Priority

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Priority (Japanese: 先制 preemption) is a characteristic of moves, such that any move with a higher priority than another will always be performed first. When two moves have the same priority, the users' Speed statistics will determine which one is performed first in a battle.

Mechanics

Starting in Generation III, each move has a hidden priority value in the game data, with values ranging from +5 to -7. The vast majority of moves have the standard priority value of 0. A move with a positive priority is a priority move (Japanese: 先制攻撃 preemptive attack). Moves with a positive priority may also be referred to as having an increased priority and moves with a negative priority a decreased priority. In the fandom, moves that have the same priority are said to be in the same priority bracket.

Some Abilities increase the priority of certain moves. Some moves and Abilities can prevent priority moves from being used; Dark-type Pokémon are also immune to Prankster-promoted priority moves.

Move priority is not affected by Trick Room, which only reverses the Speed-resolved order of moves within a priority bracket; moves with higher priority are still performed before ones with lower priority. Some held items and Abilities also affect a move's resolution within its priority bracket (ignoring Trick Room), but not the priority itself.

Special priority

Certain events will always occur before any moves (besides Pursuit) can be performed. The messages for the activation of Quick Claw, Custap Berry, and O-Powers are always shown before anything else. Switching out, rotating, using items, escaping, and the charging messages for Focus Punch, Beak Blast, and Shell Trap are displayed or performed next. Terastallizing happens immediately afterwards. In Generation I only, NPC Trainers do not have priority when using items or switching, while in battles against other players, switching can be performed even if the other player hasn't made their move yet. In Generation II, a wild Pokémon fleeing does not have its own priority and will instead use the priority of the move the Pokémon would have used had it chosen not to flee. In Generations II and III, players always switch before NPCs do. In Generation III, if two players switch in the same turn, then 'player 1' will always switch before 'player 2' does. Mega Evolution and Dynamaxing generally occur at the beginning of a turn but after any switching has occurred; however, if a Pokémon is Mega Evolving or rotating in and then using Pursuit on a Pokémon that is switching out, the Mega Evolution or rotation always happens before the Pokémon uses Pursuit (and therefore before the other Pokémon's switch).

Pursuit is a special exception to the general rules of priority, due to its effect. Switching fundamentally happens before any moves can be performed, but when Pursuit is targeting a Pokémon that switches out, it will hit the Pokémon before it can switch, meaning that it will go before any other move, no matter its priority. If multiple Pursuits are targeting the same Pokémon and the Pokémon switches out, if the Pokémon faints before all of the Pursuits have executed, the remaining Pursuits will execute at their normal priority.

Additionally, a few moves and Abilities can cause a Pokémon to act outside of its normal priority.

Abilities that increase priority

These Abilities increase the priority of certain moves used by a Pokémon that has one of these Abilities.

Name	Affected moves	Increase	Generation
Prankster	Status moves	+1	V
Gale Wings	Flying-type moves (if HP is full)	+1	VI
Triage	Healing moves	+3	VII

Effects that block priority moves

These effects prevent the use of priority moves.

Cause	Notes	Generation
Quick Guard	In Generation V, does not affect moves that become priority moves due to Prankster	V
Dark-type Pokémon	Immune to foes' moves that gain priority due to Prankster	VII
Psychic Terrain	Only protects grounded Pokémon	VII
Queenly Majesty	Protects Pokémon and its allies	VII
Dazzling	Protects Pokémon and its allies	VII
Armor Tail	Protects Pokémon and its allies	IX

Effects that can break priority

These effects can make a Pokémon act at a different priority than it normally would.

Name	Description	Generation
After You	The user helps the target and makes it use its move right after the user.	V
Quash	The user suppresses the target and makes its move go last.	V
Instruct	The user instructs the target to use the target's last move again.	VII
Dancer	Whenever a dance move is used in battle, the Pokémon will copy the user to immediately perform that dance move itself.	VII

Effects that dictate precedence within a priority bracket

These effects can force a move to go first or last within a priority bracket regardless of its user's Speed (unless multiple Pokémon are forced into the same "spot") or Trick Room.

Name	Notes	Generation
Quick Claw	20% chance to go first	II
Custap Berry	Moves first (when HP falls below 1/4)	IV
Full Incense	Always last	IV
Lagging Tail	Always last	IV
Stall	Always last	IV
Quick Draw	30% chance to go first	VIII
Mycelium Might	Always last when using a status move	IX

Effects that depend on move order

These are effects that have conditions based on going before or after others.

Name	Notes	Generation
Me First	Fails if the target has already acted	IV
Metal Burst	Fails if the user acts first	IV
Payback	Attack power doubles if the user acts after the target	IV
After You	Fails if the target has already acted	V
Analytic	Only activates if it is the last Pokémon to act	V
Electrify	Fails if the target has already acted	VI
Bolt Beak	Attack power doubles if the user acts before the target	VIII
Fishious Rend	Attack power doubles if the user acts before the target	VIII
Comeuppance	Fails if the user acts first	IX

Move priority

Generation IX

Priority	Moves
+5	Helping Hand
+4	Baneful Bunker, Burning Bulwark, Detect, Endure, King's Shield, Obstruct, Protect, Spiky Shield, Silk Trap
+3	Fake Out, Quick Guard, Upper Hand, Wide Guard
+2	Ally Switch, Extreme Speed, Feint, First Impression, Follow Me, Rage Powder
+1	Accelerock, Aqua Jet, Baby-Doll Eyes, Bullet Punch, Grassy Glide*, Ice Shard, Jet Punch, Mach Punch, Quick Attack, Shadow Sneak, Sucker Punch, Thunderclap, Vacuum Wave, Water Shuriken
0	All other moves
-1	None
-2	None
-3	Beak Blast, Focus Punch, Shell Trap
-4	Avalanche
-5	Counter, Mirror Coat
-6	Circle Throw, Dragon Tail, Roar, Whirlwind, Teleport
-7	Trick Room

*: Grassy Glide has increased priority only if used in Grassy Terrain.

Generation VIII

Priority	Moves
+5	Helping Hand
+4	Baneful Bunker, Detect, Endure, King's Shield, Magic Coat, Max Guard, Obstruct, Protect, Spiky Shield
+3	Crafty Shield, Fake Out, Quick Guard, Wide Guard
+2	Ally Switch, Extreme Speed, Feint, First Impression, Follow Me, Rage Powder
+1	Accelerock, Aqua Jet, Baby-Doll Eyes, Bullet Punch, Grassy Glide*, Ice Shard, Mach Punch, Quick Attack, Shadow Sneak, Sucker Punch, Vacuum Wave, Water Shuriken
0	All other moves
-1	Vital Throw
-2	None
-3	Focus Punch, Shell Trap
-4	Avalanche, Revenge
-5	Counter, Mirror Coat
-6	Circle Throw, Dragon Tail, Roar, Whirlwind, Teleport
-7	Trick Room

*: Grassy Glide has increased priority only if used in Grassy Terrain.

Generation VII

Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!

Priority	Moves
+5	Helping Hand
+4	Protect
+3	Fake Out
+2	Feint, Zippy Zap
+1	Quick Attack
0	All other moves
-1	Dragon Tail, Roar, Teleport, Whirlwind

Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon

Priority	Moves
+5	Helping Hand
+4	Baneful Bunker, Detect, Endure, King's Shield, Magic Coat, Protect, Spiky Shield, Snatch
+3	Crafty Shield, Fake Out, Quick Guard, Wide Guard, Spotlight
+2	Ally Switch, Extreme Speed, Feint, First Impression, Follow Me, Rage Powder
+1	Accelerock, Aqua Jet, Baby-Doll Eyes, Bide, Bullet Punch, Ice Shard, Ion Deluge, Mach Punch, Powder, Quick Attack, Shadow Sneak, Sucker Punch, Vacuum Wave, Water Shuriken
0	All other moves
-1	Vital Throw
-2	None
-3	Beak Blast, Focus Punch, Shell Trap
-4	Avalanche, Revenge
-5	Counter, Mirror Coat
-6	Circle Throw, Dragon Tail, Roar, Whirlwind
-7	Trick Room, fleeing

Generation VI

Priority	Moves
+5	Helping Hand
+4	Detect, Endure, King's Shield, Magic Coat, Protect, Spiky Shield, Snatch
+3	Crafty Shield, Fake Out, Quick Guard, Wide Guard
+2	Extreme Speed, Feint, Follow Me, Rage Powder
+1	Ally Switch, Aqua Jet, Baby-Doll Eyes, Bide, Bullet Punch, Ice Shard, Ion Deluge, Mach Punch, Powder, Quick Attack, Shadow Sneak, Sucker Punch, Vacuum Wave, Water Shuriken
0	All other moves, shifting
-1	Vital Throw
-2	None
-3	Focus Punch
-4	Avalanche, Revenge
-5	Counter, Mirror Coat
-6	Circle Throw, Dragon Tail, Roar, Whirlwind
-7	Trick Room

Generation V

Priority	Moves
+5	Helping Hand
+4	Detect, Endure, Magic Coat, Protect, Snatch
+3	Fake Out, Follow Me, Quick Guard, Rage Powder, Wide Guard
+2	ExtremeSpeed, Feint
+1	Ally Switch, Aqua Jet, Bide, Bullet Punch, Ice Shard, Mach Punch, Quick Attack, Shadow Sneak, Sucker Punch, Vacuum Wave
0	All other moves, shifting
-1	Vital Throw
-2	None
-3	Focus Punch
-4	Avalanche, Revenge
-5	Counter, Mirror Coat
-6	Circle Throw, Dragon Tail, Roar, Whirlwind
-7	Magic Room, Trick Room, Wonder Room, fleeing

Generation IV

Priority	Moves
+5	Helping Hand
+4	Magic Coat, Snatch
+3	Detect, Endure, Follow Me, Protect
+2	Feint
+1	Aqua Jet, Bide, Bullet Punch, ExtremeSpeed, Fake Out, Ice Shard, Mach Punch, Quick Attack, Shadow Sneak, Sucker Punch, Vacuum Wave
0	All other moves
-1	Vital Throw
-2	None
-3	Focus Punch
-4	Avalanche, Revenge
-5	Counter, Mirror Coat
-6	Roar, Whirlwind
-7	Trick Room, fleeing

Generation III

Priority	Moves
+5	Helping Hand
+4	Magic Coat, Snatch
+3	Detect, Endure, Follow Me, Protect
+2	None
+1	ExtremeSpeed, Fake Out, Mach Punch, Quick Attack
0	All other moves, fleeing
-1	Vital Throw
-2	None
-3	Focus Punch
-4	Revenge
-5	Counter, Mirror Coat
-6	Roar, Whirlwind

Generation II

Priority	Moves
+2	Detect, Endure, Protect
+1	ExtremeSpeed, Mach Punch, Quick Attack
0	All other moves
-1	Counter, Mirror Coat, Roar, Whirlwind, Vital Throw

Generation I

Priority	Moves
+1	Quick Attack
0	All other moves
-1	Counter

In the anime

Glameow using Fake Out before Piplup is able to attack

In the anime, priority is rarely mentioned though priority moves such as Quick Attack are frequently used.

The concept of priority moves was first mentioned out loud in A Grand Fight for Winning!, where Brock commented on the subject while watching the Contest Battle between Dawn and Zoey in the final round of the Sinnoh Grand Festival, during which Zoey's Glameow used Fake Out and caused Dawn's Piplup to flinch, making him unable to use Hydro Pump.

In All Eyes on the Future!, Professor Sycamore explained how Olympia's male Meowstic's Prankster Ability allows his support moves like Light Screen to always go first.

Priority was demonstrated a couple of times during the Masters Eight Tournament. In Pride of a Champion!, Diantha's Gourgeist outsped Lance's Gyarados's Dragon Pulse with Shadow Sneak; in Battling as Hard as Stone!, Ash's Pikachu's Quick Attack went ahead of Steven's Cradily's Rock Blast; and in Bewitch, Battle, and Bewilder!, Cynthia used her Spiritomb's Sucker Punch to land hits on Ash's Pokémon before they could attack.

In the manga

Chuck's Machamp using Vital Throw, a decreased priority move

Pokémon Adventures

Gold, Silver & Crystal arc

The concept of priority was mentioned in Entranced by Entei. After his Rhydon had been hit by a Vital Throw from Chuck's Machamp, Blue acknowledged that Vital Throw is a move that lets the opponent attack first in exchange for never missing.

Trivia

• Since Focus Punch has a higher priority than Avalanche, Revenge, Dragon Tail, Circle Throw, and Counter, they are unable to break the focus of a Pokémon using Focus Punch. They and Focus Punch are therefore the only six attacks that can strike a Pokémon in the same turn as it successfully uses Focus Punch, without the use of Quash or After You.
• Hitmontop can learn more moves with non-zero priority than any other Pokémon, with 14 increased priority moves and 2 decreased priority moves.
• Since charging Focus Punch had a higher priority than switching in Generation III, in a Double Battle, if the player selected Focus Punch then cancelled the selection, then switched that Pokémon out, it would still begin charging Focus Punch before switching. Its high priority also gave it the odd effect of occurring before the opponent used their items or Pokémon were switched out.
• All moves that have ever had -7 priority have the word "Room" in their names.
• No move has ever been assigned -2 priority despite higher priorities having been assigned.
• In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, due to the inability to apply the concept of priority because the Speed stat did not exist prior to Super Mystery Dungeon and does not determine the attacking order, damaging moves with increased priority in the core series games become moves that have a range of 2 tiles.

In other languages

Priority move

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 先制招式 Sīnjai Jīusīk Mandarin 先制招式 Xiānzhì Zhāoshì Finnish Prioriteettiliike French Attaque prioritaire German Erstschlag-Attacke Italian Mosse che colpire per primi Korean 선제기술 Seonje Gisul Spanish Movimiento con prioridad

References

This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.