Confusion (move)

This article is about the Pokémon move. For the status condition, see Status condition.

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Confusion ねんりき Mindpower

Battles Type  Psychic Category  Special PP  25 (max. 40) Power  50 Accuracy  100% Priority  0 Does not make contact Affected by Protect Not affected by Magic Coat Not affected by Snatch Not affected by King's Rock

Range Opponent Opponent Opponent Self Ally Ally Normal: May affect anyone adjacent to the user

Availability Introduced  Generation I Not a TM, TR, HM, or Move Tutor move.

Contests Condition  Smart Appeal  2 ♥♥ Jam  3 ♥♥♥ Startles the Pokémon that appealed before the user.

Super Contests Condition  Smart Appeal  3 ♥♥♥ A basic performance using a move known by the Pokémon.

Contest Spectaculars Condition  Clever Appeal  4 ♥♥♥♥ Jamming  0   Quite an appealing move.

On Smogon's Movedex: Generation I Generation II Generation III Generation IV Generation V Generation VI Generation VII Generation VIII Generation IX

Confusion (Japanese: ねんりき Mindpower) is a damage-dealing Psychic-type move introduced in Generation I.

Effect

Confusion does damage and has a 10% chance of confusing the target.

Description

Games Description A Psychic-type attack. Has a one-in-ten chance of leaving the target confused. An attack that may cause confusion. RSE A psychic attack that may cause confusion. FRLG A weak telekinetic attack that may also leave the foe confused. PMDRB Inflicts damage on the target. It may also leave the target confused. The foe is hit by a weak telekinetic force. It may also leave the foe confused. Conq The target is hit by a weak telekinetic force. It may also leave the target confused. The target is hit by a weak telekinetic force. This may also confuse the target.

Learnset

By leveling up

#	Pokémon		Type		Level
					I		II		III		IV		V		VI
012		Butterfree	Bug	Flying	12	10	1, 10			1, 10			1, 10				1, 10			1, 10
048		Venonat	Bug	Poison		19	17			17			11				11			11
049		Venomoth	Bug	Poison		1	17			17			11				11			11
054		Psyduck	Water		Water	36			16			16			18				18	15	15 11
055		Golduck	Water		Water	39			1, 16			16			18				18	15	15 11
064		Kadabra	Psychic		Psychic	1, 16	16	1, 16			1, 16			1, 16				1, 16			1, 16
065		Alakazam	Psychic		Psychic	1, 16	16	1, 16			1, 16			1, 16				1, 16			1, 16
079		Slowpoke	Water	Psychic	1			20			20	17	15				14			14
080		Slowbro	Water	Psychic	1			20			20	17	15				14			14
096		Drowzee	Psychic		Psychic	17			18			18	11	9				9			9
097		Hypno	Psychic		Psychic	1, 17			1, 18			1, 18	1, 11	1, 9				1, 9			1, 9
102		Exeggcute	Grass	Psychic				19			19			27				27			27
103		Exeggutor	Grass	Psychic				1			1			1				1			1
122		Mr. Mime	Psychic	Fairy	15			6			5			1				1			1
150		Mewtwo	Psychic		Psychic	1			1			1			1				1			1
163		Hoothoot	Normal	Flying				34			34			21				21			21
164		Noctowl	Normal	Flying				41			41			22				22			22
196		Espeon	Psychic		Psychic				16			16			15				15	9	9
199		Slowking	Water	Psychic				20			20	17	15				14			14
203		Girafarig	Normal	Psychic				1, 7			13			1				1			1
238		Smoochum	Ice	Psychic				21			21			15				15			15
251		Celebi	Psychic	Grass				1			1			1				1			1
269		Dustox	Bug	Poison							1, 10			1, 10				1, 10			1, 10 12
280		Ralts	Psychic	Fairy							6			6				6			6 4
281		Kirlia	Psychic	Fairy							1, 6			1, 6				1, 6			1, 6 1, 4
282		Gardevoir	Psychic	Fairy							1, 6			1, 6				1, 6			1, 6 1, 4
307		Meditite	Fighting	Psychic							9			8				8			8 7
308		Medicham	Fighting	Psychic							1, 9			1, 8				1, 8			1, 8 1, 7
337		Lunatone	Rock	Psychic							7			1				1			1
338		Solrock	Rock	Psychic							7			1				1			1
343		Baltoy	Ground	Psychic							1			1				1			1
344		Claydol	Ground	Psychic							1			1				1			1
358		Chimecho	Psychic		Psychic							14			14				14			14 1, 10
368		Gorebyss	Water		Water							8			6				6			6 1
375		Metang	Steel	Psychic							20			1, 20				1, 20			1, 20
376		Metagross	Steel	Psychic							1, 20			1, 20				1, 20			1, 20
385		Jirachi	Steel	Psychic							1			1				1			1
413		Wormadam	Bug	Grass										23				23			23
414		Mothim	Bug	Flying										23				23			23
433		Chingling	Psychic		Psychic										14				14			14 10
436		Bronzor	Steel	Psychic										1				1			1
437		Bronzong	Steel	Psychic										1				1			1
439		Mime Jr.	Psychic	Fairy										1				1			1
475		Gallade	Psychic	Fighting										1, 6				1, 6			1, 6 1, 4
480		Uxie	Psychic		Psychic										21		1	1			1
481		Mesprit	Psychic		Psychic										21		1	1			1
482		Azelf	Psychic		Psychic										21		1	1			1
488		Cresselia	Psychic		Psychic										1				1			1
494		Victini	Psychic	Fire														1			1
527		Woobat	Psychic	Flying														1			1
528		Swoobat	Psychic	Flying														1			1
574		Gothita	Psychic		Psychic														3			3
575		Gothorita	Psychic		Psychic														1, 3			1, 3
576		Gothitelle	Psychic		Psychic														1, 3			1, 3
605		Elgyem	Psychic		Psychic														1			1
606		Beheeyem	Psychic		Psychic														1			1
648		Meloetta	Normal	Psychic														11			11
677		Espurr	Psychic		Psychic																	9
678		Meowstic	Psychic		Psychic																	9
720		Hoopa Hoopa Confined	Psychic	Ghost																	1
720		Hoopa Hoopa Unbound	Psychic	Dark																	1
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

By breeding

#	Pokémon		Type		Father
					II		III		IV		V		VI
007		Squirtle	Water		Water
032		Nidoran♂	Poison		Water
114		Tangela	Grass		Grass
187		Hoppip	Grass	Flying
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

In other games

Pokémon Conquest

Confusion is the only move of Ralts, Chingling, and Gothita.

^	Power ★★ Orange squares indicate hit area. Blue squares indicate area Pokémon the Pokémon will need to move to perform the move. Red squares indicate the knockback on hit Pokémon. Table assumes the Pokémon is in the square marked by ^.

Super Smash Bros. series

Mewtwo uses Confusion as its side special move. The move acts as a grab, ignoring shields while flipping the opponent in midair. Additionally, the move is capable of reflecting projectiles, although they would not damage the initial user of the projectile in Super Smash Bros. Melee. This was fixed in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U.

In the anime

In the main series

Metagross Gothitelle Butterfree Noctowl
The foe is hit by a weak telekinetic force.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Used In		Notes
	Kadabra's eyes flash red, and it uses psychic powers to control the opponent.
Sabrina's Kadabra	Abra and the Psychic Showdown		Debut
	Psyduck's eyes glow blue or purple and the opponent becomes outlined in the same color. It then uses psychic powers to move it.
Misty's Psyduck	The Ninja Poké-Showdown		None
Marina's Psyduck	Bye Bye Psyduck		None
Emily's Psyduck	Sitting Psyduck		None
Three wild Psyduck	The Psyduck Stops Here!		None
	Golduck's eyes glow light blue and it can control the opponent with its mind. The opponent also glows light blue.
A wild Golduck	Bye Bye Psyduck		None
Katie's Golduck	A Judgment Brawl		None
	Girafarig's eyes glow light blue, and the opponent becomes outlined in blue. Girafarig can then control the target with its mind.
Cherry's Girafarig	The Psychic Sidekicks!		None
Noctowl	Noctowl's eyebrow tufts glow blue and they release a blue light toward the opponent or the opponent becomes surrounded in a blue outline and Noctowl can control the opponent with its mind.
Ash's Noctowl	From Ghost to Ghost		None
	Celebi closes its eyes and an invisible wave of psychic energy knocks the opponent back.
Celebi (M04)	Celebi: Voice of the Forest		None
	Alakazam's eyes glow red and shoot black waves of psychic energy towards the opponent.
Eusine's Alakazam	For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll!		None
	Slowbro's eyes glow blue and it points at the opponent. The opponent becomes surrounded in a light blue outline and Slowbro can control it with its mind.
Madeleine's Slowbro	Enlighten Up!		None
	Slowking's eyes glow blue and Slowking can control the opponent with its mind, or Slowking releases blue waves of energy at the opponent.
Alice Telesu's Arthur	A Crowning Achievement		None
	Venomoth's eyes glow blue and it uses psychic powers to control the opponent.
Chaz's Venomoth	All Things Bright and Beautifly!		None
	Medicham holds out its hands and they becomes surrounded in light blue. The opponent becomes surrounded in light blue and Medicham can then control the opponent, or Medicham's eyes glow purple and the opponent becomes surrounded in purple. Medicham can then control the opponent.
Grace's Medicham	Come What May!		None
Candice's Medicham	Sliding into Seventh!		None
	Solrock's eyes glow light blue, then the opponent becomes outlined in light blue. Solrock can then control the opponent.
A wild Solrock	Take the Lombre Home		None
Tate's Solrock	It's Still Rocket Roll to Me!		None
Brandon's Solrock	Pace - The Final Frontier!		None
	Baltoy's eyes glow blue, then the opponent glows blue and it can move them with its mind. When all of its eyes glow blue and it can toss the opponent.
Calista's Baltoy	Me, Myself and Time		None
Four Baltoy	It's Still Rocket Roll to Me!		None
	Metagross's eyes glow red and its body becomes outlined in a light blue outline. The opponent becomes outlined in blue and Metagross can control it, or the 'X' on Metagross's face glows blue and the opponent becomes outlined in blue. Metagross can then control the opponent.
Rebecca's Metagross	Destiny Deoxys		None
Tyson's Metagross	Like a Meowth to a Flame		None
	Gorebyss's eyes glow light blue. The opponent becomes outlined in blue and Gorebyss can control it.
Nancy's Gorebyss	The Evolutionary War		None
	Metang's eyes glow light blue, and the opponent becomes outlined in light blue. Metang can then control the opponent.
Morrison's Metang	Saved by the Beldum		None
	Gengar lifts its arms and its body becomes outlined in light blue. Gengar can then control the opponent.
Gengar of Team Meanies	Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters out of the Gate		Gengar cannot legally learn Confusion
	Butterfree's eyes glow light blue or light purple and the opponent becomes outlined in light blue or in light purple. Butterfree can then control the opponent.
Drew's Butterfree	The Unbeatable Lightness of Seeing!		None
A wild Butterfree	Butterfree and Me!		None
	Meditite's eyes glow purple and the opponent becomes surrounded in purple. Meditite can then control the opponent.
Maylene's Meditite	Crossing the Battle Line!		None
	Chingling's eyes glow purple and the opponent becomes outlined in purple. Chingling can then control the opponent.
Francesca's Chingling	The Bells Are Singing!		None
Marilyn's Chingling	Battling A Cute Drama!		None
	Dustox's eyes glow purple and the opponent glows purple as well. Dustox can then control the opponent with its mind.
Austin's Dustox	Crossing Paths		None
	Wormadam's whole body becomes outlined in purple and its eyes glow purple as well. The opponent becomes outlined in purple and Wormadam can control it.
Ursula's Wormadam	Another One Gabites the Dust!		None
	Gothitelle's eyes glow red and its body becomes surrounded in a red outline. The opponent's body glows red and becomes outlined in a red outline. Gothitelle can then move the opponent with its mind. While controlling the opponent, Gothitelle can make its eyes and outline glow brighter, and the glow around the opponent also glows brighter, damaging it.
Damon's Gothitelle	Black—Victini and Reshiram		None
	Gothita's eyes glow pale red and its body becomes outlined in pale red as well. The opponent's body becomes outlined in pale red and its body starts to glow the same color. Gothita can then control the opponent with its mind.
Unknown Trainer's Gothita	White—Victini and Zekrom Black—Victini and Reshiram		None

• In From Ghost to Ghost, Morty told his Gastly to use Confusion, which it cannot legally learn. This is a dubbing error, as in the original Japanese version, no specific attack command was given.

Pokédex entries

Episode Pokémon Source Entry EP182 Confusion Ash's Pokédex Confusion. This powerful Psychic attack confuses an opponent and weakens it as well.

In Pokémon Origins

Mewtwo (blast) Mewtwo (barrier) Mewtwo (sphere)
The foe is hit by a strong telekinetic force.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Used In		Notes
	Mewtwo thrusts its hand forward, firing a purple blast of energy from it at the opponent, or Mewtwo forms a purple energy barrier in front of its body, blocking the opponent's attack. It then turns the barrier into a sphere of energy that surrounds the opponent, which is then hurled away.
Red's Mewtwo	File 4 - Charizard		Debut

In the manga

In the Ash and Pikachu manga

Baltoy
The user controls the opponent with its body.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	Baltoy's lifts its arm and controls the opponent with them.
Calista's Baltoy	Hunt For The Treasure Of The Universe!		Debut

In the How I Became a Pokémon Card manga

Drowzee Psyduck Slowpoke
The user uses its mind to control the opponent.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	Psyduck uses its mind to control the opponent.
A wild Psyduck	PW13		Debut
	Slowpoke uses its mind to control the opponent.
A wild Slowpoke	PW18		None
	Drowzee closes its eyes and uses its mind to control the opponent.
A wild Drowzee	PW22		None

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Golduck
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	Golduck raises its hand and transmits an image of the surroundings to the Trainer's Pokédex, or Golduck fires a beam of psychic energy from the palm of one of its hand at the opponent.
Blue's Golduck	Peace of Mime		Debut
	Slowpoke raises both of its front arms in the air and it can control the opponent.
Al's Slowpoke	Ekans the Ecstasy		None
	Mr. Mime raises its index finger in the air and fires a beam of energy from the middle of its finger at the opponent.
Sabrina's Mr. Mime	Silly Scyther		None
	Ralts raises both of its arms in the air and it can control the opponent with its mind, or Ralts raises both of its arms and an electric-like beam of psychic energy comes out of its hands and hits the opponent.
Ruby's Rara	Creeping Past Cacnea		None

In the Pokémon Colosseum Snatcher Leo manga

Espeon
Unknown.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	Unknown.
Wes's Espeon	Pokémon Colosseum Snatchers		Debut

In the Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga

Psyduck
The user uses its psychic powers from its mind.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	Psyduck uses its psychic powers from its mind.
A wild Psyduck	The New Pokémon Is Hatched!!		Debut

In the Pokémon Gotta Catch 'Em All manga

Slowpoke
The user releases psychic energy at the opponent.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	Slowpoke releases psychic energy at the opponent.
Shu's Slowpoke	GDZ26		Debut

In other generations

Generation I	RBY	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLGE	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	PtHGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SMUSUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD: Time, Darkness, and Sky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Generation I	RBY	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLGE	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	PtHGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SMUSUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD: Time, Darkness, and Sky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Generation I	RBY	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLGE	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	PtHGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SMUSUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD: Time, Darkness, and Sky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Trivia

• The English name of this move is semantically dissimilar to its Japanese name, ねんりき Nenriki, which can be translated to mean mindpower. This has been known to cause some confusion when depicted in the English dub of the anime.
• In the anime, Confusion seems to have exactly the same effect as the move Psychic.
• A majority of the times Confusion has been featured in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, it can cause the Defending Pokémon to be Paralyzed rather than Confused.

In other languages

Language Title Mandarin Chinese 念力 Niànlì Czech Zmatení Danish Forvirring Dutch Verwarring Finnish Sekaannus (Original Series) Hämmennys (Advanced Generation) French Choc Mental German Konfusion Greek Σύγχυση Hindi चक्रादों Chakraado, Uljhan me daalna Italian Confusione Korean 염동력 Yeomdongryeok Norwegian Forvirring Polish Zamęt Konfuzja* Portuguese Brazil Confusão Portugal Confusão (Pokémon Chronicles) Romanian Confuzie Serbian Zbunjivanje Spanish Confusión

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.