Psychic (type)

The **Psychic type** (Japanese: **エスパータイプ** *Esper type*) is one of the eighteen types. Prior to changes in Generation IV, all damaging Psychic-type moves were special, but they may also now be physical depending on the attack.

## Battle properties

### Generation I

Psychic-type Pokémon are affected by Night Shade despite type immunity.

## Characteristics

### Defense

Prior to Generation VI, Steel/Psychic types were exempt from Psychic's three weaknesses, but since Steel no longer resists Dark and Ghost, this is no longer the case.

### Offense

A drawback of Psychic-type moves is that they do not affect Dark-type Pokémon, although this immunity can be removed with Miracle Eye. The immunity, along with resistances to Psychic, can also be circumvented with coverage moves such as Ground-type attacks.

When Psychic Terrain is in effect, the power of Psychic-type moves are increased by 30% (50% prior to Generation VIII) if the user is on the ground.

### Contest properties

When used in Contests, Psychic-type moves are typically Clever moves, but can also be of the other four Contest types, excluding Tough.

### Generation I balance issues

In the Generation I games, Psychic-type Pokémon were at the center of a balance issue. As a result, the issue was rectified in Generation II, with the addition of Steel and Dark types, an added weakness to Ghost-type moves (as opposed to previously being immune to them), as well as some moves that are strong against Psychic types.

## Pokémon

As of Generation AN-V, there are 25 Psychic-type Pokémon or 8.2% of all Pokémon, including those that are Psychic-type in at least one of their forms, such as a regional form, except through abilities like Multitype. This makes it the 11th most common type, tying with the Fairy type. All other types have been paired up with Psychic at least once - after the official release of Galarian Slowbro, Psychic became the third type to have this trait, after Flying and Water.

### Pure Psychic-type Pokémon

* Cosmog, Cosmoem, and Necrozma were pure Psychic-type prior to Generation AN-I.

### Half Psychic-type Pokémon

#### Primary Psychic-type Pokémon

* Solgaleo and Lunala were Psychic/Steel and Psychic/Ghost respectively before Generation AN-I.

#### Secondary Psychic-type Pokémon

* Lunatone and Solrock were Rock/Psychic prior to Generation AN-I.

## Abilities

### Interacting with the Psychic type

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

A Darmanitan with Zen Mode will also change from a Fire-type into a dual Fire/Psychic-type form upon losing more than 50% of its HP.

### Exclusive Abilities

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

 VII

## Notable Psychic-type Trainers

Main pages: Category:Psychic-type Trainers and Category:Psychic-type Trainers

## In the TCG

Main article: Psychic (TCG)
Due to the decreased amount of types in the TCG, Psychic generally adopts all Ghost-type Pokémon under its typing. It also adopted Poison-type Pokémon after the Diamond & Pearl set, whereas previously they were a part of the Grass-type, and Fairy-type Pokémon starting with Sword & Shield.

Similar to the games, Psychic-type Pokémon in the TCG are generally weak to other Psychic Pokémon, with no resistances. Psychic-type Pokémon are strong against Grass (until Diamond & Pearl), Fighting and Psychic Pokémon, whilst Colorless, Darkness and Metal Pokémon can resist this type.

## Trivia

* Generation III introduced the most Psychic-type Pokémon of any generation, with 20, and Generation VI introduced the fewest Psychic-type Pokémon, with six.
* Generation I introduced the most Psychic-type moves of any generation, with 15, and Generation VI introduced the fewest Psychic-type moves, with only one, Hyperspace Hole.
	+ The Psychic type also has the greatest number of non-damaging moves out of all of the types, with 39.
* The Psychic-type is the most common type for Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, with at least two Psychic-type Legendary or Mythical Pokémon introduced in each generation (except Generation VI and Generation VIII, which only introduced one) for a total of 19 (out of 74).
* The Psychic-type is the only type that shares its name with a move and a Trainer Class.
* There has been at least one Psychic-type type expert in every generation.
* In Generation I, the color gold was often used in relation to Psychic-types possibly as a reference to parapsychology. The Psychic-type Gym is located in Saffron City which is a color similar to gold, and its badge is named "Gold Badge" in Japanese. It is also represented in Pokémon designs such as Abra-line, Drowzee-line, Psyduck, and in Golduck's name, where all of them have psychic abilities. In Mystery Dungeon games there's also the Gold Gummi which is the Gummi variety loved by Psychic-type Pokémon.
* The Psychic-type could be considered a special counterpart to the Fighting type:
	+ The Psychic type's highest average stat is Special Attack, while the Fighting type's is Attack.
	+ The Psychic-type is the only former special type to not have any of its old moves changed into physical moves, while the Fighting-type is the only former physical type to not have any of its old moves changed into special moves.
	+ Counter and Mirror Coat, moves that counter physical and special attacks are, respectively, Fighting- and Psychic-type moves.
	+ Bulk Up and Calm Mind, moves that raise physical and special stats are, respectively, Fighting- and Psychic-type moves.
	+ The Cram-o-matic considers Choice Band and Muscle Band Fighting-type inputs and Choice Specs and Wise Glasses Psychic-type inputs.
* A Pokémon cannot have a double resistance to Psychic without being a Psychic-type itself.
	+ However, a Psychic-type Pokémon also cannot have a double resistance to more than one type.
* Rattled, an Ability introduced in Generation V, is affected by the weaknesses of the Psychic-type. However, no Psychic-type Pokémon has this Ability, nor can any one of them benefit from the effects of Rattled.
* Psychic has the most notable type specialists of any type, with ten (eleven if Tate and Liza are counted separately).
* Psychic, Flying, and Water are the only types that have been paired with every other type in the core series.

## References

1. ↑  Sugimori, Ken *"Psychic Pokémon seemed to dominate in the previous Pokémon game, so we needed to come up with new Pokémon and types to make Pokémon Gold and Silver more balanced."* Nintendo Power 134 (July 2000) p. 79 (retrieved August 16, 2010)