POKEMON STATUS EFFECTS

In every generation of Pokemon games, Pokemon can aquire several health abnormalities known usually as "status ailments." There are two main types of status ailments: status effects, which always carry over after a battle ends, and temporary effects, which end after the victim is switched out or the battle ends.

Status Effects

It is rather easy to classify which status ailments are status effects and which aren't: each status effect has a convenient little indicator text/block that appears near the health bar when a Pokemon is suffering from its effects. The same few status effects have been found in every generation of Pokemon games: burn (BRN), paralysis (PAR), poison (PSN), freeze (FRZ), sleep (SLP) and fainted (FNT). Additionally, there is a special classification of poison known as Toxic that has still receives the PSN text/block. Only one status effect at a time may be inflicted on a Pokemon.

Every status effect continues to plague its victim after it switches out of battle (unless it has the ability Natural Cure in Generation III and Generation IV) and remains outside of battle as well. Every status effect except fainted can be healed by the moves Heal Bell or Aromatherapy and by the items Full Heal, Full Restore, Heal Powder (after Generation I), Lava Cookie (after Generation II), Miracleberry (in Generation II), Lum Berry (after Generation II) or Old Gateau (in Generation IV) inside or outside of battle; Pokemon holding Miracleberry or Lum Berry will be automatically healed of these status effects during the battle. A Flung Lum Berry will heal any status effect except fainted.

Other moves and abilities are affected by status effects (except fainted). The move Safeguard will protect Pokemon on the user's team from all status effects for five turns. The move Refresh will cure the user of burn, paralysis, poison and Toxic poison. The ability Shield Dust prevents side effects that cause status effects and the ability Shed Skin has a 1/3 chance to heal a Pokemon from status effects after each turn. The Guts, Marvel Scale and Quick Feet abilities will be activated for Pokemon who are burned, poisoned, toxic poisoned, paralyzed or asleep; the victim's Attack, Defense and Speed, respectively, will increase by 50%. The Synchronize ability will activate if an opponent inflicts burn, poison or paralysis on the Pokemon. During Sunny Day, the Leaf Guard ability acts like an automatic Safeguard for its Pokemon. During Rain Dance, the Hydration ability will remove any status effect from an active Pokemon.

Specifics of each status effect are discussed below:

Burn

When a Pokemon is suffering from a burn, 1/8 of its max HP will be sapped at the end of each turn. Additionally, the Attack stat of a burned Pokemon is halved unless the burned Pokemon has the ability Guts; in this case, the Guts Pokemon ignores the Attack drop and still receives an Attack boost of 50%.

Burn can be inflicted most reliably from Will-o-Wisp, but it may also occur as a side effect from Blaze Kick, Ember, Fire Blast, Fire Fang, Fire Punch, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Heat Wave, Lava Plume, Sacred Fire and Tri-Attack (after Generation I). A Pokemon will be burned if it is holding a Flame Orb or has one Flung at it. Finally, a Pokemon may be burned when it uses a contact attack against a target with the Flame Body ability.

Burn can be healed by using Burn Heal, Ice Berry or Rawst Berry on the burned Pokemon; Pokemon holding Ice Berry or Rawst Berry will be automatically healed of their burn during the battle. Additionally, a target will be healed of its burn if an opponent Flings a Rawst Berry at it. Fire-type Pokemon (unless burned via Tri-Attack) and Pokemon with the ability Water Veil cannot be burned.

Fainted

When a Pokemon has fainted, it can no longer battle, but it can still use HMs and other appropriate moves (except for Milk Drink and Softboiled) while on the field. Fainting naturally occurs when a Pokemon's HP reaches zero; it can also be caused by several moves.

If successful, the moves Fissure, Guillotine, Horn Drill and Sheer Cold will cause their target, unless it has the Sturdy ability, to faint automatically. Explosion, Healing Wish, Lunar Dance, Memento and Selfdestruct will cause the user to faint automatically. If its user faints immediately after its use, Destiny Bond causes the user's attacking opponent to faint as well. If a Pokemon is fainted by a direct attack and has the Aftermath ability, it will deal damage equal to 1/4 of the target's max HP. Perish Song will make every active Pokemon faint after three turns unless they switch out.

When successful, the move Endure and the items Focus Band and Focus Sash will leave a Pokemon with 1 HP if an attack would have fainted it otherwise. Fainted Pokemon can be revived by using Max Revive, Revival Herb, Revive or Sacred Ash inside or outside of battles; there are no held items that can revive fainted Pokemon.

Freeze

When a Pokemon is suffering from a freeze, it is almost completely unable to attack; a frozen Pokemon can only attack with Flame Wheel or Sacred Fire and will then be thawed out. In all generations of Pokemon, a frozen Pokemon will be thawed out when it is attacked by a Fire-type move; after Generation I, there is a 10% chance after each turn that a frozen Pokemon will thaw out on its own.

There is no attack that solely freezes its target, most likely due to the potency of being frozen, but it may occur as a side effect from Blizzard, Ice Beam, Ice Fang, Ice Punch, Powder Snow and Tri-Attack (after Generation I). Secret Power may also freeze the target in snowy or icy fields (except Shoal Cave in RSE, which is classified as cave terrain).

Freeze can be healed by using Ice Heal, Burnt Berry or Aspear Berry on the frozen Pokemon; Pokemon holding Burnt Berry or Aspear Berry will be thawed out automatically during the battle. Additionally, a Flung Aspear Berry will thaw its target. Pokemon cannot be frozen during Sunny Day; similarly, Ice-type Pokemon (unless frozen via Tri-Attack) and Pokemon with the ability Magma Armor can never be frozen.

Paralyze

When a Pokemon is suffering from paralysis, there is 1/4 chance that it cannot attack due to being fully paralyzed. Additionally, the Speed stat of a paralyzed Pokemon will be quartered unless the paralyzed Pokemon has the ability Quick Feet; in this case, the Speed drop caused by paralysis will be ignored and the Pokemon's Speed stat actually will be increased by 50%. While it is unlikely that a Pokemon will outspeed anything with the speed drop caused by paralysis, being paralyzed does not necessarily mean that the Pokemon will always attack last.

Paralysis can be inflicted most reliably with Glare, Stun Spore or Thunder Wave, but it may also occur as a side effect from Body Slam, Bounce, Discharge, Dragonbreath, Force Palm, Lick, Spark, Thunder, Thunder Fang, Thunderbolt, Thundershock, Thunderpunch, Tri-Attack (after Generation I), Volt Tackle (after Generation III) and Zap Cannon. Secret Power can also paralyze a target in plains and buildings (as well as Courtyard, Main Street and Neon in Battle Revolution). A Pokemon may be paralyzed when it uses a contact attack against a target with the Static or Effect Spore abilities. Paralysis will also occur when a Pokemon Flings a Light Ball at its target.

Paralysis can be healed by using Parlyz Heal, PRZCureBerry or Cheri Berry on the paralyzed Pokemon; Pokemon holding PRZCureBerry or Cheri Berry will be automatically healed of their paralysis during the battle. Additionally, a Flung Cheri Berry will cure its target of paralysis. The move Smellingsalt will cure its target of paralysis. Pokemon with the Limber ability cannot be paralyzed.

Poison

When a Pokemon is suffering from poison, 1/8 of its max HP will be sapped at, depending on the generation, different times. In Generation I and Generation II, the Pokemon loses its health immediately after its attack; in Generation III and Generation IV, the Pokemon loses health after all active Pokemon have taken their turns. Outside of battle, the poisoned Pokemon will lose one HP for every four steps the player takes; this may eventually cause the Pokemon to faint, except in Generation IV when the Pokemon will be healed of poison with 1 HP remaining.

Poison can be inflicted most reliably with Poison Gas, Poisonpowder or one set of Toxic Spikes, but it may also occur as a side effect from Cross Poison, Gunk Shot, Poison Jab, Poison Sting, Poison Tail, Sludge, Sludge Bomb, Smog and Twineedle. In Generation III, Secret Power will poison the target while used in the soot on Route 113. A Pokemon may be poisoned when it uses a contact attack against a target with the Poison Point or Effect Spore abilities; Poison Barb may also poison a target if its holder uses Fling.

Poison can be healed by using Antidote, PSNCureBerry or Pecha Berry on the poisoned Pokemon; Pokemon holding PSNCureBerry or Pecha Berry will be automatically healed of poison during the battle. When a Pokemon Flings a Pecha Berry at a poisoned target, the target's poison will be removed. Unless Twineedle poisons a Steel-type Pokemon (in Generation II only), Poison-type and Steel-type Pokemon can never be inflicted with poison. Similarly, Pokemon with the Immunity ability can never be poisoned either. Pokemon with the Poison Heal ability will, shockingly, be healed by poison rather than hurt by it. There is also a specialized variation of poison known as Toxic.

Sleep

When a Pokemon is put to sleep, it is almost completely unable to attack for one to seven turns; a sleeping Pokemon may only attack with the moves Sleep Talk or Snore. In Generation I, a Pokemon spends an entire turn waking up, but it will attack immediately upon awakening in all proceeding generations.

Sleep can be inflicted with Dark Void, Grasswhistle, Hypnosis, Lovely Kiss, Sing, Sleep Powder, Spore and Yawn; Secret Power, used in grass, tall grass or puddles (as well as waterfall in Battle Revolution), is the only attack that can put a target asleep as a side effect. Rest will put the user asleep for two turns and its sleep status will overwrite any other status effect. A Pokemon may be put to sleep when it uses a contact attack against a target with the Effect Spore ability. Pokemon with the Early Bird ability will stay asleep for only half the time; this includes the sleeping period of Rest.

Sleep can be healed by using Awakening, Mint Berry or Chesto Berry on the sleeping Pokemon; Pokemon holding Mint Berry or Chesto Berry will automatically awaken during the battle. In Generation I, a Pokeflute will awaken any sleeping Pokemon on the field; in Generation III and Generation IV, a Blue Flute can be used to awaken a sleeping Pokemon in the player's team. A Flung Chesto Berry will cause its target to wake up; the move Wake-Up Slap will also awaken its target. Pokemon cannot fall asleep while an active Pokemon is having an Uproar, and Pokemon with the Insomnia or Vital Spirit abilities can never be put to sleep.

Toxic

When a Pokemon is suffering from Toxic poison, it loses 1/16 of its max HP after its first turn (see the second sentence in the description for regular poison to find out exactly when), and, for every subsequent turn, the damage caused by poison doubles. In Generation I, Leech Seed's damage will also double with Toxic's due to a programming glitch; also in RBY, Haze will reduce Toxic poison to regular poison for the user. In Generation I and Generation II, switching out a Pokemon with Toxic poison will cause it to revert to regular poison; this is not so in Generations III and IV.

After a battle, Toxic poison reverts to regular poison. Toxic poison can be inflicted most reliably with, surprisingly, the move Toxic or two sets of Toxic Spikes, but it may also occur as a side effect from Poison Fang. Finally, a Pokemon will be Toxic poisoned if it is holding a Toxic Orb or has one Flung at it. Poison-type and Steel-type Pokemon can never be inflicted with Toxic poison. Toxic poison may be healed with the same items that heal regular poison, Pokemon with the ability Poison Heal are also healed from Toxic poison and Pokemon with Immunity cannot be Toxic poisoned.

Temporary Effects

Unlike status effects, temporary effects will be lost if the victim is switched out of battle or if the battle ends. Except for Attraction, these effects, if applicable, will be given to the replacement Pokemon if the victim uses Baton Pass. Like with status effects, Shield Dust will protect a Pokemon from temporary effects that are side effects of attacks.

Confusion

When a Pokemon is confused, it has a 50% chance to hurt itself in confusion for 1-4 actual attacks (not turns); this damage is based on a typeless 40 BP attack calculated with the user's physical Attack and Defense stats. Confusion can be prevented with the moves Safeguard and Substitute. A Pokemon with the Tangled Feet ability will gain a boost to its Evasion if it becomes confused; during this effect, all attacks have a 50% chance of missing until the Pokemon becomes confused no more.

Confusion can be inflicted most reliably with the attacks Confuse Ray, Supersonic, Sweet Kiss and Teeter Dance, but it may also occur as a side effect from Chatter, Confusion, Dizzy Punch, Dynamicpunch, Psybeam, Rock Climb, Signal Beam and Water Pulse. The user of Petal Dance, Outrage and Thrash will automatically become confused as part of these attacks; Swagger and Flatter will confuse their target but also raise its Attack by 2 stages and its Special Attack by 1 stage, respectively.

Berserk Gene confuses its holder and raises the holder's attack by 1 stage. When activated, Figy Berry, Wiki Berry, Mago Berry, Aguav Berry or Iapapa Berry may confuse its holder if the Pokemon does not like its taste; this holds true even when these berries are Flung at a target who isn't confused. Confusion can be healed with the items Bitter Berry, Full Restore, Full Heal, Heal Powder, Lava Cookie, Lum Berry, Miracleberry, Old Gateau, Persim Berry and Yellow Flute. Flinging a Persim Berry at a confused target will also snap it out of confusion. Pokemon with the Own Tempo ability can never become confused.

Attraction

A Pokemon can use Attract on another Pokemon of the opposite sex; as a result, the target will not be able to attack 50% of the time due to its infatuation. Attract will fail when used by or against a genderless Pokemon; it will also fail when used against a target of the same sex.

Attract is the only move that can cause attraction, but a Pokemon may also become attracted if it uses a direct attack against an opponent of the opposite sex that has the Cute Charm ability. The target will remain under the effects of Attract until either Pokemon is switched out. If a Pokemon is holding Destiny Knot and becomes attracted to another Pokemon, the Pokemon who used Attract will become attracted to its target as well.

Attraction can be cured by using the Red Flute and can be prevented by holding the item Mental Herb. Flinging a Mental Herb will also cure a target of its attraction. Genderless Pokemon and Pokemon with the Oblivious ability can never fall under the effects of Attract.

Flinch

When a Pokemon flinches, it misses its turn because it cannot move. If successful, Fake Out is the only move that always makes its target flinch, but it can only be used on the first turn after a Pokemon has entered or switched into the field. When Flung, Razor Fang and King's Rock will also cause a flinch if they meet the conditions to cause one.

The target may also flinch as a side effect from Air Slash, Astonish, Bite, Bone Club, Dark Pulse, Dragon Rush, Extrasensory, Fire Fang, Headbutt, Hyper Fang, Ice Fang, Iron Head, Low Kick (before Generation III), Needle Arm, Rock Slide (after Generation I), Rolling Kick, Sky Attack (after Generation II), Snore, Stomp, Thunder Fang, Twister, Waterfall (after Generation III) and Zen Headbutt. Secret Power may also cause its target to flinch when used on rocky terrain or in caves (as well as Crystal, Magma and Stargazer in Battle Revolution).

If they can affect a move, Razor Fang and King's Rock increase the chance for a move to flinch by .3 * [100 - the move's normal accuracy to cause a flinch]%. The first Pokemon who moves during a turn, as well as Pokemon with the Inner Focus ability, cannot be made to flinch. Pokemon with the Steadfast ability will receive a 50% speed boost if they flinch, which will usually help the Pokemon attack first so it cannot flinch again.

Trapping

When a Pokemon has become trapped, it cannot switch out unless the trapper uses Roar or Whirlwind or the trapped Pokemon uses Baton Pass or U-Turn. There are two types of moves that trap: the first type is temporary trapping. Bind, Clamp, Fire Spin, Magma Storm, Sand Tomb, Whirlpool and Wrap temporarily trap for 2-5 turns and drain targets of 1/16 of their max HP after each turn. The effects of temporary trapping moves are extended to 5-8 turns if the user is holding a Grip Claw. Pokemon can also break free from these moves by using Rapid Spin.

The second type of trapping moves do not wear off after a certain number of turns. Therefore, Block, Mean Look and Spider Web are permanently in effect until the user of one of these moves switches out (without using Baton Pass); for these permanently-trapping moves, when either the trapping Pokemon or the trapped Pokemon uses Baton Pass, the replacement will enter the field with these moves still in effect.

Additionally, non-Shadow Tag Pokemon are trapped against Pokemon with the Shadow Tag ability, Steel-type Pokemon are trapped against Pokemon with the Magnet Pull ability, and non-Flying-type, non-Levitate and/or non-Magnet Risen Pokemon are trapped against Pokemon with the Arena Trap ability. A Pokemon will also technically be trapped if its uses Ingrain, as it can no longer switch out.

Holding the Shed Shell item lets a Pokemon escape from any form of trapping; the moves Baton Pass and U-Turn generally do as well.

"Uncontrollable"

A Pokemon becoming "uncontrollable," for lack of a better term, is a side effect that occurs from several moves. This is not an official condition, but it is included on this page because it occurs during many different kinds of attacks. When a Pokemon becomes "uncontrollable," it cannot select any attacks (as it is usually locked into using one already); additionally, the player cannot switch Pokemon or, during in-game battles, use items or run away.

Generally, a Pokemon becomes "uncontrollable" during attacks that last for more than one turn: excluding in-game Generation I battles, a Pokemon becomes uncontrollable after using Blast Burn, Frenzy Plant, Giga Impact, Hydro Cannon, Hyper Beam, Roar of Time and Rock Wrecker; a similar effect occurs when Bounce, Dig, Dive, Fly, Razor Wind, Skull Bash, Sky Attack and Solarbeam (without Sunny Day) use a turn to charge/prepare before automatically hitting the target during the next turn.

Pokemon also become uncontrollable during Bind (in Generation I), Clamp (in Generation I), Fire Spin (in Generation I), Ice Ball, Outrage, Petal Dance, Rage (in Generation I), Rollout, Uproar, Thrash and Wrap (in Generation I). Pokemon holding a Power Herb will be able to instantly use one attack that needs to charge up; however, this item does not affect attacks that need to recharge.

Other

There are also several "temporary effects" that are caused by single moves. These include Ghost Curse, Leech Seed, Nightmare, Perish count, Taunt and Torment