Ability

An **Ability** is a game mechanic that provides an effect in battle or in the overworld. It can benefit the player, the Pokémon with the ability, or any other Pokémon on the field. Some abilities on Pokémon will change upon evolution, form change, certain moves used by it or on it, or an Ability Capsule (if the ability is not a hidden ability). Not all abilities are beneficial; some will hinder the user.

## Mechanics

The amount of abilities a Pokémon has varies with each species. Most of them have three; a primary ability, a secondary ability, and a hidden ability. When you encounter a Pokémon normally, it usually has its primary or secondary abilities; getting a Pokémon with its hidden ability usually requires some kind of special encounter.

When a Pokémon evolves, if it changes ability, its new ability will be determined by its ability it had in its previous form. For example, Galital's primary ability is Heavy Armor. However, Jabbeak's primary ability is Big Pecks. If a Jabbeak with the ability Big Pecks evolves, it will get the ability Heavy Armor. However, if the Jabbeak has its secondary or hidden abilities, its ability will remain the same. This is true for other evolutionary lines that have varying abilities as well.

Aside from evolution, there are three other ways that a Pokémon can change their abilities permanently. One way is form change. For example, Genarlem's Statue Form will have the ability Pressure. However, when it changes into its Spirit Form, it will gain the ability Telluric Aura. Another way of doing this is the Ability Capsule. If the Pokémon the Ability Capsule is used on has its primary or secondary ability, its ability will switch between the two. For example, if an Ability Capsule is used on a Pebblit with Flame Body, its ability will switch to Sturdy. This also works the other way around, but does not work on Pokémon with only one regular ability or a Pokémon with its hidden ability. Another way is changing its hidden ability to its special ability. This is only possible with Pokémon that either had an unobtainable hidden ability or a hidden ability that changed in another generation. For example, bringing a Litwick, Lampent, or Chandelure with Infiltrator to the Special Ability Tutor will allow it to get its unreleased hidden ability, Shadow Tag. Bringing a Venipede, Whirlipede, or Scolipede with Speed Boost to the same tutor will allow it to get its previous hidden ability, Quick Feet. Both of these changes require a Star Piece to both apply and undo.

Some abilities also have effects outside of battle. For example, a Pokémon with the ability Compound Eyes will make the chance of wild Pokémon holding their respective held items greater, as long as it is in the first slot of the player's party.

## Hidden Abilities

Hidden abilities are an additional ability a Pokémon can have. This ability can only be required by encountering the Pokémon you need with a hidden ability in a special way. Methods of obtaining these are listed below.

* Some Pokémon from Mystery Gift will have their hidden abilities.
* Some special Pokémon have a 5% chance of having their hidden abilities:
	+ The Voltorb and Electrode as fake items at Power Plant 2
	+ Any Pokémon encountered in any sort of phenomenon
* Some special Pokémon have a 20% chance of having their hidden abilities:
	+ Any Pokémon revived from a fossil
	+ Any Pokémon that can be encountered flying in the air
	+ Pokémon encountered from a swarm
* Some special Pokémon will always have their hidden abilities:
	+ The Deino given to you by the Hedge Brothers
	+ The Toxie given to you by an NPC via in-game trade at the Driftide City Pokécenter
	+ The Froglog given to you by an NPC via in-game trade at the Driftide City Pokécenter
	+ The Farfetch'd given to you by an NPC at Route 28
* When chaining with the Poké Radar, every 10 Pokémon encountered in a chain will make the chance of them having a hidden ability rise by 5%, until 40 Pokémon are chained. After 40, the chance will remain 20%.

## Special Abilities

Special abilities are a new type of ability introduced in Generation S. Pokémon who have had unreleased abilities or abilities in the past that have changed can get those abilities. To get these abilities, you need to bring the Pokémon with its hidden ability to the Special Ability Tutor in the house east of the Driftide City Pokémart. For a Star Piece, he will give your Pokémon its special ability. This change can be undone for another Star Piece.

## Abilities and Breeding

When the female parent has one of its normal abilities, there is an 80% chance that this ability will get passed on; if it has another ability, its other ability will get passed down 20% of the time.

If a female parent has a hidden ability or special ability, there is an 60% chance that the hidden or special ability will get passed down. This means there is a 40% chance for one of its regular abilities to get passed down, with a 20% chance for each.

For example, when a female Twowl has Synchronize, there is an 80% chance that the baby will have Synchronize and a 20% of it having Frisk. If it has Aerilate, there is a 60% chance the baby will have Aerilate, a 20% chance for it to have Synchronize, and a 20% for it to have Frisk.

## List of Canon Abilities

All of the abilities in the canon games can be found in the game. They are listed here.
https://pokemondb.net/ability

## Ability Changes

### **Buffs**

* Cheek Pouch now restores 50% of the Pokémon's HP when a berry is eaten instead of 33%.
* Gale Wings is going back to how it was in X and Y.
* Healer always heals an ally's status condition, instead of sometimes doing it.
* Infiltrator can hit through Protect, Detect, Spiky Shield, King's Shield, Baneful Bunker, and Mat Block. However, secondary effects of these protecting moves will still occur; for example, Pokémon with Infiltrator will be able to hit through Spiky Shield, but they will still be damaged if the move was a contact move.
* Clear Body and White Smoke prevent self-inflicted stat changes, such as a Special Attack decrease from Overheat or a Speed decrease from Hammer Arm.
* Plus and Minus now provide a bigger boost.
* Overcoat prevents damage from sandstorms, hail, typhoons, and thunderstorms