Imprison (move)

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Imprison ふういん Seal

Battles Type  Psychic Category  Status PP  10 (max. 16) Power  — Accuracy  —% Priority  0 Does not make contact Not affected by Protect Not affected by Magic Coat Affected by Snatch Not affected by King's Rock

Range Opponent Opponent Opponent Self Ally Ally Other Side: Affects the opponent's side of the field

Availability Introduced  Generation III Not a TM, TR, HM, or Move Tutor move.

Contests Condition  Smart Appeal  3 ♥♥♥ Jam  0   Worsens the condition of those that made appeals.

Super Contests Condition  Smart Appeal  1 ♥ Earn +3 if two Pokémon raise the Voltage in a row.

Contest Spectaculars Condition  Clever Appeal  3 ♥♥♥ Jamming  0   Temporarily stops the crowd from growing excited.

On Smogon's Movedex: Generation III Generation IV Generation V Generation VI Generation VII Generation VIII Generation IX

Imprison (Japanese: ふういん Seal) is a non-damaging Psychic-type move introduced in Generation III.

Effect

Generation III

Imprison prevents all opponents from using any move which is also known by the user. The effect of Imprison lasts until the user switches out or faints. If the user's moveset changes while Imprison is in effect (such as by Mimic, Sketch or Transform), opponents are prevented from using the new moves.

If the target of this move runs out of PP of the rest of its usable moves, it will Struggle.

In Double Battles, the move targets the user and affects both opponents.

Generation IV

Imprison will fail if no opponent possesses a move the user knows at the time Imprison is used.

Generation V

Imprison will still execute even if no opponent has a move the user knows; though it has no immediate effect in such a case, if the opponent is able to change its moveset (e.g. Mimic, Sketch, or Transform) or switches out for a different Pokémon, it will be prevented from using the user's moves.

Imprison can now be affected by Snatch.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon

In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, Imprison will afflict the target with a Paused status.

Description

Games Description RSE Prevents foes from using moves known by the user. FRLG Prevents foes from using any move that is also known by the user. Prevents target from using moves known by the user. If the foe knows any move also known by the user, the foe is prevented from using it. If the opponents know any move also known by the user, the opponents are prevented from using it. If opposing Pokémon know any move also known by the user, they are prevented from using it.

Learnset

By leveling up

#	Pokémon		Type		Level
					I		II		III		IV		V		VI
037		Vulpix	Fire		Fire	25			21				21	18	18 39
038		Ninetales	Fire		Fire											--
234		Stantler	Normal		Normal				43				49			49
280		Ralts	Psychic	Fairy	31			32				34			34 29
281		Kirlia	Psychic	Fairy	33			36				39			39 33
282		Gardevoir	Psychic	Fairy	33			40				45			45 35
343		Baltoy	Ground	Psychic											43
344		Claydol	Ground	Psychic											52
436		Bronzor	Steel	Psychic				12				12	9	9
437		Bronzong	Steel	Psychic				--, 12				--, 12	--, 9	--, 9
480		Uxie	Psychic		Psychic				6				6			6
481		Mesprit	Psychic		Psychic				6				6			6
482		Azelf	Psychic		Psychic				6				6			6
517		Munna	Psychic		Psychic								13			13
527		Woobat	Psychic	Flying								19			19
528		Swoobat	Psychic	Flying								19			19
570		Zorua	Dark		Dark								53			53
571		Zoroark	Dark		Dark								59			--, 59
605		Elgyem	Psychic		Psychic								25			25
606		Beheeyem	Psychic		Psychic								25			25
607		Litwick	Ghost	Fire								24			24
608		Lampent	Ghost	Fire								24			24
643		Reshiram	Dragon	Fire								8, 64			8, 64
644		Zekrom	Dragon	Electric								8, 64			8, 64
645		Landorus	Ground	Flying								9			9
646		Kyurem	Dragon	Ice								8, 64			8, 64
678		Meowstic	Psychic		Psychic											45 ♂
707		Klefki	Steel	Fairy											36
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

By breeding

#	Pokémon		Type		Father
					II		III		IV		V		VI
088		Grimer	Poison		Poison
200		Misdreavus	Ghost		Ghost
302		Sableye	Dark	Ghost
353		Shuppet	Ghost		Ghost
355		Duskull	Ghost		Ghost
442		Spiritomb	Ghost	Dark
562		Yamask	Ghost		Ghost
577		Solosis	Psychic		Psychic
582		Vanillite*	Ice		Ice
708		Phantump	Ghost	Grass
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

Special move

Generation IV

#   Pokémon Type Obtained with 0355 Duskull Ghost Pokéwalker - Winner's Path Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

Generation V

#   Pokémon Type Obtained with 0578 Duosion Psychic Dream World - Spooky Manor 0583 Vanillish Ice Dream World - Icy Cave Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

By event

Generation V

#   Pokémon Type Obtained with 0575 Gothorita Psychic Japanese Global Link Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Kirlia
The user creates a forcefield around the enemies' body that prevents it from moving.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	Kirlia creates a forcefield around its body that prevents it from moving.
Ruby's Rara	Rayquaza Redemption I		Debut

In other generations

Generation I	RBY	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLGE	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	PtHGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SMUSUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD: Time, Darkness, and Sky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Generation I	RBY	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLGE	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	PtHGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SMUSUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD: Time, Darkness, and Sky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Trivia

• The kanji featured in Imprison's Japanese animations is 封, which is the first kanji of 封印 (ふういん Fūin (Seal)), which is its Japanese name.

In other languages

Language Title Mandarin Chinese 封印 Fēngyìn French Possessif German Begrenzer Greek Επισφράγιση Italian Esclusiva Korean 봉인 Bong'in Brazilian Portuguese Aprisionar Serbian Zatvaranje Spanish Cerca

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.