A battle item is, as its name implies, an item given to a Pokémon during battle to enhance its stats. Like the stat-raising effects of moves like Howl and Agility, the stat rise is only temporary. These items cannot be used on a Pokémon if the specific stat is already raised by six levels.
There are two distinct types of battle items. The basic battle items introduced in Generation I each raise a particular stat by a single level, with the exception of Guard Spec. which protects the party from stat reductions for five turns.
A second type of battle item was introduced in Generation V, and can only be used in multiplayer battles via the Wonder Launcher. Many of these items are more powerful versions of the basic battle items, raising a particular stat by 2, 3, or 6 levels, while others have an effect on the ally of the Pokémon during whose turn the items are used.
Raises the critical hit ratio of a Pokémon currently in battle by 1 level. In Generation I, due to a glitch, it has no effect if the user is faster than the opponent, or prevents the user from getting a critical hit if the user is slower than the opponent.
The following is a list of cards featuring battle items. The English language release of the X Attack and X Defend use direct translations of their Japanese names, PlusPower and Defender, respectively.
Related cards Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
There is no battle item that boosts the evasion stat.
The Japanese name of X Accuracy, which would normally be written in hiragana as よくあたる yoku ataru, is instead written in katakana with a long "a" (ヨクアタール yoku atāru).
In Black and White, the Japanese name of Dire Hit was changed to be one character shorter so as to fit the numbers used for its upgrade items in the Wonder Launcher.
Except for Dire Hit 3, the bag descriptions for the different variations of each stat-boosting battle item are identical and do not specify to what degree they raise the corresponding stat (most likely because this is evident from their names).
The bag descriptions for Dire Hit 2 and Dire Hit 3 include the additional text "each use increases the effect", which is not present in the descriptions of the other stat-boosting Wonder Launcher items.
There is no battle item that boosts the critical hit ratio by 6 levels; this is becase critical hit ratio levels only go up to 5.