Status Conditions in Pokemon
Major status conditions like burn, poison, paralysis, sleep, and freeze change how a Pokemon performs in battle.
Major status pages
Burn chips HP each turn and weakens physical attacks.
Poison chips HP each turn, while bad poison gets worse over time.
Paralysis cuts Speed and can stop a Pokemon from moving.
Sleep prevents action for a limited time.
Freeze blocks action until the Pokemon thaws.
Major vs volatile status
Major status conditions stay on a Pokemon until they are cured or the battle ends. Volatile status effects such as confusion, flinch, trapped, or infatuated are temporary and can stack with other battle changes.
Main status effects
Burn chips HP every turn and weakens physical attacks. Poison also chips HP every turn, while bad poison gets worse each turn. Paralysis reduces Speed and can stop a Pokemon from moving. Sleep prevents action for a limited time. Freeze blocks action until the Pokemon thaws, although the exact freeze rules have changed across generations.
Battle impact
Status can reduce damage, limit movement, drain HP, or raise catch rate. It also changes how certain moves and abilities work, such as Facade, Guts, Quick Feet, and Flame Orb or Toxic Orb strategies.
How status gets cured or blocked
Status can be cured with items, healing moves, resting effects, and some abilities. It can also be blocked by immunities, Safeguard, Misty Terrain, or abilities that ignore status attempts.
How to cure or prevent status
You can cure status with items, healing moves, or certain abilities. Common examples are Full Heal, Lum Berry, Rest, Water Veil, Immunity, Limber, Insomnia, and Natural Cure. Those are the main cures, restorers, and status-blocking abilities you will use in battle.
FAQ
Which status is the most dangerous?
It depends on the match, but burn, sleep, and paralysis are the most common battle-swinging statuses because they cut damage, stop actions, or slow a Pokemon down.
Can a Pokemon have more than one major status?
No. A Pokemon can only have one major status condition at a time.
Do status conditions matter outside battle?
Some games use status conditions or status-like effects outside battle, but their main impact is in combat.