Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire - Abilities

This is a complete description of all the abilities in the Ruby and Sapphire games and their effects.

Descriptions in normal text indicate effects that occur only in battle. Descriptions in italics indicate effects that occur out of battle. Unless noted otherwise, effects occurring out of battle will occur only if the ability's bearer is the first in the player's party. A non-bearer is an active Pokemon other than the bearer of the pertinent ability, regardless of whether that non-bearer also possesses the same ability.

If an ability prevents an opponent from switching or fleeing, it is ineffective in forced switching or fleeing when an opponent faints, and the player may still use a Fluffy Tail or Poke Doll to flee.

Confusion damage is not considered a direct attack.

STENCH

Halves the rate of wild battles.

DRIZZLE

When bearer becomes active, effect of Rain Dance begins (even if already in effect) and continues indefinitely.

SPEED BOOST

At the end of each round, increases bearer's Speed by 1 stage unless bearer became active after the beginning of this round.

BATTLE ARMOR

No damage to bearer is ever a critical hit.

STURDY

One-hit KO attacks against bearer will fail for non-bearers.

DAMP

While bearer is active, Selfdestruct and Explosion will fail for all active Pokemon (doesn't cause fainting).

LIMBER

Bearer cannot be paralyzed.

SAND VEIL

During Sandstorm, bearer doesn't lose HP due to the Sandstorm effect and accuracy of attacks against bearer is multiplied by 4/5. Emerald: Halves the rate of wild battles during a sandstorm.

STATIC

If bearer loses HP due to a direct attack by a non-bearer, that non-bearer may be paralyzed (30% chance, not considered an additional effect, Safeguard and Substitute don't affect this). Emerald: Rate of encountering an Electric-type wild Pokemon increases by 50%.

VOLT ABSORB

Whenever a damaging Electric-type attack by a non-bearer targets bearer, bearer recovers 1/4 of total HP and the attack is ineffective against bearer. Uses the determined types of Hidden Power and Weather Ball. (Applied after accuracy check and effects that change targets, but before damage calculation.)

WATER ABSORB

Whenever a damaging Water-type attack by a non-bearer targets bearer, bearer recovers 1/4 of total HP and the attack is ineffective against bearer. Uses the determined types of Hidden Power and Weather Ball. (Applied after accuracy check and effects that change targets, but before damage calculation.)

OBLIVIOUS

Bearer cannot fall in love.

CLOUD NINE

While bearer is active in battle, no effects due to the weather are applied.

COMPOUNDEYES

Bearer's Accuracy is multiplied by 1.3. Emerald: Rate of encountering wild Pokemon holding an item increases.

INSOMNIA

Bearer cannot fall asleep.

COLOR CHANGE

Whenever bearer loses HP due to an attack by a non-bearer (other than Pain Split), if bearer doesn't share a type with that attack's type, bearer's types change to that attack's type. Uses determined types of Hidden Power and Weather Ball.

IMMUNITY

Bearer cannot be poisoned.

FLASH FIRE

Fire-type attacks are ineffective against bearer (even Will-O-Wisp) as long as bearer isn't frozen. When a fire-type attack that targets bearer is used by a non-bearer, if bearer isn't frozen, this ability is activated. While active, until bearer is replaced, base damage of fire-type moves by bearer is multiplied by 1.5. In the case of Will-O-Wisp, immunity to burns takes precedence over this ability's activation.

SHIELD DUST

No additional effects ("May...") can occur against bearer.

OWN TEMPO

Bearer cannot be confused.

SUCTION CUPS

Whirlwind and Roar fail against bearer. Emerald: The fishing success rate increases.

INTIMIDATE

When bearer becomes active, decreases each opposing Pokemon's Attack by one stage. Emerald: Halves the rate of battles with wild Pokemon at least 5 levels less than bearer's level.

SHADOW TAG

Opposing Pokemon cannot flee or switch, and Teleport will fail for all opposing Pokemon.

ROUGH SKIN

If bearer loses HP due to a direct attack by a non-bearer, that non-bearer loses 1/16 of its total HP (not considered recoil damage).

WONDER GUARD

Bearer is immune to damaging attacks whose types are without at least double effectiveness to bearer's types combined.

LEVITATE

Bearer is immune to damaging Ground-type attacks.

EFFECT SPORE

If bearer loses HP due to a direct attack by a non-bearer, that non-bearer may be poisoned, paralyzed, or put to sleep (10% chance (combined), not considered an additional effect, Safeguard and Substitute don't affect this).

SYNCHRONIZE

If an attack by a non-bearer or an ability from a non-bearer causes bearer to be poisoned, burned, or paralyzed, that non-bearer also receives the same status problem. (Safeguard and Substitute don't affect this. If bearer became badly poisoned, the non-bearer becomes normally poisoned.) Emerald: Rate of encountering wild Pokemon with the same nature as bearer is 50%.

CLEAR BODY

Attacks and abilities by non-bearers, other than Haze, can't reduce bearer's stat stages.

NATURAL CURE

During battle, status problems that bearer has are removed when bearer is replaced (but not when a battle ends).

LIGHTNINGROD

Electric-type attacks (even non-damaging ones) by opposing Pokemon are directed to bearer instead of to any other non-user of that attack, unless that other non-user has this ability. Considers Hidden Power as Normal. (Applied after Follow Me, but before Magic Coat. If more than one active Pokemon on the bearer's side has this ability, the attack is directed to the one earlier in this round's priority.) Emerald: Player will receive phone calls more often.

SERENE GRACE

Chance of additional effects ("May...") from attacks by bearer is doubled.

SWIFT SWIM

In rain, bearer's Speed is doubled.

CHLOROPHYLL

During Sunny Day, bearer's Speed is doubled.

ILLUMINATE

Doubles the rate of wild battles.

TRACE

When bearer becomes active, it adopts the ability of a random opposing Pokemon. (See "notes" below.)

HUGE POWER

Bearer's Attack is doubled.

POISON POINT

If bearer loses HP due to a direct attack by a non-bearer, that non-bearer may be poisoned (30% chance, not considered an additional effect, Safeguard and Substitute don't affect this).

INNER FOCUS

Bearer cannot flinch.

MAGMA ARMOR

Bearer cannot be frozen. Emerald: Each step counts as two instead of one for purpose of egg hatching. (This effect is not cumulative.)

WATER VEIL

Bearer cannot be burned.

MAGNET PULL

An opposing Pokemon cannot flee or switch, and Teleport will fail for that opposing Pokemon, if its current type includes Steel. Emerald: Rate of encountering a Steel-type wild Pokemon increases by 50%.

SOUNDPROOF

Bearer does not receive the effects of Growl, Hyper Voice, Supersonic, Roar, Grasswhistle, Heal Bell, Metal Sound, Perish Song, Sing, Screech, Uproar, or Snore. (Uproar doesn't affect bearer's sleep status; bearer doesn't receive a Perish count, but its Perish count will still decline; effective even if bearer is not an active Pokemon)

RAIN DISH

At the end of the round, if Rain Dance is in effect, bearer recovers 1/16 of total HP.

SAND STREAM

When bearer becomes active, effect of Sandstorm begins (even if already in effect) and continues indefinitely.

PRESSURE

If an attack by a non-bearer (including Spikes) targets bearer when it is used, that attack's PP is reduced by an additional 1 unless its user changes because of Snatch or Magic Coat. (This applies even if the attack misses or fails.)Emerald: Halves the rate of higher-level wild battles.

THICK FAT

Special Attack for fire-type and ice-type attacks against bearer is halved.

EARLY BIRD

The sleep count declines by 2 instead of 1 in bearer's sleep checks.

FLAME BODY

If bearer loses HP due to a direct attack by a non-bearer, that non-bearer may be burned (30% chance, not considered an additional effect, Safeguard and Substitute don't affect this). Emerald: Each step counts as two instead of one for purpose of egg hatching. (This effect is not cumulative.)

RUN AWAY

Bearer's attempts to flee from a wild battle (even Teleport) will always succeed, even if an effect prevents it from fleeing.

KEEN EYE

Attacks and abilities by non-bearers, other than Haze, can't reduce bearer's Accuracy stat stage. Emerald: Halves the rate of lower-level wild battles.

HYPER CUTTER

Attacks and abilities by non-bearers, other than Haze, can't reduce bearer's Attack stat stage. Emerald: When bearer appears anywhere in party and uses Cut outside of battle, it removes grass within a 2-tile (instead of 1-tile) range.

PICKUP

If bearer has no items attached, bearer may pick up an item after a battle ends (10% chance).

TRUANT

Every other round, bearer does nothing instead of using an attack. (See "notes" below for details.)

HUSTLE

Bearer's Attack is multiplied by 1.5. Bearer's Accuracy is multiplied by 4/5 for physical attacks (even non-damaging ones) by bearer. Uses determined types of Hidden Power and Weather Ball. Emerald: Doubles the rate of higher-level wild battles.

CUTE CHARM

If bearer loses HP due to a direct attack by a non-bearer, that non-bearer may fall in love if its gender is different from bearer's and neither is genderless (30% chance, not considered an additional effect). Emerald: Rate of encountering wild Pokemon of the opposite gender as bearer increases to 2/3.

PLUS

If a non-bearer has the Minus ability, Special Attack of bearer is multiplied by 1.5.

MINUS

If a non-bearer has the Plus ability, Special Attack of bearer is multiplied by 1.5.

FORECAST

When bearer becomes active, after each Pokemon's turn, at the end of every round, and whenever another Pokemon becomes active, if bearer's current species is Castform, bearer's type becomes Fire during Sunny Day, Water during Rain Dance, Ice during Hail, and Normal otherwise, unless bearer shares a type with that type.

STICKY HOLD

Bearer's held item cannot be removed from it by non-bearers. (Bearer may use Trick normally.) Emerald: Wild Pokemon that were fished become easier to catch.

SHED SKIN

At the end of each round, there is a 30% chance that bearer's status problems will be removed.

GUTS

Bearer's Attack is multiplied by 1.5 if it has a status problem. Effectiveness of physical attacks by bearer is not reduced because of burns.

MARVEL SCALE

Bearer's Defense is multiplied by 1.5 if it has a status problem.

LIQUID OOZE

If an effect that drains HP from bearer (other than Dream Eater and including Leech Seed) would recover HP to a non-bearer, that non-bearer loses that much HP instead.

OVERGROW

If bearer's current HP is less than or equal to 1/3 of its total HP, rounded down, base damage of Grass-type moves by bearer is multiplied by 1.5.

BLAZE

If bearer's current HP is less than or equal to 1/3 of its total HP, rounded down, base damage of Fire-type moves by bearer is multiplied by 1.5.

TORRENT

If bearer's current HP is less than or equal to 1/3 of its total HP, rounded down, base damage of Water-type moves by bearer is multiplied by 1.5.

SWARM

If bearer's current HP is less than or equal to 1/3 of its total HP, rounded down, base damage of Bug-type moves by bearer is multiplied by 1.5. Emerald: Pokemon cries are heard more often.

ROCK HEAD

Bearer does not receive recoil damage, except from Struggle.

DROUGHT

When bearer becomes active, effect of Sunny Day begins (even if already in effect) and continues indefinitely.

ARENA TRAP

An opposing Pokemon cannot flee or switch, and Teleport will fail for that opposing Pokemon, unless its current type includes Flying or it has the Levitate ability. Emerald: Doubles the rate of wild battles.

VITAL SPIRIT

Bearer cannot fall asleep. Emerald: Halves the rate of higher-level wild battles.

WHITE SMOKE

Attacks and abilities by non-bearers, other than Haze, can't reduce bearer's stat stages. Emerald: Halves the rate of wild battles.

PURE POWER

Bearer's Attack is doubled.

SHELL ARMOR

No damage to bearer is ever a critical hit.

CACOPHONY

Has no effect.

AIR LOCK

While bearer is active in battle, no effects due to the weather are applied.

Notes

If an ability's effect contains the words "Bearer cannot...", the affected condition, if the Pokemon has it, is removed if the Pokemon has this ability. This effect triggers after each Pokemon's turn and whenever a Pokemon (including the bearer) becomes active (but not when a battle begins). This applies specifically to the abilities Limber, Oblivious, Insomnia, Immunity, Own Tempo, Magma Armor, Water Veil, and Vital Spirit. (Even though Inner Focus's description also contains "Bearer cannot...," its effect works differently. The ability is checked for only after an attack that causes flinching is used, and not at the beginning of the bearer's turn.)

Apparently, Soundproof's effect also affects the Poké Flute in the FireRed and LeafGreen versions: even though the sleep status appears to be removed, the sleep effect remains.

Wonder Guard's and Levitate's effects are checked at the same point that type effectiveness is checked. Attacks whose effectiveness is not affected by type (Struggle, Doom Desire, Future Sight, Beat Up) ignore the effects of these abilities.

For Truant, a variable, X, begins at 0 for each active Pokemon. At the end of each round, if the Pokemon has Truant, X is set to 0 if it equals 1, or to 1 if it equals 0. At the Pokemon's turn, a "Truant check" is made after the sleep and freeze checks, and before the confusion check. If the Pokemon has Truant and X equals 1, the Pokemon "is loafing around" and skips its attack this round. A Pokemon's value for X is reset to 0 when it is replaced, and does not change whenever the Pokemon loses or gains Truant.

For Trace, in the strange case that neither Pokemon has an ability when the bearer of Trace becomes active, it checks after each Pokemon's turn and at the end of each round whether the Pokemon has Trace and at least one opposing Pokemon has an ability. If so, the bearer gains the ability of one of the opposing Pokemon and processing ends. It is possible to gain any ability, including Trace and Wonder Guard, using Trace.

The check for Pickup is done using the Pokemon's original species and original ability. The items obtained with Pickup depend on the version (see the Pickup list).