Slow Start (Ability)

Slow Start	スロースタート
	Slow Start
Flavor text Generation III Generation IV Temporarily halves Attack and Speed. Generation V Temporarily halves Attack and Speed. Generation VI Currently unknown Generation VII Currently unknown Generation VIII Currently unknown Generation IX Currently unknown

Slow Start (Japanese: スロースタート Slow Start) is an Ability introduced in Generation IV. It is the signature Ability of Regigigas.

Effect

In battle

Slow Start causes the Attack stat and Speed stat to be halved during the first five turns in battle. If this Pokémon is switched out, its stats will once again be halved for the first five turns when it is sent out again.

If Skill Swap, Gastro Acid or Worry Seed is used on this Pokémon, its stats will immediately return to full power. However, the user of Skill Swap will have its Attack and Speed stats halved.

In the Japanese version of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, removing Slow Start does not undo the Attack and Speed drop; it must still wait five turns. This was changed in translated versions as well as in Platinum.

Outside of battle

Slow Start has no effect outside of battle.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness

When the Pokémon enters a dungeon floor, its Movement Speed is reduced temporarily, but its Attack is not affected.

Pokémon with Slow Start

#	Pokémon		Types		First Ability	Second Ability	Hidden Ability
0486		Regigigas	Normal		Normal	Slow Start	None	None
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 the manga

Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure

Regigigas
The user's Attack and Speed are cut in half temporarily.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	Regigigas's Attack and Speed are cut in half temporarily.
Hareta's Regigigas	A Novel Test!!		Debut
	Kadabra's Attack and Speed are temporarily halved.
Hareta's Kadabra	Team Galactic's Ultimate Warrior		Used via Skill Swap

Trivia

• It is implied that Slow Start took effect in Giratina and the Sky Warrior, as Regigigas failed to push back a glacier even with the help of many Mamoswine, despite having been said to tow continents with ropes.
• In Pokémon Rumble Blast, Regigigas has the Special Trait-equivalent of Slow Start: Slow-Starting. Instead of going into full strength after an amount of time, it has to defeat 10 Pokémon to go to full strength.

In other languages

Language Title Mandarin Chinese 錯失先機 Cuòshī Xiānjī French Début Calme German Saumselig Greek Αργό Ξεκίνημα Italian Lentoinizio Korean 슬로스타트 Slow Start Portuguese Começo Lento Spanish Inicio Lento

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.