From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.
Contact (Japanese: 接触 contact) or direct attack (Japanese: 直接攻撃 direct attack) is a property of moves in the Pokémon games that was introduced in Generation III. Making contact occurs when a Pokémon physically touches the target when using a move in battle. Moves that make contact are affected by and can trigger various items and Abilities, such as Tough Claws and the Sticky Barb.
Whether a move makes contact is independent of its damage category. Most physical moves do make contact and make up the majority of contact moves. Most special moves do not make contact (with only seven moves that do), and no status moves make contact. Prior to Generation VII, all moves that make contact only target a single Pokémon.
Hitting a substitute does not make contact with the Pokémon behind it. While confusion damage is physical, it does not make contact. If a Pokémon is immune to a move, the move will not make contact with the Pokémon.
Contact does not factor into anything in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! and Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Moves that make contact
In Generation III only, AncientPower and Overheat make contact, while Covet, Faint Attack, and Fake Out do not.
The move Shell Side Arm changes between being a physical move that makes contact and a special move that does not make contact, based on which it predicts to inflict more damage.
Shadow moves
These Shadow moves also make contact.
Effects involving contact
Moves
Name
|
Effect
|
Baneful Bunker
|
Poisons an attacker if it attempts a contact move on the user.
|
Beak Blast
|
Burns an attacker if it uses a contact move on the user before executing the move.
|
Burning Bulwark
|
Burns an attacker if it attempts a contact move on the user.
|
King's Shield
|
Decreases an attacker's Attack one stage if it attempts a contact move on the user.
|
Obstruct
|
Decreases an attacker's Defense two stages if it attempts a contact move on the user.
|
Silk Trap
|
Decreases an attacker's Speed one stage if it attempts a contact move on the user.
|
Spiky Shield
|
Damages an attacker for 1/8 of its max HP if it attempts a contact move on the user.
|
|
Abilities
Name
|
Effect
|
Aftermath
|
An attacker that knocks out this Pokémon with a contact move takes damage equal to 1/4 of its own max HP.
|
Cute Charm
|
Has a 30% chance of infatuating an attacker on contact.
|
Effect Spore
|
Has a 30% chance of afflicting an attacker with poison, paralysis, or sleep on contact.
|
Flame Body
|
Has a 30% chance of burning an attacker on contact.
|
Fluffy
|
Halves damage taken from contact moves, but doubles damage taken from Fire-type moves.
|
Gooey
|
Decreases an attacker's Speed by one stage on contact.
|
Iron Barbs
|
Damages an attacker for 1/8 of its max HP on contact.
|
Long Reach
|
Contact moves from the user will not trigger effects caused by contact.
|
Mummy
|
Replaces an attacker's Ability with Mummy on contact.
|
Unseen Fist
|
If the Pokémon uses moves that make direct contact, it can attack the target even if the target protects itself.
|
Perish Body
|
Sets the perish count to 3 for both the attacking and defending Pokémon, until they switch out.
|
Pickpocket
|
Steals an attacker's held item on contact if the defending Pokémon has none.
|
Poison Point
|
Has a 30% chance of poisoning an attacker on contact.
|
Poison Touch
|
Has a 30% chance of poisoning a target on contact.
|
Rough Skin
|
Damages an attacker for 1/8 of its max HP on contact.
|
Static
|
Has a 30% chance of paralyzing an attacker on contact.
|
Tangling Hair
|
Decreases an attacker's Speed by one stage on contact.
|
Tough Claws
|
Boosts the power of contact moves used by this Pokémon by 30%.
|
Wandering Spirit
|
Exchanges Abilities with an attacker that makes direct contact.
|
|
Items
|
Name
|
Effect
|
|
Rocky Helmet
|
Damages an attacker for 1/6 of its max HP on contact.
|
|
Sticky Barb
|
Damages the holder each turn for 1/8 of their max HP. Transfers to an attacker on contact.
|
|
Protective Pads
|
Protects the holder from effects caused by using moves that make contact with the target.
|
|
Physical moves that do not make contact
Most moves that make contact are physical, although there are physical moves that do not make contact.
Water Shuriken, which was a physical move in Generation VI, also does not make contact in any generation.
Trivia
- In Pokémon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness, battle animations for contact moves do not show the attacking Pokémon hitting the defending one at all. As in the Stadium series, physical blows usually utilize quick camera cuts between the attacking and defending Pokémon to imply direct contact.
In other languages