Introduced in generation three, with the Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire games, Shiftry is a dual grass and dark type Pokemon. It is the final evolution of Seedot and evolves from Nuzleaf when a Leaf Stone is used. Shiftry is classified by the Pokedex as the “Wicked Pokemon” which indicates its general behavior. This guide will showcase Shiftry’s capabilities in battle, its appearances in the anime, as well as other general facts about Shiftry.
About Shiftry
As a generation three Pokemon, Shiftry first appeared in the Ruby and Sapphire season of the anime in the episode Jump for Joy!. In this episode, a Shiftry kidnapped Nurse Joy to seek help with a wounded Nuzleaf. Shiftry is the final evolution in its three stage evolution line and evolves from Nuzleaf when a Leaf Stone is used while Nuzleaf evolves from Seedot at level 14. The Pokedex describes Shiftry as a mysterious Pokemon and it can create gusts of wind that blow 100 feet per second.
| First appearance in anime | Pokemon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire Jump for Joy! |
| First appearance in game | Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire |
| Region | Hoenn |
| Evolution | Final evolution of Seedot, evolves from Nuzleaf |
| 1st Evo level | 14 |
| 2nd Evo level | Evolves when a Leaf Stone is used |
| Pokedex Entry | Shiftry is a mysterious Pokémon that is said to live atop towering trees dating back over a thousand years. It creates terrific windstorms with the fans it holds. |
Shiftry Base Stats
| HP | 90 |
| ATTACK | 100 |
| DEFENCE | 60 |
| SP. ATTACK | 90 |
| SP. DEFENCE | 60 |
| SPEED | 80 |
| TOTAL | 480 |
Appearance
Shiftry is a bipedal Pokemon that seems to be a walking tree stump with a mane of hair. Most of its body seems to be made of wood and its eyes are covered by the shaggy white mane. It also has a long pointed nose with an angry expression worn on its face at all times. There are two pointed ears sticking out of Shiftry’s white mane and its hands seem to be fans made from leaves. Shifty is an average sized Pokemon at 4 feet and 3 inches, or 1.3 meters, tall.
Behavior
Despite Shiftry’s sinister appearance, it seems to be a kindred spirit trying to guard Pokemon and its native forests. In the anime, it is seen battling against the criminal organizations of the Pokemon universe, seeking aid for wounded Pokemon, and emerges from deep in the forest to combat evil. It prefers peace and quiet and is typically only seen in the deepest parts of forests. The Pokedex mentions its capability as a forest guardian and how it can create gusts of wind that can level houses.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Shiftry has balanced base stat totals, but it leans more towards being an offensive Pokemon. Its physical attack is respectable, its speed can hold up against slower Pokemon and its health pool is also decent while its resistances are fairly low making it more geared for offensive play. As a dual type grass and dark Pokemon, Shiftry takes 2x damage from fighting, flying, poison, fire, ice, and fairy types while also taking 4x damage from bug type moves. It is immune to psychic type moves, and will resist ground, ghost, water, grass, electric, and dark type moves.
Best Moveset
Shiftry has trouble operating as a purely offensive Pokemon due to its subpar speed stat. Against most aggressive Pokemon, it will often be going second. However, it can function as a wall breaker as well since it will often outspeed slower Pokemon. You can also choose to utilize a mix of special and physical attacks since its attack stats are similar. Consider running Knock Off, Leaf Storm, Sucker Punch, and Defog. Knock Off and Leaf Storm will benefit from STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus), Sucker Punch gives you the potential to outplay your opponent, and Defog will remove problematic hazards from your side of the field.
| Knock Off | Leaf Storm |
| Sucker Punch | Defog |
How to Catch Shiftry in Pokemon Go
If you would like to obtain a Shiftry in Pokemon Go, the easiest way to do so would be to first obtain a Seedot and eventually evolve it into a Shiftry. This is because like most final evolutions, the base evolution is a more common spawn to encounter in the wild. You can find Seedot, in the wild, near parks, farmlands, forests, gardens, hiking trails, and other grassy areas, especially during night time. Seedot can also be hatched from 5 km eggs but while it has not been made available as a raid boss, Nuzleaf and Shiftry have been tier three and tier four raid bosses respectively at Pokemon Gyms. You will need 25 candies to evolve Seedot into Nuzleaf and another 100 to evolve it into Shiftry.
Trivia
- Shiftry’s evolution line and Ludicolo’s evolution line share many similarities. Every evolution in both lines are grass type, their base evolutions evolve at level 14, and the final evolution requires an evolution stone.
- The inspiration for Shiftry’s design seems to be a combination of an oak tree and a tengu, a Japanese yokai with long noses that protected forests.
- The name Shiftry is a combination of the words shifty and tree.
Explainer Video
FAQ
Is Shiftry a good Pokemon?
Shiftry was near the middle of competitive tiers on its release, however, it has fallen closer to the bottom with each new generation of Pokemon. Its somewhat balanced stat distribution makes it difficult for Shiftry to fulfill a particular role and the offensive role it used to fulfill gets further out of reach with stronger Pokemon being introduced.
Where do you get Shiftry in Pokemon Emerald?
In order to obtain a Shiftry in Pokemon Emerald, you will need to evolve Nuzleaf. You can also obtain a Seedot and eventually evolve it. Seedot can be encountered on Routes 102, 117, and 120. Nuzleaf can be encountered on Route 114. You cannot find Shiftry naturally in the wild and you will need to evolve its pre-evolutions to obtain a Shiftry.
How do you evolve Seedot?
Seedot will evolve naturally at level 14 into Nuzleaf. There are no special conditions to fulfill at this evolution stage and you will just need to reach the level threshold. To evolve Nuzleaf into Shiftry you will need to use a Leaf Stone on your Nuzleaf. There is no level condition at this stage and you can evolve your Nuzleaf as soon as you obtain a Leaf Stone.
Conclusion
Congratulations, you now know just about everything there is to know about this “Wicked Pokemon”. While Nuzleaf has not made the biggest impact on competitive play, it is by no means a weak Pokemon. It can function well in casual play as an offensive Pokemon that can survive through its higher than average health pool. Unfortunately, it is weak to many types of Pokemon which can make it difficult to keep Shiftry alive. If you want a grass and dark type Pokemon on your team, consider running Shiftry.
