History FanonPokedex / Shellder

In a less positive light, Cloyster's vague resemblance to... [[CountryMatters a certain female organ]] [[FreudWasRight has been repeatedly pointed out]] by crude-minded amateur comedians.

[-Article by Smiggins. See other entries [[ThePokedexExtendedFanonEdition HERE]]-]

* Shellder [090]
* Cloyster [091]

Shellder and Cloyster are both Pokemon encased almost completely in hard shells. Shellder is small, about 0.3 m tall, covered in a flat purple shell. Four small protrusions extend from the shell near the opening. It also has a bright red tongue at least half as long again as the rest of the shell which is almost always hanging out. The shell is always at least slightly open, but apart from the tongue, only the eyes can be observed and only then with direct exposure to light.

Cloyster is several times larger, and naturally sits in a more upright position. It is closer to spherical and has many more protusions coming from the shell, including two which end in large spikes. It does not have Shellder's long tongue hanging out and the only soft parts of the body visible are now the eyes and mouth. A small white horn extends from above what is visible of the body, which is surrounded by a separate grey inner shell. Cloysters are naturally rare and most commonly seen when Shellder are exposed to a Water Stone.

The internal structure of Shellder and Cloyster was only determined recently, due to the difficulties involved in examining both organisms. The shells of both organisms are formed from a combination of chitin, protein and calcium salts, and much of the internal organs lie anchored in pockets within the shell. Any irritating foreign particles that are trapped within the shell get coated with layers of calcium carbonate. Once they form pearls, they are internally moved to sacs near the protrusions and spikes, which then add additional layers of the salt until the pearls form spikes. These spikes can then be launched by the Pokemon as an offensive and defensive mechanism, and both Pokemon have extensive organs revolving around extracting additional salts from their environment for use in this process. The substantially larger Cloyster has many more of these organs, as well as heat-exchanging sacs, as Cloyster develops the Ice type when it evolves. Both Pokemon contain water sacs which allow them to jet underwater, sometimes with surprising speed. They can also physically hop or roll along the ground, either above or under water, though this movement is very slow.

The layered shell of Shellder and especially Cloyster is incredibly durable, and particularly the latter has been compared to precious gemstones in terms of hardness. Even scratching the shell is difficult and studies have observed both Pokemon contain enzymes within the shell that rapidly repair scratches and cracks. This is invaluable if the Pokemon fractures its shell as a response to danger (see Hazards below).

Both Pokemon also need to eat rocks, minerals or other substances to increase the rate at which they produce the pearl spikes. They do this by crushing the rock with its shell and then absorbing the salt as normal, though of course it is more concentrated.

Wild Shellder are only a threat if they are particularly hungry or a person antagonises them somehow, usually by seeking to capture them or accidentally stepping on them if they are in a shallow pool. A Shellder that is stepped on will typically respond by shifting backwards and snapping shut on the offending foot. This can be very painful, and a Shellder so clamping is very difficult to remove by physical force. A Shellder's spikes can cause painful puncture wounds, but they are rarely anything that warrants significant medical care. Cloyster are potentially more dangerous, though at least it's impossible to accidentally step on them. They tend to only attack when hungry or disturbed, and do so almost solely through their spikes. As a Cloyster's spikes are much larger and shot with more force, being injured is a much more serious matter. Some members of each species have been observed to have a phenomenal accuracy with launched spikes, able to strike a target in almost the exact same place even if it moves. Injuries caused by this subspecies of Shellder and Cloyster are much more localised, but also much more severe. This ability is not universal, and there are no obvious differences between the Pokemon with this ability and the Pokemon without.

If you are properly prepared, neither Shellder or Cloyster is much of a threat. Like all water Pokemon, electric and grass attacks can repel them, and in the case of Cloyster, fighting and rock attacks also work well. Finally, while the structure of the shells repels physical blows very well, they are essentially worthless against non-contact attacks which will easily drive them off.

Both Shellder and Cloyster are fertile, and neither Pokemon courts nor cares for offspring. Males and females release clouds of genetic material during summer, which drift until fertilization occurs. In locations with many Shellder and Cloyster, potentially thousands of offspring can be produced. However, young Shellder are vulnerable during early life as their shells have not yet fully developed, and so many of them get eaten by other Pokemon.

Beyond one-shot comedic gags in beach settings, Shellder and Cloyster rarely show up as characters in fictional works. However, parts of their body show up a lot more. Both the shells and the pearls, the precursors to the spikes, are highly valued for their beauty and several priceless artefacts consist wholly or in part of Shellder or Cloyster shell or pearl in real life. This is increased in fiction to the point where anything that is symbolically linked with water has a good chance of being made of Shellder or Cloyster, and a handful of fictional characters have entire suits of heavy armour made of Cloyster shell. Cloyster Plate also regularly occurs as a rare armour in role-playing games.

[-See other entries [[ThePokedexExtendedFanonEdition HERE]]-]

Shellder and Cloyster are both Pokemon encased almost completely in hard shells. Shellder is small, about 0.3 m tall, covered in a flat purple shell. Four small protrusions extending from the shell near the opening. It also has a bright red tongue at least half as long again as the rest of the shell which is almost always hanging out. The shell is always at least slightly open, but apart from the tongue, only the eyes can be observed and only then with direct exposure to light.

Shellder and Cloyster are both Pokemon encased almost completely in hard shells. Shellder is small, about 0.3 m tall, and encased in a flat purple shell. Four small protrusions extending from the shell near the opening. It also has a bright red tongue at least half as long again as the rest of the shell which is almost always hanging out. The shell is always at least slightly open, but apart from the tongue, only the eyes can be observed and only then with direct exposure to light.

Shellder and Cloyster are both Pokemon encased almost completely in hard shells. Shellder is small, looking quite similar to a violet bulky scallop about 0.3 m tall. The most notable differences are four small protrusions extending from the shell near the opening, and a bright red tongue at least half as long again as the rest of the shell which is almost always hanging out of the shell. The shell is always at least slightly open, but apart from the tongue, only the eyes can be observed and only then with direct exposure to light.