Special move

Special attack redirects here. For the Special Attack stat, see Stats.

File:SpecialIC.gif

A special move is one in which the user does not necessarily have to make contact with its opponent in order to deal damage. In Generation I, special moves cause damage as a function of the Special stats of the two battling Pokémon. In Generation II and Generation III, special moves deal damage as a function of the Special Attack stat of the attacking Pokémon and the Special Defense stat of the defending Pokémon. It is notable that while most special moves do not contact their target(s), special and non-contacting moves are not the same: an example is Grass Knot, which, despite being special, requires that the user make contact with the target.

Before Generation IV, damaging moves of the following types are special moves:

• Water
• Grass
• Fire
• Ice
• Electric
• Psychic
• Dragon
• Dark

In Generation IV most damaging moves of the preceding types are special moves, except for Dark, which has only one special move (Dark Pulse), and Ice which is evenly split between physical and special.

See also

• Special moves
• Physical move
• Status move

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