Moves
Every Pokémon has a bar of moves, each with its own cooldown, reach and area. In battle they fire on their own whenever they are ready. One move is its signature move, the strongest it has and the one it is known for, shown on its Pokédex page.
Learning moves
Each copy of a Pokémon knows a set of moves from its species' pool, so two copies can fight differently. You can teach it others from its pool:
- a Heart Scale teaches any move of its pool;
- a TM teaches a move of the TM's type.
A new move replaces one it knows, in a slot that fits it. It fights with that slot's cooldown, reach and power. A move of another type gives up the bonus Pokémon get for their own type, in exchange for hitting other types hard. Its signature move never changes. Forgetting a learned move to get its own move back is free.
TMs drop from defeated Pokémon of their type. Heart Scales are sold at the Poké Mart.
Traits
Every Pokémon has one or two traits, small bonuses that each apply in certain situations. They depend on its types:
| Trait | Effect | Types that can roll it |
|---|---|---|
| Sharp Eye | Critical hits 8% of the time (instead of 6%). | Any |
| Focused | Starts a battle with 3 more energy: its power comes a little sooner. | Any |
| Brawler | Its basic attack hits 5% harder. | fightingnormalrockgrounddarkdragonsteelbug |
| Marksman | Moves hit 6% harder from 3 or more tiles away. | waterelectricpsychicflyingicefiregrassghostfairypoison |
| Fury | Below half health, it hits 3% harder. | firedragonfightingdarknormal |
| Bully | Hits foes below half health 3% harder. | darkbugpoisonfightingghost |
| Wicked | Its moves cause status problems 25% more often. | poisonghostpsychicgrassbugfireelectricicedark |
| Insulated | Takes 10% less from fire and ice. | watericenormalground |
| Tough Hide | Takes 4% less from physical hits. | rocksteelgroundbug |
| Warded | Super-effective hits do 8% less to it. | psychicfairyghostdragonsteel |
| Regrowth | Regains 0.06% of its health every second. | grasswaterbugfairynormal |
| Resilient | Its status problems last 30% less. | steelrockfightingnormaldragon |
| Touch | Its basic attack may burn, paralyze, poison or freeze (10%, by its type). | fireelectricpoisonice |
- An Ability Capsule rerolls a Pokémon's traits (better genes make two traits likelier).
- An Ability Patch swaps one trait for one you choose from those its types allow.