Search... Search... ⌘ K
Tools Explore Guides About Toggle theme Toggle theme Toggle mobile menu
Abilities Strategy Guide | PolishedDex | PolishedDex
Abilities Strategy Guide Strategic guide to Pokémon abilities in Polished Crystal. Learn about ability categories, competitive strategies, and the best abilities for different playstyles.
Author: Cammy and CensoredHarp
Last updated: March 20, 2026
Abilities are innate passive effects that fundamentally shape a Pokémon's competitive viability. A single ability can transform an otherwise unremarkable Pokémon into a metagame staple or provide the crucial edge needed to execute specific team strategies.
In Pokémon Polished Crystal , abilities follow modern-series mechanics, enabling deeper strategy through damage amplification, defensive utility, speed manipulation, and field control.
Offensive abilities amplify damage output, enhance accuracy, or expand coverage options. These are essential for sweepers and wallbreakers.
Effect: Doubles the Attack stat[1]
Notable Pokémon: Azumarill
Strategy: Converts moderate base Attack into devastating power. Priority Aqua Jet turns Azumarill into a premier revenge killer.
Effect: STAB multiplier increases from 1.5× to 2×[1]
Notable Pokémon: Porygon-Z
Strategy: Encourages mono-type offense with extreme damage output.
Effect: 50% Attack boost when statused; ignores burn's Attack drop[1]
Notable Pokémon:
Effect: 60 BP or lower moves gain a 50% boost[1]
Notable Pokémon: Scizor
Strategy: Turns weak moves like Bullet Punch into serious threats.
Effect: Resisted attacks deal neutral damage ("not very effective" becomes 1× instead of 0.5×)[1]
Notable Pokémon: Butterfree (Polished), Yanmega (Polished)
Strategy: Eliminates coverage issues by making all attacks at minimum neutral.
Effect: All moves bypass accuracy checks[2]
Notable Pokémon: Machamp
Strategy: Guarantees hits from moves like Dynamic Punch .
Effect: Critical hit multiplier increases to 2.25×[2]
Notable Pokémon: Kingdra
Defensive abilities enhance survivability through mitigation, recovery, or stat control.
Effect: Reduces super-effective damage by 25%[3]
Notable Pokémon: Rhyperior
Effect: Damage halved at full HP[3]
Notable Pokémon: Dragonite
Effect: Poison heals instead of damages[5]
Notable Pokémon: Gliscor
Boosts Fire type moves by 50% when the user is hit by a fire type move
Notable Pokémon: Arcanine , Ninetales [4]
Speed control determines turn order and tempo.
Status moves gain +1 priority[6]
Notable Pokémon: Murkrow
Speed rises every turn[6]
Notable Pokémon: Yanmega
Speed boosted while statused[6]
Notable Pokémon: Ursaring
Weather abilities define entire team archetypes.
Abilities that enable control, disruption, or resource generation.
Magic Bounce – Reflects hazards and status[9] Espeon
Sticky Hold – Prevents item loss[9] Muk
Synchronize – Reflects status[9] Umbreon
Natural Cure – Clears status on switch[5] Blissey
Hidden Abilities provide alternate, often meta-defining options.
Wild Pokémon: 5% chance[10]
Hidden Grottoes: Guaranteed[11]
Odd Egg : Always Hidden Ability[12] Wonder Trade: 33% chance[13]
Ability Patch: Direct conversion[14]
Eggs have a 60% chance to inherit the mother's/non-Ditto's ability[15]
With Ability Capsule /Ability Patch : The chance of offspring hatching with a hidden ability is boosted by 25% per parent holding one of these items![15]
Ninetales – Drought Politoed – Drizzle Gliscor – Poison Heal
All mechanics in this guide are verified directly against Polished Crystal's engine logic and scripting. Source links reference the exact routines or data tables used in-game.
[1] Power amplification abilities
Damage calculation implementation — engine/battle/abilities.asm
Guts Attack boost — engine/battle/abilities.asm
Mega Launcher power boost — engine/battle/abilities.asm
Tinted Lens damage modification — engine/battle/abilities.asm
[2] Accuracy and critical hit abilities
No Guard accuracy bypass — engine/battle/effect_commands.asm
Super Luck critical stage — engine/battle/effect_commands.asm
Sniper critical multiplier — engine/battle/effect_commands.asm
[3] Damage mitigation abilities
Filter/Solid Rock implementation — engine/battle/abilities.asm
Thick Fat implementation — engine/battle/abilities.asm
Multiscale implementation — engine/battle/abilities.asm
[4] Type immunity abilities
Type matchups — data/types/type_matchups.asm
Absorb HP recovery — engine/battle/abilities.asm
Flash Fire activation — engine/battle/abilities.asm
Flash Fire status setting — engine/battle/abilities.asm
Flash Fire power boost — engine/battle/abilities.asm
[5] Recovery abilities
Regenerator implementation — engine/battle/abilities.asm
Status healing data table — data/abilities/status_heal.asm
Natural Cure switch-out — engine/battle/abilities.asm
[6] Speed control abilities
Prankster priority boost — engine/battle/core.asm
Prankster Dark-type immunity — engine/battle/effect_commands.asm
Speed Boost end-of-turn — engine/battle/abilities.asm
Speed calculation (Quick Feet, Unburden) — engine/battle/abilities.asm
[7] Weather setter abilities
Battle entry implementation — engine/battle/abilities.asm
[8] Weather abuser abilities
Speed calculation — engine/battle/abilities.asm
[9] Utility and support abilities
Magic Bounce implementation — engine/battle/move_effects/magic_bounce.asm
Sticky Hold item theft prevention — engine/battle/move_effects/thief.asm
Synchronize status reflection — engine/battle/abilities.asm
[10] Wild encounter Hidden Ability rate
Ability probability constants — constants/pokemon_data_constants.asm
[11] Hidden Grotto Hidden Ability rate
Hidden Grotto implementation — engine/events/hidden_grottoes.asm
[12] Odd Egg Hidden Ability
Odd Egg generation — engine/events/odd_egg.asm
Odd Egg species data — data/events/odd_eggs.asm
[13] Wonder Trade Hidden Ability rate
Wonder Trade ability generation — engine/events/wonder_trade.asm
[14] Ability modification items
Item effect handler — engine/items/item_effects.asm
[15] Hidden Ability breeding inheritance
Breeding ability inheritance — engine/pokemon/breeding.asm
