Poison in Pokemon

Poison is a major status condition that chips HP each turn. Bad poison is the stronger version, and its damage gets worse the longer the Pokemon stays in battle.

How poison works

Regular poison drains a fixed amount of HP at the end of each turn. Bad poison, often called toxic poison, starts smaller and grows each turn while the Pokemon stays active. That makes poison useful for wearing down bulky targets.

Common poison sources

Toxic, Poison Gas, and Toxic Spikes are common poison moves. Contact abilities like Poison Point and Poison Touch can also spread poison, while Toxic Orb and Poison Heal turn the status into a strategy.

How poison is cured or blocked

Poison-type and Steel-type Pokemon are immune to poison in modern games. Immunity, Safeguard, Pecha Berry, Full Heal, and Lum Berry can also block or clear it.

Related mechanics

See the status conditions overview for the other major status pages.

FAQ

What is bad poison?

Bad poison is the stronger poison state that increases its damage over time while the Pokemon stays in battle.

Can poison hit Steel or Poison types?

In modern games, Steel-type and Poison-type Pokemon are immune to poison.

Why do some teams use Toxic Orb?

Toxic Orb is useful on Pokemon with Poison Heal or other poison-based effects because the status becomes a benefit instead of a problem.