functioned as Ash’s rock type Pokemon and was shown to be reliable in battle. Boldore’s behavior was stoic and it never showed too much emotion throughout its journey with Ash, and it never reached its Gigalith stage with Ash. The Pokedex mentions that Boldore’s health can correlate with the amount of crystals that Boldore has.
Strengths and Weaknesses
For a middle stage evolution Pokemon, Boldore has respectable physical attack and defense stats. Its health pool can also match its defensive capability, although its speed stat is one of the lowest in the entire franchise. It is best used as a defensive Pokemon but it is capable of dealing significant damage. As a monotype rock Pokemon, Boldore takes 2x damage from fighting, ground, steel, water, and grass type moves. It has no immunities but is resistant to normal, flying, poison, and fire type moves.
Best Moveset
Despite Boldore’s decent stat distributions, it is not viable in many different competitive formats. Even the NFE (Not Fully Evolved Format) makes it difficult for Boldore to function. It has too many type weaknesses and its slow speed stat requires it to have a supportive Trick Room user on its team. Gigalith is much easier to succeed with as a bulkier defensive Pokemon. Consider running Stealth Rock, Stone Edge/Rock Blast, Superpower, and Toxic. The chip damage from Stealth Rock can add up quickly. Stone Edge/Rock Blast are interchangeable as Boldore’s STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) moves, Superpower is used as type coverage, and Toxic can help get through weak matchups for Gigalith.
| Stealth Rock | Stone Edge/Rock Blast |
| Superpower | Toxic |
How to Catch Boldore in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain a Boldore in Pokemon Go, the easiest way to do so would be to first obtain a Roggenrola and eventually evolve it into Boldore. Like most evolved forms of Pokemon, its base evolution is a more common spawn to encounter than its evolved forms. You can find Roggenrola spawning in the wild near quarries, farmlands, parking lots, cities, and hiking trails. Roggenrola can also be hatched from 5 and 7 km eggs, and both Roggenrola and Boldore can be encountered as a tier one or tier three raid boss at Pokemon Gyms respectively. You will need 50 candies to evolve Roggenrola into Boldore, and another 200 candies or a trade in order to evolve Boldore into Gigalith.
Trivia
- Boldore shares many similarities to Graveler. Both are rock type Pokemon, both have a base stat total of 390, and will evolve into its final form through trade.
- The inspiration for Boldore’s design is likely based on a geode.
- The name Boldore is a combination of the words boulder and ore.
Explainer Video
FAQ
How do you evolve Boldore into Gigalith?
In order to evolve Boldore into Gigalith, you will need to trade your Boldore to another trainer. Once the trade is completed, the trainer you traded it to will have a Gigalith. Remember to check if Boldore has an Everstone or not because it is likely to have an Everstone when it is obtained through a wild encounter.
Is Gigalith good?
While Gigalith has impressive stat distributions, it is fairly weak. Its stat distributions make it difficult to function as either a defensive or offensive Pokemon due to a weak health pool and an abysmal speed stat. If you are desperate for a rock type Pokemon, you can utilize Gigalith as a mixed offensive and defensive Pokemon.
Is there a mega Gigalith?
There is no official mega evolution for Gigalith in the mainline Pokemon games. It is not likely for Gigalith to obtain a mega evolution in the future either due to the developers moving away from mega evolutions entirely. Unfortunately for fans of this sturdy rock type Pokemon, Gigalith is the strongest it will get.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Ore Pokemon”. While Boldore and its evolution line have not made the biggest impact on competitive play, it is not necessarily a weak Pokemon. Its stats are impressive and in the correct environment it can be impossible to defeat. Reserve a slot on your team for Boldore if you want a mixed offensive/defensive rock type Pokemon.
