Haywire (status condition)

**Haywire** is a non-volatile status condition that causes a Pokémon to take damage over time. In the games, it is often abbreviated as HWR.

It is often caused by Glitch-type moves. Glitch-type Pokémon are normally immune to going haywire.

## In the core series games

### Effect

#### In battle

A haywire Pokémon will take damage equal to 1/16 of its total HP every turn, however, this is affected by the type effectiveness of Glitch-type moves on the Pokémon - meaning that Dragon-type, Psychic-type, and Steel-type Pokémon will take double the damage from this status effect. This is affected by the Pokémon's Ability. The damage taken per turn must be in the range of 1/32 to 1/8 of the afflicted Pokémon's total HP - a value outside this range will instead set the damage taken to the closest value in the range.

Haywire Pokémon also have a 12.5% chance to use a random move from their moveset rather than the move selected, if they are weak to the Glitch-type. Pokémon that take the normal damage or resist the Glitch-type are not affected by this chance. This differs from disobedience, in that the Pokémon cannot do nothing, and differs from confusion, in that the Pokémon cannot self-inflict damage (since the status itself deals damage similar to that of poison).

Interestingly, while confusion can be stacked with every other non-volatile status condition, it cannot stack with the Haywire status condition, likely for balance purposes as the effect of the Haywire status is pretty powerful and the Glitch type has access to multiple good confusion moves.

#### Outside of battle

In Generation AN-I, although a Haywire Pokémon, like a Poisoned one, will not take damage on the field, a Haywire following Pokémon will move around erratically, as if confused. Otherwise, the status has no effect outside of battle.

### Appearance

In Generation AN-I, a haywire Pokémon has green eyes instead of their normal color, additionally blocks of static may occasionally appear around the Pokémon's body.

### Causes

#### Moves

The following moves may make the target haywire:

#### Other causes

A Pokémon can become haywire if it attempts to afflict haywire onto a Pokémon with the Synchronize Ability.

### Curing

Haywire can be cured with the use of an Antivirus. In addition, like all other major status conditions, it can be cured by the items Full Heal, Rage Candy Bar, Lava Cookie, Old Gateau, Casteliacone, Lumiose Galette, Shalour Sable, Big Malasada, Full Restore, Heal Powder, Lum Berry, and Sacred Ash.

The moves Refresh and Rest remove the haywire status condition from the user, while Heal Bell (unless the Pokémon has Soundproof as their Ability in Generation III and IV) and Aromatherapy remove it from all Pokémon in the user's party. In addition, the move Psycho Shift shifts the haywire status onto its target (thereby healing the user).

Pokémon with Natural Cure will be cured upon switching out, those with the Hydration Ability will be cured whilst it is raining. Pokémon with Shed Skin have a 1/3 chance of being cured every turn, and Pokémon with Healer have a 30% chance of curing their allies.

### Prevention

In general, Glitch-type Pokémon cannot become haywire. If a Pokémon were to go haywire while not Glitch-type (such as while affected by a type-changing move or before evolving into a Glitch-type, it will remain haywire.

Pokémon with the Ability Secure Contact cannot become haywire by contact. Pokémon with the Comatose Ability and Minior in Meteor Form are completely immmune to going haywire. Pokémon with the Ability Leaf Guard will be protected from status conditions in harsh sunlight. The Ability Magic Guard will prevent damage due to going haywire from being taken in battle; however, it does not affect the random move chance.

The moves Safeguard and Misty Terrain (for grounded Pokémon) will protect the party from status conditions for five turns. A Pokémon behind a substitute cannot go haywire, except due to Synchronize.

### Advantages

While being haywire, like all major status conditions, has primarily negative effects, it can be advantageous to be haywire in certain conditions. Pokémon with Guts, Marvel Scale, and Quick Feet will have their Attack, Defense, and Speed increased by 50%, respectively, if haywire or afflicted by any other non-volatile status condition excluding sleep and freeze. The base power of Facade is doubled (from 70 to 140) when inflicted with haywire. When capturing Pokémon, the haywire status also adds a 1.5× multiplier to the catch rate of any given Pokémon.

### Other in-game effects

If a Pokémon has Speed Run and hits a haywire target, it will be guaranteed to score a critical hit.

## Trivia

* Haywire is the only major status condition that was introduced after Generation II.