Does Misty Terrain Remove Status? A Comprehensive Guide

Yes, Misty Terrain absolutely prevents and effectively removes status conditions from grounded Pokémon. This powerful terrain effect is a staple in Pokémon battles, offering crucial protection against crippling ailments. While it doesn’t actively “cure” existing status conditions, it does provide immunity and prevents any new ones from being inflicted. This makes it a valuable tool for both offensive and defensive strategies. Let’s delve deeper into the nuances of Misty Terrain and its impact on status effects.

The Power of Misty Terrain: More Than Just Aesthetics

Misty Terrain is a battlefield condition that blankets the ground in a mystical mist for five turns (or eight turns if the user is holding a Terrain Extender). Its primary function is to safeguard grounded Pokémon from the debilitating effects of status conditions. This protection extends to a variety of ailments, making Misty Terrain a versatile asset.

What Status Conditions Does Misty Terrain Block?

Misty Terrain offers comprehensive protection against status conditions, including:

• Paralysis: Prevents the reduction of speed and the chance of complete immobilization.
• Sleep: Prevents Pokémon from falling asleep, including effects induced by moves like Hypnosis or Rest.
• Poison: Prevents both standard poison and the more damaging toxic poison.
• Burn: Protects against the attack-reducing burn status effect.
• Freeze: Prevents Pokémon from being frozen solid, which would otherwise render them unable to act.
• Confusion: While not a traditional status condition, Misty Terrain prevents confusion from being inflicted, adding another layer of protection.
• Infatuation: While less common than other status conditions, Infatuation, caused by moves like Attract, is also negated by Misty Terrain.
• Yawn: Prevents a Pokemon from being afflicted by Yawn, which causes the target to fall asleep the next turn. If a Pokemon is already drowsy, the target will not fall asleep.
• Other Status-Inducing Moves: Misty Terrain negates the effects of various other moves designed to inflict status, such as Thunder Wave, Will-O-Wisp, and Toxic.

It is important to note that only grounded Pokémon benefit from Misty Terrain’s status immunity. Flying-type Pokémon, or those with the Levitate ability, are not protected unless they are affected by a Ground Clearance item.

Beyond Status Immunity: The Additional Effects of Misty Terrain

Misty Terrain offers more than just status protection. It has two other notable effects:

• Dragon-type Damage Reduction: Misty Terrain reduces the damage dealt by Dragon-type attacks to grounded Pokémon by 50%. This makes it a very effective counter to Dragon-type threats.
• No Attack Boost: Unlike some other terrains, Misty Terrain doesn’t directly boost the power of any attack type. This makes it more focused on defensive and strategic purposes.

How to Use Misty Terrain Effectively

Understanding how Misty Terrain works allows trainers to utilize it strategically in battles. It can be deployed both defensively and offensively:

• Defensive Application: Use it to protect your Pokémon from status inflictions from your opponent, keeping them healthy and allowing them to perform their roles in battles.
• Offensive Application: Use the terrain’s Dragon-type damage reduction to protect your Dragon-type weak Pokémon from strong Dragon-type attacks. Also, use it to prevent status inflictions that could hinder your assault on an opponent’s Pokemon.
• Team Synergy: Misty Terrain is particularly effective when paired with Pokémon that are susceptible to status conditions or weak to Dragon-type attacks.
• Strategic Timing: Because it lasts only five turns (or eight with the Terrain Extender), strategic timing of deployment is crucial. Use it when you anticipate your opponents might use moves that will inflict a status or when you will be encountering an opponent with Dragon-type moves.

Misty Terrain and the Toxic Orb

Misty Terrain also has a very specific interaction with the Toxic Orb and other similar items or abilities that may induce status effects:

• Prevention: Misty Terrain actively prevents the user of a Toxic Orb from being poisoned while they are on the ground. This can disrupt strategies that rely on poisoning a Pokémon through such items.

Misty Terrain FAQs

To further clarify the intricacies of Misty Terrain, here are some Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Does Misty Terrain prevent Toxic Orb activation?

Yes, if a Pokémon is grounded under Misty Terrain, the Toxic Orb will not activate, preventing the user from being poisoned, as long as the Pokémon is on the ground.

2. Can you fall asleep in Misty Terrain?

No, Misty Terrain completely blocks all attempts to induce sleep on grounded Pokémon. This includes moves like Hypnosis, Sleep Powder, and even the effects of Yawn.

3. Does Misty Terrain prevent burns?

Absolutely. Misty Terrain prevents Pokémon from being afflicted with the burn status, which can be achieved through moves like Will-O-Wisp.

4. Do flying types ignore Misty Terrain?

Yes, Flying-type Pokémon and those with the Levitate ability are not affected by Misty Terrain’s status immunity and damage reduction unless they’re using a Ground Clearance item.

5. Does Misty Terrain stop Thunder Wave?

Yes, Misty Terrain nullifies Thunder Wave’s paralysis effect on grounded targets.

6. Does Misty Terrain stop swagger?

Yes, Misty Terrain blocks the confusion that occurs from Swagger on grounded Pokémon, rendering the stat increase the only effect.

7. Does Misty Terrain negate Rest?

If a Pokemon is under the effects of Misty Terrain, the move Rest will fail and the Pokemon will not go to sleep.

8. Does Yawn work in Misty Terrain?

No, Yawn will fail if used on a grounded target under the effect of Misty Terrain. Additionally, if a Pokemon is already drowsy from Yawn, it will not fall asleep under Misty Terrain.

9. What item extends Misty Terrain?

The **Terrain Extender** is a held item that extends the duration of Misty Terrain from five to eight turns.

10. Does Misty Terrain block Haze?

No. However, Misty Terrain negates stat changes on grounded Pokémon under its effect. In addition, If any Pokemon under Misty Terrain already has stat changes, they are cleared, similarly to the move Haze.

11. Does Misty Terrain remove existing status conditions?

No, Misty Terrain does not remove status conditions that are already active on a Pokémon. However, it will prevent any further status inflictions as long as the Pokémon remains on the ground.

12. How does Misty Terrain interact with Fairy-type moves?

Misty Terrain does not increase the power of Fairy-type moves. The terrain does not directly buff any attack types.

13. Can Misty Terrain be combined with other terrain types?

No, only one terrain can be active at a time. If another terrain is used it will overwrite any existing terrains on the field.

14. How is Misty Terrain different from Electric Terrain or Psychic Terrain?

Unlike Electric Terrain and Psychic Terrain which have offensive effects and also prevent sleep or priority, Misty Terrain does not directly boost any attack types. It is centered on preventing status inflictions on grounded Pokemon and reducing damage from Dragon-type attacks.

15. What Pokémon often utilize Misty Terrain?

Tapu Fini is a very common user of Misty Terrain, thanks to its ability, Misty Surge. Many other Pokemon can learn Misty Terrain through TMs.

Conclusion

Misty Terrain is a valuable tool in any Pokémon trainer’s arsenal. Its ability to provide status immunity to grounded Pokémon, along with its Dragon-type damage reduction, makes it a crucial asset in battles. While it doesn’t directly remove existing status conditions, its preventative power is undeniable. By understanding the intricacies of Misty Terrain, trainers can utilize its full potential and gain a significant advantage in their battles.