Pokémon's "Secret" Moves Have Special Effects You’ve Probably Never Seen

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Some moves in actually come with additional effects that are not widely noted in the games, knowledge of which can have an impressive impact on a person’s battling skills and strategy. Battling in games can be remarkably complex at times, with an incredible variety of factors to consider. Despite this, however, it is not always easy to discern all the relevant details, to the point that some features can actually be obscured by the design of the games.

Pokémon moves are broadly split into damaging and status moves, with the former category split further into physical and special moves. Status moves do not deal damage directly, but some can induce Status Conditions like being Burned to do so indirectly. The specific effects of each move are noted in their descriptions, with flavor text often describing in basic terms how a Pokémon performs the attack or technique. Of course, some Pokémon moves have been removed from the games as the franchise has progressed, and many more have also had their specific effects be adjusted between titles for balancing purposes.

Certain moves, such as Dig or Fly, are particularly useful to know as they grant a Pokémon semi-invulnerability for a turn before the attack proper is unleashed on the next. This can help a Pokémon avoid taking a lot of damage, whilst the opposing Pokémon simply wastes its PP. However, there are some conditions in which this invulnerability can be negated, hence why it is only ‘semi’. For example, the Ability No Guard allows a Pokémon’s attacks to hit no matter the situation. Moreover, some moves not only ignore a Pokémon’s semi-invulnerability, but actually deal more damage when breaking it.

These moves share a logical connection with the specific form of semi-invulnerability they break, making their effects a natural consequence rather than a confusing one. For example, Twister can hit Pokémon high in the air, a consequence of using Fly, Bounce, and Sky Drop (or even being affected by the latter). Furthermore,