Marshadow #802: the Mythical that lives in other beings' shadows

It lives in the shadows of others. Marshadow is a Mythical Pokémon from Pokémon Sun and Moon: a small fighter made of gray shadow that slips beneath the feet of humans and Pokémon, reads their feelings there and copies their movements — to the point of surpassing those it imitates.

Contents

• Who Is Marshadow?
• Type and Ability: Two Immunities and a Technician
• In Others' Shadows: The Lore of a Rumored Pokémon
• Spectral Thief and Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike
• Evolution: none, and no Mega either
• Marshadow Fact Sheet
• Frequently Asked Questions

Who Is Marshadow?

Listed as No. 802 in the National Pokédex, Marshadow is the "Gloomdweller Pokémon" of Generation VII, the Alola generation. It stands just 0.7 meters tall and weighs 22.2 kilograms, and it's a Mythical Pokémon, not a Legendary.

Its humanoid body seems to be made ofgray shadow. The shape around its head looks like a warrior's helmet, topped by two curled horns separated by a wispy horn; its eyes are orange-red with yellow pupils, and a trail of shadow follows each of its feet.

When it gets angry or attacks, its warrior spirit awakens: its helmet, the bumps on its wrists and its collar blaze green and yellow. Its design blends shadowboxing with the Menehune of Hawaiian folklore; it was revealed on April 8, 2017.

Type and Ability: Two Immunities and a Technician

Marshadow is a Fighting and Ghost type, a combination no Pokémon had before it: it took until Annihilape, in Generation IX, for it to finally have company.

This combination earns it two full immunities : Normal and Fighting can't touch it at all. It also takes just a quarter of the damage from Bug, and half from Poison and Rock.

On the flip side, four types deal double damage to it: Flying, Ghost, Psychic and Fairy, with no quadruple weakness. A quirk of this pairing: Dark, so dangerous against Ghost, drops back to neutral damage, since the Fighting type halves it.

Its only ability is Technician, with no hidden ability: moves with a base power of 60 or less get their power multiplied by 1.5. It isn't a signature ability — some twenty species have it, from Meowth to Scizor.

Its stats outline a fast physical attacker: 125 Attack and 125 Speed, 90 HP, 80 Defense, and 90 in both Special Attack and Special Defense, for 600 points in total.

In Others' Shadows: The Lore of a Rumored Pokémon

Almost no one has ever seen this Pokémon, and Pokémon Sun puts it bluntly: "It hides its appearance from others by lurking in the shadows. Its existence may turn out to be nothing more than a myth. »

Where it truly excels is copying. Pokémon Moon says that "by slipping into its opponent's shadow, it can copy its movements and its strengths," before describing a Pokémon with a timid, fearful nature.

Pokémon Ultra Moon goes further: "It lurks in the shadows of people and Pokémon. It can read the minds of its hosts and copy their skills." Ultra Sun adds the chilling detail: "The copy then surpasses the original."

Pokémon Sword gives an example: it slipped into the shadow of a kung fu master to steal his secret technique. Timid, tiny and made of shadow, it's a Mythical Pokémon that's more endearing than frightening, and a perfect fit for a collection of Pokémon plushies.

✨ Looking to treat a fan of Mythical Pokémon ? Step out of the shadows with our Pokémon gift ideas.

Spectral Thief and Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike

Its signature move is Spectral Thief, and it's the only Pokémon that can learn it: at level 45 in Sun and Moon, and at level 72 from Sword and Shield onward.

It's a physical Ghost-type move with 90 power, 100 accuracy and 10 PP, and its effect suits the character perfectly: the user dives into the target's shadow, steals its stat boosts, then attacks it.

It also has an exclusive Z-Move, Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike: a Ghost-type move with 195 power, in which it concentrates all its Z-Power into its fists and feet. That is, provided it knows Spectral Thief and holds Marshadium Z.

When it unleashes either one, its look changes completely: its body blazes with green and yellow flames. A memorable silhouette, well worth tracking down among Pokémon figures.

Evolution: none, and no Mega either

Let's be clear: Marshadow doesn't evolve, and it isn't the evolution of any Pokémon. Its line has just one slot — no level, no stone, no trade — and it can't breed, since it's genderless.

It likewise has no Mega Evolution, despite what you sometimes read. Of the 88 species in Generation VII, only five have one: Crabominable, Golisopod, Drampa, Magearna to Zeraora. No regional form or Gigantamax form either.

Now you just have to get your hands on one. In France, a Micromania code gave it away for Sun and Moon from October 7 to November 16, 2017, at level 50 and with Marshadium Z, then again in September 2022 for Sword and Shield. Since Pokémon Legends: Z-A, a single one can be obtained in the game itself.

Marshadow Fact Sheet

Frequently Asked Questions

• Does Marshadow evolve?
  No. Marshadow has no evolution and isn't the evolution of any Pokémon: its evolutionary line contains a single species. It has no pre-evolution, no regional form and no Gigantamax form, and it can't even breed, since it's genderless. Its only known change in appearance is cosmetic: its body bursts into green and yellow flames when it gets angry or attacks.
• What is Marshadow's ability?
  Technician, and it's its only ability: it has no hidden ability. Technician multiplies the power of moves with a base power of 60 or less by 1.5. Two mix-ups to avoid: it isn't a signature ability, since some twenty species have it too, including Meowth, Scizor, Smeargle and Cinccino; and it has nothing to do with priority or the order in which moves strike.
• What is Marshadow's signature move?
  Spectral Thief, and it's the only Pokémon that can learn it. It's a physical Ghost-type move with 90 power, 100 accuracy and 10 Power Points: the user dives into the target's shadow, steals its stat boosts, then attacks it, bypassing any substitute. Used as a Max Move, it becomes Max Phantasm and reaches 130 power. Marshadow learns it at level 45 in Pokémon Sun and Moon, and at level 72 from Pokémon Sword and Shield onward.
• What is Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike?
  It's Marshadow's exclusive Z-Move, a physical Ghost-type move with 195 power. It has two requirements: Marshadow must know its signature move, Spectral Thief, and it must hold Marshadium Z, its very own Z-Crystal. In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, this crystal is handed out by a Gentleman at the Tide Song Hotel in Heahea City, on Akala Island, if the player has a Marshadow in their party.
• What are Marshadow's weaknesses?
  Four types deal double damage to it: Flying, Ghost, Psychic and Fairy. None of them hits it for quadruple damage. On the other hand, its dual Fighting and Ghost typing gives it two full immunities, to Normal and Fighting, a quarter-damage resistance to Bug, and a half-damage resistance to Poison and Rock. A fun detail: Dark, super effective against Ghost, drops back to neutral damage, because the Fighting type halves it.
• Does Marshadow have a Mega Evolution?
  No: no Mega Evolution, no regional form and no Gigantamax form. Of the 88 species in Generation VII, only five have a Mega: Crabominable, Golisopod, Drampa, Magearna and Zeraora. Marshadow isn't one of them. Also, be careful not to confuse Golisopod, the Alola Pokémon, with Scolipede, a Generation V Pokémon from Unova.

In short

A Mythical Pokémon that existed only as a rumor, able to steal an opponent's gains before striking: Marshadow lives entirely within its shadow. And it needs neither an evolution nor a Mega Evolution to pull that off.