Held Items

Held items are items a Pokemon carries for battle bonuses, healing, evolution triggers, or other passive effects. They change damage, recovery, survival, evolution, and form changes.

Common item families

Common held items fall into a few groups: recovery items like Leftovers and Black Sludge, damage items like Life Orb and Choice items such as Choice Band and Choice Specs, safety items like Focus Sash and Air Balloon, defensive items like Eviolite and Assault Vest, and berries that heal or resist damage. Choice items lock the user into the first move it chooses, and Focus Sash lets a Pokemon survive a hit from full HP once.

What held items do

Some held items give a constant bonus, while others only activate once their condition is met. Certain items also affect breeding, evolution, or form changes instead of battle.

How item interactions work

A held item can be removed, swapped, or disabled by certain moves and effects. Knock Off can remove an item, Trick or Switcheroo can swap items, and Magic Room can suppress item effects for a while. Sticky Hold blocks item removal, Klutz shuts off most item effects, and Unburden reacts when an item is consumed or lost.

Battle impact

Held items are often the difference between surviving one more hit, finishing a KO, or losing momentum. A Choice item, berry, or Focus Sash changes the battle plan in different ways.

Common item roles

The same pool of items also includes battle recovery items, damage boosters, survival tools, and breeding items like Everstone and Destiny Knot.

FAQ

Can a Pokemon hold more than one item?

No. A Pokemon can hold only one item at a time.

Do held items always work in battle?

No. Some held items only trigger under certain conditions, and some are mainly useful outside battle.

Why are held items important for breeding?

Items like Everstone and Destiny Knot change which traits pass down during breeding.