How many Pokemon abilities are there?

As of Generation IX (Scarlet & Violet), there are 306 abilities in the Pokemon series, including regular abilities and Hidden Abilities.

What are Hidden Abilities in Pokemon?

Hidden Abilities are special abilities that Pokemon can have instead of their regular abilities. They are typically obtained through special methods like Max Raid Battles, SOS chains, or the Ability Patch item.

When were abilities introduced in Pokemon?

Abilities were introduced in Generation III (Ruby & Sapphire) in 2002. Before that, Pokemon did not have abilities. Hidden Abilities were later introduced in Generation V (Black & White).

Can a Pokemon change its ability?

Yes. The Ability Capsule switches between a Pokemon's two regular abilities. The Ability Patch (Gen VIII+) can change a regular ability to the Hidden Ability. Some moves like Skill Swap and abilities like Trace can temporarily change abilities in battle.

How many abilities can a Pokemon have?

Each Pokemon species can have up to three possible abilities: one or two regular abilities and one Hidden Ability. However, an individual Pokemon only has one active ability at a time.

What is the most common Pokemon ability?

Levitate and Intimidate are among the most common abilities. Levitate grants immunity to Ground-type moves, while Intimidate lowers the opponent's Attack on switch-in.

Pokemon Abilities

All 306 abilities from Generation III through IX

Pokemon abilities are passive effects that influence battle mechanics, field interactions, and even wild encounters. Introduced in Generation III, every Pokemon has at least one ability that activates automatically. Some Pokemon also have a Hidden Ability – a rarer alternative obtained through special methods. Understanding abilities is crucial for competitive play, as the right ability can define a Pokemon's role and viability on a team.

Abilities by Generation

Gen III76 abilities Gen IV47 abilities Gen V41 abilities Gen VI27 abilities Gen VII42 abilities Gen VIII34 abilities Gen IX39 abilities

All 306 Abilities

Ability	Generation	Pokemon	Description
Stench	Gen III	10	Has a 10% chance of making target Pokémon flinch with each hit.
Drizzle	Gen III	3	Summons rain that lasts indefinitely upon entering battle.
Speed Boost	Gen III	14	Raises Speed one stage after each turn.
Battle Armor	Gen III	11	Protects against critical hits.
Sturdy	Gen III	48	Prevents being KOed from full HP, leaving 1 HP instead. Protects against the one-hit KO moves regardless of HP.
Damp	Gen III	20	Prevents Self-Destruct, Explosion, and Aftermath from working while the Pokémon is in battle.
Limber	Gen III	14	Prevents paralysis.
Sand Veil	Gen III	30	Increases evasion to 1.25× during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.
Static	Gen III	38	Has a 30% chance of paralyzing attacking Pokémon on contact.
Volt Absorb	Gen III	13	Absorbs Electric moves, healing for 1/4 max HP.
Water Absorb	Gen III	30	Absorbs Water moves, healing for 1/4 max HP.
Oblivious	Gen III	26	Prevents infatuation and protects against Captivate.
Cloud Nine	Gen III	7	Negates all effects of weather, but does not prevent the weather itself.
Compound Eyes	Gen III	13	Increases moves' accuracy to 1.3×.
Insomnia	Gen III	24	Prevents sleep.
Color Change	Gen III	1	Changes type to match when hit by a damaging move.
Immunity	Gen III	4	Prevents poison.
Flash Fire	Gen III	29	Protects against Fire moves. Once one has been blocked, the Pokémon's own Fire moves inflict 1.5× damage until it leaves battle.
Shield Dust	Gen III	12	Protects against incoming moves' extra effects.
Own Tempo	Gen III	33	Prevents confusion.
Suction Cups	Gen III	5	Prevents being forced out of battle by other Pokémon's moves.
Intimidate	Gen III	46	Lowers opponents' Attack one stage upon entering battle.
Shadow Tag	Gen III	6	Prevents opponents from fleeing or switching out.
Rough Skin	Gen III	6	Damages attacking Pokémon for 1/8 their max HP on contact.
Wonder Guard	Gen III	1	Protects against damaging moves that are not super effective.
Levitate	Gen III	44	Evades Ground moves.
Effect Spore	Gen III	11	Has a 30% chance of inflcting either paralysis, poison, or sleep on attacking Pokémon on contact.
Synchronize	Gen III	18	Copies burns, paralysis, and poison received onto the Pokémon that inflicted them.
Clear Body	Gen III	19	Prevents stats from being lowered by other Pokémon.
Natural Cure	Gen III	19	Cures any major status ailment upon switching out.
Lightning Rod	Gen III	37	Redirects single-target Electric moves to this Pokémon where possible. Absorbs Electric moves, raising Special Attack one stage.
Serene Grace	Gen III	15	Doubles the chance of moves' extra effects occurring.
Swift Swim	Gen III	48	Doubles Speed during rain.
Chlorophyll	Gen III	39	Doubles Speed during strong sunlight.
Illuminate	Gen III	8	Doubles the wild encounter rate.
Trace	Gen III	7	Copies an opponent's ability upon entering battle.
Huge Power	Gen III	7	Doubles Attack in battle.
Poison Point	Gen III	20	Has a 30% chance of poisoning attacking Pokémon on contact.
Inner Focus	Gen III	38	Prevents flinching.
Magma Armor	Gen III	3	Prevents freezing.
Water Veil	Gen III	13	Prevents burns.
Magnet Pull	Gen III	9	Prevents Steel opponents from fleeing or switching out.
Soundproof	Gen III	18	Protects against sound-based moves.
Rain Dish	Gen III	14	Heals for 1/16 max HP after each turn during rain.
Sand Stream	Gen III	5	Summons a sandstorm that lasts indefinitely upon entering battle.
Pressure	Gen III	36	Increases the PP cost of moves targetting the Pokémon by one.
Thick Fat	Gen III	33	Halves damage from Fire and Ice moves.
Early Bird	Gen III	16	Makes sleep pass twice as quickly.
Flame Body	Gen III	23	Has a 30% chance of burning attacking Pokémon on contact.
Run Away	Gen III	36	Ensures success fleeing from wild battles.
Keen Eye	Gen III	43	Prevents accuracy from being lowered.
Hyper Cutter	Gen III	12	Prevents Attack from being lowered by other Pokémon.
Pickup	Gen III	30	Picks up other Pokémon's used and Flung held items. May also pick up an item after battle.
Truant	Gen III	3	Skips every second turn.
Hustle	Gen III	30	Strengthens physical moves to inflict 1.5× damage, but decreases their accuracy to 0.8×.
Cute Charm	Gen III	15	Has a 30% chance of infatuating attacking Pokémon on contact.
Plus	Gen III	10	Increases Special Attack to 1.5× when a friendly Pokémon has Plus or Minus.
Minus	Gen III	8	Increases Special Attack to 1.5× when a friendly Pokémon has Plus or Minus.
Forecast	Gen III	4	Changes Castform's type and form to match the weather.
Sticky Hold	Gen III	10	Prevents a held item from being removed by other Pokémon.
Shed Skin	Gen III	21	Has a 33% chance of curing any major status ailment after each turn.
Guts	Gen III	26	Increases Attack to 1.5× with a major status ailment.
Marvel Scale	Gen III	3	Increases Defense to 1.5× with a major status ailment.
Liquid Ooze	Gen III	4	Damages opponents using leeching moves for as much as they would heal.
Overgrow	Gen III	32	Strengthens Grass moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
Blaze	Gen III	32	Strengthens Fire moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
Torrent	Gen III	32	Strengthens Water moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
Swarm	Gen III	32	Strengthens Bug moves to inflict 1.5× damage at 1/3 max HP or less.
Rock Head	Gen III	24	Protects against recoil damage.
Drought	Gen III	5	Summons strong sunlight that lasts indefinitely upon entering battle.
Arena Trap	Gen III	3	Prevents opponents from fleeing or switching out. Eluded by Flying-types and Pokémon in the air.
Vital Spirit	Gen III	16	Prevents sleep.
White Smoke	Gen III	5	Prevents stats from being lowered by other Pokémon.
Pure Power	Gen III	3	Doubles Attack in battle.
Shell Armor	Gen III	31	Protects against critical hits.
Air Lock	Gen III	1	Negates all effects of weather, but does not prevent the weather itself.
Tangled Feet	Gen IV	9	Doubles evasion when confused.
Motor Drive	Gen IV	4	Absorbs Electric moves, raising Speed one stage.
Rivalry	Gen IV	18	Increases damage inflicted to 1.25× against Pokémon of the same gender, but decreases damage to 0.75× against the opposite gender.
Steadfast	Gen IV	16	Raises Speed one stage upon flinching.
Snow Cloak	Gen IV	15	Increases evasion to 1.25× during hail. Protects against hail damage.
Gluttony	Gen IV	39	Makes the Pokémon eat any held Berry triggered by low HP below 1/2 its max HP.
Anger Point	Gen IV	12	Raises Attack to the maximum of six stages upon receiving a critical hit.
Unburden	Gen IV	17	Doubles Speed upon using or losing a held item.
Heatproof	Gen IV	5	Halves damage from Fire moves and burns.
Simple	Gen IV	5	Doubles the Pokémon's stat modifiers. These doubled modifiers are still capped at -6 or 6 stages.
Dry Skin	Gen IV	7	Causes 1/8 max HP in damage each turn during strong sunlight, but heals for 1/8 max HP during rain. Increases damage from Fire moves to 1.25×, but absorbs Water moves, healing for 1/4 max HP.
Download	Gen IV	4	Raises the attack stat corresponding to the opponents' weaker defense one stage upon entering battle.
Iron Fist	Gen IV	20	Strengthens punch-based moves to 1.2× their power.
Poison Heal	Gen IV	3	Heals for 1/8 max HP after each turn when poisoned in place of damage.
Adaptability	Gen IV	20	Increases the same-type attack bonus from 1.5× to 2×.
Skill Link	Gen IV	10	Extends two-to-five-hit moves and Triple Kick to their full length every time.
Hydration	Gen IV	23	Cures any major status ailment after each turn during rain.
Solar Power	Gen IV	10	Increases Special Attack to 1.5× but costs 1/8 max HP after each turn during strong sunlight.
Quick Feet	Gen IV	11	Increases Speed to 1.5× with a major status ailment.
Normalize	Gen IV	2	Makes the Pokémon's moves all act Normal-type.
Sniper	Gen IV	18	Strengthens critical hits to inflict 3× damage rather than 2×.
Magic Guard	Gen IV	10	Protects against damage not directly caused by a move.
No Guard	Gen IV	12	Ensures all moves used by and against the Pokémon hit.
Stall	Gen IV	1	Makes the Pokémon move last within its move's priority bracket.
Technician	Gen IV	28	Strengthens moves of 60 base power or less to 1.5× their power.
Leaf Guard	Gen IV	23	Protects against major status ailments during strong sunlight.
Klutz	Gen IV	12	Prevents the Pokémon from using its held item in battle.
Mold Breaker	Gen IV	27	Bypasses targets' abilities if they could hinder or prevent a move.
Super Luck	Gen IV	9	Raises moves' critical hit rates one stage.
Aftermath	Gen IV	11	Damages the attacker for 1/4 its max HP when knocked out by a contact move.
Anticipation	Gen IV	18	Notifies all trainers upon entering battle if an opponent has a super-effective move, Self-Destruct, Explosion, or a one-hit KO move.
Forewarn	Gen IV	6	Reveals the opponents' strongest move upon entering battle.
Unaware	Gen IV	15	Ignores other Pokémon's stat modifiers for damage and accuracy calculation.
Tinted Lens	Gen IV	13	Doubles damage inflicted with not-very-effective moves.
Filter	Gen IV	4	Decreases damage taken from super-effective moves by 1/4.
Slow Start	Gen IV	2	Halves Attack and Speed for five turns upon entering battle.
Scrappy	Gen IV	15	Lets the Pokémon's Normal and Fighting moves hit Ghost Pokémon.
Storm Drain	Gen IV	10	Redirects single-target Water moves to this Pokémon where possible. Absorbs Water moves, raising Special Attack one stage.
Ice Body	Gen IV	21	Heals for 1/16 max HP after each turn during hail. Protects against hail damage.
Solid Rock	Gen IV	4	Decreases damage taken from super-effective moves by 1/4.
Snow Warning	Gen IV	9	Summons hail that lasts indefinitely upon entering battle.
Honey Gather	Gen IV	5	The Pokémon may pick up Honey after battle.
Frisk	Gen IV	38	Reveals an opponent's held item upon entering battle.
Reckless	Gen IV	13	Strengthens recoil moves to 1.2× their power.
Multitype	Gen IV	1	Changes Arceus's type and form to match its held Plate.
Flower Gift	Gen IV	1	Increases friendly Pokémon's Attack and Special Defense to 1.5× during strong sunlight.
Bad Dreams	Gen IV	1	Damages sleeping opponents for 1/8 their max HP after each turn.
Pickpocket	Gen V	16	Steals attacking Pokémon's held items on contact.
Sheer Force	Gen V	37	Strengthens moves with extra effects to 1.3× their power, but prevents their extra effects.
Contrary	Gen V	11	Inverts stat changes.
Unnerve	Gen V	28	Prevents opposing Pokémon from eating held Berries.
Defiant	Gen V	16	Raises Attack two stages upon having any stat lowered.
Defeatist	Gen V	2	Halves Attack and Special Attack at 50% max HP or less.
Cursed Body	Gen V	15	Has a 30% chance of Disabling any move that hits the Pokémon.
Healer	Gen V	12	Has a 30% chance of curing each adjacent ally of any major status ailment after each turn.
Friend Guard	Gen V	10	Decreases all direct damage taken by friendly Pokémon to 0.75×.
Weak Armor	Gen V	25	Raises Speed and lowers Defense by one stage each upon being hit by a physical move.
Heavy Metal	Gen V	10	Doubles the Pokémon's weight.
Light Metal	Gen V	7	Halves the Pokémon's weight.
Multiscale	Gen V	3	Halves damage taken from full HP.
Toxic Boost	Gen V	1	Increases Attack to 1.5× when poisoned.
Flare Boost	Gen V	2	Increases Special Attack to 1.5× when burned.
Harvest	Gen V	9	Has a 50% chance of restoring a used Berry after each turn if the Pokémon has held no items in the meantime.
Telepathy	Gen V	28	Protects against friendly Pokémon's damaging moves.
Moody	Gen V	8	Raises a random stat two stages and lowers another one stage after each turn.
Overcoat	Gen V	26	Protects against damage from weather.
Poison Touch	Gen V	11	Has a 30% chance of poisoning target Pokémon upon contact.
Regenerator	Gen V	27	Heals for 1/3 max HP upon switching out.
Big Pecks	Gen V	15	Protects against Defense drops.
Sand Rush	Gen V	10	Doubles Speed during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.
Wonder Skin	Gen V	5	Lowers incoming non-damaging moves' base accuracy to exactly 50%.
Analytic	Gen V	12	Strengthens moves to 1.3× their power when moving last.
Illusion	Gen V	4	Takes the appearance of the last conscious party Pokémon upon being sent out until hit by a damaging move.
Imposter	Gen V	1	Transforms upon entering battle.
Infiltrator	Gen V	27	Bypasses Light Screen, Reflect, and Safeguard.
Mummy	Gen V	2	Changes attacking Pokémon's abilities to Mummy on contact.
Moxie	Gen V	16	Raises Attack one stage upon KOing a Pokémon.
Justified	Gen V	10	Raises Attack one stage upon taking damage from a Dark move.
Rattled	Gen V	21	Raises Speed one stage upon being hit by a Dark, Ghost, or Bug move.
Magic Bounce	Gen V	11	Reflects most non-damaging moves back at their user.
Sap Sipper	Gen V	21	Absorbs Grass moves, raising Attack one stage.
Prankster	Gen V	20	Raises non-damaging moves' priority by one stage.
Sand Force	Gen V	18	Strengthens Rock, Ground, and Steel moves to 1.3× their power during a sandstorm. Protects against sandstorm damage.
Iron Barbs	Gen V	4	Damages attacking Pokémon for 1/8 their max HP on contact.
Zen Mode	Gen V	4	Changes Darmanitan's form after each turn depending on its HP: Zen Mode below 50% max HP, and Standard Mode otherwise.
Victory Star	Gen V	1	Increases moves' accuracy to 1.1× for friendly Pokémon.
Turboblaze	Gen V	2	Bypasses targets' abilities if they could hinder or prevent moves.
Teravolt	Gen V	2	Bypasses targets' abilities if they could hinder or prevent moves.
Aroma Veil	Gen VI	8	Protects allies against moves that affect their mental state.
Flower Veil	Gen VI	5	Protects friendly Grass Pokémon from having their stats lowered by other Pokémon.
Cheek Pouch	Gen VI	7	Restores HP upon eating a Berry, in addition to the Berry's effect.
Protean	Gen VI	8	Changes the bearer's type to match each move it uses.
Fur Coat	Gen VI	2	Halves damage from physical attacks.
Magician	Gen VI	6	Steals the target's held item when the bearer uses a damaging move.
Bulletproof	Gen VI	12	Protects against bullet, ball, and bomb-based moves.
Competitive	Gen VI	15	Raises Special Attack by two stages upon having any stat lowered.
Strong Jaw	Gen VI	13	Strengthens biting moves to 1.5× their power.
Refrigerate	Gen VI	3	Turns the bearer's Normal moves into Ice moves and strengthens them to 1.3× their power.
Sweet Veil	Gen VI	11	Prevents friendly Pokémon from sleeping.
Stance Change	Gen VI	2	Changes Aegislash to Blade Forme before using a damaging move, or Shield Forme before using King’s Shield.
Gale Wings	Gen VI	3	Raises Flying moves' priority by one stage.
Mega Launcher	Gen VI	3	Strengthens aura and pulse moves to 1.5× their power.
Grass Pelt	Gen VI	2	Boosts Defense while Grassy Terrain is in effect.
Symbiosis	Gen VI	5	Passes the bearer's held item to an ally when the ally uses up its item.
Tough Claws	Gen VI	8	Strengthens moves that make contact to 1.33× their power.
Pixilate	Gen VI	3	Turns the bearer's Normal moves into Fairy moves and strengthens them to 1.3× their power.
Gooey	Gen VI	7	Lowers attacking Pokémon's Speed by one stage on contact.
Aerilate	Gen VI	2	Turns the bearer's Normal moves into Flying moves and strengthens them to 1.3× their power.
Parental Bond	Gen VI	1	Lets the bearer hit twice with damaging moves. The second hit has half power.
Dark Aura	Gen VI	1	Strengthens Dark moves to 1.33× their power for all friendly and opposing Pokémon.
Fairy Aura	Gen VI	2	Strengthens Fairy moves to 1.33× their power for all friendly and opposing Pokémon.
Aura Break	Gen VI	2	Makes Dark Aura and Fairy Aura weaken moves of their respective types.
Primordial Sea	Gen VI	1	Creates heavy rain, which has all the properties of Rain Dance, cannot be replaced, and causes damaging Fire moves to fail.
Desolate Land	Gen VI	1	Creates extremely harsh sunlight, which has all the properties of Sunny Day, cannot be replaced, and causes damaging Water moves to fail.
Delta Stream	Gen VI	1	Creates a mysterious air current, which cannot be replaced and causes moves to never be super effective against Flying Pokémon.
Stamina	Gen VII	3	Raises this Pokémon's Defense by one stage when it takes damage from a move.
Wimp Out	Gen VII	1	This Pokémon automatically switches out when its HP drops below half.
Emergency Exit	Gen VII	1	This Pokémon automatically switches out when its HP drops below half.
Water Compaction	Gen VII	2	Raises this Pokémon's Defense by two stages when it's hit by a Water move.
Merciless	Gen VII	2	This Pokémon's moves critical hit against poisoned targets.
Shields Down	Gen VII	14	Transforms this Minior between Core Form and Meteor Form. Prevents major status ailments and drowsiness while in Meteor Form.
Stakeout	Gen VII	9	This Pokémon's moves have double power against Pokémon that switched in this turn.
Water Bubble	Gen VII	3	Halves damage from Fire moves, doubles damage of Water moves, and prevents burns.
Steelworker	Gen VII	1	This Pokémon's Steel moves have 1.5× power.
Berserk	Gen VII	3	Raises this Pokémon's Special Attack by one stage every time its HP drops below half.
Slush Rush	Gen VII	7	During Hail, this Pokémon has double Speed.
Long Reach	Gen VII	3	This Pokémon's moves do not make contact.
Liquid Voice	Gen VII	3	Sound-based moves become Water-type.
Triage	Gen VII	1	This Pokémon's healing moves have their priority increased by 3.
Galvanize	Gen VII	3	This Pokémon's Normal moves are Electric and have their power increased to 1.2×.
Surge Surfer	Gen VII	1	Doubles this Pokémon's Speed on Electric Terrain.
Schooling	Gen VII	2	Wishiwashi becomes Schooling Form when its HP is 25% or higher.
Disguise	Gen VII	4	Prevents the first instance of battle damage.
Battle Bond	Gen VII	2	Transforms this Pokémon into Ash-Greninja after fainting an opponent. Water Shuriken's power is 20 and always hits three times.
Power Construct	Gen VII	3	Transforms 10% or 50% Zygarde into Complete Forme when its HP is below 50%.
Corrosion	Gen VII	5	This Pokémon can inflict poison on Poison and Steel Pokémon.
Comatose	Gen VII	1	This Pokémon always acts as though it were Asleep.
Queenly Majesty	Gen VII	1	Opposing Pokémon cannot use priority attacks.
Innards Out	Gen VII	2	When this Pokémon faints from an opponent's move, that opponent takes damage equal to the HP this Pokémon had remaining.
Dancer	Gen VII	4	Whenever another Pokémon uses a dance move, this Pokémon will use the same move immediately afterwards.
Battery	Gen VII	1	Ally Pokémon's moves have their power increased to 1.3×.
Fluffy	Gen VII	6	Damage from contact moves is halved. Damage from Fire moves is doubled.
Dazzling	Gen VII	1	Opposing Pokémon cannot use priority attacks.
Soul Heart	Gen VII	2	This Pokémon's Special Attack rises by one stage every time any Pokémon faints.
Tangling Hair	Gen VII	2	When this Pokémon takes regular damage from a contact move, the attacking Pokémon's Speed lowers by one stage.
Receiver	Gen VII	1	When an ally faints, this Pokémon gains its Ability.
Power Of Alchemy	Gen VII	2	When an ally faints, this Pokémon gains its Ability.
Beast Boost	Gen VII	11	Raises this Pokémon's highest stat by one stage when it faints another Pokémon.
Rks System	Gen VII	1	Changes this Pokémon's type to match its held Memory.
Electric Surge	Gen VII	2	When this Pokémon enters battle, it changes the terrain to Electric Terrain.
Psychic Surge	Gen VII	3	When this Pokémon enters battle, it changes the terrain to Psychic Terrain.
Misty Surge	Gen VII	2	When this Pokémon enters battle, it changes the terrain to Misty Terrain.
Grassy Surge	Gen VII	5	When this Pokémon enters battle, it changes the terrain to Grassy Terrain.
Full Metal Body	Gen VII	1	Other Pokémon cannot lower this Pokémon's stats.
Shadow Shield	Gen VII	1	When this Pokémon has full HP, regular damage from moves is halved.
Prism Armor	Gen VII	3	Reduces super-effective damage to 0.75×.
Neuroforce	Gen VII	1	Increases super-effective damage dealt to 1.25×.
Intrepid Sword	Gen VIII	2	Boosts Attack in battle.
Dauntless Shield	Gen VIII	2	Boosts Defense in battle.
Libero	Gen VIII	4	Libero changes the Pokémon's type to that of its previously used attack.
Ball Fetch	Gen VIII	1	If the Pokémon is not holding an item, it will fetch the Poké Ball from the first failed throw of the battle.
Cotton Down	Gen VIII	2	When Ignores moves and abilities that draw in moves.
Propeller Tail	Gen VIII	2	Ignores moves and abilities that draw in moves.
Mirror Armor	Gen VIII	2	Reflects any stat-lowering effects.
Gulp Missile	Gen VIII	3	If a Cramorant with Gulp Missile uses Surf or Dive, it catches prey and changes its form depending on its remaining HP.
Stalwart	Gen VIII	4	Ignores moves and abilities that draw in moves.
Steam Engine	Gen VIII	4	Boosts the Speed stat drastically when the Pokémon is hit by a Fire- or Water-type move.
Punk Rock	Gen VIII	4	Boosts sound-based moves and halves damage from the same moves.
Sand Spit	Gen VIII	3	Creates a sandstorm when hit by an attack.
Ice Scales	Gen VIII	2	Halves damage from Special moves.
Ripen	Gen VIII	5	Doubles the effect of berries.
Ice Face	Gen VIII	2	The Pokémon’s ice head can take a physical attack as a substitute, but the attack also changes the Pokémon’s appearance. The ice will be restored when it snows.
Power Spot	Gen VIII	1	Just being next to the Pokémon powers up moves.
Mimicry	Gen VIII	1	Changes type depending on the terrain.
Screen Cleaner	Gen VIII	2	Nullifies effects of Light Screen, Reflect, and Aurora Veil.
Steely Spirit	Gen VIII	1	Powers up ally Pokémon's Steel-type moves.
Perish Body	Gen VIII	1	When hit by a move that makes direct contact, the Pokémon and the attacker will faint after three turns unless they switch out of battle.
Wandering Spirit	Gen VIII	2	Swaps abilities with opponents on contact.
Gorilla Tactics	Gen VIII	2	Boosts the Pokémon's Attack stat but only allows the use of the first selected move.
Neutralizing Gas	Gen VIII	3	Neutralizes abilities of all Pokémon in battle.
Pastel Veil	Gen VIII	2	Prevents the Pokémon and its allies from being poisoned.
Hunger Switch	Gen VIII	2	Causes Morpeko to change its form each turn, alternating between Full Belly Mode and Hangry Mode
Quick Draw	Gen VIII	1	Enables the Pokémon to move first occasionally.
Unseen Fist	Gen VIII	5	Contact moves can strike through Protect/Detect.
Curious Medicine	Gen VIII	1	Resets all stat changes upon entering battlefield.
Transistor	Gen VIII	1	Powers up Electric-type moves.
Dragons Maw	Gen VIII	1	Powers up Dragon-type moves.
Chilling Neigh	Gen VIII	1	Boosts Attack after knocking out a Pokémon.
Grim Neigh	Gen VIII	1	Boosts Special Attack after knocking out a Pokémon.
As One Glastrier	Gen VIII	1	This Ability combines the effects of both Calyrex's Unnerve Ability and Glastrier's Chilling Neigh Ability.
As One Spectrier	Gen VIII	1	This Ability combines the effects of both Calyrex's Unnerve Ability and Spectrier's Grim Neigh Ability.
Lingering Aroma	Gen IX	1	Contact changes the attacker's Ability to Lingering Aroma.
Seed Sower	Gen IX	1	Turns the ground into Grassy Terrain when the Pokémon is hit by an attack.
Thermal Exchange	Gen IX	3	Raises Attack when hit by a Fire-type move. Cannot be burned.
Anger Shell	Gen IX	1	When the Pokémon's HP drops below half, Anger Shell lowers its Defense and Special Defense but its Attack, Special Attack and Speed are raised.
Purifying Salt	Gen IX	3	Protects from status conditions and halves damage from Ghost-type moves.
Well Baked Body	Gen IX	1	Immune to Fire-type moves, and Defense is sharply boosted.
Wind Rider	Gen IX	3	Gives immunity to wind moves, and causes the Pokémon's Attack to increase by one stage when hit by one.
Guard Dog	Gen IX	2	Boosts Attack if intimidated, and prevents being forced to switch out.
Rocky Payload	Gen IX	1	Powers up Rock-type moves.
Wind Power	Gen IX	2	When hit by a wind move, the power of the next Electric-type move it uses is doubled.
Zero To Hero	Gen IX	2	Transforms into its Hero Form when switching out.
Commander	Gen IX	3	Goes inside the mouth of an ally Dondozo if one is on the field.
Electromorphosis	Gen IX	1	When hit by an attack, the power of the next Electric-type move it uses is doubled.
Protosynthesis	Gen IX	10	Raises highest stat in harsh sunlight, or if holding Booster Energy.
Quark Drive	Gen IX	10	Raises highest stat on Electric Terrain, or if holding Booster Energy.
Good As Gold	Gen IX	1	Gives immunity to status moves.
Vessel Of Ruin	Gen IX	1	Lowers Special Attack of all Pokémon except itself.
Sword Of Ruin	Gen IX	1	Lowers Defense of all Pokémon except itself.
Tablets Of Ruin	Gen IX	1	Lowers Attack of all Pokémon except itself.
Beads Of Ruin	Gen IX	1	Lowers Special Defense of all Pokémon except itself.
Orichalcum Pulse	Gen IX	5	Turns the sunlight harsh when entering battle, and boosts Attack while active.
Hadron Engine	Gen IX	5	Creates an Electric Terrain when entering battle, and boosts Special Attack while active.
Opportunist	Gen IX	1	Copies stat boosts by the opponent.
Cud Chew	Gen IX	4	Causes the Pokémon to reuse an already consumed Berry at the end of the next turn.
Sharpness	Gen IX	4	Powers up slicing moves.
Supreme Overlord	Gen IX	1	Attack and Special Attack are boosted for each party Pokémon that has been defeated.
Costar	Gen IX	1	Copies ally's stat changes on entering battle.
Toxic Debris	Gen IX	2	Scatters poison spikes at the feet of the opposing team when the Pokémon takes damage from physical moves.
Armor Tail	Gen IX	1	Prevents the opponent from using any moves that have priority, such as Quick Attack.
Earth Eater	Gen IX	1	Restores HP when hit by a Ground-type move.
Mycelium Might	Gen IX	2	Status moves go last, but are not affected by the opponent's ability.
Minds Eye	Gen IX	1	The Pokémon ignores changes to opponents' evasiveness, its accuracy can't be lowered, and it can hit Ghost types with Normal- and Fighting-type moves.
Supersweet Syrup	Gen IX	2	Once per battle, when a Pokémon with Supersweet Syrup enters the battle, it lowers the evasion stat of all adjacent opponents by one stage.
Hospitality	Gen IX	2	When a Pokémon with Hospitality enters a battle, it restores HP for an ally by 25%.
Toxic Chain	Gen IX	3	May cause bad poisoning when the Pokémon hits an opponent with a move.
Tera Shift	Gen IX	1	When Terapagos enters the battle, it turns into its Terastal Form until the end of the battle.
Tera Shell	Gen IX	1	All damage-dealing moves that hit the Pokémon when its HP is full will not be very effective.
Teraform Zero	Gen IX	1	As soon as Terapagos assumes its Stellar Form, it will immediately neutralize weather and terrain effects.
Poison Puppeteer	Gen IX	1	Pokémon poisoned by Pecharunt's moves will also become confused.

FAQ

Understanding Pokemon Abilities

Pokemon abilities are passive effects that every Pokemon possesses. Introduced in Generation III (Ruby & Sapphire), abilities add a strategic layer to battles by providing automatic benefits or drawbacks without requiring a move slot. Understanding which ability a Pokemon has and how it interacts with the metagame is key to competitive team building.

Regular Abilities vs Hidden Abilities

Each Pokemon species can have one or two regular abilities and one Hidden Ability. Regular abilities are obtained normally when catching or breeding Pokemon. Hidden Abilities, introduced in Generation V, require special methods to obtain – such as Max Raid Battles in Sword & Shield, SOS chains in Sun & Moon, or using an Ability Patch.

Competitive Impact of Abilities

Abilities can make or break a Pokemon's competitive viability. Intimidate is one of the most impactful abilities, lowering the opponent's Attack stat on switch-in. Weather-setting abilities like Drizzle (Pelipper) and Drought (Torkoal) define entire team archetypes. Speed-boosting abilities like Speed Boost (Blaziken) and terrain abilities like Electric Surge (Tapu Koko) shape the competitive landscape.

Ability Changes Across Generations

Game Freak regularly adjusts abilities between generations. Some Pokemon receive new Hidden Abilities, while existing abilities may be buffed or nerfed. For example, Gale Wings was nerfed in Generation VII to only work at full HP, and Prankster was changed so status moves boosted by it fail against Dark-type targets.

Abilities by Generation

Generation III introduced 76 abilities with the system's debut. Each subsequent generation has expanded the roster: Generation IV added abilities like Adaptability and Download, Generation V introduced Hidden Abilities along with abilities like Moxie and Prankster, and Generation IX brought new abilities for Scarlet & Violet Pokemon.