Weather

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Weather conditions are a feature that was implemented into the Pokémon games in Generation II, and expanded upon in Generations III and IV. During these games, weather depended upon where a battle took place, or even whether a Pokémon had used a specific move or ability. Only one weather condition may be active at a time (with the exception of the Acid Rain glitch), and if a move or ability changes the current state of the weather, the previous condition is canceled.

In the second generation, when the first conditions were introduced, some moves came to have an advantage with them, most notably, SolarBeam and Thunder, both of which would be very powerful with the right conditions.

During the third and fourth generations, many abilities also took advantage of a particular weather condition, some using them to heighten certain stats or to recover HP. Others still would activate the conditions themselves, with two of the three Hoenn-based weather legendaries activating battle-long sun and rain, and the third preventing all weather conditions with its ability.

Current weather conditions

Intense sunlight

File:Sunny Battle.png
Battling in intense sunlight

Heavy rain

File:Rainy Battle.png
Battling in heavy rain

Sandstorm

File:Sandstorm Battle.png
Battling in a sandstorm

Hailstorm

File:Hail Battle.png
Battling in a hailstorm

Shadow Sky

File:Shadow Sky.jpg
Battling in shadow
  • Effect: Damages all Pokémon that are not Shadow Pokémon. Changes Weather Ball to a Template:Type2 move and doubles its power, but does not change Castform's form.
  • Activating move: Shadow Sky.
  • Activating ability: None.
  • Routes where it is encountered naturally: Not encountered naturally.

Fog

File:DPFog.PNG
Battling in the fog

On the field

There have been several on-field weather conditions, most of which do the same as another on-field weather condition.

Sun

When the sun shines brightly, the screen brightens and dims alternately. The screen may also turn a shade of orange that flows while dark spots ride across.

Cloudy Skies

Sometimes clouds gather over Route 213, and the whole area gets darker than usual. Rarely happens on Route 212.

Rain

There have been three different rain conditions.

  • Normal rain: Rain falls. Found in all places where rain is found on the field.
  • Heavy rain: Rains falls heavily, at a lower angle than in the other. Found occasionally on Route 212.
  • Thunderstorm: Rain falls heavily, much like the Heavy Rain does, and occasionally, lightning will strike and thunder will rumble. Found on Route 119 as part of the four-day rain-thunderstorm-rain-clear cycle. Found on Route 212 on occasion. It happens on predetermined days, such as the anniversaries of the game's release in each country. It also appeared on St. Patrick's Day; February 29th, 2008; and Christmas Day (December 25).

Sandstorm

There has been only one sandstorm condition. Wind whips sand around, making it difficult to see.

Snow/Hail

File:Diamond Dust Platinum.gif
Diamond dust in Platinum

There have been four snowy conditions.

Fog

There has been only one fog condition.

  • Heavy fog: Thick fog blankets everything. Obstacles and Trainers are difficult to see. Can be cleared with Defog.

Gallery

History

Generation II

In the second-generation games, three moves were introduced that could change the weather during a battle to alter the playing field slightly. These moves were Sunny Day, which created five turns worth of intense sunlight and allowed a Pokémon to attack with SolarBeam without waiting a turn; Rain Dance, which gave five turns of heavy rain and increased Thunder's accuracy to 100%; and Sandstorm, which made a wild sandstorm that lasted for the same amount of turns. These three moves could change the course of a battle, with intense sun and heavy rain powering up Fire- and Template:Type2 moves, and powering down the other, respectively, and a sandstorm slightly damaging any Pokémon not of the Rock-, Ground-, or Template:Type2s.

Generation III

In the third generation, the title Pokémon of the three Hoenn-based versions had weather-related abilities. Groudon's ability allowed for intense sunlight to fill the arena until the battle ended, or another weather effect took its place. Likewise, its counterpart Kyogre's ability made heavy rain that lasted until the end of the battle or until another weather effect superseded it. Emerald Version's mascot, however, had a different way of affecting the playing field. While Rayquaza is battling, all effects of the weather are essentially negated, though the actual sunlight/rain/sandstorm/hail remains going. Psyduck and Golduck may also have a similar ability.

Another Pokémon, one which was not available in Ruby or Sapphire without trading, also had a weather-based ability. Tyranitar, once fully evolved from a Larvitar captured in FireRed or LeafGreen, has the ability Sand Stream, which causes a sandstorm that lasts until the end of the battle or until another weather-changing move is made. This makes it almost useless for a Tyranitar to have the move Sandstorm itself, as the sandstorm is automatically activated as it comes into battle.

Ruby and Sapphire also debuted another weather-changing move, Hail, which, like Sunny Day, Rain Dance, and Sandstorm before it, changes the weather for five turns, this time to an icy hailstorm. However, this move, and weather effect, have more in common with Sandstorm than with the other two. For the five turns that it's hailing, all Pokémon who are not Template:Type2 are damaged.

Castform

Also in Generation III, one of the 135 Pokémon released Template:Type2 called Castform. When in a battle where no weather effects are present, Castform is quite unremarkable. However, when any of the effects besides a sandstorm or Shadow Sky are applied, Castform's type and shape change to match the weather, due to its ability, Forecast. Also, when it is leveled up, it learns a move called Weather Ball, which also changes type with the weather, doubling its power when any weather was in effect. Unlike Forecast, Weather Ball's type differs even in a sandstorm, becoming a Template:Type2 move, as well as in Shadow Sky, becoming a Template:Type2 move. However, it should be noted that when battling against Rayquaza, Psyduck, and Golduck, due to their ability to negate all weather effects, Castform is incapable of changing forms and incapable of having a different-typed Weather Ball.

Generation IV

Within the fourth generation, the weather effects seem to be going strong. At one point in Sinnoh, it is actually possible to travel on a route covered in snow. Also in Generation IV, a new ability was released that serves much like Drought, Drizzle, and Sand Stream, excepting the fact that it permanently activates a hailstorm instead of sunlight, rain, or sandstorm.

Several held items were also introduced that extend the length of a certain weather condition when its activating move was used by the holder by three turns.

Another new weather condition introduced in Generation IV was the fog condition. Instead of having a move to activate it, however, there was a move introduced to actually clear it.

More interesting things introduced within Generation IV were other conditions that had nothing to do with the weather, but behaved similarly to the weather-activating moves. Like the weather conditions, these moves would affect all Pokémon on the field for five turns, and in various ways. For example, Gravity would rid Levitating Pokémon of their powers, and force both them and Template:Type2s to take damage from Template:Type2 moves, as well as disabling moves like Fly and Bounce, whereas another, Magnet Rise, makes the user invulnerable to Template:Type2 moves, again for five turns. Also, Trick Room alters the dimensions for five turns, making slower Pokémon attack first; and Tailwind increases the Speed of the user's team for three turns.

Acid rain, a weather-related glitch, is present in Platinum, HeartGold and SoulSilver.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon

Various weather effects appear in certain dungeons in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games. Weather effects can change from floor to floor, and can also be altered through the use of Wonder Orbs.

  • Sunny: Fire-type moves increase power by 50%, while Water moves are cut in half.
  • Fog: The power of Electric-type moves is cut in half.
  • Snow: Ice-type Pokémon have an increased movement rate.
  • Rain: Water-type moves increase power by 50%, while Fire moves are cut in half. Also prevents explosions from traps and moves like Selfdestruct.
  • Hail: Deals 5 points of damage to non-Ice-types every 10 turns.
  • Sandstorm: Deals 5 points of damage to non-Rock-, Ground-, and Steel-types every 10 turns.
  • Cloudy: Reduces the damage of all non-Normal-type moves by 25%.

Trivia