Poison (type)

The **Poison type** (Japanese: **どくタイプ** *Poison type*) is one of the eighteen types. Notable Trainers who specialize in Poison-type Pokémon include Janine of Fuchsia City, her father Koga of the Indigo Plateau Elite Four, Roxie of Virbank City, and Team Skull Admin Plumeria. Some villainous teams, such as Team Rocket, also frequently use Poison-type Pokémon. Prior to changes in Generation IV, all damaging Poison-type moves were physical, but they may now also be special depending on the attack.

## Battle properties

### Generations II to V

In Generation II, Poison-type Pokémon cannot be poisoned by Poison-type moves. Starting in Generation III, Poison-type Pokémon cannot be poisoned.

A grounded Poison-type Pokémon will remove Toxic Spikes from its side when it switches in.

### Generation VI onwards

Poison-type Pokémon cannot be poisoned, except by a Pokémon with Corrosion.

A grounded Poison-type Pokémon will remove Toxic Spikes from its side when it switches in.

## Characteristics

### Defense

Defensively, the Poison type is considered one of the best in the game. It is adept in both blocking and inflicting various status conditions, especially poison and bad poison. Its weakness to Ground can be mitigated by the variety of dual-type Grass and Bug/Poison Pokémon, as well as Poison/Flying types and Pokémon with Levitate. Additionally, the Poison type resists itself, Bug, Fighting, Grass, and Fairy (as of Generation VI), giving it resistances to a substantial number of common moves.

Similar to Ghost- and Bug-types, Poison-types tend to hold potent status and support moves, such as Toxic Spikes and Toxic. A grounded Poison-type Pokémon automatically removes Toxic Spikes on its side when it switches in. Although the majority of non-Poison types are able to learn Toxic, as of Generation VI, when a Poison-type uses the move, it gains perfect accuracy, bypassing accuracy checks and semi-invulnerable turns from moves such as Fly and Dig.

### Offense

Poison-type moves are typically used to harass foes by inflicting poison and bad poison to deal damage over time rather than to rely on basic damage. Prior to Generation VI, Poison only hit the Grass type super effectively, which was largely offset by the common Grass/Poison typing. Compared to Poison, Ice, Fire, Flying, and even Bug are much more useful in countering the Grass type. Aside from itself, Poison is resisted by Rock, Ghost, and Ground and is completely ineffective against Steel. (Steel is also immune to the Poison status condition.) Additionally, Poison types typically have average Attack and Special Attack, hampering the offensive usefulness of Poison-types.

However, as of Generation VI, Poison is one of only two types super-effective against Fairy, along with Steel, giving Poison a key offensive role. Because of the typically low Defense most Fairy types have, moves such as Poison Jab and Gunk Shot can often take them down in one hit.

### Contest properties

In Contests, Poison-type moves typically become Clever moves. None of them are considered Cute.

## Pokémon

As of Generation VII, there are 64 Poison-type Pokémon or 8.0% of all Pokémon, making it the 9th most common type.

## Abilities

### Interacting with the Poison type

A Pokémon with Color Change, Protean, Imposter, RKS System, or Multitype will become a Poison-type Pokémon if (respectively) it is hit with a Poison-type move, uses a Poison-type move, is sent out against a Poison-type opponent, is holding a Poison Memory, or is holding a Toxic Plate or Poisonium Z.

Poison-type Pokémon are also immune to becoming poisoned from the Abilities Poison Point, Poison Touch, Synchronize, or Effect Spore.

### Exclusive Abilities

Only Poison-type Pokémon can have these Abilities. This does not include signature Abilities.

 III

## Trivia

* Generation I introduced the most Poison-type Pokémon of any generation, with 33, and Generation VI introduced the fewest Poison-type Pokémon, with two.

* + As of Generation VII, more than half of the Pokémon that have the Poison-type were introduced in Generation I.

* Generation I introduced the most Poison-type moves of any generation, with eight, and Generation II introduced the fewest Poison-type moves, with only one.

* In Generation I, the Poison type is super effective against Bug-type Pokémon, while the Bug type is super effective against Poison-type Pokémon. As such, this was the only different type match-up that was super effective against each other.

* A Pokémon of every type except Poison was added to the Sinnoh Pokédex in Pokémon Platinum.

* The Poison type is the only one of the original 15 types not mentioned in the song 2.B.A. Master. Instead, the "Flame type" (which doesn't exist) is mentioned.

## In other languages

de:Gift

fr:Poison (type)

it:Veleno (tipo)

ja:どく

pl:Trujący (typ)

zh:毒（属性）