Type change

Leon's Cinderace with its type having changed to Ground via Libero in Pokémon Journeys: The Series

Various battle mechanics, such as certain moves and Abilities, may cause a Pokémon's type or the type of its moves to change or even be removed.

In the core series games

Changing the type of a Pokémon

Some moves and Abilities cause a Pokémon's types to be temporarily changed, added, or removed in battle. The original types are still displayed in the Pokémon's summary. All type changes are undone when the Pokémon is switched out, faints, or the battle ends.

Through type change, a Pokémon can have up to three types at once or no type at all:

  • If a new type is added (such as Grass via Forest's Curse or Ghost via Trick-or-Treat) to a dual-type Pokémon, it will have three types at once. However, if Forest's Curse is used on a Pokémon affected by Trick-or-Treat or vice-versa, the new type will replace the previously added one.
  • If one or more types are removed through Burn Up or Double Shock, and the Pokémon has no more types left, it will become typeless until it is switched out, faints, or the battle ends.

The type change can add or remove type-related immunities to status conditions, such that a Pokémon cannot be poisoned after gaining the Poison-type or Steel-type; or conversely, an originally Poison-type or Steel-type Pokémon can become poisoned after its type has changed (and will remain poisoned even after the battle ends). However, any status conditions the Pokémon already has are not influenced by the type change; for example, a poisoned Pokémon will retain this status condition even after becoming a Poison or Steel type.

If a Pokémon copies the types of another (by using Conversion in Generation I only, Reflect Type, Transform, or via Imposter), the target's type changes are copied as well. If the target is currently typeless, the user will become a pure Normal type. However, if the target was typeless and then gained a type via Forest's Curse or Trick-or-Treat, the user will have two types: Normal and the added one.

The type changes are not transferred via Baton Pass.

Causes

Moves
See also: Category:Moves that change a Pokémon's type
Move Type Category Power Accuracy Generation Notes
Burn Up Fire Special 130 100% VII The user loses its Fire type after using the move
Camouflage Normal Status — —% III The user has its type changed depending on the environment
Conversion Normal Status — —% I The user's type is changed into the target's type(s)I or the same type as one of its movesII+
Conversion 2 Normal Status — —% II The user's type is changed into any type that either resists or is immune to the type of the last move it was damaged by
Double Shock Electric Physical 120 100% IX The user loses its Electric type after using the move
Forest's Curse Grass Status — 100% VI The target gains the Grass type
Magic Powder Psychic Status — 100% VIII The target becomes a pure Psychic type
Reflect Type Normal Status — —% V The user's type is changed into the target's type(s)
Relic Song Normal Special 75 100% V If Meloetta successfully uses this move, it changes between Aria Forme (Normal/Psychic) and Pirouette Forme (Normal/Fighting)
Roost Flying Status — —% IV The user loses its Flying type until the end of the turn
Soak Water Status — 100% V The target becomes a pure Water type
Transform Normal Status — —% I The user transforms into the target, copying its appearance, types, stats, and moves
Trick-or-Treat Ghost Status — 100% VI The target gains the Ghost type
Abilities
See also: Category:Abilities that change a Pokémon's type
Ability Generation Effect
Color Change III A Kecleon with Color Change has its type changed to the type of the last move it was damaged by
Forecast III Castform changes its form and type depending on the weather
Imposter V A Ditto with Imposter transforms into its opponent, copying its appearance, types, stats, and moves
Libero VIII A Pokémon with Libero has its type changed to the type of the move it is about to use
This only works once each time the Pokémon enters battleIX
Mimicry VIII Galarian Stunfisk has its type changed depending on the terrain (for instance, it will become a pure Electric type in Electric Terrain)
Multitype IV Arceus changes its form and type depending on the held Plate or type-specific Z-Crystal
Protean VI A Pokémon with Protean has its type changed to the type of the move it is about to use
This only works once each time the Pokémon enters battleIX
RKS System VII Silvally changes its form and type depending on the held memory
Zen Mode V A Darmanitan with Zen Mode changes between Standard Mode (a pure Fire or Ice type) and Zen Mode (a dual Fire/Psychic or Ice/Fire type) based on its HP
Terastallizing
Main article: Terastal phenomenon

After Terastallizing, a Pokémon will change from its original typing to its Tera Type. It will keep the STAB of its old type(s), but will also gain STAB for moves of its Tera Type. If a Pokémon's Tera Type matches one of its original types, STAB for moves of that type will be raised to a modifier of 2× (2.25× for a Pokémon with Adaptability). It is also the only way that a Pokémon can gain the Stellar type.

Changing the type of a move

In the core series games, the move-changing Abilities are applied first and then the move-changing moves. Some examples:

Some moves are affected in different ways:

  • Flying Press is Fighting-type that normally deals Fighting/Flying damage. If the type of this move changes, then it deals damage according to the current type and Flying.
  • Freeze-Dry always deals super-effective damage against a Water-type Pokémon, even if the type of this move has changed.

Causes

Moves
See also: Category:Moves that change type
Move Type Category Power Accuracy Generation Notes
Aura Wheel Electric Physical 110 100% VIII This move changes its type between Electric and Dark each turn. It's the signature move of Morpeko.
Hidden Power Normal Special 60 100% II This move's type can be any type except Normal and Fairy, depending on the user's IVs. In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, it works differently: the move changes its type to be the most effective against its target.
Ivy Cudgel Grass Physical 100 100% IX This move changes between Grass, Rock, Water, and Fire depending on the user's held mask. It's the signature move of Ogerpon.
Judgment Normal Special 100 100% IV This move can be of any type depending on the Plate held by the user. It's the signature move of Arceus.
Multi-Attack Normal Physical 120 100% VII This move can be of any type depending on the Memory held by the user. It's the signature move of Silvally.
Natural Gift Normal Physical — 100% IV This move can be of any type depending on the item that the user holds.
Raging Bull Normal Special 90 100% IX This move's type can be either Normal, Fighting, Fire, or Water, depending on the user's form. It is the signature move of Tauros's forms.
Revelation Dance Normal Special 90 100% VII This moves changes its type accordingly to its user's first type. It's the signature move of Oricorio.
Techno Blast Normal Special 120 100% V This move's type changes between Normal, Water, Ice, Electric, and Fire depending on the Drive held by the user. It's the signature move of Genesect.
Tera Blast Normal Special 80 100% IX This move changes type accordingly to the Tera Type when its user is Terastallized.
Tera Starstorm Normal Special 120 100% IX This move's type changes into Stellar when the user is transformed into its Stellar Form. It's the signature move of Terapagos.
Terrain Pulse Normal Special 50 100% VIII This move's type changes between Normal, Electric, Psychic, Grass, and Fairy depending on the active terrain.
Weather Ball Normal Special 50 100% III This move's type changes between Normal, Water, Ice, Fire, and Rock depending on the active weather.
See also: Category:Effects that can modify move types
Move Type Category Power Accuracy Generation Notes
Electrify Electric Status 110 — VI If the target has not yet used a move, this move makes the target's move Electric type for that turn.
Ion Deluge Electric Status — —% VI For the remainder of the current turn, Ion Deluge causes all Normal-type moves to become Electric type instead.
Plasma Fists Electric Physical 100 100% VII In the remainder of the current turn, all Normal-type moves will become Electric type.
Abilities
See also: Category:Abilities that can modify move types
Ability Generation Effect
Aerilate VI All Normal-type moves of the Pokémon with this Ability turn into Flying-type moves.
Galvanize VII All Normal-type moves of the Pokémon with this Ability turn into Electric-type moves.
Liquid Voice VII All sound-based moves of the Pokémon with this Ability turn into Water-type moves.
Normalize IV All moves of the Pokémon with this Ability turn into Normal-type moves.
Pixilate VI All Normal-type moves of the Pokémon with this Ability turn into Fairy-type moves.
Refrigerate VI All Normal-type moves of the Pokémon with this Ability turn into Ice-type moves.

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Changing Pokémon types

This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Confirm if a Pokémon that has changed type (such as from Conversion or Color Change) gains the terrain abilities, such as a Water-type Pokémon able to walk on water, or a Ghost-type Pokémon able to go through walls

In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, most of the available moves and Abilities that change a Pokémon's type simply work as in the core series. The temporary type changes last only in the current floor of the dungeon.

Prior to Gates to Infinity, the move Conversion 2 caused the status condition of the same name for 11 turns. If the Pokémon with this status condition is hit by a move, it will turn into a type that has the best matchup against it (even if it's a non-damaging move).

Changing move types

The Normalize Ability is available from Generation IV onwards, while Aerilate, Pixilate, and Refrigerate are only found in Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon]. They work similarly as in the core series games.

In Super Mystery Dungeon, the move Electrify causes the status condition of the same name.

In animation

Arceus changing into a Ghost type with Multitype
Gladion's Silvally changing into a Dark type with RKS System

Pokémon the Series

The possibility of changing types was rarely mentioned on-screen prior to Pokémon Journeys: The Series, with the notable exceptions of Arceus and Silvally, whose Abilities—Multitype and RKS System, respectively—are integral to the Pokémon's biology and, as such, were heavily featured in battle.

Several moves and Abilities that change Pokémon's types in the games have appeared, but are not known to do the same in Pokémon the Series include:

  • Conversion (Japanese: テクスチャー Texture) has the user copy the target's color and texture. While unconfirmed, Conversion appears to alter the way the user is affected by opposing attacks, as if its type also had changed.
  • Transform has been used on multiple occasions by Ditto and Mew, turning them into a copy of the target, and allowing them to use moves from the Pokémon they copied.
  • Camouflage and Color Change work similarly, turning the user invisible.
  • Zen Mode changes Darmanitan's form, but the type change included in this process has yet to be explicitly mentioned.
  • Relic Song does not appear to deal damage, but still changes Meloetta's forms, affecting its battle style and available moves, and it makes plants grow as well.
  • Forest's Curse binds the targets with vines from below.

The type-changing Abilities Imposter, Protean, and Mimicry, as well as the moves Conversion 2, Roost, Reflect Type, Soak, and Magic Powder, have never been shown to be used in the series.

Despite Soak having not appeared in the series, its effect of turning the target into a pure Water type to allow Electric-type attacks to hit Pokémon normally resistant or outright immune to them, like Ground types, have been directly referenced in A Grand Debut!, after Ash's Pikachu drenched Hapu's Mudsdale in seawater, allowing him to finish the battle off with a Gigavolt Havoc. This effect can be traced even further back to Showdown in Pewter City, prior to the move even debuting in the games, when Ash's Pikachu defeated Brock's Onix with an Electric attack after it had been doused by the sprinklers.

Arceus and the Jewel of Life

In Arceus and the Jewel of Life, Arceus changed between types with Multitype. This marks the first time a type change is confirmed to have happened in animated series-related media, as Arceus changed into a Ghost type to turn itself immune to Palkia's Aura Sphere.

Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon

In Mission: Total Recall!, Gladion's Silvally changed type for the first time using the RKS System, turning into a Dark type with the Dark Memory. It did the same with other Memories throughout the rest of the series.

Pokémon Journeys: The Series

In Advice to Goh!, a wild Moltres lost its Fire type after using Burn Up.

In The Arceus Chronicles (Part 4), a wild Arceus changed into a Water type with Multitype.

In Pride of a Champion!, Diantha's Gourgeist used Trick-or-Treat and added the Ghost type to Lance's Gyarados, allowing Gourgeist to deal more damage with its Ghost-type attacks. It also did the same with Lance's Hydreigon, though this didn't come into play at any point.

In A Flood of Torrential Gains!, Leon's Cinderace had its type changed by Libero for the first time: after using Scorching Sands, it became a pure Ground type, making it immune to Ash's Pikachu's Thunderbolt.

Pokémon Horizons: The Series

Similar to the games, Terastallization has been used to change a Pokémon's type on multiple occasions, first being shown in Nemona and Brassius and... when Brassius Terastallized his Sudowoodo into a Grass type.

In the manga

Silvally changing into a Rock type via the RKS System in Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon Adventures

Yellow arc

In Striking Golduck, Blue's Porygon used Conversion to become a Ghost type and make Agatha's Gengar's physical attacks ineffective against it.

Gold, Silver & Crystal arc

In Playful Porygon2, Blue's Porygon2 used Conversion 2 to become a Dark type in order to resist the attacks from Silver's Sneasel.

HeartGold & SoulSilver arc

In All About Arceus IV, Archer used the Plates gathered by Silver to activate Arceus's Multitype and change its type several times as a demonstration of Arceus's powers.

X & Y arc

In Mewtwo Angered, Essentia's Zygarde used Camouflage to change its type and blend into its surroundings while battling Blaine's Mewtwo.

In Magearna Moves, Cassius's Gourgeist used Trick-or-Treat to turn Magearna into a Ghost type and give it the type's weaknesses.

Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon arc

In Destroy!! Results of the Training!, Gladion's Silvally was revealed to have changed into a Fire type using its RKS System to free Moon from the cell she was held in. Later, Moon used a Rock Memory to change Silvally into a Rock type to fight Ryuki's Turtonator more effectively.

Scarlet & Violet arc

Terastallization has been used to change a Pokémon's type in multiple instances, the first time occurring in Speeding! Paldea's Prince of Speed!!, where Scarlet Terastallized her Pikachu into a Flying type while battling Nemona's Pawmi.

Phantom Thief Pokémon 7

In Into The Hands Of Evil?!, Io's Porygon-Z used Conversion 2 to change its type.

Related articles

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