At first glance, Pokémon may appear to be all about quickly attacking your opponent, fainting their Pokémon as soon as possible. Yes, this is the big picture, but there are lots of little brush strokes to look at as well. One of these brush strokes is status.
There are many different types of status, most of which will appear in a little box next to your Pokémon’s name and HP in battle. Pseudo-Statuses such as Leech Seed and Trick Room receive a mention. Pokérus, another "status" condition, is not covered in this guide, due to not having any visible effects in battle. Stat boosts and drops are also not included.
All true status effects are given their own section. True status effects show up near the HP bar.
<h2>Status Index</h2>
Burn
Freeze
Paralysis
Poison
Sleep
Lifting "True" Status Effects
Pseudo-Status
A word of caution: While status can be your greatest ally, it can also be a helpful tool in the master plan of your foe. The move Facade, as well as the abilities Guts, Marvel Scale, Poison Heal, and Quick Feet all give your foe an advantage of sorts if you activate them with a status effect. Pokémon with the ability Synchronize will give the foe their current status effect if they are given one. So be wary. Moreover, some status effects have unofficial, general limits on how many Pokémon can be affected by them, so keep that in mind when playing competitively.
It is notable that Pokémon that possess the ability Serene Grace have double the chance of random effects happening. For example, a 10% freeze chance would become 20% if the user has Serene Grace. Note that the chance to have a second effect will never go over 100%, and items do not stack with Serene Grace.
Don’t forget, learn to love the following format as you read this guide:
Move Name: (Type, Accuracy, Effect Rate and/or how it works)
<h2>True Status</h2>
<h3>Burn (BRN)</h3>
The Burn status is useful in the physical-oriented OU Metagame, and is most useful if induced against a physical (or mixed) sweeper. This is because the Burn status will decrease HP by 12.5% each turn and reduces the damage of physical attacks by 50%. Special sweepers, walls, and other such Pokémon don’t mind being burned as much, although even with Leftovers recovery they will lose a nice bit of HP each turn. The Burn status should still be used mostly on physical sweepers though, as other statuses would be better for the other varieties.
Fire-type Pokémon, as well as Pokémon with the ability Leaf Guard (in bright sunlight) or Water Veil are unaffected by Burns. Note that Water Veil grants immunity to the Burn condition itself, not just from being burned. So if Water Veil were given to a burned Pokémon (for instance, with Trace), that Pokémon would recover from its Burn. Pokemon with Heatproof take only 6.25% damage per turn from being burned, not 12.5%. When a Pokémon with the ability Magic Guard is burned, it does not lose health, though its physical damage still drops.
The following moves can inflict a Burn:
Blaze Kick: (Fire, 90 Accuracy, 10%)
Ember: (Fire, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Fire Blast: (Fire, 85 Accuracy, 10%)
Fire Fang: (Fire, 95 Accuracy, 10%)
Fire Punch: (Fire, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Flame Wheel: (Fire, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Flamethrower: (Fire, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Flare Blitz: (Fire, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Heat Wave: (Fire, 90 Accuracy, 10%)
Lava Plume: (Fire, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Sacred Fire: (Fire, 95 Accuracy, 50%)
Tri Attack: (Normal, 100 Accuracy, 6.67%)
Will-O-Wisp: (Fire, 75 Accuracy, 100%)
Contact with a Pokémon that has the ability Flame Body yields a 30% chance of getting burned. Getting hit by a Flame Orb used with the move Fling will also induce a Burn. Holding a Flame Orb will also induce a Burn at the end of the turn.
<h3>Freeze (FRZ)</h3>
Freeze is a rare status. It is essentially a better version of sleep, with the frozen Pokémon being unable to attack until it has thawed. There is a 25% chance of a frozen Pokémon thawing out each time it makes a move, rather than the set 1-4 turns of Sleep. Because of this however, there are no moves that can reliably induce Freezing. Pokémon with the ability Magma Armor are immune to the freeze condition itself, not just from being frozen. So if Magma Armor were given to a frozen Pokémon (for instance, with Trace), that Pokémon would thaw out. Pokémon with the ability Shield Dust cannot be frozen due to their immunity to secondary effects. Lastly, no Pokémon can be frozen while the sun is bright.
The following moves can Freeze a Pokémon:
Blizzard: (Ice, 70 Accuracy, 100 in hail, 10%)
Ice Beam: (Ice, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Ice Fang: (Ice, 95 Accuracy, 10%)
Ice Punch: (Ice, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Powder Snow: (Ice, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Tri Attack: (Normal, 100 Accuracy, 6.67%)
The only reason you would have a chance of seeing freeze more than poison would be the fact that Ice Beam and Ice Punch are very common attacks (mostly the former), and that 10% can kick in. Other than that, freeze can be annoying, but rarely seen. Note that a Pokémon can also thaw out the first turn it is frozen, making the effect useless.
<h3>Paralysis (PAR)</h3>
Paralysis is another useful status condition. When a Pokémon is paralyzed, its Speed is reduced to 25%. Every turn, the paralyzed Pokémon has a 25% chance of being Fully Paralyzed ("FPed"), meaning it is unable to attack that turn.
One generally wants to paralyze a fast Pokémon, usually a sweeper, to slow them down and effectively prevent them from out speeding and destroying your entire team. Pokémon with the abilities Limber and Leaf Guard (during bright sunlight) are immune to paralysis. Note that Limber grants immunity to the Paralysis condition itself, not just from being paralyzed. So if Limber were given to a paralyzed Pokémon (for instance, with Trace), that Pokémon would recover from paralysis.
The following moves can induce paralysis:
Body Slam: (Normal, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Bounce: (Flying, 85 Accuracy, 30%)
Discharge: (Electric, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Dragonbreath: (Dragon, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Force Palm: (Fighting, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Glare: (Normal, 75 Accuracy, 100%)
Lick: (Ghost, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Secret Power: (Normal, 100 Accuracy, 30%, When used in Wi-Fi, Union Room, Link, or Battle Tower Battles, or Main Street, Neon or Courtyard Colosseum)
Spark: (Electric, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Stun Spore: (Grass, 75 Accuracy, 100%)
Thunder: (Electric, 70 Accuracy, 100 in rain, 30%)
Thunderbolt: (Electric, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
ThunderPunch: (Electric, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Thundershock: (Electric, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Thunder Fang: (Electric, 95 Accuracy, 10%)
Thunder Wave: (Electric, 100 Accuracy, 100%)
Tri Attack: (Normal, 100 Accuracy, 6.67%)
Volt Tackle: (Electric, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Zap Cannon: (Electric, 50 Accuracy, 100%)
Not only that, but there are some abilities that can induce Paralysis as well. They are:
Effect Spore: (10% chance of Paralysis when contact is made with the Pokémon with the Ability)
Static: (30% chance of Paralysis when contact is made with the Pokémon with the Ability)
Getting hit by a Light Ball used with the move Fling will also induce Paralysis.
The paralysis effect is usually given out via Electric moves randomly. The most reliable way of inducing paralysis is the move Thunder Wave. Glare and Stun Spore are two other fairly reliable paralyzing moves, though they are not as common as Thunder Wave. Note that while Glare will bypass Ghost's immunity to the Normal type, Thunder Wave does not bypass Ground's immunity to Electric. If a Pokemon with the ability Normalize uses Thunder Wave, it can hit Ground-types, but Ghosts are immune to it.
<h3>Poison (PSN)</h3>
There are two types of Poisoning: regular Poison inflicts 12.5% of the victim's HP each turn, whereas bad (Toxic) Poison inflicts 6.25% (1/16) damage on the first turn, 12.5% (2/16) on the second turn, 18.75% (3/16) on the third turn, and so on, increasing by 6.25% each turn. The counter resets if the victim leaves the field. Bad Poison is only induced by a handful of moves, and not many Pokémon carry them. Poison and Steel-typed Pokémon are unaffected by Poison, as are Pokémon with the ability Immunity or Leaf Guard (when the sun is bright). Note that Immunity grants an actual immunity to Poison and Bad Poison, not just receiving the status. So if Immunity were given to a poisoned Pokémon (for instance, with Trace), that Pokémon would recover. Pokémon with the ability Poison Heal will heal 12.5% HP per turn rather than taking the damage. This is a set rate and does not increase if it is bad Poison.
The following moves can inflict Poison:
Cross Poison: (Poison, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Gunk Shot: (Poison, 70 Accuracy, 30%)
Poison Gas: (Poison, 55 Accuracy, 100%)
Poison Jab: (Poison, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Poison Sting: (Poison, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Poison Tail: (Poison, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Poisonpowder: (Poison, 75 Accuracy, 100%)
Sludge: (Poison, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Sludge Bomb: (Poison, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Smog: (Poison, 70 Accuracy, 40%)
Toxic Spikes: (After one use, any switch-ins that are not Flying, Poison, Steel, or Levitators are poisoned)
Twineedle: (Bug, 100 Accuracy, 20% Chance on both hits)
The following abilities can Poison Pokémon as well:
Effect Spore: (10% chance of Poison when contact is made with the Pokémon with the Ability)
Poison Point: (30% chance of Poison when contact is made with the Pokémon with the Ability)
A non-immune Pokémon that gets hit by Black Sludge or Poison Barb used with the move Flingwill be poisoned.
In general, it is better to Burn a Pokémon that you could Poison.
The following moves can inflict bad poison:
Poison Fang: (Poison, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Toxic: (Poison, 85 Accuracy, 100%)
Toxic Spikes: (After two uses, any switch-ins that are not Flying, Poison, Steel, or Levitators are badly poisoned, removed if a Poison Type that would normally be hit by Spikes to switch in.)
Getting hit by a Toxic Orb used with the move Fling will also induce Bad Poisoning. Holding a Toxic Orb will also induce bad poison at the end of the turn.
There are some Pokémon that can use Toxic effectively, namely very defensive Pokémon, but in the fast-paced environment of Diamond and Pearl, as well as the general shortage of effective Poison attacks, the Poison and Bad Poison status effects are not often seen.
<h3>Sleep (SLP)</h3>
Sleep is a useful status to give out in the 4th Generation, and one should be weary of fast Pokémon carrying a reliable Sleep move. When a Pokémon is sleeping, they are unable to use any attacks, except for Sleep Talk and Snore. Sleep Talk causes the user to use a random move when used, and Snore is simply a 40 Base Power Normal move, and is not useful at all.
Sleep lasts from 1-4 turns (as measured by how many times it receives the "fast asleep" message), unless the sleeping Pokémon has the ability Early Bird, which halves the amount of turns that the Pokémon sleeps.
The abilities Insomnia and Vital Spirit, as well as the ability Leaf Guard (during bright sunlight) nullify sleep. Note that Insomnia and Vital Spirit grant an immunity to sleep itself, not just from falling asleep. So if Insomnia or Vital Spirit were given to a sleeping Pokémon (for instance, with Trace), that Pokémon would wake up. A Pokémon that is in the middle of creating an Uproar, by using the named move, is also unable to be lulled to sleep until the 2-5 turns of the Uproar have ended. This effect applies to all Pokémon on the field, and also wakes any Pokémon that are currently sleeping. This holds true even if Uproar is used against a Ghost.
If a Pokemon is sleeping at the start of a turn in which it is forced to use Outrage, Petal Dance, or Thrash, it is free to select any action and is not given confusion.
Moves that solely induce Sleep ignore type-related immunities.
The following moves can induce Sleep:
Dark Void: (Dark, 80 Accuracy, 100%)*
Grasswhistle: (Grass, 55 Accuracy, 100%)
Hypnosis: (Psychic, 70 Accuracy, 100%)
Lovely Kiss: (Normal, 75 Accuracy 100%)
Rest: (Self-induced Sleep for 2 turns)
Secret Power: (Normal, 100 Accuracy, 30%, When used in Waterfall or Sunny Park Colosseum)
Sing: (Normal, 55 Accuracy, 100%)
Sleep Powder: (Grass, 75 Accuracy, 100%)
Spore: (Grass, 100 Accuracy, 100%)
Yawn: (Normal, Never Misses, targeted Pokémon falls asleep the turn after the move is used)
Contact with a Pokémon that has the ability Effect Spore will have a 10% chance of inducing sleep on the attacking Pokémon. Another ability to note, Bad Dreams will deal 12.5% of a Sleeping Pokémon’s max HP of damage each turn. Rest will restore your Pokémon’s health and cure other status conditions, but will be easily set up on for the two turns it is asleep, so it is almost mandatory that any Pokémon with Rest be a STalker (a Pokémon that uses the move Sleep Talk).
When a rule called Sleep Clause is in effect, only one Pokémon per team may be put to sleep, excluding any Pokémon that used the move Rest. You must carefully choose which Pokémon to lull to sleep for this reason. Sleep Clause is a standard rule in all generations. On Pokémon Battle Revolution, Sleep moves will automatically fail if a non-Resting Pokémon is asleep on the target's team.
*Dark Void can violate Sleep Clause in Diamond and Pearl Wi-Fi Double Battles, due to the fact that it sends both the foes’ Pokémon to Sleep. In environments such as Pokémon Battle Revolution (when rules are set), only the faster Pokémon falls asleep.
<h3>Lifting "True" Status Effects</h3>
So you’ve read all about them now, and are probably asking yourself "How can I cure my Pokémon's status effects?" Well, first of all, status isn’t always a bad thing, and it might even be a good idea to keep one Pokémon with a status on your team. For example, the ability Guts will boost a Pokémon’s Attack when it has a status affliction (overriding burn's physical damage drop), Marvel Scale will boost Defense, and Quick Feet will boost Speed (overriding paralysis's Speed drop). Also, a Pokémon can only be affected by one true status effect at a time, and this is the first one they receive. So you can have a "status absorber" who can take predicted status effects for the team without any harm.
The following moves can cure status effects:
Aromatherapy: (Removes all true status effects from every Pokémon on the team)
Heal Bell: (Removes all true status effects from every Pokémon on the team that does not have the Ability Soundproof - needs confirmation)
Healing Wish: (If the user faints due to a direct attack, cures status and restores HP of the Pokémon that switches in)
Lunar Dance: (Causes the user to faint, cures status and restores HP of the Pokémon that switches in)
Psycho Shift: (Moves all true status effects to the target, assuming they have none)
Refresh: (Removes Paralysis, Burn, or Poison from the user)
Rest: (Removes all true effects from the user, but induces 2-turn Sleep status)
Uproar: (Awakens all Sleeping Pokémon, and prevents any Pokémon in battle from falling asleep until the Uproar is over)
If a frozen Pokémon is hit by a Fire-type move, or uses Flame Wheel or Sacred Fire, it is thawed.
Additionally, the move Safeguard will prevent the user's team from receiving status effects for 5 turns. This does not remove status effects currently affecting any given member of the team.
Your best bet for curing status would be Aromatherapy, as it heals the entire party of status effects. Some teams even have an Aromatherapist (usually Blissey) who fills the role of status reliever. Blissey is a good choice because her most common ability, Natural Cure, cures her of status effects whenever she switches out.
On that note, the following abilities can cure status effects:
Hydration: (Removes any true status effect at the end of the turn if it is raining)
Natural Cure: (Removes any true status effect when the Pokémon leaves the field)
Shed Skin: (Has a 30% chance to remove true status at the end of each turn)
Lastly, there are held items that can cure status effects:
Cheri Berry: (Removes Paralysis from the Pokémon when induced)
Chesto Berry: (Awakens Sleeping Pokémon)
Pecha Berry: (Removes Poison and Bad Poison from the Pokémon when induced)
Rawst Berry: (Removes a Burn from the Pokémon when induced)
Aspear Berry: (Thaws Frozen Pokémon)
Lum Berry: (Removes any true status effect when induced)
Generally, if you don’t want a Pokémon to receive a status effect, and lack an Aromatherapist, you should use Lum Berry, as it will cure any true status effect. However, if you are going for a more specific strategy or gimmick, such as a ResTalker you don’t want to be saved from Paralysis by Lum Berry, you are always able to use the other, more specific Berries. Keep in mind that Berries can only be used once, unless the move Recycle is used in conjunction with them.
<h2>Pseudo-Status</h2>
Pseudo-status "effects" are not truly status effects, though they do offer an effect on Pokémon that would otherwise not be present. Unlike "true" status effects, any lingering pseudo-status effects are removed when the user leaves battle in means other than Baton Pass (and only some pseudo-status effects are passed).
<h3>Flinch</h3>
Flinching is arguably the most useful, and most common pseudo-status. When a Pokémon flinches, it cannot move for the rest of the turn. Pokémon can only be flinched by a being struck before they move by an attack that can flinch. Pokémon that have the ability Inner Focus are immune flinching, and the ability Steadfast raises a Pokémon’s Speed by one stage after it flinches.
Moves that can cause a flinch are:
Air Slash: (Flying, 95 Accuracy, 30%)
Astonish: (Ghost, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Bite: (Dark, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Bone Club: (Ground, 85 Accuracy, 10%)
Dark Pulse: (Dark, 100 Accuracy, 20%)
Dragon Rush: (Dragon, 75 Accuracy, 20%)
Extrasensory: (Psychic, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Fake Out: (Normal, Causes a Flinch if used on the first turn the user is in battle, otherwise no effect)
Fire Fang: (Fire, 95 Accuracy, 10%)
Headbutt: (Normal, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Hyper Fang: (Normal, 90 Accuracy, 10%)
Ice Fang: (Ice, 95 Accuracy, 10%)
Iron Head: (Steel, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Needle Arm: (Grass, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Rock Slide: (Rock, 90 Accuracy, 30%)
Rolling Kick: (Fighting, 85 Accuracy, 30%)
Secret Power: (Normal, 100 Accuracy, 30%, When used in Crystal, Magma, or Stargazer Colosseum)
Snore: (Normal, 100 Accuracy, 30%, Only usable when asleep)
Stomp: (Normal, 100 Accuracy, 30%)
Thunder Fang: (Electric, 95 Accuracy, 10%)
Twister: (Dragon, 100 Accuracy, 20%)
Waterfall: (Water, 100 Accuracy, 20%)
Zen Headbutt: (Psychic, 90 Accuracy, 20%)
If a Pokémon is holding the item King’s Rock or Razor Fang, there is an 10% chance that most moves can also cause a flinch. A Pokémon hit by a King's Rock or Razor Fang used with the move Fling will also flinch if the Pokémon that used Fling went first.
<h3>Confusion</h3>
Confusion is also more common than most other pseudo-statuses, and is also cured by Lum Berry. When a Pokémon becomes confused, it has a 50% chance of attacking itself with a 40 Power typeless physical attack, a 25% chance of attacking normally, and a 25% chance of being freed from confusion and moving normally afterwards. Pokémon with the Ability Own Tempo are immune to confusion, so if Own Tempo were given to a confused Pokémon (for instance, with Skill Swap), that Pokémon would snap out of confusion. Also worth noting, Pokémon with the ability Tangled Feat gain an
Evasion Ability Modifier of 0.5 once they become confused.
Moves that induce confusion are:
Chatter: (Flying, 100 Accuracy, Confusion rate varies with the length of recording, 1%, 11% or 31%)
Confuse Ray: (Ghost, 100 Accuracy, 100%)
Confusion: (Psychic, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Dizzy Punch: (Normal, 100 Accuracy, 20%)
Dynamicpunch: (Fighting, 50 Accuracy, 100%)
Flatter: (Dark, 100 Accuracy, 100%, Raises target’s SpA one stage)
Outrage: (Dragon, Confuses self after 2-3 turn rampage)
Petal Dance: (Grass, Confuses self after 2-3 turn rampage)
Psybeam: (Psychic, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Signal Beam: (Bug, 100 Accuracy, 10%)
Supersonic: (Normal, 55 Accuracy, 100%)
Swagger: (Normal, 90 Accuracy, 100%)
Sweet Kiss: (Normal, 75 Accuracy, 100%)
Teeter Dance: (Normal, 100 Accuracy, 100%, Confuses all on the field except for the user)
Thrash: (Normal, Confuses self after 2-3 turn rampage)
Water Pulse: (Water, 100 Accuracy, 20%)
Certain berries can cause Confusion to the user as well, once a Pokémon is at 25% health or less to activate their health recovery (50% or less if the holder has the ability Gluttony):
Aguav Berry: Confuses Pokémon if their Nature hinders Special Defense)
Figy Berry: (Confuses Pokémon if their Nature hinders Attack)
Iapapa Berry: (Confuses Pokémon if their Nature hinders Defense)
Mago Berry: (Confuses Pokémon if their Nature hinders Speed)
Wiki Berry: (Confuses Pokémon if their Nature hinders Special Attack)
Health is still recovered even if the Pokémon ends up being confused. This method of confusion is rarely seen, as Berries are scarcely used as items, and even if they are, you should check to make sure you are using a Berry that will not confuse your Pokémon. Note that these Berries are only one use, unless used in conjunction with Recycle.
If you are intending to confuse a Pokémon, you should use Confuse Ray. Flatter and Swagger are just as usable, but with a risk, as you can potentially up a stat you don’t want to. If the target is a physical attacker, Flatter is usually safe, likewise with Swagger to Special Attackers, and due to the way confusion works, the Attack boost will increase the amount of damage done. However, you could get predicted. Confusion can be removed by switching out, or by a Pokémon using a Persim or Lum Berry.
The following pseudo-statuses aren't seen as much, or are only induced by a couple moves.
<h3>Aqua Ring</h3>
When a Pokémon uses Aqua Ring, it restores 6.25% of its max HP at the end of each turn. This will stack with other health-restoring moves, and items such as Leftovers.
<h3>Camouflage</h3>
When a Pokémon uses Camouflage, it is changes type according to the terrain it is fighting on.
The terrains competitive battles are fought on, and what type Camouflage chooses are:
D/P Link, Union, and Wi-Fi Battles, Main Street, Neon and Courtyard Colosseum: (Normal)
Gateway Colosseum: (Water)
Waterfall and Sunny Park Colosseum: (Grass)
Crystal, Magma, and Stargazer Colosseum: (Rock)
Sunset Colosseum: (Ground)
<h3>Charge</h3>
When a Pokémon uses the move Charge, its Special Defense gains one
Stat Modifier, and during the following turn, any Electric-type attack the Pokémon uses will have double its original power. This is only a good option on Electric Pokémon with a poor movepool, which, sadly, is many of them.
<h3>Curse (Ghosts)</h3>
Curse is generally only seen on non-Ghost types, for a good reason. Ghosts using the move Curse will cut 50% of their maximum HP, while the target loses 25% of their maximum HP each turn. Generally, half your HP is not worth taking out one of the foe’s Pokémon, which you are not guaranteed to do in the first place. Putting a Curse on a Pokémon will likely force a switch though.
<h3>Disabled</h3>
When a Pokémon uses the move Disable against its foe, the last move the foe used will be ... disabled. That is, the move cannot be used for a couple turns. Disabling can also be negated by switching out. It can be useful against Choice item users, forcing them to Struggle or switch out, or perhaps stopping that tank or wall from using Recover. Only one of a Pokémon's moves can be Disabled at a time.
<h3>Embargo</h3>
When a Pokémon uses Embargo, the target's item will have no effect for 5 turns. This can be useful for weakening a Choice Item user (at the cost of letting them use any move again), or removing Leftovers recovery from a Tank or Wall. Embargo's effects can be removed by the Embargoed Pokémon switching out, or by waiting out the 5 turns.
<h3>Encore</h3>
When a Pokémon Encore, its target will be forced to repeat the move it used last for 4-8 turns in a row. This is used by Wobbuffet to have an easier time with Counter and Mirror Coat, or possibly by other Pokémon to have an easier time predicting in general.
<h3>Gastro Acid</h3>
When a Pokémon uses Gastro Acid, the target's ability will fail to have any effect. This means you can cancel out Levitate for example, or Flash Fire to help a specific Pokémon sweep. However, it is generally not the best use for a moveslot.
<h3>Heal Block</h3>
The move Heal Block prevents all of the foe’s Pokémon from using health-restoring moves for 5 turns. Moves that sap health from the opponent still work however, as do recovery items such as Leftovers and Black Sludge (for Poison types). This is very effective against Tanks or Walls, as they generally can’t last for nearly as long without recovery. However, the duration is short. The only way to end Heal Block is to wait it out.
<h3>Identify</h3>
When a Pokémon uses the moves Foresight or Odor Sleuth, it "identifies" the targeted Pokémon. This Pokémon then has its
Evasion Stat Modifier set to a neutral 0, and as a second effect, are able to be hit by Normal and Fighting attacks if they are a Ghost-type. Evasion also cannot be changed from 0. These effects last until the identifier or identified leaves battle. This is useful for resetting Evasion when it is not claused, and the ability to hit Ghosts with Normal or Fighting attacks is just an added bonus, and alone is not a good enough reason to waste a move slot on a Pokémon.
<h3>Infatuation</h3>
Infatuation is only able to be afflicted upon Pokémon if its foe has the opposite gender. Genderless Pokemon are immune to being infatuated and cannot cause infatuation. It is caused by the move Attract or by striking a Pokemon with the ability Cute Charm. When a Pokémon is infatuated, there is a 50% chance that it will be too love struck to move. Infatuation lasts for as long as both the infatuated Pokémon and the Pokémon that caused the infatuation are on the field. Pokémon with the ability Oblivious are immune to infatuation.
If a Pokémon that is holding Destiny Knot becomes infatuated, its foe will be as well. The item Mental Herb removes infatuation completely, but it can only be used once, and it is not a good idea to waste an item on of the aforementioned two. In general, it is better to confuse a foe that could be infatuated, due to the damage done.
<h3>Ingrain</h3>
When a Pokémon uses Ingrain, it gains 6.25% HP per turn, is unable to switch, and is immune to the effects of Roar and Whirlwind. Switching is crucial in competitive Pokémon battles, and it may not be the best idea to sacrifice the ability to do so.
<h3>Leech Seed</h3>
When a Pokémon becomes seeded, it loses 12.5% of its maximum HP at the end of each turn, which is given to the Pokémon of the seeding trainer. A seeder can switch with other Pokémon, still gaining the benefits of Leech Seed, however if the seeded Pokémon faints or switches out, the effects end. Grass Pokémon are immune being seeded, though they can still have the effects Baton Passed onto them. If a Pokémon that has the ability Liquid Ooze is seeded, the foe will lose any HP they would have gained. Leech Seed is a good move to stall with certain Pokémon.
<h3>Magnet Rise</h3>
When a Pokémon uses Magnet Rise, it becomes immune to Ground moves for 5 turns. This can be negated by Roaring or Whirlwinding the Pokémon out, or forcing it to switch via means other than Baton Passing. Generally speaking, unless a Pokémon has a 4x weakness to Ground, it is not a very good use of a move slot, and even if the 4x weakness is present, it is still a hard decision to make. The short duration of this move is its downfall.
<h3>Nightmare</h3>
When Nightmare is used against a sleeping target, it loses 25% of its max HP for each turn it is asleep. Nightmare can potentially shut down any ResTalker, however few Pokémon can use this move effectively, severely limiting its use.
<h3>Perish Song</h3>
When the move Perish Song is used, it assigns every Pokémon currently in battle a Perish Count, including the user. Only Pokémon with the ability Soundproof are safe from Perish Song, though not the Perish Count itself (a Soundproof Pokémon can have a Perish Count Baton Passed onto it). Every turn, each affected Pokémon's Perish Count is decreased by one. A Pokémon with a Perish Count of zero immediately faints. Since the effect of Perish Song can only be removed by switching out, it is best used in conjunction with a move that traps Pokémon in battle, such as Mean Look. Using Perish Song twice will not affect the Perish Count.
<h3>"Sport" Moves</h3>
When a Pokémon uses Mud Sport or Water Sport, it covers the field in Mud or Water respectively. Mud Sport halves the power of Electric attacks, while Water Sport halves the power of Fire Attacks. This affects all Pokémon in battle until the user of the move switches out. These moves are generally too specific to see much use.
<h3>Taunt</h3>
When a Pokémon Taunts the foe, the foe is unable to use certain non-damaging moves until the 3-5 turns of the Taunt is over.
<h3>Torment</h3>
When a Pokémon uses Torment, the target becomes unable to use the same move twice in a row. Switching negates this effect. Torment can be useful for potentially causing switches, or having an easier time predicting your switches, if a Pokémon is able to come in on three attacks of the foe’s, but not another one for example.
<h3>Trapped</h3>
A Pokémon that is trapped on the field is unable to switch out by normal means, although it can still switch out via Baton Pass, Roar, U-Turn, or Whirlwind. With the moves Block, Mean Look, and Spider Web, the target is unable to normally switch until the Pokémon that trapped them has left the field. The Ability Shadow Tag works the same way, except other Pokémon with Shadow Tag are unaffected. With the Ability Arena Trap, Pokémon that have the Flying type or the Ability Levitate are unaffected. A Pokémon can also become trapped from the moves Bind, Clamp, Fire Spin, Magma Storm, Sand Tomb, Whirlpool, or Wrap. These moves trap the Pokémon affected in battle for 2-5 turns, and they also receive a small amount of damage at the end of each turn for the duration of the trap. Lastly, a Pokémon with the Ability Magnet Pull has the ability to trap Pokémon with the Steel type in battle. Pokémon that are holding the item Shed Shell can switch out of any trapping effects regardless, however this is only really viable on Skarmory.
So that’s it. Now you know the statuses you will encounter during your 4th Generation endeavors and how to induce and lift all of them. Now go paint a glorious battle.