Seeding

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A Solrock affected by Leech Seed

A seeded Pokémon loses HP each turn, replenishing the HP of the Pokémon that caused this condition.

Effect

This status is caused by Leech Seed or Sappy Seed. The move will fail to seed the target when used on a Pokémon that is already seeded, or that is currently Grass-type.

Every turn, a seeded Pokémon loses 1/8 (1/16 in Generation I), of its maximum HP, rounded down but no less than 1.

In single battles, the opponent (even if it was not the Pokémon that originally used the move) is healed by the same amount, unless the seeded Pokémon has Liquid Ooze, in which case the user will take damage by this amount instead.

In battles involving multiple Pokémon, the seeding will only heal (or deduct damage using Liquid Ooze) the Pokémon that is in the same position as the Pokémon that originally used the move was in. If no Pokémon is in that position (for example, if it fainted and could not be replaced), no HP will be deducted from the seeded Pokémon. However, if a Pokémon is later able to occupy that position (if it was revived), HP will once again be sapped from the seeded Pokémon. While a Pokémon is seeded, even if it cannot have its health drained due to there being no Pokémon in the appropriate slot to drain its HP, it cannot be seeded again.

HP draining will not occur on the turn when the seeded Pokémon defeats the target. Unlike other types of damage, the recurrent damage done by seeding can exceed the target's current HP.

HP draining will occur even if the seeded Pokémon knocks itself out with crash damage, recoil damage, or self-inflicted confusion damage, or by making a substitute before the end of its turn. HP draining is done after continuing partial trapping damage and recurrent poison or burn damage. If the target is seeded during a round that it switches in, it will take recurrent damage during that round, but only if its speed is less than or equal to the user's speed.

If the user of the seeding move is under the effect of Heal Block, the effect damage will be dealt normally but the user's HP will not be restored. If the user has a Big Root as its held item, it will recover 30% more HP than it normally would, but this does not increase the damage dealt.

A seeded Pokémon will retain this condition even if it gains the Grass-type in battle (such as from Forest's Curse, or by changing species via Transform).

If a seeded Pokémon uses Baton Pass, this status is transferred to its replacement, even if it is Grass-type.

The Pokémon is cured from seeding once it is switched out, the battle ends, or it uses Rapid Spin or Mortal Spin. In Generation I only, Haze heals it as well.

Generation I

1/16 of the seeded Pokémon's HP is drained.

In Generations I and II, the seeding effect is applied after the afflicted Pokémon takes its turn.

If the seeded Pokémon is also under the effect of Toxic (or was under that effect and healed itself with Rest), because Leech Seed and Toxic both use the same damage algorithm, the seeding damage will be affected by Toxic's N parameter, and will increase each turn.

In the Pokémon Stadium series and Japanese cartridges, Leech Seed will not work against a target with a substitute.

Generation II

1/8 of the seeded Pokémon's HP is drained instead.

Leech Seed no longer interacts with Toxic damage and Haze no longer affects Leech Seed. The user can no longer plant a seed on a target with a substitute (but setting up a substitute does not release a Pokémon from existing effects of Leech Seed).

Generation III onwards

The seeding effect is now applied after all Pokémon on the field have taken their turns.

Moves

A Pokémon can be seeded when using any of the following moves.

Move Type Category Power Accuracy Notes
Leech Seed Grass Status 90%
Sappy Seed Grass Physical 90 100%

In the spin-off games

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series

Main article: Status condition (Mystery Dungeon) → Leech Seed

The Leech Seed status is inflicted by the move of the same name. At the end of every second turn, 10 HPRBTDS or 5 HPGtISMD damage will be dealt to the affected Pokémon, and 10 HPRBTDS or 5 HPGtISMD will be returned to the Pokémon that inflicted it. The status wears off if the Pokémon that used Leech Seed is defeated. Grass-type Pokémon cannot become affected by Leech Seed.

This status lasts 11-12 turnsRBTDS or 6 turnsGtISMD.

In the anime

Unlike in the games, Leech Seed does not appear to restore the health of the Pokémon that used the attack in the anime. It instead seems to trap and immobilize the affected target.

Original series

In The Ninja Poké-Showdown, Aya's Venonat was defeated after getting seeded by a Leech Seed from Ash's Bulbasaur.

In The Fourth Round Rumble, during the fourth round of the Indigo Plateau Conference, Jeanette Fisher's Beedrill was seeded by a Leech Seed from Ash's Bulbasaur, who then defeated it with a Tackle.

In Ariados, Amigos, Aya's Venonat was briefly seeded by a Leech Seed from Ash's Bulbasaur.

In The Grass Route, James's Victreebel was easily defeated after getting seeded by a Leech Seed from Ephraim's Skiploom, Skippy*, who then used Double Team to disorient it. Later in the episode, it defeated a Tangela with Leech Seed.

Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire

In Pace - The Final Frontier!, Brandon's Solrock got seeded by a Leech Seed from Ash's Bulbasaur, contributing to its tie against the Seed Pokémon.

Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl

In The Grass-Type Is Always Greener!, Ash's Turtwig got seeded by a Leech Seed from Gardenia's own Turtwig, who then defeated him with a Tackle.

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