Budclaw is the little Rock/Grass crab you will trip over constantly in the Breezy Plains, and it is one of the few early Aniimo that can end up as two completely different creatures. One path keeps it earthy and green. The other turns it into an Ice-element bruiser you cannot catch anywhere in Idyll.
Quick answer: Take a Budclaw to Aniimo level 21, then pick one branch. Shrubclaw costs Loam Stone x1. Geoclaw needs a Tenacious personality, a defeated Alpha Geoclaw, and Freeze Stone x1.
Budclaw evolution requirements at level 21
Budclaw branches. Shrubclaw and Geoclaw are two parallel choices from the same creature, not two rungs on the same ladder, and a single Budclaw can only take one of them. Once it evolves, that one is locked in — if you want both entries in the Aniilog, you need a second Budclaw.
| Evolution | Level | Extra conditions | Item cost |
|---|---|---|---|
 Shrubclaw | Aniimo level 21 | None | Loam Stone x1 |
 Geoclaw | Aniimo level 21 | Personality contains Tenacious; defeat the Alpha Geoclaw | Freeze Stone x1 |
Neither result goes any further. Shrubclaw and Geoclaw are both Nova stage, and no additional evolution is recorded for either of them, so level 21 is the only decision point in the whole family.
Where to find Budclaw in the Breezy Plains
The basic Rock/Grass Budclaw lives across four areas of the Breezy Plains region. It is a BREAK-role Aniimo with the Tunnel mobility skill, standing 0.7m tall and weighing 18kg, so it is easy to spot once you know where to look.
- Nimbus Fields
- Berylline Vale
- Beast Fang Ridge
- Zephyrus Landbridge
You can also skip a step for one branch. Wild Shrubclaw appear in Berylline Vale, so if you only want the dex entry and not the evolution, catching one there works. Geoclaw has no habitat at all — evolution is the only way to own one.
How to evolve Budclaw into Shrubclaw
How to unlock and evolve Geoclaw
Geoclaw is the harder of the two, because the branch is locked until you beat a specific enemy and your Budclaw has the right personality. Sort both out before you burn any levelling time on the wrong crab.
How to confirm the evolution worked
The clearest check is the Aniilog. Budclaw sits at No. 23, Shrubclaw at No. 24 and Geoclaw at No. 25, and the new entry fills in the moment the evolution finishes. Your creature’s stage also flips from Lumin to Nova.
For the Ice branch, the element line is the giveaway. A finished Geoclaw shows Ice only, with no trace of Rock or Grass, and its basic attack switches to the Ice version. Budclaw’s research tasks also track completing its evolution in two different directions, which is only possible if you evolve one crab down each branch.
Shrubclaw vs Geoclaw: stats and skills
| Stat | Budclaw | Shrubclaw | Geoclaw |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 76 | 95 | 93 |
| Attack | 64 | 80 | 80 |
| Defense | 93 | 109 | 113 |
| BP attack | 84 | 104 | 103 |
| EP regen | 72 | 85 | 82 |
| Magic attack | 64 | 80 | 80 |
| Magic defense | 65 | 77 | 79 |
The raw numbers are close enough that the real difference is the kit and the element. Both keep the BREAK role and the Tunnel mobility skill, so you are choosing which type chart you want to play into rather than which one is stronger.
Shrubclaw skills
- ATK (Rock, power 6)
- Leaf Slash (Grass, power 40)
- Verdant Beam (Grass, power 67)
- Charged Blow (Rock, power 75)
- Quake Impact (Rock, power 173)
Charged Blow is the one to learn the timing on. It winds up the pincers and fires two quick swings when fully charged or when you tap the skill again, and you can keep moving while it charges. Quake Impact is the innate finisher, bursting out of the ground for shock waves over a large area at no EP cost.
Geoclaw skills
- ATK (Ice, power 6)
- Frost Slam (Ice, power 40)
- Ice Spikes (Ice, power 60)
- Icy Gravel Dance (Ice, power 67)
- Freezing Claws (Ice, power 173)
Icy Gravel Dance summons an ice storm that rolls forward until it hits a wall or a target, stacking Ice Debuff the whole way. Ice Spikes can be used mid-tunnel, which pairs neatly with the Tunnel skill both crabs share, and Freezing Claws is the free large-area innate hit.
Match the branch to what you fight most. Ice attacks hit Electric and Water for 1.6x but only 0.625x against Fire, Ice and Rock, while Rock hits Fire and Ice hard and Grass covers Rock and Water.
Mudflat, Beach, and Bay form Budclaw evolutions
Three coastal forms of Budclaw exist alongside the basic one, and they are pure Rock rather than Rock/Grass. Each lives in its own stretch of coastline and carries The Luminus Gust, the spinning Core skill that applies Earth Debuff — a skill the basic form does not have.
| Form | Habitat | Evolves into | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mudflat Form | Tideblossom Coast |  Shrubclaw (Mudflat Form) | Loam Stone x1 |
| Beach Form | Echoback Landing |  Shrubclaw (Beach Form) | Loam Stone x1 |
| Bay Form | The Argent Strait |  Shrubclaw (Bay Form) | Loam Stone x1 |
All three use the same level 21 threshold and the same single Loam Stone, and each evolves into its matching Shrubclaw form with identical stats to the basic version. The evolved forms stay in their home areas and keep The Luminus Gust.
The coastal forms only list the Shrubclaw route. If you want Geoclaw, use a basic Rock/Grass Budclaw from the inland habitats.
The practical plan is simple enough. Keep two basic Budclaw around, check one of them for the Tenacious personality, clear the Alpha Geoclaw when you find it, and then spend one Loam Stone and one Freeze Stone at level 21 to fill in both Nova entries in a single trip.
