Ability

File:Ability VIII.png
An **Ability** (Japanese: **特性** *Ability*) is a game mechanic introduced in Generation III that provides a passive effect in battle or in the overworld. Individual Pokémon may have only one Ability at a time. Prior to Generation VI, an Ability could not be changed after a Pokémon was obtained except by evolution—where the new Ability is determined by the former Ability—and form change. Not every Ability is entirely beneficial; some of them are hindering.

## Terminology

Often in Template:Game2, and also sometimes in

## Ability

, this is written as "special ability" (in lowercase). Some examples:

* The descriptions of Role Play, Skill Swap, and Trace mention either "special ability" or "special abilities".
* In the placeholder text for a Pokémon with no Ability: "No special ability."
* Some non-player characters mention "special abilities".
	+ A male NPC in the house south of Devon Corporation, in Rustboro City: "Every <sc>Pokémon</sc> has a special ability that it can use."
	+ A female NPC in the first floor of Mossdeep City's Pokémon Center: "Depending on the special abilities of <sc>Pokémon</sc>, some moves might change or not work at all."
	+ Cooltrainer Jennifer in Route 120: "<sc>Pokémon</sc> have many special abilities. If you want to become a first-class <sc>Trainer</sc>, learn about them.", "The special abilities of <sc>Pokémon</sc> will make battle styles change."
* In the easy chat system: "<sc>Sp. Ability</sc>"
* In the manual of

## Ability

, about the Pokémon's summary: "Displays the special <sc>Ability</sc> of the Pokémon"

Sometimes in Template:Game2, but more often in

## Ability

 and Generation IV, this is written as "ability" (in lowercase; without the word "special"). Some examples:

* The Pokémon's summary has an "Ability" field.
* The description of TM48 (Skill Swap) mentions "abilities".
* When Skill Swap is used in battle: "<Pokémon> swapped abilities with its opponent!"
* In

## Ability

 and Generation IV games, the descriptions of Role Play, Skill Swap, Trace, and Worry Seed mention either "ability" or "abilities".
* In Template:Game2, said by the NPC who delivers TM48 (Skill Swap) in Canalave City: "You know how Pokémon have their own abilities? Well, the move Skill Swap exchanges the user’s ability with that of its target Pokémon."

From Generation V onwards, this is consistently written as "Ability" (starting with a capital letter).

## Mechanics

 File:Primordial Sea.png
Some species of Pokémon have multiple possible Abilities. The most Abilities any species or form has is three: two normal Abilities and one Hidden Ability. In most wild Pokémon encounters, the Pokémon's Ability will be one of its non-Hidden Abilities (each having an even chance of appearing if the species has two). Hidden Abilities were introduced in Generation V; they are relatively rare and usually require some type of special encounter.

In technical terms, a species' Abilities may be thought of as having separate slots, with an individual Pokémon's non-Hidden slot determined by its personality value. For example, an Eevee—with two non-Hidden Abilities—has Run Away for its first non-Hidden slot, Adaptability for its second, and Anticipation for its Hidden Ability slot. Vaporeon—with only one non-Hidden Ability—can be considered to have Water Absorb for both non-Hidden slots. When a Pokémon evolves, its Ability slot remains the same. This means that a Poochyena with Run Away will evolve into a Mightyena with Intimidate, while a Poochyena with Quick Feet will evolve into a Mightyena with Quick Feet.

Aside from Evolution, there are three ways for Pokémon to change Abilities in a permanent manner. One way is if the Pokémon has different forms with different Abilities. Another way is through the Ability Capsule, which was introduced in Generation VI. The Ability Capsule actually changes a Pokémon's non-Hidden Ability slot, but it will not work if the Pokémon has its Hidden Ability or if the species has only one non-Hidden Ability. Third, transferring a Pokémon from one generation of games to a later one in which the Ability in a given slot is different. Aside from these methods, during battle, Pokémon may also change their Ability through Mega Evolution or Primal Reversion, and certain moves and Abilities can also change a Pokémon's Ability.

When Abilities were introduced in Generation III, some Pokémon only had one possible Ability. A number of these species were given a second Ability in a later generation. If a Pokémon whose species gained an Ability after Generation III is transferred to Generations IV or V, it will initially retain its original Ability; upon evolving, however, its Ability slot will be recalculated and its Ability may change. When a Pokémon is transferred to Generation VI or Generation VII, however, it will be locked into the appropriate slot for its current Ability.

Aside from in-battle effects, some Abilities also have effects outside of battle.

### Hidden Abilities

Main article: List of Pokémon with released Hidden Abilities (Generation V)
Main article: List of Pokémon with released Hidden Abilities (Generation VI)
Main article: List of Pokémon with released Hidden Abilities (Generation VII)
Main article: List of Pokémon with released Hidden Abilities (Generation VIII)
A **Hidden Ability** (Japanese: **隠れ特性** *Hidden Ability*) is a type of Ability slot introduced in Generation V. An individual Pokémon with its Hidden Ability will retain its Ability slot upon evolution (i.e. its Ability will become its evolved form's Hidden Ability). Pokémon can only have their Hidden Ability if obtained in certain ways.

Not all species of Pokémon have a Hidden Ability. However, even Pokémon of a species that does not have a Hidden Ability can have the Hidden Ability flag. Some methods for obtaining a Hidden Ability specifically ensure that species without a Hidden Ability cannot receive the Hidden Ability flag, while other methods do not. A Pokémon without a Hidden Ability having the Hidden Ability flag has functional significance in two circumstances:

* Some species of Pokémon do not have a Hidden Ability even though their evolved forms do; upon evolution, the evolved form will only have its Hidden Ability if its pre-evolved form had the Hidden Ability flag (despite this not being visible on the pre-evolved form). For example, Metapod does not have a Hidden Ability, whereas Caterpie and Butterfree do.
* If a Pokémon species that did not have a Hidden Ability gains a Hidden Ability in a subsequent generation, if a Pokémon of that species with its Hidden Ability flag is transferred to a generation in which it can have its Hidden Ability, its Ability will change accordingly. For example, Weezing did not have a Hidden Ability in Generation VI, but it can have its Hidden Ability flag if encountered as a Hidden Pokémon; if a Weezing with its Hidden Ability flag is transferred to Generation VIII (where it does have a Hidden Ability), its Ability will become its Hidden Ability.

#### General methods

* All generations
	+ When breeding a Pokémon with its Hidden Ability, its offspring may have a chance of having their Hidden Ability.
* Generation V
	+ All Pokémon encountered in Entree Forest (i.e. obtained from the Pokémon Global Link, either via the Pokémon Dream World or a Global Link promotion) will always have their Hidden Ability, if they have one.
		- Since the closure of the Pokémon Global Link, several evolutionary families can no longer be newly encountered with their Hidden Ability (other than by breeding Pokémon caught there): the Burmy and Tirtouga families.
	+ Pokémon obtained from the Pokémon Dream Radar always have their Hidden Ability.
	+ Pokémon encountered in Hidden Grottos always have their Hidden Ability.
* Generation VI
	+ Any Pokémon encountered in a Horde Encounter may have their Hidden Ability.
	+ Pokémon encountered in the Friend Safari have approximately a 1 in 3 chance of having their Hidden Ability if the Friend to whom the Friend Safari corresponds has been recognized as a Friend in the PSS (i.e. if both players have been on the PSS at the same time).
	+ Hidden Pokémon have a chance of having their Hidden Ability (even if their species does not have a Hidden Ability), which increases as the Search Level for that species increases.
* Generation VII
	+ Pokémon that appear as the tenth or later Pokémon in an SOS Battle have a chance of having their Hidden Ability (even if their species does not have a Hidden Ability), which increases as the chain length increases.
	+ All Pokémon transferred from the Virtual Console releases of the Generation I or Generation II games via Poké Transporter have their Hidden Ability, if they have one.
* Generation VIII
	+ Pokémon encountered in Max Raid Battles may have their Hidden Ability (even if their species does not have a Hidden Ability), depending on the specific raid.
	+ Using an Ability Patch on a Pokémon gives it its Hidden Ability (unless its species does not have one).

#### Specific Pokémon

* Certain event Pokémon may have their Hidden Ability.
* In

## Ability

, some overworld Pokémon have their Hidden Ability:
	+ The five Darmanitan in the Desert Resort.
	+ The Musharna in the Dreamyard on Fridays.
* In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, some overworld and gift Pokémon have their Hidden Ability:
	+ On Mondays, a male Jellicent at Undella Bay**B2** or a Braviary on Route 4**W2**.
	+ On Thursdays, a Mandibuzz on Route 4**B2** or a female Jellicent at Undella Bay**W2**.
	+ A Deerling given as a gift on Route 6.
	+ A male Eevee gifted by Amanita in Castelia City, after the player has entered the Hall of Fame.
	+ Yancy/Curtis will trade the player a specific Pokémon with a Hidden Ability after the player has entered the Hall of Fame and ridden the ferris wheel with them.
* In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, a Kecleon with its Hidden Ability will appear behind the astronaut face board at the Mossdeep Space Center after the Delta Episode.
* In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, some Totem-sized Pokémon have their Hidden Ability. This is to ensure the Totem Pokémon in question have only one possible Ability upon being received.
	+ Totem-sized Gumshoos, Alolan Marowak, and Ribombee in Ultra Sun.
	+ Totem-sized Alolan Raticate, Togedemaru, and Kommo-o in Ultra Moon.

### Inheriting Abilities

Main articles: Pokémon breeding § Inheriting Abilities, and Pokémon breeding → Inheriting Abilities
In Generations III and IV, Abilities could not be inherited by breeding. An Egg would simply randomly be born with one of its possible Abilities.

Since Generation V, it has been possible for female Pokémon to pass down their Ability. In

## Ability

, if a female Pokémon has its Hidden Ability and is bred with a male Pokémon, it has a 60% chance of passing it down. In Black 2 and White 2, a female Pokémon bred with a male Pokémon has an 80% chance of passing down its Ability slot (regardless of whether it is a Hidden Ability or not). From Generation VI onward, a female Pokémon has an 80% (60% for Hidden Ability) chance to pass down its Ability slot, regardless of whether it is bred with a male Pokémon or Ditto.

Since Generation VI, it is possible for male and gender-unknown Pokémon (such as Magnemite) to pass down their Ability if bred with a Ditto, in which case it has a 60% chance to pass down its Hidden Ability. They cannot pass down a Hidden Ability when bred with any Pokémon other than Ditto. Ditto's Ability is always irrelevant to inheritance.

If an Egg does not inherit its Ability from a parent, it can only be born with one of its non-Hidden Abilities.

### Abilites affecting Abilities

Certain Abilitites can affect the Abilities of themselves, their allies, or their targets.

#### Changing Abilities

A Pokémon's Ability can be changed when struck by any of the following moves. The effects of these moves wear off immediately upon the target being switched out, reverting the target's Ability to its original one before the effects of any abilities that activate upon exiting battle occur.

 Mummy | Contact with the Pokémon changes the attacker's Ability to Mummy.
 Power of Alchemy | The Pokémon copies the Ability of a defeated ally.
 Receiver | The Pokémon copies the Ability of a defeated ally.
 Wandering Spirit | The Pokémon exchanges Abilities with a Pokémon that hits it with a move that makes direct contact.
 Laggy Connection | When it enters a battle, the Pokémon copies an opposing Pokémon's Ability.

#### Altering Abilities

A Pokémon's Ability can be suppressed, ignored or reversed when any of the following abilities are present on battle.

#### Benefical Abilities

A Pokémon's Ability can activate other Pokémon's Ability to benefit it, or give another specific benefical ways that affect abilitites.

 Plus | Boosts the Sp. Atk stat of the Pokémon if an ally with the Plus or Minus Ability is also in battle.
 As One | This Ability combines the effects of both Calyrex's Unnerve Ability and Glastrier's Chilling Neigh Ability.
 As One | This Ability combines the effects of both Calyrex's Unnerve Ability and Spectrier's Grim Neigh Ability.

### Moves

Certain moves that a Pokémon can use can affect the Abilities of themselves, their allies, or their targets.

#### Suppressing Abilities

A Pokémon's Ability can be suppressed when struck by any of the following moves.

 Gastro Acid | Poison | Status | —

#### Changing Abilities

A Pokémon's Ability can be changed when struck by any of the following moves. The effects of these moves wear off immediately upon the target being switched out, reverting the target's Ability to its original one before the effects of any abilities that activate upon exiting battle occur.

#### Ignoring Abilities

A Pokémon's Ability can be ignored when struck by any of the following moves.

## In other games

### Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Main articles: Mystery Dungeon game mechanics § Abilities, and Mystery Dungeon game mechanics → Abilities

Abilities available in the core series games are also available in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. Some Abilities differ from their counterparts in the core series (e.g. Intimidate reduces the opposing Pokémon's Attack by 20%). Prior to Gates to Infinity, Pokémon with two Abilities would have both rather than just one. There are no Hidden Abilities in Mystery Dungeon games.

### Pokémon Conquest

Main article: List of Abilities (Conquest)

While most Pokémon species in Pokémon Conquest have access to three Abilities (similar to the main series, Hidden Abilities included), many of these Abilities are different from the main series due to differences in the battle system. For example, Abilities like Cute Charm and Rivalry do not exist in Pokémon Conquest (due to the game's lack of a gender mechanic), while other Abilities utilize mechanics unique to Pokémon Conquest battles (like "Sprint", which increases the user's movement Range).

Like the main series, an individual Pokémon's Ability is dictated by its current species (i.e. evolutionary form) and may change during evolution.

## Trivia

* Zygarde is the only Pokémon that has two standard Abilities but does not have a Hidden Ability.
* The unused Ability Cacophony was included in the coding for third-generation games as Ability #076 (Air Lock was #077). From the fourth generation, Cacophony was removed and Air Lock was renumbered as #076, with the new Abilities positioned from #077 onward.
* Generation III introduced the most Abilities, with a total of 76. Generation VIII introduced the fewest, with a total of 25.
* In Generation III, there is an unused Ability placeholder labeled as "-------" with the description "No special ability".

## See also

* Ability variations
* List of Pokémon by Ability
* List of Abilities in other languages
* Signature Ability
* Moves that affect Abilities
* Moves that ignore Abilities
* Ability-changing Abilities
* Abilities that ignore other Abilities

## References

Template:Reflist

Template:Pokémon individuality

Template:Project Moves and Abilities notice

de:Fähigkeit
es:Habilidad
fr:Talent
it:Abilità
ja:とくせい
zh:特性

1. ↑ pokemon.com/dk