Marvel Scale

Gen III
Effect

Whenever this Pokémon has a major status ailment, it has 1.5× its Defense. This bonus does not count as a stat modifier.

GenerationGen III
Pokemon3
Hidden Ability Holders2
Game Descriptions
Gen IIIUps DEFENSE if suffering.
Gen IVBoosts Defense if there is a status problem.
Gen VUps Defense if there is a status problem.
Gen VIBoosts the Defense stat if the Pokémon has a status condition.
Gen VIIThe Pokémon’s marvelous scales boost the Defense stat if it has a status condition.
Gen VIIIThe Pokémon’s marvelous scales boost the Defense stat if it has a status condition.
Gen IXThe Pokémon's marvelous scales boost its Defense stat if it has a status condition.

Marvel Scale in Battle

Introduced in Generation III, Marvel Scale boosts the Pokemon's Defense stat by 50% whenever it is affected by a major status condition -- burn, freeze, paralysis, poison, or sleep. This defensive boost does not count as a stat stage modifier, meaning it cannot be Baton Passed, copied by Psych Up, or negated by moves like Haze or Clear Smog.

The most common competitive application pairs Marvel Scale with a Flame Orb. The self-inflicted burn activates the Defense boost reliably on the first turn, and since the boost is multiplicative with the base Defense stat, it stacks with any actual stat stage changes from moves like Coil or Stockpile.

Found on only 3 Pokemon -- Milotic (where it served as a signature ability before Generation V made it available to others), Dratini, and Dragonair -- Marvel Scale transforms Milotic into an exceptionally bulky physical wall that becomes progressively harder to break as status conditions are applied.

Pokemon With Marvel Scale (3)

#NameTypeOther AbilitiesHidden?HPAtkDefSpASpDSpeTotal
#147DratiniDratiniHA416445505050300
#148DragonairDragonairHA618465707070420
#350MiloticMiloticRegular95607910012581540

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