- For a complete list, see List of Abilities.
Dialga exerting its Ability, Pressure, in Pokémon Platinum Version
An Ability (Japanese: 特性, Hepburn: Tokusei), called Special Ability in Pokémon the Series, is a mechanic that was introduced in Generation III.
Description[]
Abilities are various powers or characteristics possessed by each Pokémon. Abilities are activated automatically in battle, and some have shown to have use outside of battle. There are many types of Abilities. Some Abilities are exclusive to certain Pokémon and their evolutions, while others are known by many Pokémon. Generation V introduces a certain type of Ability, Hidden Abilities, which certain Pokémon have depending on where they are encountered, including certain Gift Pokémon.
While several species of Pokémon can know only one Ability, there are also many Pokémon that can have one of a few Abilities, such as Gligar, which can have either Hyper Cutter or Sand Veil. The evolved form of certain Pokémon can have a different Ability than its basic form. In Generation III, Generation IV, and Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version, the Ability of a newborn Pokémon is decided randomly, regardless of the Abilities of each of its parents. This was rectified in Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2, in which the hatched Pokémon has an eighty percent chance of inheriting the Ability of its mother. Additionally, there is a sixty percent chance that the Hidden Ability of the newborn Pokémon is inherited by its mother, but only if both its mother and father are part of the same egg group. As of Generation VI, the father can pass a Hidden Ability onward if its partner is a Ditto.
As of Generation VI, a Pokémon's Ability can be changed using an Ability Capsule. Additionally, since Generation VIII, the similar Ability Patch can be used to permanently change a Pokémon's Ability to its Hidden Ability.
Since its introduction, Abilities have appeared in most games of the core series, as well as Pokémon the Series and even spinoff games. Abilities do not return in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!, presumably because it is based on the Generation I game Pokémon Yellow Special Pikachu Edition, which released prior to the introduction of Abilities, or from being based on Pokémon GO, which lacks them as well. Abilities do not return in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, either. Although neither Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! nor Pokémon Legends: Arceus have Abilities, they are still determined within the game's data, for if Pokémon had been traded over from a different game in the core series.
There is currently a total of 310 Abilities. The first 76 Abilities were added in Generation III. 47 Abilities were added in Generation IV. 41 Abilities were added in Generation V. 27 Abilities were added in Generation VI. 42 Abilities were added in Generation VII. 34 Abilities were added in Generation VIII. 43 Abilities were added in Generation IX.
Effects[]
Abilities have a wide variety of effects. Trace allows the Pokémon to replicate the Ability of another Pokémon. Other Abilities such as Receiver similarly allow a Pokémon to inherit the Ability of an ally who has fainted. Mummy, an Ability exclusive to Yamask and Cofagrigus, replaces the opponent's Ability if the opponent hits them with a move that makes contact.
Stat changes[]
Some Abilities cause stat changes, either toward the user or opponents. An example of an Ability that lowers a certain stat is Intimidate, which lowers the attack of all opponents in battle by one. Certain Abilities increase a specific stat of the user, such as Defiant, which increases the Pokémon's Attack by two stages if one of its stats has been lowered, and Dauntless Shield, which increases the Pokémon's Defense by one. One Ability in particular, Clear Body, protects the Pokémon from having any of its stats reduced by an opponent.
Though Unaware does not alter any stats, the Pokémon with Ability ignores any stat changes of its opponent while attacking.
All first partner Pokémon and their evolutions have an Ability in which at least one of the effects is increasing the power of moves of the same type as the Pokémon if their HP is at 1/3 or lower. Several Abilities have a positive effect, but there are some that have a negative effect.
Damage[]
Some Abilities increase the damage output of certain moves. Sheer Force increases the damage output moves with secondary effects by thirty percent, although at the cost of disabling any secondary effects themselves. Iron Fist strengthens moves that involve punching. Strong Jaw strengthens moves that involve biting.
A few Abilities cause a Pokémon to take less damage from certain moves. Fur Coat halves the damage taken from physical moves from doubling the Pokémon's Defense stat. Fluffy halves the damage from moves that make contact, although it doubles the damage taken from Fire-type moves.
Aftermath damages the opponent if they defeat the Pokémon with the Ability.
Items[]
Certain Abilities involve the use of held items. Pokémon with Gluttony can consume certain held Berries earlier than they normally would. With Cheek Pouch, any Berry can restore a third of the Pokémon's maximum HP.
Multitype and RKS System affects the type of the Pokémon based on its held item. Multitype, an Ability exclusive to Arceus, changes its type depending on which plate Arceus is holding. Likewise, RKS System, an Ability exclusive to Silvally, changes its type depending on which Memory is attached to it.
With Pickpocket, a Pokémon can steal the opponent's held item if it hits them with a move that makes contact.
With Symbiosis, if an ally has used their held item, the Pokémon with Symbiosis passes over its held item to them.
Types[]
Besides the aforementioned Multitype and RKS System, there are other Abilities that involve types in a different manner. Galvanize changes all Normal-type moves to Electric-type, while Pixilate changes all Normal-type moves to Fairy type. Color Change, an Ability unique to Kecleon, changes its type depending on the move used on it.
Weather[]
Many Abilities change the weather to a certain one, much like certain moves. The difference with Abilities that cause a weather condition is that they remain effect during the entire battle instead of just five turns, unless something else causes the weather to change. Drizzle causes it to rain, much like the move Rain Dance. Sand Stream causes a sandstorm, much like the Sandstorm move itself. Snow Warning causes Hail, also caused by an identically named move. Drought causes harsh sunlight, like the move Sunny Day. Conversely, there is an Ability that gets rid of any weather condition, Cloud Nine.
Desolate Land, an Ability exclusive to Primal Groudon; Primordial Sea, an Ability exclusive to Primal Kyogre; and Delta Stream, an Ability exclusive to Mega Rayquaza, are all more effective than other Abilities and moves that cause a weather condition because a different weather-affecting Ability or move cannot override them. Desolate Land causes extremely harsh sunlight, a more severe variation of harsh sunlight in which Water-type moves that inflict damage have no effect in battle. Primordial Sea presents an effect similar to Desolate Land, since it causes a stronger variation of a weather condition, heavy rain, which has the same effects as its basic form, rain, except it causes damaging-inflicting moves of a certain type to fail, in this case Fire type. Delta Stream works differently since it not only causes a powerful weather condition, strong winds, but also reduces the power of moves that are super effective against the type to inflict regular damage.
See also[]
- Special Trait, the equivalent to Abilities in the Pokémon Rumble series
- IQ skill, a similar mechanic in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series