Which Terrain Prevents Status? Understanding Pokémon Terrains and Status Ailments
The Pokémon world is filled with diverse strategies and intricate mechanics, and terrains play a pivotal role in shaping battles. Among these, understanding which terrain prevents status ailments is crucial for any trainer aiming for victory. While several terrains exist, Misty Terrain stands out as the primary defense against debilitating status conditions.
Misty Terrain: The Status-Blocking Shield
Misty Terrain is the terrain that directly and effectively prevents status conditions. When active, this terrain blankets the battlefield, creating a magical mist that protects grounded Pokémon from a variety of unpleasant afflictions. Specifically, Misty Terrain prevents grounded Pokémon from being inflicted with status conditions such as sleep, paralysis, poison, burn, and freeze, as well as the dreaded confusion. This protective effect lasts for five turns, making it a valuable tool for strategic play.
It’s essential to note that the protection of Misty Terrain applies only to grounded Pokémon. Those with the ability Levitate, Flying-type Pokémon, or Pokémon holding an Air Balloon are not protected by its effects. This selectivity demands careful consideration during team building and battle planning. Additionally, Misty Terrain also reduces the damage of Dragon-type moves by 50% for grounded Pokémon, providing a dual layer of defense.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Terrains and Status
1. Does Misty Terrain Remove Existing Status Conditions?
No, Misty Terrain does not remove existing status conditions. It only prevents new status ailments from being inflicted on grounded Pokémon while it is active. If a Pokémon is already burned or poisoned when Misty Terrain is set, the status condition will remain.
2. Does Misty Terrain Stop Toxic Orb?
Yes, Misty Terrain can prevent a Toxic Orb from activating on a grounded Pokémon. This makes it a potent counter strategy, especially when facing teams relying on this item. However, it only prevents the initial activation, not the effects if it has been activated.
3. Can Flying Types or Pokémon with Levitate Ignore Misty Terrain?
Yes, Flying-type Pokémon, those with the ability Levitate, and Pokémon holding an Air Balloon are not affected by Misty Terrain. They will neither receive the benefits of the status protection nor the Dragon-type damage reduction, making them vulnerable to those threats.
4. Does Misty Terrain Stop Moves like Spore or Toxic?
Yes, Misty Terrain effectively stops status-inducing moves like Spore and Toxic. These moves will fail to inflict their status effect on a grounded Pokémon while Misty Terrain is active.
5. Does Misty Terrain Block Other Effects?
While primarily known for status protection, Misty Terrain does not block all effects. It does not, for example, prevent moves like Taunt or Encore. It also does not protect against non-status damage or stat changes from other moves.
6. What About Confusion under Misty Terrain?
Misty Terrain also prevents grounded Pokémon from being inflicted with confusion. This adds another layer of protection against tricky moves that aim to cause self-inflicted damage from confused Pokémon.
7. What is Psychic Terrain’s Role in Status Prevention?
Psychic Terrain does not prevent status conditions directly. However, it prevents the use of priority moves on grounded Pokémon. This includes moves that might cause status effects as a secondary consequence, like Prankster boosted status moves.
8. Does Psychic Terrain Stop Moves Boosted by Prankster?
Yes, Psychic Terrain directly blocks moves boosted by the Prankster ability when targeted at a grounded Pokémon. This is because Prankster grants priority to status moves. This is an indirect method of status protection as it can prevent status moves from landing in the first place.
9. Does Electric Terrain Offer Status Protection?
Yes, Electric Terrain also offers a degree of status protection, specifically preventing sleep. Grounded Pokémon under the effect of Electric Terrain are prevented from falling asleep or being put to sleep by moves such as Yawn or Rest. Unlike Misty Terrain, it does not prevent other status conditions or confusion.
10. Can Status Moves Still Be Used While Under the Effects of These Terrains?
Yes, status moves can still be used. However, if they target a grounded Pokémon under the effects of Misty Terrain or Electric Terrain (sleep only), they will fail to apply their status condition. For Psychic Terrain, priority-based status moves won’t affect grounded targets.
11. Is There a Terrain that Increases Fairy Move Damage?
Yes, when Misty Terrain is active, Fairy-type moves used by grounded Pokémon are boosted, increasing their power by 50% as well as the previously mentioned benefits. This makes Misty Terrain valuable for Fairy-type offensive strategies.
12. How Does Misty Terrain Affect Dragon-Type Moves?
In addition to status protection, Misty Terrain also halves the damage from Dragon-type moves for grounded Pokémon. This added defensive measure makes Misty Terrain even more valuable when facing opponents using Dragon-type moves.
13. Does Misty Terrain Prevent Burn from Scald?
Yes, Misty Terrain prevents the burn from moves like Scald when used on grounded Pokémon. While the damage itself will still apply, the burn status will not be inflicted, making it a valuable counter for a Pokémon that wants to use Scald to apply burn.
14. Does Terrain Affect Pokémon in the Air?
Yes and no. Misty Terrain, Psychic Terrain, and Electric Terrain all specifically affect grounded Pokémon. Therefore, flying types, pokemon with the ability Levitate, and those with a Air Balloon aren’t protected from the status effects of the terrain, nor are they affected by any boosts, such as the one to Fairy-type moves in Misty Terrain or the Psychic-type move boost in Psychic Terrain. If a flying type has an item that makes them grounded (like the Ground Clearance item) they WILL be affected by terrain.
15. Can Multiple Terrains Be Active Simultaneously?
No, only one terrain can be active at any given time. If a new terrain is set while another is active, the previous terrain will immediately be replaced. This means trainers must consider which terrain best supports their strategy and plan accordingly, as well as thinking about what terrains the opponents are using.
Conclusion
Understanding terrains, particularly Misty Terrain and its ability to prevent status conditions, is paramount for competitive Pokémon battling. By mastering the nuances of how each terrain works, you can create strategies that either exploit the benefits, protect your Pokémon from dangerous status effects, or disrupt your opponents’ plans. Always consider the specific advantages and limitations of each terrain when building your team and formulating your game plan.