Telepathy

Telepathy is a defensive ability that completely negates damage from allied Pokémon's attacks in double and triple battles. When a Pokémon with Telepathy is targeted by a teammate's damaging move, whether through direct targeting or area-of-effect attacks like Earthquake or Surf, it takes no damage whatsoever. This protection extends to all forms of friendly fire, making it particularly valuable for enabling powerful spread moves without worry of collateral damage.

The ability's primary competitive application revolves around multi-battle formats where dangerous spread moves can otherwise limit team composition options. Pokémon like Dialga and Palkia benefit significantly from Telepathy when paired with teammates using moves like Earthquake, as they can position themselves anywhere on the field without fear of taking damage from their allies. The Tapu duo of Koko and Lele also leverage this ability effectively, allowing for more aggressive positioning and the use of powerful area attacks by their partners.

Telepathy has remained mechanically unchanged since its introduction in Generation 5, consistently providing complete immunity to friendly damage across all battle formats. While situational in singles play where it has no effect, the ability becomes increasingly valuable in VGC and other doubles formats where spread move synergy often determines team viability. Its presence on several legendary Pokémon makes it a notable consideration in restricted formats where these powerful creatures see regular use.