Psychic (type)

Types

Normal

Fire

Fighting

Water

Flying

Grass

Poison

Electric

Ground

Psychic

Rock

Ice

Bug

Dragon

Ghost

Dark

Steel

Fairy

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Stellar

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The Psychic type (Japanese: エスパータイプ Esper type) is one of the seventeen types. Notable Trainers that specialize in Psychic-type Pokémon are Sabrina of Saffron City, Will of the Johto Elite Four, Tate and Liza of Mossdeep City, Lucian of the Sinnoh Elite Four, and Caitlin of the Battle Castle and the Unova Elite Four. Prior to changes in Generation IV all Psychic-type moves were special, but they may now also be physical depending on the attack.

Statistical averages

Overall

Stat
HP: 68.43
Attack: 65.54
Defense: 71.68
Sp.Atk: 88.58
Sp.Def: 83.14
Speed: 72.22
Total: 449.60

Fully evolved

Stat
HP: 77.72
Attack: 80.09
Defense: 82.96
Sp.Atk: 101.19
Sp.Def: 94.77
Speed: 85.13
Total: 521.85

Battle properties

Generation I

Offensive			Defensive
Power	Types		Power	Types
2×			½×
½×			2×
0×	None		0×

Generation II-onward

Offensive			Defensive
Power	Types		Power	Types
2×			½×
½×			2×
0×			0×	None

Characteristics

Offense

Psychic-type Pokémon have been fairly popular since Generation I. Offensively, they can act as a special sweeper due to their typically high Speed and Special Attack. Furthermore, Psychic-type Pokémon can often learn moves of other types to deal with a multitude of types, especially their weaknesses to Dark, Ghost, and Bug. However, the greatest disadvantage is that Psychic-type moves are unable to affect Dark-type Pokémon. This immunity can be eliminated by using Miracle Eye (Leaving Steel as the only other type capable of resisting Psychic types thus allowing them to otherwise sweep freely).

Defense

Their defensive capabilities are generally poor, with low Defense and HP despite excellent Special Defense. Possibly compensating for their relatively insubstantial Defense and HP, Psychic-type Pokémon have access to moves such as Recover. Still, they can often only survive special-based hits, but can easily be defeated by one or two high-powered moves from a Pokémon with an average or above-average Attack stat. Psychic-type Pokémon also often fall to a single Crunch or Night Slash due to the high Attack of many Dark-type Pokémon. There are exceptions to this, such as Bronzong or Metagross, who have high defenses and lack a weakness to Dark-type moves. Psychic is, however, useful for it's resistance to Fighting (Though their typically paper thin Defenses don't do them favors against other popular Physical types).

Contest properties

When used in Contests, Psychic-type moves are typically Smart moves, but can also be of the other four Contest types, excluding Tough.

Pokémon

As of Generation V, there are 67 Psychic-type Pokémon or 10.32% of all Pokémon, making it the fifth most common type.

Pure Psychic-type Pokémon

# Name 063 Abra 064 Kadabra 065 Alakazam 096 Drowzee 097 Hypno 122 Mr. Mime 150 Mewtwo 151 Mew 196 Espeon 201 Unown 202 Wobbuffet 280 Ralts 281 Kirlia 282 Gardevoir 325 Spoink 326 Grumpig 358 Chimecho 360 Wynaut 386 Deoxys 433 Chingling 439 Mime Jr. 480 Uxie 481 Mesprit 482 Azelf 488 Cresselia 517 Munna 518 Musharna 574 Gothita 575 Gothorita 576 Gothitelle 577 Solosis 578 Duosion 579 Reuniclus 605 Elgyem 606 Beheeyem

Half Psychic-type Pokémon

Primary Psychic-type Pokémon

# Name Type 1 Type 2 177 Natu Psychic Flying 178 Xatu Psychic Flying 249 Lugia Psychic Flying 251 Celebi Psychic Grass 475 Gallade Psychic Fighting 494 Victini Psychic Fire 527 Woobat Psychic Flying 528 Swoobat Psychic Flying 561 Sigilyph Psychic Flying

Pokéstar Studios opponents

# Name Type 1 Type 2 N/A UFO 2 Psychic Electric

Secondary Psychic-type Pokémon

# Name Type 1 Type 2 079 Slowpoke Water Psychic 080 Slowbro Water Psychic 102 Exeggcute Grass Psychic 103 Exeggutor Grass Psychic 121 Starmie Water Psychic 124 Jynx Ice Psychic 199 Slowking Water Psychic 203 Girafarig Normal Psychic 238 Smoochum Ice Psychic 307 Meditite Fighting Psychic 308 Medicham Fighting Psychic 337 Lunatone Rock Psychic 338 Solrock Rock Psychic 343 Baltoy Ground Psychic 344 Claydol Ground Psychic 374 Beldum Steel Psychic 375 Metang Steel Psychic 376 Metagross Steel Psychic 380 Latias Dragon Psychic 381 Latios Dragon Psychic 385 Jirachi Steel Psychic 436 Bronzor Steel Psychic 437 Bronzong Steel Psychic 555 Darmanitan* Fire Psychic 648 Meloetta* Normal Psychic

Pokéstar Studios opponents

# Name Type 1 Type 2 N/A Brycen-man Dark Psychic

Moves

Gen	Move	Category	Contest	Power	Accuracy	PP	Range	Description
I	Agility	Status	Cool	000—	000—%	3030 (max 48)	Self	The user relaxes and lightens its body to move faster. It sharply boosts the Speed stat.
V	Ally Switch	Status		000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	Self	The user teleports using a strange power and switches its place with one of its allies.
I	Amnesia	Status	Cute	000—	000—%	2020 (max 32)	Self	The user temporarily empties its mind to forget its concerns. It sharply raises the user's Sp. Def stat.
I	Barrier	Status	Cool	000—	000—%	3030 (max 48)	Self	The user throws up a sturdy wall that sharply raises its Defense stat.
III	Calm Mind	Status	Smart	000—	000—%	2020 (max 32)	Self	The user quietly focuses its mind and calms its spirit to raise its Sp. Atk and Sp. Def stats.
I	Confusion	Special	Smart	05050	100100%	2525 (max 40)	Normal	The target is hit by a weak telekinetic force. It may also leave the target confused.
III	Cosmic Power	Status	Cool	000—	000—%	2020 (max 32)	Self	The user absorbs a mystical power from space to raise its Defense and Sp. Def stats.
I	Dream Eater	Special	Smart	100100	100100%	1515 (max 24)	Normal	The user eats the dreams of a sleeping target. It absorbs half the damage caused to heal the user's HP.
III	Extrasensory	Special	Cool	08080	100100%	3030 (max 48)	Normal	The user attacks with an odd, unseeable power. It may also make the target flinch.
II	Future Sight	Special	Smart	100100	100100%	1010 (max 16)	Normal	Two turns after this move is used, a hunk of psychic energy attacks the target.
IV	Gravity	Status	Beauty	000—	000—%	055 (max 8)	All	Gravity is intensified for five turns, making moves involving flying unusable and negating Levitation.
V	Guard Split	Status		000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	Normal	The user employs its psychic power to average its Defense and Sp. Def stats with those of its target's.
IV	Guard Swap	Status	Cute	000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	Normal	The user employs its psychic power to switch changes to its Defense and Sp. Def with the target.
IV	Heal Block	Status	Cute	000—	100100%	1515 (max 24)	Other Side	For five turns, the user prevents the opposing team from using any moves, Abilities, or held items that recover HP.
V	Heal Pulse	Status		000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	Normal (long-range)	The user emits a healing pulse which restores the target's HP by up to half of its max HP.
IV	Healing Wish	Status	Cute	000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	Self	The user faints. In return, the Pokémon taking its place will have its HP restored and status cured.
V	Heart Stamp	Physical		06060	100100%	2525 (max 40)	Normal	The user unleashes a vicious blow after its cute act makes the target less wary. It may also make the target flinch.
IV	Heart Swap	Status	Cool	000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	Normal	The user employs its psychic power to switch stat changes with the target.
I	Hypnosis	Status	Smart	000—	06060%	2020 (max 32)	Normal	The user employs hypnotic suggestion to make the target fall into a deep sleep.
III	Imprison	Status	Smart	000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	Other Side	If the opponents know any move also known by the user, the opponents are prevented from using it.
I	Kinesis	Status	Smart	000—	08080%	1515 (max 24)	Normal	The user distracts the target by bending a spoon. It lowers the target's accuracy.
I	Light Screen	Status	Beauty	000—	000—%	3030 (max 48)	Your Party	A wondrous wall of light is put up to suppress damage from special attacks for five turns.
IV	Lunar Dance	Status	Beauty	000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	Self	The user faints. In return, the Pokémon taking its place will have its status and HP fully restored.
III	Luster Purge	Special	Smart	07070	100100%	055 (max 8)	Normal	The user lets loose a damaging burst of light. It may also reduce the target's Sp. Def stat.
III	Magic Coat	Status	Beauty	000—	000—%	1515 (max 24)	Self	A barrier reflects back to the target moves like Leech Seed and moves that damage status.
V	Magic Room	Status		000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	All	The user creates a bizarre area in which Pokémon's held items lose their effects for five turns.
I	Meditate	Status	Beauty	000—	000—%	4040 (max 64)	Self	The user meditates to awaken the power deep within its body and raise its Attack stat.
IV	Miracle Eye	Status	Cute	000—	000—%	4040 (max 64)	Normal	Enables a Dark-type target to be hit by Psychic-type attacks. It also enables an evasive target to be hit.
II	Mirror Coat	Special	Beauty	VariesVaries	100100%	2020 (max 32)	Self	A retaliation move that counters any special attack, inflicting double the damage taken.
III	Mist Ball	Special	Smart	07070	100100%	055 (max 8)	Normal	A mistlike flurry of down envelops and damages the target. It may also lower the target's Sp. Atk.
V	Power Split	Status		000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	Normal	The user employs its psychic power to average its Attack and Sp. Atk stats with those of the target's.
IV	Power Swap	Status	Beauty	000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	Normal	The user employs its psychic power to switch changes to its Attack and Sp. Atk with the target.
IV	Power Trick	Status	Cool	000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	Self	The user employs its psychic power to switch its Attack with its Defense stat.
I	Psybeam	Special	Beauty	06565	100100%	2020 (max 32)	Normal	The target is attacked with a peculiar ray. It may also cause confusion.
I	Psychic	Special	Smart	09090	100100%	1010 (max 16)	Normal	The target is hit by a strong telekinetic force. It may also reduce the target's Sp. Def stat.
III	Psycho Boost	Special	Smart	140140	09090%	055 (max 8)	Normal	The user attacks the target at full power. The attack's recoil harshly reduces the user's Sp. Atk stat.
IV	Psycho Cut	Physical	Cool	07070	100100%	2020 (max 32)	Normal	The user tears at the target with blades formed by psychic power. Critical hits land more easily.
IV	Psycho Shift	Status	Cool	000—	09090%	1010 (max 16)	Normal	Using its psychic power of suggestion, the user transfers its status problems to the target.
V	Psyshock	Special		08080	100100%	1010 (max 16)	Normal	The user materializes an odd psychic wave to attack the target. This attack does physical damage.
V	Psystrike	Special		100100	100100%	1010 (max 16)	Normal	The user materializes an odd psychic wave to attack the target. This attack does physical damage.
I	Psywave	Special	Smart	VariesVaries	08080%	1515 (max 24)	Normal	The target is attacked with an odd psychic wave. The attack varies in intensity.
I	Reflect	Status	Smart	000—	000—%	2020 (max 32)	Your Party	A wondrous wall of light is put up to suppress damage from physical attacks for five turns.
I	Rest	Status	Cute	000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	Self	The user goes to sleep for two turns. It fully restores the user's HP and heals any status problem.
III	Role Play	Status	Cute	000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	Normal	The user mimics the target completely, copying the target's natural Ability.
III	Skill Swap	Status	Smart	000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	Normal	The user employs its psychic power to exchange Abilities with the target.
V	Stored Power	Special		02020	100100%	1010 (max 16)	Normal	The user attacks the target with stored power. The more the user's stats are raised, the greater the damage.
V	Synchronoise	Special		07070	100100%	1515 (max 24)	All Others	Using an odd shock wave, the user inflicts damage on any Pokémon of the same type in the area around it.
V	Telekinesis	Status		000—	000—%	1515 (max 24)	Normal	The user makes the target float with its psychic power. The target is easier to hit for three turns.
I	Teleport	Status	Cool	000—	000—%	2020 (max 32)	Self	Use it to flee from any wild Pokémon. It can also warp to the last Pokémon Center visited.
III	Trick	Status	Smart	000—	100100%	1010 (max 16)	Normal	The user catches the target off guard and swaps its held item with its own.
IV	Trick Room	Status	Cute	000—	000—%	055 (max 8)	All	The user creates a bizarre area in which slower Pokémon get to move first for five turns.
V	Wonder Room	Status		000—	000—%	1010 (max 16)	All	The user creates a bizarre area in which Pokémon's Defense and Sp. Def stats are swapped for five turns.
IV	Zen Headbutt	Physical	Beauty	08080	09090%	1515 (max 24)	Normal	The user focuses its willpower to its head and attacks the target. It may also make the target flinch.
All details are accurate to Generation VII games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual move's page. Target data assumes user is in the lower left.

Balance issues

Psychic-type Pokémon were at the center of a balance issue in the Generation I games. The issue arose from the lack of an effective countermeasure against Psychic types caused by the absence of any powerful Bug-type moves (at the time the only weaknesses of Psychic types). Strengthening the gap was the fact that the only actual Bug-type Pokémon to know the only potentially good Bug move was also part Poison-type, creating a vulnerability to Psychic moves, and that in the first-generation games, Ghost-type moves were not only ineffective against Psychic Pokémon, the only Ghost Pokémon at the time were part-Poison, also creating a vulnerability, not to mention the fact that the only Ghost-type move that would be affected by type matchups at the time was exceedingly weak.

The issue was rectified in later generations with the addition of Steel and Dark types, an added weakness to Ghost-type moves, and more powerful Bug- and Ghost-type moves.

Trivia

• Psycho Cut, Zen Headbutt and Heart Stamp are the only physical Psychic-type moves.
  • As these moves were introduced after Generation III, this makes Psychic the only former special type not to have any of its moves changed into physical moves.
• Psychic is the most common type for legendary Pokémon, with at least two Psychic-type legendary Pokémon introduced in each generation for a total of 14.
• Psychic is the only type that shares its name with a move and a Trainer Class.
• Despite the balance issue during Generation I, it was not until Generation IV that a Pokémon and its evolution with a double weakness to Psychic-type moves were introduced.
• There has been one Elite Four member or Gym Leader specializing in Psychic-type Pokémon in every generation.
• A Pokémon cannot have a double resistance to Psychic without being a Psychic type itself.
  • However, a Psychic-type Pokémon also cannot have a double resistance to more than one type.
• The Psychic type could be considered a special counterpart to the Fighting type:
  • The Psychic type highest average stat is Special Attack, while the Fighting type is Attack.
  • The Psychic type is the only former special type to not have any of old moves changed into physical moves, while the Fighting type is the only former physical type to not have any of old moves changed into special moves.
  • Counter and Mirror Coat, moves countering physical and special attacks are, respectively, Fighting- and Psychic-type moves.
• Two of the types that are super-effective against Psychic share a weakness with it. Dark types are also weak to Bug, and Ghost types are weak to Dark and Ghost.
  • Also, each of these types is immune to a type Psychic resists.
• Generation III introduced the most Psychic-type Pokémon of any Generation, with 20 and Generation IV introduced the least Psychic-type Pokémon, with nine.
• Generation I introduced the most Psychic-type moves of any Generation, with 15 and Generation II introduced the least Psychic-type moves, with two.

In other languages

Language Title Japanese エスパー Esper Mandarin Chinese 超能力 Chāonénglì Danish Psykisk Dutch Psychisch (anime) Paranormaal (magazine) Finnish Meedio Psyykkinen French Psy German Psycho Greek Μέντιουμ Medium Hebrew על חושי Al Hushi Italian Psico Korean 에스퍼 Esper Norwegian Psykisk Polish Psychiczny Portuguese Psíquico Romanian Psihic Russian Психический Psikhicheskii Spanish Psíquico Swedish Psykisk Thai พลังจิต or สะกดจิต or เอสเปอร์