Intimidate (Ability)

Intimidate	いかく
	Menace
Flavor text Generation III Lowers the foe’s Attack. Generation IV Lowers the foe’s Attack stat. Generation V Currently unknown Generation VI Currently unknown Generation VII Currently unknown Generation VIII Currently unknown Generation IX Currently unknown

Intimidate (Japanese: いかく Intimidation) is an ability introduced in Generation III. Twenty-four Pokémon can have this ability.

In Mystery Dungeon, Pokémon attacking a Pokémon with this ability with a physical attack will have a 20% attack penalty.

Effect

In battle

Intimidate lowers the opponent's Attack stat by one stage upon entering the battle. It is triggered both when a battle begins and when a Pokémon with Intimidate switches into battle. In a double battle, both opponents are affected.

Intimidate's activation message reads: "[Pokémon]'s Intimidate cuts [opponent]'s attack!".

Intimidate has no effect on Pokémon who are immune to Attack stat reductions, such as Pokémon with Clear Body, Hyper Cutter, or White Smoke.

Outside of battle

From Pokémon Emerald onwards, if the Pokémon with Intimidate is leading the party, Intimidate decreases the chance of encountering a lower-level wild Pokémon by 50%. See also Keen Eye.

Pokémon with Intimidate

#	Pokémon		Types		First Ability	Second Ability	Hidden Ability
0023		Ekans	Poison		Poison	Intimidate	Shed Skin	Unnerve
0024		Arbok	Poison		Poison	Intimidate	Shed Skin	Unnerve
0058		Growlithe	Fire		Fire	Intimidate	Flash Fire	Righteous Heart
0059		Arcanine	Fire		Fire	Intimidate	Flash Fire	Righteous Heart
0128		Tauros	Normal		Normal	Intimidate	Anger Point	Sheer Force
0130		Gyarados	Water	Flying	Intimidate	None	Moxie
0209		Snubbull	Normal		Normal	Intimidate	Run Away	Jitter
0210		Granbull	Normal		Normal	Intimidate	Quick Feet	Jitter
0234		Stantler	Normal		Normal	Intimidate	Frisk	Sap Sipper
0237		Hitmontop	Fighting		Fighting	Intimidate	Technician	Steadfast
0262		Mightyena	Dark		Dark	Intimidate	Quick Feet	Moxie
0284		Masquerain	Bug	Flying	Intimidate	None	Unnerve
0303		Mawile	Steel		Steel	Hyper Cutter	Intimidate	Sheer Force
0373		Salamence	Dragon	Flying	Intimidate	None	Moxie
0397		Staravia	Normal	Flying	Intimidate	None	Reckless
0398		Staraptor	Normal	Flying	Intimidate	None	Reckless
0403		Shinx	Electric		Electric	Rivalry	Intimidate	Guts
0404		Luxio	Electric		Electric	Rivalry	Intimidate	Guts
0405		Luxray	Electric		Electric	Rivalry	Intimidate	Guts
0507		Herdier	Normal		Normal	Intimidate	Sand Rush	Scrappy
0508	Murando	Murando	Normal		Normal	Intimidate	Sand Rush	Scrappy
0551		Sandile	Ground	Dark	Intimidate	Moxie	Anger Point
0552	Waruvile	Waruvile	Ground	Dark	Intimidate	Moxie	Anger Point
0553	Waruvial	Waruvial	Ground	Dark	Intimidate	Moxie	Anger Point
0559	Zuruggu	Zuruggu	Dark	Fighting	Shed Skin	Moxie	Intimidate
0560	Zuruzukin	Zuruzukin	Dark	Fighting	Shed Skin	Moxie	Intimidate
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 Adventures

When the user is sent out in battle, it reduces the opponent's attack strength.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	When Gyarados is sent out, the opponent's attack strength is lowered automatically.
Red's Gyara	The Battle Path		Debut

Trivia

• Although most Pokémon with this ability have menacing physical features, some Pokémon (like Hitmontop and Staravia) do not have obvious physical attributes that would inspire fear or unease, the most notorious one being Shinx, who can even be classified as a "cute" Pokémon. Its evolutions, Luxio and Luxray, however, would have these attributes.
• Interestingly, all five Pokémon that can only have this ability are part-Template:Type2, not including hidden abilities.

In other languages

• German: Bedroher
• Greek: Εκφοβισμός
• Italian: Prepotenza
• Portuguese: Intimidar
• Spanish: Intimidación

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.