Status Effects & Conditions
Master sleep, poison, paralysis, and strategic conditions
Had a clean sweep derailed because one Thunder Wave left your ace frozen in place? Status moves dictate tempo long before any HP bar hits zero.
This guide spells out what each major ailment does, when to deploy it for advantage, and which counters keep your roster moving so opponents can't steal momentum for free.
Pair the strategy tips with the counter lists as you scout matchups—every threat has a best-in-slot status answer once you plan for it.
Major Status Conditions
Status conditions are temporary ailments that affect a Pokémon's performance in battle. Only one major status condition can affect a Pokémon at a time, making timing crucial.
Sleep
Pokémon cannot move while asleep (lasts 1-3 turns in most games)
- • Setup opportunities
- • Forcing switches
- • Stall tactics
- • Chesto Berry
- • Natural Cure ability
- • Aromatherapy/Heal Bell
Paralysis
25% chance to be fully paralyzed each turn + Speed reduced to 25%
- • Speed control
- • Cripple fast sweepers
- • Long-term disruption
- • Pecha Berry
- • Guts ability (boosts Attack)
- • Electric types immune
Burn
Attack reduced to 50% + loses 1/16 HP each turn (1/8 in older games)
- • Cripple physical attackers
- • Gradual damage over time
- • Defensive stalling
- • Rawst Berry
- • Guts ability
- • Fire types immune
Poison
Loses 1/8 HP each turn (regular) or increasing damage each turn (badly poisoned)
- • Stall and residual damage
- • Toxic spikes setup
- • Poison Heal recovery
- • Pecha Berry
- • Poison/Steel types immune
- • Natural Cure ability
Freeze
Cannot move until thawed (20% chance per turn or by Fire moves)
- • Complete immobilization
- • RNG-dependent but powerful
- • Forces switches
- • Fire moves thaw instantly
- • Ice types immune
- • Aspear Berry
Minor Status Conditions
😵 Confusion
Pokémon has a 50% chance to hurt itself instead of using a move (lasts 1-4 turns)
😍 Attract/Infatuation
50% chance to be immobilized by love (only works on opposite genders)
😰 Flinch
Prevents the Pokémon from moving that turn (only lasts one turn, requires going first)
Advanced Status Strategies
🛡️ Status as Defense
Will-O-Wisp Strategy
Burning physical attackers effectively doubles your physical bulk while dealing residual damage.
Thunder Wave Support
Paralysis support allows slower teammates to outspeed and revenge kill threats.
⚔️ Status as Offense
Team Integration
🏥 Status Support Moves
Team Healing
- • Aromatherapy: Cures all status on your team
- • Heal Bell: Same effect, different move
- • Refresh: Self-cure for status
Prevention
- • Safeguard: Prevents status for 5 turns
- • Misty Terrain: Prevents status on grounded Pokémon
- • Lum Berry: Auto-cure any status once
Next Steps
Master status conditions to add another layer of strategy to your battles:
Condition Control Recap
From crippling paralysis setups to momentum-saving cleric plays, you now understand when to inflict, clear, and pivot around every major status.
Keep collaborating with PokeVerse for move database filters, terrain breakdowns, and team templates so status control becomes a reliable win condition, not a coin flip.