View source for Counter Shield

'''Counter Shield''' (Japanese: '''カウンターシールド''' ''Counter Shield'') is a tactic developed by [[Ash Ketchum]] in the {{series|Diamond & Pearl}}. Ash developed this technique while trying to find a way to prevent [[Fantina]]'s {{OBP|Pokémon|species}} from making his Pokémon {{status|sleep}} with {{m|Hypnosis}}. It was eventually used for both offensive and defensive purposes. Ash took inspiration from the [[Contest Battle]] between {{an|Dawn}} and [[Lila]] in the {{to|Celestic}} {{pkmn|Contest}} in ''[[DP095|Battling The Generation Gap!]]'' to develop this technique.

In ''[[DP102|Shield with a Twist!]]'', Ash used it in his [[Gym]] {{pkmn|battle}} with Fantina. Amazed with the method, Fantina named it the ''Counter Shield''. It eventually helped Ash with his battle, earning him the {{badge|Relic}}.

In ''[[DP132|Evolving Strategies!]]'', it was used again by [[Ash's Pikachu]], {{AP|Buizel}}, and {{AP|Monferno|Infernape}} against [[Paul]]'s Pokémon. This time, however, all three Pokémon were defeated, and Paul didn't seem all that impressed with the technique. However, he later used this technique with his {{p|Gastrodon}}'s {{m|Muddy Water}} in ''[[DP186|Familiarity Breeds Strategy!]]'' and [[Paul's Electivire|his Electivire's]] {{m|Thunder}} in ''[[DP188|Battling a Thaw in Relations!]]'', where Buizel used the technique once again.

In ''[[BW086|Piplup, Pansage, and a Meeting of the Times!]]'', it was used by [[Dawn's Piplup]] to counter [[Cilan's Pansage]]'s {{m|Rock Tomb}} attack.

In ''[[SM043|When Regions Collide!]]'', Brock commanded his Geodude and Steelix to use {{m|Gyro Ball}} to deflect attacks, and mentioned that "a certain challenger of his" taught him to use a Pokémon's attack as a means of defense.

==Methods==
===Pikachu===
{{countershield|electric|Ash Pikachu Counter Shield|Ash's Pikachu|DP102|ep=Shield with a Twist!|{{mcolor|Thunderbolt|{{electric color dark}}}}|Pikachu spins on his back while using Thunderbolt to form an electric barrier in order to protect himself from the opponent's attacks.}}

===Monferno===
{{countershield|fire|Ash Monferno Counter Shield|Ash's Monferno|n=Ash's Chimchar/Monferno|DP102|ep=Shield with a Twist!|{{mcolor|Flamethrower|{{fire color dark}}}} and {{mcolor|Flame Wheel|{{fire color dark}}}}|Chimchar/Monferno uses Flamethrower while using Flame Wheel to create flame whips that prevent foes from getting closer while also hitting the opponent.}}

===Buizel===
{{countershield|water|Ash Buizel Counter Shield|Ash's Buizel|DP102|ep=Shield with a Twist!|{{mcolor|Aqua Jet|{{water color dark}}}} or {{mcolor|Water Gun|{{water color dark}}}}|Buizel spins on his back while using Aqua Jet to create a water tornado or Water Gun to create water whips in order to protect himself from the opponent's attacks.}}

===Drifblim===
{{countershield|ghost|Fantina Drifblim Counter Shield|Fantina's Drifblim|DP102|ep=Shield with a Twist!|{{mcolor|Will-O-Wisp|{{ghost color dark}}}} and {{mcolor|Psychic|{{ghost color dark}}}}|Drifblim uses Will-O-Wisp to surround its body in fire wisps. Then it uses Psychic to move the fire in two circles. Drifblim can either shoot the flames as an attack or keep the fire around it as a defense tactic.}}

===Gastrodon===
{{countershield|water|Paul Gastrodon Counter Shield|Paul#Gastrodon|n=Paul's Gastrodon|DP186|ep=Familiarity Breeds Strategy!|{{mcolor|Muddy Water|{{water color dark}}}}|Gastrodon uses Muddy Water to make a tornado made of water around it to avoid its opponent getting closer to it because it is slower. However, it will purposely leave an opening at the bottom of its body to entice opponents to strike there, so Gastrodon can counterattack in retaliation.}}

===Electivire===
{{countershield|electric|Paul Electivire Counter Shield|Paul's Electivire|DP188|ep=Battling a Thaw in Relations!|{{mcolor|Thunder|{{electric color dark}}}}|Electivire shoots Thunder into the air before spreading it out across the battlefield, making movement difficult.}}

===Piplup===
{{countershield|water|Dawn Piplup Counter Shield|Dawn's Piplup|BW086|ep=Piplup, Pansage, and a Meeting of the Times!|{{mcolor|Bubble Beam|{{water color dark}}}}|Piplup jumps in the air and uses Bubble Beam while spinning to create a large ring of bubbles around himself in order to avoid the opponent's attacks.}}

===Geodude===
{{countershield|rock|Brock Geodude Counter Shield|Brock's Geodude|SM043|ep=When Regions Collide!|{{mcolor|Gyro Ball|{{rock color dark}}}}|Geodude uses Gyro Ball while spinning to deflect the opponent's attacks.}}

===Steelix===
{{countershield|steel|Brock Steelix Counter Shield|Brock's Steelix|SM043|ep=When Regions Collide!|{{mcolor|Gyro Ball|{{steel color dark}}}}|Steelix uses Gyro Ball while spinning to deflect the opponent's attacks.}}

==Trivia==
* Pikachu and Buizel's Counter Shields are similar to the way [[Dawn's Ambipom]] used {{m|Swift}} for her [[appeal]] in the [[Solaceon Town]] [[Pokémon Contest]] in ''[[DP061|Team Shocker!]]''.
* Piplup's Counter Shield is similar to the technique he perfected in ''[[DP007|Like It or Lup It!]]'' while training for the {{ci|Jubilife}} Contest.
* During her battle against [[Conway]] in ''[[DP088|Camping It Up!]]'', {{an|Dawn}} commanded the {{p|Grimer}} she {{pkmn2|rental|borrowed}} from the [[Pokémon Summer Academy]] to use {{m|Poison Gas}} while spinning to surround its body with smoke in order to avoid the opponent's attacks. This was shown to work the same way as the Counter Shield but was used before the tactic was introduced to the series.

==In other languages==
{{Langtable|color={{arceus color}}|bordercolor={{arceus color light}}
|zh_cmn=返拳防護罩 ''Fǎnquán Fánghùzhào''
|nl=Afweerschild
|fi=Vastasuoja
|fr=Bouclier Riposte
|de=Konterschild
|ko=카운터 실드 ''Kaunteo Sildeu''
|pl=Kontra Tarcza
|pt_eu=Contra-Escudo
|es_la=Contraescudo
|es_eu=Contradefensa
|ro=Scutul de Contracarare}}
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{{Project Anime notice|no}}

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[[Category:Anime]]

[[it:Controscudo]]
[[ja:カウンターシールド]]
[[zh:雙倍奉還防護罩]]