Type
Template:ElementalTypes An elemental type is a property for Pokémon and their moves. Each elemental type has three properties: which types of Pokémon it is effective against, which types of Pokémon it is less effective against, and which types of Pokémon it is completely ineffective against. All games before the Fourth Generation also made a distinction between physical and special attacks based on their type. There are 17 types, each which is listed to the right.
A Pokémon may have either one or two types. For instance, Charmander is a Template:Type2, while Bulbasaur is both a Template:Type2 and a Template:Type2. A move may have only one type, for instance Iron Tail is a Steel-type move, and Earthquake is a Ground-type move.
If the type of a move used by a Pokémon is strong against the opponent's type, then the damage done is twice the norm; if a move's type is weak against a specific type, then the damage done is half the normal damage done. Note that this effect is multiplied, e.g if a move's type is strong against both of the opponent's types (such as Dig, a Template:Type2 move on an Aggron, a Steel/Rock Pokémon), then the move does 4 times the damage.
If a move's type is completely ineffective due to the opposing Pokémon's type, then the damage done by the move is zero. Otherwise, the damage will be at the very least 1HP.
Some weather conditions, abilities, and held items affect moves of a certain type. Sunny Day, for example, causes Template:Type2 moves to increase in power slightly, while Levitate causes Template:Type2 moves to not work on the Pokémon with this ability. Likewise, each type has a specific item that can be given to a Pokémon to hold that will power up one of the specific types, such as the Metal Coat, which powers up Template:Type2 moves by 10%.
Within the anime and the games, Gym Leaders and members of the Elite Four are designed to have a type-specific theme.
There are several glitch types, such as Bird, Pokémaniac, and 999 which are the types exclusively of glitched Pokémon and only appear in Generation I.
