Psychic Terrain: Your Shield Against Taunt? Debunking the Myth
No, Psychic Terrain does not inherently protect a grounded Pokémon from Taunt. While Psychic Terrain prevents grounded Pokémon from being hit by priority moves, Taunt itself isn’t a priority move in the traditional sense. It’s more complex than a simple block. The interaction between Psychic Terrain and Taunt depends on the ability of the Pokémon using Taunt. A non-Prankster user can successfully Taunt a grounded Pokémon under Psychic Terrain. However, if the Taunt user has the Prankster ability, which grants priority to status moves, Psychic Terrain will block it. It’s a nuanced interplay of abilities and move mechanics.
Understanding Psychic Terrain
Psychic Terrain is a battlefield condition that dramatically alters the landscape of Pokémon battles. Introduced in Generation VII, it creates a low-lying psychic field lasting five turns, with its duration extended to eight turns if a Pokémon holds the Terrain Extender item.
The Primary Effects:
- Priority Move Prevention: Most notably, Psychic Terrain prevents grounded Pokémon from being hit by moves with increased priority. This is its defining feature, shutting down strategies reliant on quick attacks and disruption.
- Psychic-Type Boost: Psychic Terrain boosts the power of Psychic-type moves by 50% when used by grounded Pokémon. This significantly strengthens Psychic-type attackers, turning them into offensive powerhouses.
- Interaction Complexities: The interaction between abilities and moves can vary.
Taunt’s Mechanics: A Closer Look
Taunt is a non-damaging status move that forces the target to only use attacking moves for a few turns. This prevents the target from using status moves, setup moves, or healing moves, making it a powerful disruption tool.
Why Taunt Isn’t Always Blocked
- Base Priority: Taunt itself has a base priority of 0. This means it typically goes after moves with higher priority and alongside other moves with the same priority, determined by Speed.
- Prankster Exception: The Prankster ability changes everything. Prankster gives status moves +1 priority. Under Psychic Terrain, a Prankster-boosted Taunt directed at a grounded opponent will be blocked.
- Other Abilities: Abilities such as Oblivious will protect the pokemon from being taunted.
Psychic Terrain and Taunt: The Verdict
Psychic Terrain doesn’t offer blanket protection against Taunt. It specifically blocks Taunt when it has increased priority due to the Prankster ability. Otherwise, a grounded Pokémon under Psychic Terrain is still vulnerable to Taunt.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Psychic Terrain
1. What exactly does Psychic Terrain prevent?
Psychic Terrain prevents grounded Pokémon from being hit by moves with increased priority. It also boosts the power of Psychic-type moves by 50% for grounded Pokémon. It also affects the move Expanding Force, increasing its power and hitting all opposing Pokémon.
2. Which moves are blocked by Psychic Terrain?
Any priority move (e.g., Quick Attack, Sucker Punch, Extreme Speed) targeting a grounded Pokémon will be blocked by Psychic Terrain. This includes priority status moves granted by the Prankster ability, with the Taunt caveat explained above.
3. Does Psychic Terrain block all priority moves?
No. Moves that target all Pokémon (except certain specific exceptions like Perish Song) or all foes are not blocked by Psychic Terrain, even if they have priority. Also, the terrain only blocks priority moves targeting grounded opponents, therefore self-priority moves or those targeting allies will not be blocked.
4. If I use Psychic Terrain, does it stop my own priority moves?
According to most sources, Psychic Terrain only blocks priority moves targeting your opponent’s grounded Pokémon. You can still use priority moves on your own team or against non-grounded opponents. This allows for strategic play where you leverage Psychic Terrain’s benefits while avoiding its drawbacks.
5. Does Psychic Terrain nullify Prankster entirely?
Not entirely. Psychic Terrain blocks priority status moves from Prankster users targeting grounded opponents. However, if a Prankster user targets a non-grounded Pokémon, the priority move will still go through.
6. Does Psychic Terrain block Follow Me or Rage Powder?
Follow Me and Rage Powder are self-targeting or ally-targeting priority moves, respectively. Psychic Terrain should not block these moves as they do not directly target an opposing grounded Pokémon.
7. Does Psychic Terrain block Pursuit?
No, Psychic Terrain doesn’t affect Pursuit’s effects. Pursuit hits a switching Pokémon, and its effect is triggered during the switch, not directly influenced by the terrain.
8. Is Trick Room affected by Psychic Terrain?
Trick Room itself is a Psychic-type move, but it is not boosted by Psychic Terrain. Trick Room reverses the turn order making slower Pokémon move first. However, the move will be blocked by psychic terrain if boosted by the Prankster ability.
9. What items or abilities prevent Taunt?
The Mental Herb negates the effect of Taunt once. Pokémon with the Oblivious ability are immune to Taunt, as are Pokémon under the effect of Aroma Veil, which protects allies from mental effects.
10. What Pokémon ability negates Psychic Terrain?
There is no ability that directly negates Psychic Terrain itself. However, Pokémon with the Levitate ability or those holding an Air Balloon are immune to the effects of Psychic Terrain as they are not grounded. Additionally, Mold Breaker, Teravolt, and Turboblaze allow moves to bypass abilities that would otherwise prevent them, but they do not bypass Terrain effects, as Terrain is a field condition, not an ability.
11. What happens if a Pokémon becomes grounded after Psychic Terrain is active?
If a Pokémon becomes grounded (e.g., using Roost, being hit by Thousand Arrows, or having its Air Balloon broken) after Psychic Terrain is active, it will immediately be affected by the terrain’s effects, including protection from priority moves.
12. What type is immune to Psychic moves under Psychic Terrain?
Dark-type Pokémon are completely immune to Psychic-type moves, regardless of Psychic Terrain. This immunity can be circumvented by moves like Miracle Eye.
13. Is Expanding Force only boosted on Psychic Terrain?
Yes, Expanding Force‘s increased power and ability to hit all opposing Pokémon are only active while Psychic Terrain is in effect. Without Psychic Terrain, it functions as a standard Psychic-type move targeting a single opponent.
14. How does Nature Power interact with Psychic Terrain?
When used in Psychic Terrain, Nature Power becomes Psychic-type and functions as the move Psychic.
15. Where can I learn more about the strategic nuances of Pokémon battles?
You can discover many facets of gameplay strategies and the nuances of battle mechanics at places such as the Games Learning Society and their website: https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. Learning about game design and the complex interactions within Pokémon can significantly improve your skills as a trainer.