Type

A type refers to an elemental property associated with both Pokémon and their moves.

List of types[]

There are 18 types in total. The first 15 types were introduced in Generation I. Both Steel and Dark were added in Generation II, increasing the total to 17. In Generation VI, the 18th and most recent type was added, Fairy.

For a table listing the strengths, weaknesses, and immunities of each type, see type chart.

Description[]

For Pokémon, a type determines mainly how resistant or vulnerable it is to moves used on them. For moves, a type determines how effective it is on the targeted Pokémon. The type of moves and Pokémon are based on its characteristics or nature.

Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses, and most of them are logical setups. Examples include Fire-type Pokémon being weak against Water-type Pokémon, Ice-type Pokémon being weak against Fire-type Pokémon, and Water-type Pokémon being weak against Electric-type Pokémon. Such match ups apply to moves as well: A Fire-type move such as Overheat inflicts a lot of damage on a Grass-type Pokémon.

Pokémon[]

Most species of Pokémon with evolved forms retain the same type when they evolve, but this does not apply to all of them. For example, Scyther and its evolved form, Kleavor, are both a Bug type primarily, but Kleavor has Rock as a secondary type instead of Flying like Scyther. Some Pokémon change their altogether when they evolve, most notably Eevee (a Normal type), which can evolve into one of eight different forms. Similarly, Cubone (a Ground type) evolves into Marowak (a Fire/Ghost type) in Alola. Gloom in particular loses its secondary type, Poison, when it evolves into Bellossom, a pure Grass type.

Secondary type[]

Several species of Pokémon have only one type, but many also have a secondary type, if it has characteristics that fall under two elemental properties. This does not always apply: Psyducks and Golducks are pure Water-type Pokémon despite also having psychic capabilities; Groudon is a pure Ground-type Pokémon despite being associated with fire and magma; and Darkrai is a pure Dark-type Pokémon despite being a ghost. A Pokémon's secondary type affects mainly which types of moves it can use, its physical appearance, and how effective moves of a certain type are against it.

Some Pokémon have two types that usually do not go together, such as Lanturn being a Water/Electric-type; Ludicolo being a Grass/Water-type; and Jumpluff being a Grass/Flying-type.

Immunity[]

Pokémon of a certain type are unaffected by moves of a certain type, like how Dark-type Pokémon are unaffected by Psychic-type moves, Ghost-type Pokémon by Normal and Fighting-type moves, and Ground-type Pokémon by Electric-type moves. However, certain Abilities that remove a Pokémon's immunity to a certain type. The Scrappy Ability makes Ghost-type Pokémon vulnerable to Normal and Fighting attacks. Mold Breaker removes the effects of any Ability, including Levitate, making it possible for Pokémon that would otherwise have Levitate vulnerable to Ground-type attacks.

Certain Abilities protect a Pokémon from any move of a certain type, such as Levitate, which makes the Pokémon with the Ability immune to all Ground-type moves. There is also Absorb, which not only makes a Pokémon immune to damage from Water-type moves, but these moves also restore its HP slightly.

Certain moves can protect Pokémon of a certain type temporarily, such as Magnet Rise, which protects it from Ground-type moves for five moves. Conversely, certain moves remove a Pokémon's immunity to a certain type for the rest of the Pokémon battle, such as Miracle Eye, which can be used on a Dark-type Pokémon to remove its immunity to Psychic-type moves.

There is one item, Ring Target, which has the negative effect of removing any immunities to moves of certain types that a Pokémon may have.

Moves[]

The moves that can be used by a Pokémon are not necessarily of the same type. All Pokémon can use at least one Normal-type move except Weedle, and a Magikarp, a Water type, typically only knows how to use the Normal-type move, Splash. Some Pokémon can learn moves of a type that is very effective against their own, like how Solrock, a Rock-type Pokémon, can learn the Grass-type move Solar Beam through leveling up. Some Pokémon can learn moves that are not very effective on them, like how Arcanine, a Fire-type Pokémon, can learn Solar Beam through a TM, though this gives it an advantage against Water-type Pokémon, which are usually weak to the attack.

If a Pokémon uses a move of the same type, the move is fifty percent more powerful, creating a STAB. This does not apply to status moves, since they have no power.

Unlike Pokémon, almost no moves have a secondary type, except Flying Press, which is a Fighting/Flying-type move.

Strengthening and weakening[]

There are two moves, Mud Sport and Water Sport, that affect the strength of moves of a type. Specifically, Mud Sport weakens any Electric-type attacks by half, while Water Sport weakens all Fire-type attacks by half.

Certain Abilities can either weaken or strengthen moves of a certain type. There is Thick Fat, which halves the damages of any Fire-type and Ice-type moves that hit the Pokémon. Meanwhile, the Blaze ability strengthens the user's Fire-type attacks by fifty percent if their HP is at thirty percent or lower.

Since Generation II, there is a certain category of held items known as type-enhancing items, which increase the power of moves of a certain type by ten perecent. As of Generation IV, the strength of these moves is increased by twenty percent instead. Certain Incenses, which were introduced in Generation III and IV, increase the power of the user's moves of a certain type, though the only Incense that in Generation III that can affect a certain type is Sea Incense, which increases the power of the user's Water-type moves by five percent (increased to twenty percent as of Generation IV). Additionally, Generation IV introduces plates, which also have this function except they only change the type of Arceus and his move Judgment. In Generation V, even more effective type-enhancing items were introduced, Gems, which increase moves of a certain type by fifty percent, but they can be used only once.

Weather conditions[]

Most weather conditions affect certain types of Pokémon and their moves alike. One of the effects of harsh sunlight is that it increases the power of Fire-type moves by fifty percent whilst weakening Water-type moves by the same percentage. The opposite applies when it rains: Water-type moves are strengthened by fifty percent whilst Fire-type moves are weakened by the same percentage. Sandstorms reduces 1/16 of a Pokémon's maximum HP each turn unless they are either purely or partly a Rock, Ground, or Steel type. Similarly, hail inflicts the same amount of damage each turn to all Pokémon unless they are either purely or partly an Ice type. Rock-type Pokémon benefit from Sandstorms the most, since it also increases their Special Defense by one level.

Special type interactions[]

Some types have special interactions with battle effects:

Starting from Generation VII, Dark-type Pokémon are immune to moves that gain priority from the Ability Prankster.
Starting in Generation VI, Electric-type Pokémon cannot be Paralyzed.
Starting in Generation III, Fire-type Pokémon cannot be Burned. (In Generation II, they can be burned by Tri Attack).
Flying-type Pokémon are not considered grounded, thus not affected by things such as Grassy Terrain and Spikes. If a Flying-type uses the move Roost, it loses the Flying type for the rest of the turn.
Starting in Generation VI, Ghost-type Pokémon are immune to effects that prevent escape, and are guaranteed to flee from a wild battle.
- In Generation I, they are also immune to being paralyzed by Lick but can be hurt by Bide, Counter, Seismic Toss, SonicBoom, and Super Fang.
- In Generations II-III, they are immune to Glare.
Grass-type Pokémon are immune to the move Leech Seed, Spore and Powder moves, as well as the Ability Effect Spore (Gen VI).
Ground-type Pokémon cannot be Paralyzed by Thunder Wave, and they do not take damage from the Sandstorm weather condition.
Ice-type Pokémon cannot be Frozen (except in Generation II via Tri Attack, and starting from Generation III from non Ice-type moves), are immune to the move Sheer Cold (starting from Generation VII), and don't take damage from the Hail weather condition (Generation III-VIII)/get a 1.5x boost from the Snow weather condition (Gen IX).
Poison-type Pokémon cannot be Poisoned (with the exception of Twineedle in Generation II only, and the Ability Corrosion from Generation VII onwards), and will remove Toxic Spikes from their side if grounded, when switched in. If a Poison type uses the move Toxic, it won't miss.
Rock-type Pokémon gain a 50% Special Defense increase, and don't take damage from the Sandstorm weather condition.
Steel-type Pokémon cannot be Poisoned and do not take damage from the Sandstorm weather condition.

Type combos[]

Appearances[]

Core series[]

Generation I[]

Besides the fifteen types introduced, there was also the hidden Bird type used by Glitch Pokémon such as MissingNo. The Bird type would no longer be in the code from Generation III onward.

Up until the 3rd generation, each type was assigned whether it was special or physical in nature. This means that every attack of the same type that had a certain strength always belonged to the same category . Status attacks already existed at that time regardless of the attack nature of the type. This changed in the 4th generation , when every attack - regardless of the type - was categorized in one of the three categories.

Generation II[]

With the introduction of the Dark and Steel types, some Pokémon and their attacks had been reclassified from this game onward. Bite had been changed from Normal to Dark, and both Magnemite and Magneton were given Steel as their secondary type in addition to Electric.

The move Curse was introduced as the only move of the ??? type, but would be changed to a Ghost type since Generation V.

Generation IV[]

A type no longer determines whether a move is physical or special. Instead, each move has received its own damage category.

Generation VI[]

With the introduction of the Fairy type, many Pokémon that were previously Normal or mono-type Pokémon were changed to the Fairy type. The Steel type also loses its resistance to both the Ghost type and Dark type.

Generation IX[]

In Generation IX, another type was introduced, the Stellar type. However, it can be accessed only by Terastallized Pokémon. Stellar-type moves are super effective against any Terastallized Pokémon.

Spinoffs[]

Pokémon Colosseum series[]

While "Shadow" is not determined as being a type directly, both Shadow Pokémon and shadow moves appear in Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. Neither Shadow Pokémon nor Shadow moves appear in any games of the core series, so Shadow Pokémon cannot be traded over.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series[]

In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, if a move's type is ineffective, the move has "little effect" on the Pokémon and inflicts only 0.5 times the normal damage, much like in the core series. If a Pokémon uses a move whose type is strong against the opponent's, then it inflicts 1.4 times the damage, but if the move is effective against both of the opponent's types, this doubles to 2.8 times the damage. If a move's type is weak against a specific type, then the damage done is 0.7 times the normal damage done.

Pokémon GO[]

The Shadow type also returns in Pokémon GO.

Pokémon Masters EX[]

In Pokémon Masters EX, there are Unity Moves, which can use three types if all Pokémon on the player's side of the field have different type.

Trivia[]

The only exception to the max dual typing is the manga-exclusive "Zapmolcuno" which is an Ice/Electric/Fire/Flying type (usually shortened to ???/Flying type).
As of Generation IX, the only types that have been paired with every other type is Water, Flying, Psychic, Grass, Electric, Fighting, and Dark.
- Coincidentally, all of these types have an immunity, with the Dark, Steel, and Fairy types being immune to the Psychic, Poison, and Dragon types respectively.
- The Dark type is currently the only one of the three types introduced after Generation I to not be given to an already introduced Pokémon to retype it.
The type that has the most Pokémon classified into it is Water.
According to Ken Sugimori, adding new types makes it tricky to maintain the battle balance. However, he also stated if Game Freak can figure out how to add types without disrupting the competitive meta, the staff are eager on creating new types.^[1]
The only Pokémon without a type weakness is the Tynamo line, because their Levitate ability makes them immune to Ground, the only type effective against Electric.
As of Generation IX, Poison/Flying type are dual types with the longest span to be unique type combos with Zubat and Golbat since Generation I.
In Generation V, there were 3 unique type combos through not technically a Pokémon from Pokéstar Studios, such as F-00 who was Steel/Normal type, UFO 2 who was Psychic/Electric type, and Brycen-Man who was Dark/Psychic type.
While not evolutionary relatives, several Pokémon that related to each other also have unique type combinations such as:
- Lunatone and Solrock → Rock/Psychic (Gen III - IX^SV^TTM until the introduction of Iron Boulder)
- Latias and Latios → Dragon/Psychic (Gen III - VII^SM until the introduction of Ultra Necrozma)
- Carbink and Diancie → Rock/Fairy (since Generation VI)

References[]

^ https://twitter.com/DrLavaYT/status/1692952315622494357?s=20

External links[]

[1] ttps://twitter.com/DrLavaYT/status/1692952315622494357?s=20

[1]

Pokémon Wiki