Pokémon Sword and Shield: All Abilities and Hidden Abilities

How-to
By Rebecca Spear
published

E-H

Pokemon Sword and Shield Abilities

Pokemon Sword and Shield Abilities (Image credit: iMore)

In general, Abilities and Hidden Abilities are helpful effects that automatically happen in battle and sometimes in the overworld. However, some Abilities and Hidden Abilities are not useful. Here are all of the Abilities and Hidden Abilities from E through H.

Early Bird

A Pokémon with this Ability will wake up from Sleep on their own faster than Pokémon without it. This includes self-induced sleep via Rest.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Natu
  • Xatu
  • Seedot
  • Nuzleaf
  • Shiftry

Effect Spore

When a Pokémon with Effect Spore is hit by another Pokémon that makes contact with it, the opposing Pokémon has a 10% chance of getting poisoned, paralyzed, or put to sleep. Grass-type Pokémon, Pokémon with Overcoat, and Pokémon holding Safety Goggles are immune to Effect Spore.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Morelull
  • Shiinotic

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Vileplume
  • Gossifleur
  • Eldegoss

Electric Surge

A Pokémon with Electric Surge turns the ground into Electric Terrain when it enters a battle.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Pincurchin

Emergency Exit

A Pokémon with Emergency Exit automatically flees a battle or switches out when its HP drops below half it's maximum HP.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Golisopod

Filter

When hit with super-effective moves, a Pokémon that knows Filter will only receive 1/4 of the damage.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Mime Jr.

Flame Body

When a Pokémon with Flame Body is hit by a move that makes physical contact, there's a 30% chance that the attacking Pokémon will become burned.

Overworld effect: If the first Pokémon in your party has Flame Body, then the time it takes to hatch any Pokémon Eggs in your party is halved.

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Litwick
  • Lampent
  • Chandelure
  • Carkol
  • Coalossal

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Sizzilpede
  • Centiskorch

Flare Boost

If the Pokémon with this Ability is burned, its special moves are increased by 50%.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Drifloon
  • Drifblim

Flash Fire

This Ability makes the Pokémon immune to Fire-type moves and activates when hit by a Fire-type attack.

Overworld effect: If the first Pokémon in your party knows Flash Fire, there's a 50% chance you'll encounter a Fire-type Pokémon in the wild if one is possible in the area.

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Vulpix
  • Ninetales
  • Growlithe
  • Arcanine
  • Flareon
  • Litwick
  • Lampent
  • Chandelure
  • Heatmore
  • Sizzlipede
  • Centiskorch

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Rolycoly
  • Carkol
  • Coalossal

Flower Gift

A Pokémon with Flower Gift will cause an increase in Attack and Special Defense by 1.5 times for itself and its allies when weather conditions are at harsh sunlight in battle.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Cherrim (Overcast Form)
  • Cherrim (Sunshine Form)

Fluffy

Pokémon with Fluffy take double damage from Fire-type moves, but half damage from moves that make contact.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Stufful
  • Bewear
  • Wooloo
  • Dubwool

Forewarn

A Pokémon with Forewarn is shown its opponent's highest power move.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Munna
  • Musharna

Friend Guard

This Ability reduces the damage your allies receive by 25%. However, it doesn't reduce damage dealt by direct damage moves.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Cleffa
  • Clefairy

Frisk

This Ability lets the Pokémon see its opponents held item when it enters battle.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Gothita
  • Gothorita
  • Gothitelle
  • Phantump
  • Trevenant
  • Pumpkaboo
  • Gourgeist
  • Noibat
  • Noivern
  • Orbeetle
  • Impidimp
  • Morgrem
  • Grimmsnarl

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Duskull
  • Dusclops
  • Dusknoir

Gluttony

A Pokémon with this Ability will eat Berries when they are at 50% health or lower instead of waiting until they are at 25% HP or lower.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Shuckle
  • Zigzagoon
  • Linoone
  • Heatmore
  • Applin
  • Flapple
  • Appletun

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Snorlax
  • Munchlax
  • Skwovet
  • Greedant

Gooey

When a Pokémon with this Ability gets hit by a move that makes contact, the opposing Pokémon decreases Speed by one stage.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Goomy
  • Sliggoo
  • Goodra

Gorilla Tactics

A Pokémon with Gorilla Tactics will only be able to use one move, but that Attack is boosted by 50%.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Darmanitan (Galarian Form)

Grassy Surge

When a Pokémon with Grassy Surge enters a battle, it makes the ground into Grassy Terrain.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Grookey
  • Thwackey
  • Rillaboom

Gulp Missile

Whenever a Pokémon with Gulp Missile uses Surf or Dive, they come back with prey in their mouths. When the Pokémon takes damage, they attack by spitting the prey at their opponent.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Cramorant

Guts

When a Pokémon with this Ability has a status condition, its Attack is increased by 50%.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Machop
  • Machoke
  • Machamp
  • Tyrogue
  • Larvitar
  • Timburr
  • Gurdurr
  • Conkeldurr
  • Throh
  • Obstagoon

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Flareon

Harvest

A Pokémon with this Ability has a 50% chance of restoring a Berry after using it during battle. Additionally, Harvest always activates when weather conditions are in harsh sunlight. Harvest can only activate once per turn.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Phantump
  • Trevenant

Healer

This Ability has a 30% chance of curing an ally's status conditions.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Hatenna
  • Hattrem
  • Hatterene
  • Spritzee
  • Aromatisse

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Bellossom

Heatproof

A Pokémon with Heatproof only experiences half the damage caused by Fire-type attacks and burns.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Bronzor
  • Bronzong
  • Rolycoly

Heavy Metal

This Ability doubles the weight of the Pokémon that has it.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Duraludon

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Bronzor
  • Bronzong
  • Cufant
  • Copperajah

Honey Gather

This Ability has no effect during battle.

Overworld effect: A Pokémon with this Ability has a chance of picking up Honey after a battle finishes. The higher the level Pokémon, the more likely they are to find Honey.

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Combee
  • Cutiefly
  • Ribombee

Huge Power

This Ability doubles the Attack stat of the Pokémon that has it.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Bunnelby
  • Diggersby

Hunger Switch

A Morpeko that knows Hunger Switch will change between its two forms every turn. If Morpeko knows Aura Wheel, the move will be changed back and forth between an Electric-type move and a Dark-type move.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Morpeko (Full Belly Mode)
  • Morpeko (Hangry Mode)

Hustle

This Ability doubles the user's Attack stat but lowers the accuracy of the user's physical moves by 20%.

Overworld effect: If the first Pokémon in your party knows Hustle, the chance of coming across high-leveled Pokémon increases by 50%.

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Togepi
  • Togetic
  • Togekiss
  • Remoraid
  • Delibird
  • Darumaka
  • Durant
  • Deino
  • Zweilous
  • Dracozolt

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Combee
  • Rufflet
  • Flapple

Hydration

A Pokémon with Hydration will be cured of non-volatile status conditions it may have if it's raining.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Wingull
  • Tympole
  • Palpitoad
  • Shelmet
  • Accelgor
  • Goomy
  • Sliggoo
  • Goodra

Pokémon that can have this as a Hidden Ability:

  • Lapras
  • Vaporeon
  • Barboach
  • Whiscash

Hyper Cutter

Pokémon with Hyper Cutter cannot have their Attack stat lowered by opponents.

Overworld effect: None

Pokémon that can have this Ability:

  • Krabby
  • Kingler
  • Mawile
  • Trapinch
  • Corphish
  • Crawdaunt
Rebecca Spear
Rebecca Spear
Gaming Editor

Gaming aficionado Rebecca Spear is iMore's dedicated gaming editor with a focus on Nintendo Switch and iOS gaming. You’ll never catch her without her Switch or her iPad Air handy. If you’ve got a question about Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda, or just about any other Nintendo series check out her guides to help you out. Rebecca has written thousands of articles in the last six years including hundreds of extensive gaming guides, previews, and reviews for both Switch and Apple Arcade. She also loves checking out new gaming accessories like iPhone controllers and has her ear to the ground when it comes to covering the next big trend.