Simple (Ability)

Simple	たんじゅん
	Simple
Flavor text Generation IV The Pokémon is prone to wild stat changes. Generation V The Pokémon is prone to wild stat changes. Generation VI The Pokémon is prone to wild stat changes. Generation VII The stat changes the Pokémon receives are doubled. Generation VIII The stat changes the Pokémon receives are doubled. Generation IX Doubles the effects of the Pokémon's stat changes.

Simple (Japanese: たんじゅん Simple) is an Ability introduced in Generation IV. In Generation IX, it is the signature Ability of Numel.

Effect

In battle

Generation IV

Simple doubles the effectiveness of stat stages. For example, if Defense Curl is used, the screen will display that the user's Defense has increased by one stage and the game will store the user's Defense stage as +1, but the effect of that +1 stage will be equal to the effect of two regular stages and the user's Defense will be doubled during damage calculation. Similarly, if Tail Whip is used on this Pokémon, its Defense stat will fall one stage, but the effect will be treated as two.

The effect of stat stages cannot exceed their usual cap. For example, a Pokémon with Simple that has obtained +3 Defense stages will have quadrupled their Defense stat in damage calculation (the usual effect of +6 Defense); they can still continue to use a move like Defense Curl up to three more times to boost their Defense stage to +6, but these three additional stages will have no greater effect during damage calculation. The same applies to -3 Defense.

Because the stage numbers in-game have not changed, a Pokémon that uses Psych Up on a target with Simple only copies the stored (not doubled) stat stages. If a Pokémon uses Baton Pass to switch to a target with Simple, the target's passed stat stages will essentially gain double effect; if a Pokémon with Simple uses Baton Pass to a target without Simple, the target will not obtain any doubled stages. Similarly, if a Pokémon boosts its stats and then acquires Simple through a move like Skill Swap, its pre-existing effective stat changes will be doubled (barring caps) until it loses Simple.

Generation V onward

Simple now directly doubles the number of stages that a stat is increased or decreased when the move, Ability, or item is used. For example, if Defense Curl is used, the screen will display that the user's Defense has increased by two stages ("sharply rose") and the game will store the user's Defense stage as +2, doubling the user's Defense as expected. Similarly, Tail Whip targeting a Pokémon with Simple will cause its Defense to directly drop by two stages.

As a result, moves like Defense Curl can only be used up to three times before they will fail (as the user's Defense stage will be the maximum of +6). If Psych Up is used on a target with Simple, the doubled stages will be copied. Using Baton Pass to a recipient with Simple will not cause the recipient to receive stat stages of double effect; if a Simple Pokémon uses Baton Pass itself, it will transfer the doubled stat stages. Similarly, if a Pokémon boosts its stats and then receives Simple through a move like Skill Swap, its pre-existing stat changes will not be doubled and nothing further will happen if it loses Simple.

If a move used by a Pokémon with Mold Breaker, Teravolt, or Turboblaze would change a stat stage of a Pokémon with Simple, the stat changes will not be doubled.

The move Simple Beam can change the target Pokémon's Ability to Simple.

Generation VII

Stat stage increases caused by the Z-Power effects of status Z-Moves are not modified by Simple. However, the stat stage increases as a result of Extreme Evoboost and Clangorous Soulblaze are modified.

Outside of battle

Simple has no effect outside of battle.

Pokémon with Simple

#	Pokémon		Types		First Ability	Second Ability	Hidden Ability
0322		Numel	Fire	Ground	Oblivious	SimpleGen IV+	Own Tempo
0399		Bidoof	Normal		Normal	Simple	Unaware	Moody
0400		Bibarel	Normal	Water	Simple	Unaware	Moody
0527		Woobat	Psychic	Flying	Unaware	Klutz	Simple
0528		Swoobat	Psychic	Flying	Unaware	Klutz	Simple
Please note that Abilities marked with a superscript are only available in the stated generation or later. For Generation III and IV games, ignore Hidden Abilities.

In other games

Description

Games Description MDTDS Makes any modification to the Pokémon's stats more extreme. BSL こうげきなどの だんかいの へんかが おおきい MDGtI When the Pokémon's stats go up or down, they change much more than normal.* The amount the Pokémon's stats go up and down is much greater!* SMD When the Pokémon's stats change, the amount they change will be doubled! Any decrease in stats will be doubled, too, so be careful! MDRTDX When the Pokémon's stats change, the amount they change will be doubled. Any decrease in stats will be doubled, too, so be careful!

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

• In Deduction Time, Hugh's Vibrava was hit with Simple Beam by a Team Plasma Grunt's Audino, giving it the Ability Simple.

In other languages

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 單純 Dāansèuhn Mandarin 單純 / 单纯 Dānchún French Simple German Wankelmut Italian Disinvoltura Korean 단순 Dansun Spanish Simple

This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games.