How Long Does Imprison Last? A Comprehensive Guide
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The duration of the Imprison move in the Pokémon universe is straightforward: it lasts only as long as the Pokémon that used Imprison remains on the battlefield. The effect is not tied to any specific duration or number of turns. Once the user is switched out, faints, or is otherwise removed from the battle, the Imprison effect immediately ends. This makes it a temporary and situational move.
Understanding the Mechanics of Imprison
What Does Imprison Do?
Imprison is a Psychic-type move that prevents opponents from using any move that is also known by the user of Imprison. If the foe shares even one move with the user, they are restricted from using that move. This effect is applied globally to all opponents on the field, and it’s active for as long as the Pokémon that used Imprison is active.
How Does Imprison Work?
To visualize this, imagine a battle where SmeargleA uses Imprison. Any opposing Pokémon that knows even one move that SmeargleA knows is immediately restricted from using that specific move. If SmeargleA switches out, this restriction is lifted. The same would apply if SmeargleA faints. The restriction only works as long as SmeargleA remains an active participant in the battle.
Imprison in Competitive Play
Despite its potential, Imprison is generally considered almost perfectly useless in competitive play. It’s too niche and relies on the user having a move pool that overlaps significantly with opponents’ move pools. This situation is quite rare in serious battles, where team compositions are varied and unpredictable.
Situational Use Cases
However, Imprison can be strategically useful in 1-on-1 battles. If you can predict an opponent’s moves and your Pokémon has key moves in common, combining Imprison with other defensive moves like Protect or Screens can completely shut down their offense.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Imprison
1. Does Imprison Work After the Pokémon Faints?
No. Imprison‘s effect ceases the moment the user faints. The restriction on the opponents is immediately lifted, and they are free to use any of their moves again.
2. Is Imprison Considered a Disable Move?
In a way, Imprison does disable moves, but it’s not the same as the move Disable. Imprison prevents moves based on whether the user also knows them, while Disable targets a single move used by an opponent and prevents that specific move.
3. Does the Mental Herb Work With Imprison?
No, a Mental Herb does not block Imprison. This is because Imprison does not directly affect individual Pokémon; it affects the entire battlefield, as long as the user remains active in battle. The Mental Herb only negates specific moves that directly inflict statuses.
4. Can You Use Imprison in Raid Battles?
While Imprison can be used in Max Raid Battles and Tera Raid Battles, the raid boss is immune to its effect. The boss will ignore any restrictions placed on them by Imprison, making the move essentially useless in these contexts.
5. Can Imprison be passed by Baton Pass?
No, Imprison cannot be passed on to another Pokémon using Baton Pass. The effect of Imprison is tied to the user and is immediately dropped when they are no longer on the battlefield.
6. Does powering up with Psychium Z enhance Imprison’s effect?
Yes, if powered up by a Psychium Z into Z-Imprison, the user’s Special Defense stat is raised by two stages. However, this does not affect the move’s duration or its ability to block moves.
7. What is a “move-restricting” Psychic-type move?
Imprison is classified as a Psychic-type move that restricts moves of the opponent based on shared knowledge. The move’s nature is to prevent the opponent from using any moves that the user also possesses.
8. Does Imprison work against Pokémon switched in after its usage?
Yes, the effect of Imprison applies to all opposing Pokémon, even those switched in after the move was initially used. If a switched-in Pokémon shares moves with the user of Imprison, it will be affected immediately.
9. Does Imprison work against the same Pokémon using a different move?
Yes. If the opponent switches moves, Imprison will still restrict the moves of the opponent as long as they share moves with the user and the user remains on the field.
10. Does Imprison work against a Pokemon that changes its type with protean?
Yes. Type changes due to abilities like Protean do not change how Imprison works. The move’s restrictions are based on the moves known, not the Pokémon’s type.
11. Can Imprison be used with other status moves?
Yes. Imprison can be used in conjunction with other status moves, like Protect, Screens, or even Toxic to enhance defensive and strategic plays as long as the user remains on the field.
12. Is Imprison a good move for beginners?
No. Imprison is not considered a good move for beginners because it is very situational and requires a strong understanding of opponents’ move sets, which can be complex.
13. Can a Pokémon still use a move they share with the user if Imprison is no longer active?
Yes, absolutely. If the Pokémon that used Imprison faints, is switched out, or uses a move that forces it off the field, the restriction is immediately lifted. The opposing Pokémon can then freely use any of their moves.
14. Can a Pokémon’s Ability prevent Imprison from working?
No, no ability will protect against the effects of Imprison. The ability might change types, move priorities, etc, but will not make the effects of Imprison any less effective.
15. What’s the difference between Imprison and Torment?
Imprison blocks any move also known by the user, while Torment prevents the target from using the same move twice in a row. They operate on different mechanics and have distinct strategic uses.