Does Covert Cloak Prevent Paralysis in Pokémon? A Deep Dive
Yes, the Covert Cloak does indeed prevent paralysis in Pokémon. As a held item, the Covert Cloak shields the holder from the secondary effects of damaging moves. This means if a Pokémon uses a move like Body Slam or Glare – moves with a chance to paralyze – the Covert Cloak ensures the holder takes the damage, but avoids the paralysis status condition. It’s a fantastic item for competitive battling, and understanding its nuances is crucial for success.
The Power of Prevention: Covert Cloak Explained
The Covert Cloak has become increasingly popular in recent generations of Pokémon games, particularly in Scarlet and Violet. Its utility lies in its ability to nullify the annoying and often match-altering secondary effects of opponent’s moves. Think of it as a force field against unwanted status conditions, flinches, and other inconveniences.
However, it’s important to understand the item’s limitations. The Covert Cloak only prevents secondary effects attached to direct damaging attacks. It does not protect against:
- Status moves: Moves like Thunder Wave (which directly inflicts paralysis) are unaffected.
- Entry hazards: Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes will still affect the holder upon switching in.
- Abilities: Abilities that cause status conditions are not negated. For example, a Pokémon with Static touching your Pokémon may still inflict paralysis.
- Moves that have the removal of boosts as their primary effect: Moves such as Clear Smog will remove boosts even if the target holds the Covert Cloak because the stat removal isn’t considered a secondary effect.
Essentially, the Covert Cloak is a reactive item. It only kicks in when a damaging move with an additional effect is used.
Why Use Covert Cloak?
In the fast-paced world of competitive Pokémon, the Covert Cloak provides invaluable protection. It can prevent:
- Paralysis: As discussed, it negates the paralysis chance from moves like Body Slam, Thunderbolt (if combined with Serene Grace), and Lick.
- Flinching: Prevents flinching from moves like Rock Slide, Air Slash, and Fake Out, ensuring your Pokémon can act.
- Burns: Protects against the burn chance from moves like Scald or Will-O-Wisp (if used in conjunction with a damaging move).
- Poison: Prevents being poisoned by moves with a chance to poison, such as Sludge Bomb.
- Confusion: Prevents confusion from moves with a chance to confuse, such as Hurricane.
- Freezing: Protects against the freezing chance from moves such as Ice Beam.
This consistent protection makes the Covert Cloak particularly useful on Pokémon that rely on setting up strategies, sweeping, or those that are vulnerable to status conditions. It allows these Pokémon to function without being crippled by a single unlucky status proc.
Covert Cloak vs. Other Items
Many items in the Pokémon world provide some form of protection. Here’s how Covert Cloak stacks up against some notable alternatives:
- Lum Berry: Cures any single status condition. Covert Cloak provides ongoing prevention, while Lum Berry offers a one-time cure.
- Chesto Berry: Wakes a sleeping Pokémon. Useless against paralysis, burns, or poison.
- Leftovers: Restores HP each turn. Provides no status protection but offers sustained healing.
- Heavy-Duty Boots: Prevents damage from entry hazards. Doesn’t protect against status conditions inflicted by moves.
- Safety Goggles: Protects against damage from weather conditions and powder moves. Doesn’t protect against paralysis.
- Clear Amulet: Prevents the user’s stats from being lowered by other Pokemon.
- Focus Sash: Leaves the holder with 1 HP if they would be knocked out in one hit. Provides no status protection.
The best item ultimately depends on the specific Pokémon and team composition. If status prevention is a priority, and your opponent relies on moves with secondary effects, the Covert Cloak is an excellent choice. For those looking for a more community and teaching-based approach to learning about gaming, visit the GamesLearningSociety.org website to learn more.
Conclusion
The Covert Cloak is a valuable tool in the Pokémon trainer’s arsenal. While it doesn’t stop every ailment, its ability to prevent secondary effects like paralysis, flinching, and burns from damaging moves makes it a potent choice in competitive battles. Understanding its strengths and limitations is key to utilizing it effectively. So, equip your Covert Cloak, and prepare to dominate the battlefield!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What exactly does the Covert Cloak do?
The Covert Cloak, when held by a Pokémon, prevents the holder from being affected by the additional effects of other Pokémon’s damaging moves.
2. Does Covert Cloak prevent paralysis from Thunder Wave?
No, the Covert Cloak does not prevent paralysis from Thunder Wave. Thunder Wave is a status move whose primary purpose is to inflict paralysis. The Covert Cloak only protects against paralysis that is a secondary effect of a damaging move.
3. Can a Pokémon with Covert Cloak still be burned by Will-O-Wisp?
Yes, the Covert Cloak will not prevent a Pokémon from being burned by Will-O-Wisp. Will-O-Wisp is a status move with the sole purpose of inflicting burn. The Covert Cloak only works against the chance of a burn occurring from a damaging move, such as the move Scald.
4. Does Covert Cloak stop King’s Rock from causing flinching?
Yes, the Covert Cloak does stop the added flinch chance from King’s Rock, as this is an additional effect added to the move.
5. If my Pokémon has Covert Cloak, will it still take damage from entry hazards like Stealth Rock?
Yes, your Pokémon will still take damage from entry hazards, as Covert Cloak doesn’t provide immunity to those hazards.
6. Will Covert Cloak protect against confusion caused by moves like Confuse Ray?
No, Covert Cloak will not protect against confusion caused by the move Confuse Ray. This is because Confuse Ray is a status move whose primary effect is to inflict confusion, rather than a damaging move.
7. Can a Pokémon with Serene Grace and Body Slam paralyze a Pokémon with Covert Cloak?
No. Even with Serene Grace doubling the chance of the secondary effect, the Covert Cloak prevents paralysis from the damaging move Body Slam.
8. Does the Covert Cloak prevent stat drops from moves like Icy Wind?
Yes, the Covert Cloak will prevent stat drops from moves like Icy Wind, as the stat drop is a secondary effect.
9. Can the Covert Cloak stop a Pokémon from being trapped by moves like Whirlpool?
Yes, the Covert Cloak prevents the trapping effect from a move like Whirlpool because the entrapment is considered an additional effect.
10. How effective is Covert Cloak in the current competitive meta?
The effectiveness of Covert Cloak varies depending on the metagame. In formats where moves with secondary effects are common, the Covert Cloak can be extremely valuable. It is a strong choice in formats where specific threats like Kingambit or opposing electric types are common.
11. Does Covert Cloak work against abilities that inflict status?
No, the Covert Cloak does not work against abilities that inflict status. For example, a Pokémon with Static touching your Pokémon may still inflict paralysis.
12. Is Covert Cloak a good item for support Pokémon?
Covert Cloak can be situational on support Pokémon. It is especially useful to avoid being flinched from moves like Fake Out, preventing them from setting up Light Screen, Reflect, or entry hazards. Other items such as Leftovers, Rocky Helmet, or Heavy-Duty Boots are usually preferred on Support Pokémon.
13. Can the Covert Cloak prevent the secondary effects of a Terastallized Pokémon’s moves?
Yes, the Covert Cloak will still prevent the secondary effects of a Terastallized Pokémon’s moves. The item is not affected by the Pokémon’s Tera type.
14. Does Covert Cloak protect against moves like Clear Smog?
No. Clear Smog removes boosts even if the target holds Covert Cloak (Clear Smog’s stat removal isn’t a secondary effect).
15. Where can I find more information about Pokémon strategies and competitive battling?
You can find more information about Pokémon strategies and competitive battling on sites like Smogon University, or by engaging with the broader Pokémon community. You can also check out the Games Learning Society or GamesLearningSociety.org, which focuses on the educational and community-building aspects of gaming.