Weather

Sun, rain, sandstorm and snow: what each does, how long it lasts and how to start it. Slide the sky and watch a Water move change.

Trainer lesson · 4 minutes · 5 steps and a 5-question quiz

Four weathers

Weather affects every Pokémon on the field, and only one weather can be active at a time. A new weather replaces the old one. Generation 9 has four:

Harsh sunlight: Fire moves are 50% stronger and Water moves 50% weaker. Nobody can be frozen.
Rain: Water moves are 50% stronger and Fire moves 50% weaker.
Sandstorm: every Pokémon that is not Rock, Ground or Steel loses 1/16 of its HP at the end of the turn. Rock types get a 50% Special Defense boost.
Snow: Ice types get a 50% Defense boost.

Snow is new in Generation 9. It replaced hail, which instead hurt every Pokémon that was not Ice-type.

Try it: Slide the sky

Drag the slider to change the weather and watch the move’s power change. Then lock in the sky that fits. (interactive on pokee.si)

Starting the weather

Moves start weather: Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Sandstorm and Snowscape. So do Abilities: Drought for sun, Drizzle for rain, Sand Stream for sandstorm and Snow Warning for snow. Torkoal has Drought, Politoed has Drizzle as its Hidden Ability, Tyranitar has Sand Stream and Abomasnow has Snow Warning.

Weather from a move or an Ability lasts 5 turns. If the Pokémon holds the matching rock (Heat Rock, Damp Rock, Smooth Rock or Icy Rock), it lasts 8 turns.

Three special Abilities make weather that ordinary moves cannot remove: Desolate Land and Primordial Sea (Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre) and Delta Stream (Mega Rayquaza).

Quick check

Politoed uses Rain Dance with no item. How many turns does the rain last?

Answer: 5 turns. Weather from a move lasts 5 turns. Holding a Damp Rock would stretch it to 8.

Playing around weather

Teams are often built around weather: a Drought Pokémon beside Pokémon that love sun, or a Sand Stream Pokémon beside Rock types.

You can defend against it. The Utility Umbrella makes its holder ignore rain and sun, and Safety Goggles block sandstorm damage.

Quiz

The lesson ends with a five-question quiz built from the Pokédex data, and earns the Weather Watcher badge.

Sources

Next lesson: Natures