Swarm (Ability)

Swarm	むしのしらせ
	Bug Notification
Flavor text Generation III Ups Bug moves in a pinch. Generation IV Powers up Bug-type moves in a pinch. Generation V Powers up Bug-type moves in a pinch. Generation VI Powers up Bug-type moves when the Pokémon is in trouble. Generation VII Powers up Bug-type moves when the Pokémon's HP is low. Generation VIII Powers up Bug-type moves when the Pokémon's HP is low. Generation IX Powers up Bug-type moves when the Pokémon's HP is low.

Swarm (Japanese: むしのしらせ Bug Notification) is an Ability introduced in Generation III.

Effect

In battle

Generations III to IV

When a Pokémon with Swarm uses a Bug-type move, the move's power will be increased by 50% if the user has less than or equal to ⅓ of its maximum HP remaining.

Generations V onward

Instead of boosting Bug-type moves' power, Swarm now technically boosts the Pokémon's Attack or Special Attack by 50% during damage calculation if a Bug-type move is being used, resulting in effectively the same effect.

Outside of battle

In Pokémon Emerald, if the first Pokémon in the player's party has this Ability, the frequency of cries of wild Pokémon that are heard in the overworld is increased. Despite the fact this mechanic also exists in Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, Swarm has no overworld effect there.

Pokémon with Swarm

#	Pokémon		Types		First Ability	Second Ability	Hidden Ability
0015		Beedrill	Bug	Poison	Swarm	None	Sniper
0123		Scyther	Bug	Flying	Swarm	TechnicianGen IV+	Steadfast
0165		Ledyba	Bug	Flying	Swarm	Early Bird	Rattled
0166		Ledian	Bug	Flying	Swarm	Early Bird	Iron Fist
0167		Spinarak	Bug	Poison	Swarm	Insomnia	Sniper
0168		Ariados	Bug	Poison	Swarm	Insomnia	Sniper
0212		Scizor	Bug	Steel	Swarm	TechnicianGen IV+	Light Metal
0214		Heracross	Bug	Fighting	Swarm	Guts	Moxie
0267		Beautifly	Bug	Flying	Swarm	None	Rivalry
0313		Volbeat	Bug		Bug	Illuminate	Swarm	Prankster
0402		Kricketune	Bug		Bug	Swarm	None	Technician
0414		Mothim	Bug	Flying	Swarm	None	Tinted Lens
0540		Sewaddle	Bug	Grass	Swarm	Chlorophyll	Overcoat
0542		Leavanny	Bug	Grass	Swarm	Chlorophyll	Overcoat
0543		Venipede	Bug	Poison	Poison Point	Swarm	Speed BoostGen VI+
0544		Whirlipede	Bug	Poison	Poison Point	Swarm	Speed BoostGen VI+
0545		Scolipede	Bug	Poison	Poison Point	Swarm	Speed BoostGen VI+
0588		Karrablast	Bug		Bug	Swarm	Shed Skin	No Guard
0589		Escavalier	Bug	Steel	Swarm	Shell Armor	Overcoat
0595		Joltik	Bug	Electric	Compound Eyes	Unnerve	Swarm
0596		Galvantula	Bug	Electric	Compound Eyes	Unnerve	Swarm
0632		Durant	Bug	Steel	Swarm	Hustle	Truant
0636		Larvesta	Bug	Fire	Flame Body	None	Swarm
0637		Volcarona	Bug	Fire	Flame Body	None	Swarm
0736		Grubbin	Bug		Bug	Swarm	None	None
0824		Blipbug	Bug		Bug	Swarm	Compound Eyes	Telepathy
0825		Dottler	Bug	Psychic	Swarm	Compound Eyes	Telepathy
0826		Orbeetle	Bug	Psychic	Swarm	Frisk	Telepathy
0900		Kleavor	Bug	Rock	Swarm	Sheer Force	SharpnessGen IX+
0919		Nymble	Bug		Bug	Swarm	None	Tinted Lens
0920		Lokix	Bug	Dark	Swarm	None	Tinted Lens
Please note that Abilities marked with a superscript are only available in the stated generation or later. For Generation III and IV games, ignore Hidden Abilities.

In other games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

If a Pokémon with Swarm is below 25% of its HP, the power of Bug-type moves increases by 2-times^RBTDS or 1.5-times^GtISMD.

Pokémon Conquest

In Pokémon Conquest, Swarm will increase user's Attack if the Pokémon using it is below ⅓ of its HP.

Description

Games Description MDRB Boosts the power of Bug-type moves when HP is low. MDTDS Boosts the power of the Pokémon's Bug-type moves when its HP is low. BSL ＨＰがへって ピンチになると むしタイプの わざが つよくなる Conq. Raises Attack when HP is low. MDGtI When the Pokémon's HP is low, the power of its Bug-type moves goes up.* When the Pokémon's HP is low, the power of Bug-type moves goes up!* SMD When the Pokémon's HP is low, the power of Bug-type moves goes up! MDRTDX When the Pokémon's HP is low, the power of Bug-type moves goes up.

In the anime

Leavanny Lokix
The Pokémon's Bug-type moves become more powerful when it gets tired or weak.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Used In		Notes
	When Leavanny becomes tired or weak, its outline becomes surrounded by a light-green aura, powering up its Bug-type moves.
Ash's Leavanny	Strong Strategy Steals the Show!		Debut
	When Lokix becomes tired or weak, its body becomes covered by a light-green aura, powering up its Bug-type moves.
Katy's Lokix	HZ056		None

• In A Connoisseur's Revenge!, Burgundy told Ash that his Leavanny, who at the time was a Sewaddle, had Swarm as his Ability. However, he was never seen using it as a Sewaddle.

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

• In volume 23, Blue's Scizor was revealed to have Swarm as his Ability.
• Moon's Grubbin and Giovanni's Beedrill were revealed to have Swarm as their Ability in the PokéSPedia data-book.
• Winona's Beautifly, Alder's Escavalier, Emmet's Durant, a Roughneck's Mothim, and a Scolipede controlled by Colress were revealed to have Swarm as their Ability.

Trivia

• The Japanese name for Swarm, むしのしらせ Mushi no Shirase (Bug Notification), is a Japansese expression that translates to "foreboding; premonition; gut feeling". This is reflected by the way the Ability works, as the Pokémon is preparing itself for a tough fight by making itself stronger.
• Swarm was the first Ability in the anime to be a Pokémon's confirmed Ability without getting activated.

In other languages

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 蟲之預感 Chùhng-jī Yuhgám * 預感 Yuhgám * Mandarin 蟲之預感 / 虫之预感 Chóng-zhī Yùgǎn * 預感 Yùgǎn * Dutch Zwerm Finnish Parvi French Essaim German Hexaplaga Indonesian Berkerumun Italian Aiutinsetto Korean 벌레의 알림 Beolle-yi Allim Polish Rój Portuguese Enxame Russian Рой Roy Spanish Enjambre Thai ฝูงแมลง Vietnamese Điềm Báo Xấu

This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games.