Pokemon With Hidden Abilities For Competitive Play

Summary

• Abilities are crucial in competitive Pokemon battles, making Hidden Abilities like Huge Power and Levitate highly sought after for their power and immunity.
• Certain Abilities like Shadow Tag and Iron Fist offer strategic advantages, trapping opponents and boosting move power, making them valuable in diverse team compositions.
• Abilities like Moody and Contrary provide unique challenges and opportunities, requiring careful planning and adaptability in competitive battles for maximum effectiveness.

One of the many tools of the competitive Pokemon trade, Abilities are beneficial effects innate to each Pokemon. Unlike moves or items, trainers didn’t originally have much in the way of choice when it comes to an Ability, since they’re pre-set.

Generation 5 opened up players’ options a little with the addition of Hidden Abilities. Given to almost every monster, these extra Abilities are usually quite hard to get hold of. As such, they are much more powerful than their regular ones. Some are regular Abilities very well-suited to that particular Pokemon, while others are unique Abilities.

Updated January 2, 2025 by Blaise Santi: It’s 2025, which means news about the future of the Pokemon franchise is right around the corner. Pokemon Day comes on February 27th, which means fans have less than two months to wait before learning about upcoming titles like Pokemon Legends Z-A, and perhaps even the 10th generation of the mainline series, which will surely bring loads of new Pokemon, moves, and Abilities into the competitive scene!

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some Abilities that haven’t yet been covered in this list, as they’re ones that competitive players are either far too aware of, or maybe are underestimating in the recent metagame!

35

Azumarill: Huge Power

Cute Appearances Can Be Deceiving

You wouldn’t normally look at a Pokemon like Azumarill and assume it’s a heavy-hitting physical Attack powerhouse, but that’s where you’d be wrong. The Water/Fairy-type is an incredibly valuable teammate not just for its strong typing and decent movepool, but for its Ability, Huge Power, which doubles a Pokemon’s Attack power, giving Azumarill a whopping 100 base Attack stat.

When paired with an Attack-increasing item like the Choice Band, or a status move like Belly Drum that maxes out Attack while halving HP (a side effect that can be remedied with a Sitrus Berry), Azumarill can be a devastating sweeper. The addition of a priority move like Aqua Jet also makes this the best Pokemon with Huge Power in the game, unless Mega Mawile someday makes a return.

34

Farigiraf: Armor Tail

This Gen 9 Evolution Is All Set For Doubles

For the moment, Farigiraf is the only Pokemon with the Ability known as Armor Tail, which is for the best considering how overpowered it is. Armor Tail allows Farigiraf to protect itself and any allies in battle from priority moves, essentially crippling certain kinds of sweepers who might otherwise target the Normal/Psychic-type’s weak defenses.

In the standard competitive meta of Double Battles, this makes Farigiraf a good setup Pokemon to come in and allows its allies to bulk up as opponents scramble to find an alternate strategy rather than relying on priority moves. The only downside is that Farigiraf is far from the best new Pokemon in Gen 9, so hopefully another Pokemon gets access to this Ability in a future game.

33

Hydreigon: Levitate

You Can’t Touch Them From The Ground

One frequent Ability valued by competitive Pokemon players is Levitate, which completely nullifies all Ground-type moves against a Pokemon. There do exist counters to the Levitate ability, such as the move Gravity, which nullifies the effects of Levitate or Flying-type’s immunities to Ground. Nevertheless, Levitate can still be incredibly valuable for some especially strong Pokemon, like Hydreigon.

While some Pokemon like Lunatone and Solrock will benefit from losing Ground weaknesses more than Hydreigon, the Gen 5 pseudo legendary’s an incredibly strong Pokemon as it is with decent stats across the board, but especially in their Special Attack stats. It certainly doesn’t hurt to have an immunity to powerful physical moves like Earthquake or Stomping Tantrum.

32

Gothitelle: Shadow Tag

There’s No Escape From These Psychos

An Ability that is highly regarded by many in the competitive Pokemon world is Shadow Tag, in which all opponents are unable to flee or switch out during battle. This can be incredibly advantageous for Pokemon like Gothitelle, whose Psychic-type STAB attacks can be a huge detriment to teams with Poison or Fighting-type Pokemon, but can also fire back if they accidentally trap a Dark or Ghost-type.

At the moment, Gothitelle is the only Pokemon available to catch in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet with access to Shadow Tag, since the Wobbuffet line is unavailable and Gengar cannot Mega Evolve in the Gen 9 games. However, this just allows Gothitelle to rule as one of the best Psychic-types in the meta, trapping opposing Pokemon to allow their teammates to sweep with no way to escape.

31

Houndstone: Sand Rush

These Pokemon Aren’t Bogged Down By A Sandstorm

Houndstone has a lot of benefits as a competitive Pokemon, from its decent physical Attack and Defense, its signature move Last Respects that boosts power for every teammate that’s fainted, and its Ability, Sand Rush, which boosts its Speed in a sandstorm. This makes Houndstone a great physical attacker to pair with a sand-summoning Pokemon like Tyranitar or Sandaconda.

While several other good Pokemon like Dracovish and Lycanroc also possess access to Sand Rush as an Ability, Houndstone stands out due to its Ghost-typing. With increased Speed and STAB attacks, Houndstone can be an unexpected threat to Psychic-types who would normally rely on outspeeding their opponents, though the sandstorms will not affect Rock, Steel, and Ground-type Pokemon.

30

Groudon: Drought

Here Comes The Sun (Do-Do-Do-Doo)

It may seem redundant to recommend a mascot legendary to a competitive player, but Groudon is more than just a physical powerhouse. It also has the Ability Drought, which automatically summons Sunny Day upon switching in. This can be vital for setting up Pokemon with Solar Beam, potentially scaring off opponents that would otherwise counter a Ground-type like Groudon.

Particularly when paired with a Heat Rock, Groudon’s Drought can be incredibly useful at changing the tide of battle, boosting Fire-type moves, and activating several other Abilities, like the speed-boosting Chlorophyll, and even gives moves like Synthesis and Moonlight healing properties. Groudon may be physically threatening, but Drought allows it to be a strong setup Pokemon, too.

29

Kyogre: Drizzle

Leave It To A Water-Type To Make It Rain

On the flip side of Groudon, Kyogre’s main Ability is Drizzle, which summons rain upon switching in. It can be incredibly advantageous to certain Pokemon with Abilities like Swift Swim, Hydration, or even Electric-types who have learned moves like Thunder and Electro Shot. Obviously, Kyogre is an inspired choice for any team due to its legendary status, but it’s not the only Gen 3 ‘mon with the Ability.

Pelipper, believe it or not, is incredibly popular in certain competitive circles for its access to Drizzle. It essentially works as a rain-setting support, switching in and then immediately using U-Turn to go back into its Poke Ball while other teammates take advantage of Drizzle’s effects. However, it doesn’t hold a candle to Kyogre’s diverse movepool including Electric-type and Ice-type coverage.

28

Hisuian Decidueye: Scrappy

This Regional Form Outmatches Its Original

Scrappy is one of the most useful Abilities in the entire Pokemon franchise since it can seriously disarm Ghost-type Pokemon. Usually, that type is immune to both Normal and Fighting-type moves, but with Scrappy, those moves will not only damage Ghost-types but will do neutral damage, meaning Pokemon with Scrappy can really turn the tide in battle.

Hisuian Decidueye is a particularly well-utilized example of this, given that it is a Grass/Fighting-type and its Alolan form is Grass/Ghost. With Fighting-type STAB, it can do even more damage to Ghost-types than Fighting-types usually can. It’s overall a great ability to take advantage of with Normal and Fighting-type Pokemon, especially one with great coverage like Decidueye.

27

Pawmot: Iron Fist

Certain Moves Get A Heavy-Handed Stat Boost

Iron Fist was introduced in Gen 4 as an Ability that strengthens the damage dealt by “punching” moves, which are technically not an official category in the games. This affects a number of popular moves in the competitive meta, including Power-Up Punch, Drain Punch, Bullet Punch, and Thunder Punch.

Pawmot is a new Pokemon to Scarlet & Violet and makes good use of this ability thanks to being an Electric/Fighting-type. Not only does it get STAB on a lot of moves affected by Iron Fist, but it gets STAB on Thunder Punch, one of the best (and only) physical Electric-type moves, which can definitely make it a huge physical threat in battle.

26

Kilowattrel: Competitive

Special Attackers Will Benefit From This Ability

An Ability like Competitive is a great way to catch an opponent off-guard. The Ability activates whenever a Pokemon’s stats are lowered, causing the Special Attack stat to sharply increase. This can be especially useful if a Special Attack-lowering move is used, as the stat decrease will be completely negated in favor of raising the stat instead.

Kilowattrel is a recently-introduced Pokemon who makes great use of this Ability as a special attacker, with access to moves like Electro Ball which already does incredible damage thanks to its strong speed stat. However, even special attackers like Wigglytuff and Gothitelle can make great use of Competitive by strengthening themselves against speedier Pokemon.

25

Grafaiai: Prankster

Support Pokemon Become A Lot More Threatening

Early in the metagame for Scarlet & Violet, Murkrow reigned supreme thanks to its access to Prankster, an ability that makes status moves have priority. This is an especially useful Ability for support Pokemon since it can allow typically slower users to get in a hazard or stat boost before an attack from a speedy Pokemon that would otherwise KO them.

While there are many useful Pokemon who can use Prankster, Grafaiai gets a special shout-out for its Normal/Poison-typing. It makes a strong offensive pivot in the competitive scene, as it can disrupt an opponent’s strategy with a prioritized Encore, then either powerhouse them with a Swords Dance + Double Edge combo or a move like Gunk Shot.

24

Alolan Ninetales: Snow Warning

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

Snow Warning went through a major change in Gen 9. Initially, it summoned a hailstorm upon the user’s switch-in, gradually picking away at the HP of non-Ice-types on the field of battle. However, it was formally replaced in Scarlet & Violet by snow, which has a less offensive effect, raising the Defense of the typically fragile Ice-types instead.

This now makes a lot of Ice-types much more sturdy on the battlefield, such as Alolan Ninetales, who already excels as a Dragon-type killer with its Ice/Fairy-typing. Abomasnow is also a useful Pokemon with Snow Warning, though Alolan Ninetales gets much more use out of it as an already powerful Special Attacker.

23

Indeedee: Psychic Surge

This Underrated Pokemon Takes Over The Field

The seventh generation of Pokemon introduced terrain as a new mechanic, allowing a Pokemon’s moves and abilities to affect the field of battle. The four types of terrain: Grassy, Electric, Psychic, and Misty, correspond with the Gen 7 guardian deities of Alola and their respective Abilities. While other Pokemon can summon terrain through movesets, only a few have the Tapu’s powers.

One such Pokemon is Indeedee, a Psychic/Normal-type Pokemon from Gen 8 who shares its Hidden Ability with Tapu Lele. By summoning Psychic Terrain, Indeedee makes for a powerful support Pokemon, especially with teammates holding Psychic Seeds that boost defense. It will also immunize priority moves, which can especially help out slower team builds.

22

Garganacl: Clear Body

Guaranteed To Leave Opponents Salty

Clear Body is far from a new Ability in the world of Pokemon, but it has a whole new set of fans thanks to how broken it makes Garganacl. Introduced in Scarlet & Violet, Garganacl is a Rock-type who gets a huge advantage out of Clear Body, which makes it immune to stat lowering by other Pokemon via moves and other Abilities, unless it’s pitted against Mold Breaker Pokemon.

While some competitive users might prefer Garganacl’s standard signature ability, Purifying Salt, which nullifies status conditions, Clear Body makes for a great alternative choice. With other moveset staples like Salt Cure and Recover, Garganacl can continually power himself up while negating the side effects of the opponent’s strongest attacks.

21

Sylveon: Pixilate

The First Fairy-Type Comes Out Swinging

Sylveon and its Hidden Ability, Pixilate, were both introduced in the sixth generation Pokemon games, alongside the new Fairy-typing. An evolution of Eevee, Sylveon was the first Fairy-type to be revealed in the franchise, which makes its possession of Pixilate appropriate, as the Hidden Ability transforms Normal-type moves into Fairy-type moves.

As the only non-Mega Evolution to gain access to Pixilate, this makes Sylveon a very valuable Pokemon in the current competitive meta. Its stats are also decent enough to warrant a spot as a go-to Special Attacker, turning moves like Hyper Voice into incredibly powerful kill moves, especially towards typings that are weak or even neutral towards the Fairy-type.

20

Skeledirge: Unaware

Opponents Should Be Far From Unaware

This Fire/Ghost-type Pokemon is the fully-evolved form of Fuecoco, one of the starter Pokemon in Scarlet & Violet. As with typical Fire starters, Skeledirge’s main Ability is Blaze, which powers up Fire-type moves. However, its Hidden Ability, Unaware, offers an incredible advantage in the heat of competitive play.

With the Hidden Ability Unaware, Skeledirge is able to ignore a change in stats from their opponents. This means Skeledirge can ignore, for instance, the stat changes of another Pokemon as a result of their Abilities or even their Type. This can be incredibly detrimental for Pokemon who are weak to Skeledirge’s powerful Fire and Ghost-type STAB moves.

19

Hisuian Samurott: Sharpness

Samurott Levels Up Its Swordplay

The fully-evolved Water-type starter from Gen 5, Samurott, comes with a pretty useful Hidden Ability in Shell Armor, which blocks critical hits. However, Samurott was granted a new form with the 2022 title Pokemon Legends: Arceus, in the form of the Water/Dark-type Hisuian Samurott. This regional form’s Hidden Ability is uniquely powerful.

The Hidden Ability Sharpness, which was introduced in Gen 9 and known by Pokemon like Gallade and Kleavor, powers up “slicing” moves. This benefits many of Hisuian Samurott’s moves, including its signature move Ceaseless Edge. It also gives Hisuian Samurott a boost for some coverage moves like X-Scissor, Aerial Ace, and Sacred Sword.

18

Corviknight: Mirror Armor

This Armored Bird Plays Defense

Introduced in Gen 8, Mirror Armor is one of the best-hidden Abilities for competitive play. Paired with a powerful offense and strong durability, Corviknight can become a formidable opponent — or ally. Mirror Armor gives opponents a taste of their own medicine.

Not only does its effect make it very difficult for an opponent to lower Corviknight’s stats, but it actively harms them if they try. This is especially effective on Pokemon that use ‘Intimidate’ to lower the opposing Pokemon’s stats, as the player has limited control of how that harms them.

17

Maushold: Technician

A Little Goes A Long Way With This Family

Maushold is a Gen 9 Pokemon that resurrected a Gen 4 Ability: Technician. Technician powers up weak moves, meaning that moves with a power of 60 or lower get boosted by 50%

When paired with the signature move ‘Population Bomb’ and a wide lens, Technician Maushold becomes a real pain to deal with. ‘Population Bomb’ not only has STAB, but it can hit up to ten times, so the relatively weak move on its own becomes a formidable force that can wipe out a Pokemon in seconds.

16

Flamigo: Costar

Putting The ‘Amigo’ In Flamigo

Flamigo is one of Scarlet & Violet’s more controversial designs, being literally just a Flamingo. Regardless of design, though, it’s become a strong option for doubles competitive play thanks to its Hidden Ability, Costar.

Introduced in Gen 9 like Flamigo itself, Costar gives it synergy with a whole host of Pokemon. If it copies a Pokemon using ‘Belly Drum,’ for example, it reaches maximum attack by doing nothing at all. Paired with a Dondozo that has ‘eaten’ a fainted Tatsugiri, it can even access higher stats than that.