Pokémon Black and White - Timing Notes

This page contains information on the timing process in the Black and White games.

Turn Phases

Every turn consists of these phases:

1. Each player chooses a command for each Pokémon in battle, at the same time. For each Pokémon in battle he or she controls, a player does one of the following: have the Pokémon use one of its moves; use an item from the Bag (in battles that allow it); or switch it out for another Pokémon (that Pokémon must be an unfainted Pokémon not in battle, and not an egg, controlled by that player). Triple Battles also include a Shift command, and In Rotation Battles, the "rotate left" and "rotate right" commands are also available, and commands can be chosen only for Pokémon that are rotated in.
2. Switching (resolved in turn order)
3. Use of items
4. Pokémon are rotated in and out, if this is a Rotation Battle. (Resolved in turn order.)
5. Attacks
6. End-of-turn effects

Priority and Turn Order

Turn order is determined two times each turn: once after commands are chosen, and again at the end of each turn (before end-of-turn effects).

In Rotation Battles, if a side chooses to rotate another Pokémon in, the turn order is determined according to the Pokémon that will be rotated in.

Because of a bug, however, Trick Room's effect treats a Pokémon with a current Speed of 1809 or greater as having a Speed of 0, thus allowing such a Pokémon to strike before those with Speeds higher than 0 while Trick Room is in effect.

After commands are chosen, a Pokémon's Quick Claw can be activated at a 20% chance, but only if it chose a move or the Shift command (without rotating out or being rotated in) that turn, or didn't take any action this turn. If it activates, the Pokémon strikes before all other Pokémon with the same or lower priority level. This effect doesn't apply to the end of the turn. (Each Pokémon with a Quick Claw has a separate chance to activate.)

After commands are chosen, a Pokémon's Custap Berry is activated (and is consumed) if it has the required amount of HP remaining, but only if it chose a move or the Shift command (without rotating out or being rotated in) that turn, or didn't take any action this turn. If it activates, the Pokémon strikes before all other Pokémon with the same or lower priority level. This effect doesn't apply to the end of the turn.

Priority Levels

Every move is categorized in one of twelve priority levels:

• 5 - Helping Hand
• 4 - Protect, Detect, Endure, Magic Coat, Snatch
• 3 - Fake Out, Follow Me, Wide Guard, Rage Powder, Quick Guard
• 2 - ExtremeSpeed, Feint
• 1 - Quick Attack, Bide, Mach Punch, Sucker Punch, Vacuum Wave, Bullet Punch, Ice Shard, Shadow Sneak, Aqua Jet, Ally Switch
• 0 - All other moves
• -1 - Vital Throw
• -3 - Focus Punch
• -4 - Revenge, Avalanche
• -5 - Counter, Mirror Coat
• -6 - Whirlwind, Roar, Circle Throw, Dragon Tail
• -7 - Trick Room, Wonder Room, Magic Room

Modifications to Speed

No detail yet.

Turn Order Rules

A Pokémon is considered to strike before other Pokémon when:

• It takes its attack segment during a turn.
• It uses Pursuit as a Pokémon is about to switch.
• It declares its intention to switch out normally.
• Its item command is executed during the "use of items" phase of the turn.

After You, Fire Pledge, Grass Pledge, Quash, Round, and Water Pledge can change the turn order of Pokémon and thus whether certain Pokémon strike before or after other Pokémon. A Pokémon that entered the battle after the beginning of a turn is not considered to strike before or after any other Pokémon during that turn.

Since a Pokémon as a target under the effect of Sky Drop doesn't take its attack segment, it is not considered to strike before or after any other Pokémon during that turn for that reason.

Switching Out

When a Pokémon enters the battle, the following effects are applied in order:

1. Healing Wish/Lunar Dance
2. Toxic Spikes/Stealth Rock/Spikes (applied in the order in which they came into effect; Toxic Spikes applies even if the Pokémon faints because of Spikes/Stealth Rock)
3. Abilities

If more than one Pokémon is chosen when Pokémon are switched in from fainted ones, the above effects don't happen until all those Pokémon enter the battle (resolved in order of Speed, taking Trick Room into account). At any other time when more than one Pokémon is chosen, the effects happen immediately after the Pokémon enters the battle.

If more than one Pokémon is switched in from fainted ones at the same time, their controllers choose both the new Pokémon to be switched in and their positions, where the choices are revealed only after all those players have finished making their choices.

At the beginning of a battle, however, all Pokémon enter the battle, then the above effects resolve for each Pokémon, from highest to lowest Speed.

Use of Items

In generation 5, even for items such as X Attack and the like, the player chooses a Pokémon that is controlled by the player and that the item will be used on. An item can be chosen this way even if it won't have any effect at the time it's chosen, unlike in previous generations. The Pokémon the item is used on need not be the same as the Pokémon the command was chosen for. If more than one Pokémon uses an item, each of those commands is resolved in turn order.

Wonder Launcher

Some link battles allow the use of the Wonder Launcher, a device that throws disc-like items to Pokémon during battle. Using an item with the Wonder Launcher is largely similar to using an item from the Bag, except that each item costs points to use. A single side starts with 0 points and can't have more than 14 points at once.

At the beginning of each turn, before commands are chosen, each side will earn points as follows:

• 2 points in Triple Battles, if there are fewer than three Pokémon in battle on that side, or
• 1 point otherwise.

Items that can be used with the Wonder Launcher are given in the item list with a specific cost, like "cost 2" or "cost 5". The cost is deducted when the item is chosen (if the item choice is then canceled, the points are refunded).

In a Wonder Launcher battle, the "Launcher" command replaces the "Bag" command and contains all the items usable with the Wonder Launcher, even those that cost more points than available.

Attack Phase

Before the attack phase of the turn, a message is shown for each Pokémon that chose Focus Punch for use in turn order.

The turn order guides the order in which Pokémon do their attacks. Each attack is known as an "attack segment".

Before the Attack

Before a Pokémon uses an attack, the following effects are checked, in this order:

Not determined yet.

If the pre-attack checks succeed, the Pokémon uses the move, PP is reduced, and targets are determined. If there is no PP remaining or there is no target, the process stops. (In these cases, Snatch doesn't consider the attack as used.)

Obedience Check

In battles in which Exp. Points can be gained, if the Pokémon tries to attack, the Pokémon's 32-bit ID number, OT (Original Trainer) name, or both are different from those of the player, and its level is greater than the player's "badge level", then an obedience check is done to determine whether the attack can be used.

With the following Badges, Pokémon up to the given levels will obey the player:

• (no Badge) - Level 10
• Trio Badge - Level 20
• Basic Badge - Level 30
• Insect Badge - Level 40
• Bolt Badge - Level 50
• Quake Badge - Level 60
• Jet Badge - Level 70
• Freeze Badge - Level 80
• Legend Badge - Level 100

Targeting

The game now finds the attack's target. This largely depends on the attack.

As targets are chosen, a move can target a position even if a Pokémon isn't occupying it, unlike in previous generations. This behavior applies to Double Battles in the same way as Triple Battles.

If the attack has a single target and targets a position on the user's side, the attack will fail if there is no Pokémon at that position as that attack is used. If the attack has a single target and targets a position on the opposing Pokémon's side, and there is no Pokémon at the targeted position as the attack is used, the following steps are taken:

• If there is one or more opposing Pokémon adjacent to the targeted position that the attack could target, the attack will target one of them at random.
• Otherwise, if there is one or more opposing Pokémon that the attack could target, the attack will target one of them at random.
• Otherwise, the attack will do nothing for having no target.

An attack that can't be used because it has no target is considered to fail and is not considered to be "prevented from being used".

These effects can change the target of moves and are applied in this order.

1. Follow Me takes effect. If the attack is redirected to another target, the Lightningrod/Storm Drain effect below is ignored. (See attack description for Follow Me for details.)
2. If a Pokémon other than the target has Lightningrod or Storm Drain, the attack is redirected to that target. (See those Abilities' descriptions for details.)
3. If Magic Coat is in effect for the target, or the target has Magic Bounce, when certain moves are used, that target uses that attack instead. (See description for Magic Coat or Magic Bounce for details. If this effect happens, effects that trigger whenever that target is targeted by an attack don't happen.)

The Pressure ability takes into account the target determined after Follow Me, Lightningrod, and Storm Drain are applied.

In Double Battles and Triple Battles, the order to resolve effects for each target for attacks with multiple targets depends on where the attacker is located and the move's target:

• Target is "all opposing Pokémon", Triple Battle:
  • Left attacker: Right then center
  • Center attacker: Left then center then right
  • Right attacker: Left then center
• Target is "all opposing Pokémon", Double Battle:
  • Left then right, regardless of where the attacker is
• Target is "all Pokémon except user", Triple Battle:
  • Left attacker: Own center, then right then center
  • Center attacker: Own left then own right, then left then center then right
  • Right attacker: Own center, then left then center
• Target is "all Pokémon except user", Double Battle:
  • Left attacker: Own right, then left, then right
  • Right attacker: Own left, then left, then right

Accuracy Check

After targets are found, the attack proceeds against each target.

Exact accuracy check not determined yet.

Accuracy Stat Stage

Multipliers for the accuracy stat stage. After applying the multiplier, the result is rounded down and set to 100 if it's greater than 100.

• -6: 3/9
• -5: 3/8
• -4: 3/7
• -3: 3/6
• -2: 3/5
• -1: 3/4
• 0: 3/3
• 1: 4/3
• 2: 5/3
• 3: 6/3
• 4: 7/3
• 5: 8/3
• 6: 9/3

During the attack

If the attack hits and the attack deals damage, its damage is calculated.

Otherwise, if the attack hits, the attack's effect happens, if possible.

Damage Calculation

Power is modified by these effects in this order:

1. Effects of most attacks that vary their power do so at this point. Examples include Acrobatics, Gyro Ball, Low Kick, SmellingSalt, and Stored Power.
2. A value begins at 4096, the following effects are applied to that value in order, each time rounding the value to the nearest integer. Then the power is multiplied by this value, divided by 4096, and rounded half-up.
   1. If the attacker has Technician and the power is 60 or less.
   2. Iron Fist/Analytic/Flare Boost/Sand Force/Toxic Boost/Reckless/Rivalry; Heatproof/Dry Skin; Sheer Force; power-boosting items; Brine/Facade/Fusion Bolt/Fusion Flare/Retaliate/Venoshock; Me First; SolarBeam; Charge; Helping Hand; Water Sport/Mud Sport.

Attack, Defense, Special Attack, and Special Defense are modified by these effects in this order:

1. For physical attacks, use the attacker's Attack and the target's Defense. For special attacks, use the attacker's Special Attack and the target's Special Defense. The exceptions are as follows:
   • If Wonder Room is in effect, or if the attack is Psyshock, Psystrike, or Secret Sword, but not both, the calculation starts with the Defense stat instead of the Special Defense stat, and vice versa; effects, other than stat stages, that modify Defense will be applied instead of those that modify Special Defense, and vice versa; and the Defense stat stage is used for Psyshock, Psystrike, and Secret Sword.
   • If Psyshock, Psystrike, or Secret Sword are used while Wonder Room is in effect, the calculation starts with the Special Defense stat, the Defense stat stage is used, and other effects that modify Special Defense will be applied.
   • If the attack is Foul Play, the calculation starts with the target's Attack stat instead of the user's, and uses the target's Attack stat stage instead of the user's.
2. Multiply the stat by the multiplier for its stat stage and round down.
   • If the attack is a critical hit, the Attack or Special Attack stat stage, as applicable, is ignored if it is less than 0, and the Defense or Special Defense stat stage, as applicable, is ignored if it is greater than 0.
   • If the attack is Chip Away or Sacred Sword, the target's stat stages are ignored.
   • If the attacker has Unaware, the Defense or Special Defense stat stage, as applicable, is ignored. If the target has Unaware, the Attack or Special Attack stat stage, as applicable, is ignored.
   • If a stat stage is ignored, the unmodified stat is used. (For Foul Play, if the Attack stat stage is ignored, the target's unmodified Attack stat is used. Even if Wonder Room is in effect, if the Defense or Special Defense stat stage, as applicable, is ignored, the unmodified Defense or Special Defense stat, respectively, is used.)
3. If Sandstorm is in effect and the target is a Rock type, Special Defense is modified by 1.5 and rounded half-down.
4. If the attacker has Hustle and the attack is physical, Attack is multiplied by 1.5 and rounded half-down.
5. A value begins at 4096, the following effects are applied to that value in order, each time rounding the value to the nearest integer. Then the Attack or Special Attack, as the case may be, is multiplied by this value, divided by 4096, and rounded half-up.
   • Thick Fat; attacker's Ability (except Hustle); Flower Gift; attacker's held item.
6. A value begins at 4096, the following effects are applied to that value in order, each time rounding the value to the nearest integer. Then the Defense or Special Defense, as the case may be, is multiplied by this value, divided by 4096, and rounded half-up.
   • Marvel Scale; Flower Gift; the target's held item.

After finding the power, Attack, Defense, Special Defense, and Special Attack, the damage becomes equal to:

int(int(int(2*L/5+2)*A*P/D)/50)+2

where L is the attacker's level, A is the attacker's Attack or Special Attack value, P is the attack's power, and D is the target's Defense or Special Defense value.

The damage is further modified by these effects:

1. If the attack [has more than one target], the damage is multiplied by 3/4 and rounded half-down.
2. During Sunny Day, the damage for Fire-type attacks is multiplied by 1.5 and rounded half-down, and the damage for Water-type attacks is halved and rounded half-down.
3. During Rain Dance, the damage for Water-type attacks is multiplied by 1.5 and rounded half-down, and the damage for Fire-type attacks is halved and rounded half-down.
4. If the attack is a critical hit, the damage is doubled.
5. Damage variance: The damage is multiplied by a random number from 85 through 100, divided by 100, and rounded down.
6. "Same Type Attack Bonus": If the attack shares a type with one of the attacker's types, the damage is multiplied by 1.5 (or doubled if the attacker has Adaptability), and is rounded half-down.
7. The damage is multiplied by 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2, or 4, and rounded down, depending on the type matchup of the attack against the target's types (see the Type Matchup Chart below).
8. If the attacker is burned and doesn't have Guts, and the attack is physical, the damage is halved and rounded down.
9. If the damage is less than 1, it becomes 1.
10. A value begins at 4096, the following effects are applied to that value in order, each time rounding the value to the nearest integer. Then the damage is multiplied by this value, divided by 4096, and rounded half-up.
    • Reflect/Light Screen; Multiscale; Tinted Lens; Friend Guard; Sniper; Filter/Solid Rock; Metronome item; Expert Belt; Life Orb; damage-reducing Berries; Stomp/Earthquake/Surf/Steamroller.

Stat Stages

Stat stages refer to levels that raise or lower stats during a battle. Each stat stage has 13 different levels.

That stat scale applies to the stat stages for Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. At the start of a battle, each Pokémon's stat stages begin at 0. The stat stages for a Pokémon are reset to 0 when the Pokémon leaves the battle, (except Baton Pass). Each stat stage can't go lower than -6 or higher than 6.

To apply stat stages, multiply the stat by the stat multiplier for the corresponding stat stage.

The term "stat stages" refers to those for Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed, as well as those for evasiveness and accuracy (see Accuracy check).

Critical Hits

• Set C to 0.
• If the attacker has Super Luck, add 1 to C.
• If Focus Energy is in effect for attacker, add 2 to C.
• If attack has a "good chance for a critical hit", add 1 to C.
• If attacker is Chansey with Lucky Punch, add 2 to C.
• If attacker is Farfetch'd with Stick, add 2 to C.
• If Dire Hit 2 was used on the attacker, add 1 to C for one use, or add 2 to C for two or more uses.
• If Dire Hit 3 was used on the attacker, add 2 to C.
• If the attacker is holding Scope Lens or Razor Claw, add 1 to C.
• The critical hit chance is as follows:
  • C = 0: 1/16
  • C = 1: 1/8
  • C = 2: 1/4
  • C = 3: 1/3
  • C = 4 or more: 1/2

Type Matchup Chart

Attack types are the rows; Pokémon types are the columns. If a Pokémon has two types, the type matchups from both types are multiplied.

After the attack

After an attack is successful, the following happens:

1. Most "attack is successful" effects
2. Additional effects
3. Items that trigger on low HP, status problems, and so on can trigger here
4. Grudge/Rage
5. Most Ability effects
6. Items that trigger on low HP, status problems, and so on can trigger here
7. Item effects that trigger if the target is hit by the attack (including Air Balloon and Sticky Barb)
8. Items that trigger on low HP, status problems, and so on can trigger here
9. The target faints if it has 0 HP
10. Destiny Bond if the target fainted
11. Recoil damage/Struggle
12. Items that trigger on low HP, status problems, and so on can trigger here
13. Attacker's Shell Bell
14. The target thaws out if attack is a Fire-type attack
15. Rapid Spin/Circle Throw/Dragon Tail/Pluck/Bug Bite/SmellingSalt/Wake-Up Slap/Thief/Covet (only if attacker hasn't fainted)

After all hits of a successful attack have resolved (Ability and item effects mentioned below don't occur if the attacker has Sheer Force and the attack has an additional effect):

1. Color Change
2. Red Card (only if attacker and item's holder haven't fainted)
3. Eject Button message (only if item's holder hasn't fainted; if more than one target's Eject Button could trigger, only the first such target in turn order triggers).
4. Shell Bell/Life Orb (only if attacker hasn't fainted)
5. Eject Button effect (only if item's holder hasn't fainted). If effect happens, the U-turn message/effect doesn't happen.
6. U-turn message (only if attacker hasn't fainted)
7. Pickpocket (only if the target hasn't fainted)
8. U-turn effect (only if attacker hasn't fainted)

If a Pokémon that gained an Ability through an effect faints, its Ability doesn't revert to its original until the above effects finish resolving.

End of turn

Before applying end-of-turn effects, the priority for the turn is again calculated.

Exact order of effects is not determined yet.

Chance of Running in Wild Battles

Not determined yet.

Tiebreakers

In link battles, if all Pokémon on both sides faint at the same time, the following rules are applied to determine a winner:

• If Destiny Bond, Explosion, Final Gambit, or Selfdestruct caused all Pokémon on both sides to faint at the same time, the Pokémon who used that move loses for its side.
• If a recoil move or Struggle caused this situation, the Pokémon that used that move wins for its side.
• If the effect of an item or Ability caused this situation, the Pokémon that held that item or had that Ability wins for its side.
• If the effect of Hail, Perish Song, or Sandstorm caused this situation, the Pokémon that fainted last wins for its side.

In battles with time limits, when there is no time left as a turn finishes without a winner, the following tiebreaker is used:

1. If one side has more unfainted Pokémon (both in battle and not in battle) than any other, that side wins.
2. Otherwise, if one side has a higher average percentage of HP remaining than any other, that side wins. To find this percentage, multiply 100 by the combined current HP of all Pokémon (both in battle and not in battle) on a side, then divide by the combined maximum HP of those Pokémon, then round down.
3. Otherwise, if one side has a higher combined current HP among Pokémon (both in battle and not in battle) than any other, that side wins.
4. Otherwise, the battle ends in a tie. (The 2012 regulations prescribe holding an additional "sudden death" battle if this happens. As turns end in this battle, if one side has more unfainted Pokémon (both in battle and not in battle) than the other side, that side wins. "Sudden death", however, is not enforced by the game itself.)

Battle Formats

Single Battle

A Single Battle is a battle with one Pokémon in battle on each side. When a Single Battle starts, the first Pokémon on each side enters the battle.

Double Battle

A Double Battle is a battle with two Pokémon in battle on each side. When a Double Battle starts, the first Pokémon on each side takes the left position, and the second Pokémon on each side takes the right position. If there are two Trainers on a single side, instead the first Pokémon on the left Trainer's party takes the left position of that side, and the first Pokémon on the right Trainer's party takes the right position of that side.

Triple Battle

Triple Battles are battles with three Pokémon in battle on each side. When a Triple Battle starts, the first Pokémon on each side is placed on the left of that side, the second Pokémon on the center, and the third on the right.

In Triple Battles, many kinds of moves can't target Pokémon in battle that are not adjacent to the user. The moves affected are those with a range of "single Pokémon except user", "user or adjacent ally", "single adjacent ally", "single opposing Pokémon", "all Pokémon except user", "all opposing Pokémon", "all Pokémon in battle", and "single opposing Pokémon selected at random". Moves that are an exception to this rule have flag "n" in the list of moves.

A Pokémon on the left or right of a side can take a new action, called "Shift", located within the Fight command. The Shift command moves the Pokémon to the center and moves the Pokémon at the center, if any, to the first Pokémon's previous position. Shifting has a priority level of 0 for the purposes of determining turn order; a Pokémon shifts instead of taking its attack segment. Encore doesn't prevent the use of the Shift command.

If all of a Pokémon's moves can't be chosen for use as commands are chosen, that Pokémon can't choose the Shift command (because the list of moves is not displayed when the Fight command is chosen). However, a Pokémon can still shift even if all its moves can't be chosen for use after commands are chosen in the same turn.

If the Pokémon that used to be in the center position during a shift chose a single target for that move, shifting doesn't change that target. Therefore, when that Pokémon's attack segment comes and the target can't be reached from the Pokémon's new position, that target will avoid that attack and effects that happen whenever an attack targets the target won't happen. (In Triple Battles, a position is targeted, not a Pokémon.)

At the end of a turn (after switching in fainted Pokémon), if there is only one Pokémon in battle on either side and each of them is on its left or each is on its right (when not directly facing each other), both Pokémon shift to the center.

Rotation Battle

Rotation Battles are battles with three Pokémon in battle on each side, positioned such that one Pokémon is in front and the other two Pokémon are placed behind that Pokémon. When a Rotation Battle starts, the first Pokémon on each side is placed on the front, the second Pokémon on the left, and the third on the right.

Although up to three Pokémon can be in battle at once, only one of them, the front Pokémon, can take an action at the start of each turn.

Moves can't target a Pokémon that isn't placed in front.

Rotation Battles include two new actions, called "rotate left" and "rotate right", located within the Fight command and each represented by two arrows in a circle pointing counterclockwise or clockwise, respectively. Choosing either of these buttons cycles through each Pokémon on the same side. If a different Pokémon than the one in front is chosen, a move that Pokémon will use must also be chosen, and that Pokémon will be "rotated in" to the front before any Pokémon uses a move. If the Pokémon to the left of the one in front is chosen, that Pokémon will move to the front, the one previously in front will move to the right, and the one previously to the right will move to the left. If the Pokémon to the right of the one in front is chosen, that Pokémon will move to the front, the one previously in front will move to the left, and the one previously to the left will move to the right.

It's not possible to just rotate a Pokémon in without choosing a move, or to rotate a Pokémon in and then switch it out with the Pokémon command in the same turn. A Pokémon that's rotated out can't be chosen to switch out with the Pokémon command, since it's still a Pokémon in battle.

If all of a Pokémon's moves can't be chosen for use as commands are chosen, that Pokémon can still use the rotate left and rotate right commands. In this case, if a Pokémon has no moves it can choose for use, the choice "Struggle" is displayed over the list of moves.

Any effects on a Pokémon are retained when that Pokémon is rotated out, since a Pokémon that's rotated out is still a Pokémon in battle. Unless noted otherwise, effects on a Pokémon that last only a certain number of turns, such as Disable, Encore, and Taunt, are "frozen" (but remain in effect) while the Pokémon is rotated out; only while the Pokémon is rotated in at the end of a particular turn does the turn counter for that effect decline. Effects that trigger "at the end of each turn" also do not trigger for a Pokémon that's rotated out.

If a Pokémon faints or another effect causes the Pokémon to leave the battle, its controller must choose a Pokémon not in battle to replace it if possible and can't choose either of the rotated-out Pokémon. If there is no Pokémon not in battle the controller could choose after a Pokémon faints, the next Pokémon is automatically rotated to the right.