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Contact (Japanese: 接触 contact) or direct attack (Japanese: 直接攻撃 direct attack) is a property of moves in the Pokémon games that was introduced in Generation III. Making contact occurs when a Pokémon physically touches the target when using a move in battle. Moves that make contact are affected by and can trigger various items and Abilities, such as Tough Claws and the Sticky Barb.
Whether a move makes contact is independent of its damage category. Most physical moves do make contact and make up the majority of contact moves. Most special moves do not make contact, and no status moves make contact. All moves that make contact only target a single Pokémon.
Hitting a substitute does not make contact with the Pokémon behind it. While confusion damage is physical, it does not make contact.
Moves involving contact
In Generation III only, AncientPower and Overheat make contact, while Covet, Faint Attack and Fake Out do not.
These Shadow moves also make contact.
Effects involving contact
Moves
Abilities
Name
|
Effect
|
Aftermath
|
An attacker that knocks out this Pokémon with a contact move takes damage equal to 1/4 of its own max HP.
|
Cute Charm
|
Has a 30% chance of infatuating an attacker on contact.
|
Effect Spore
|
Has a 30% chance of afflicting an attacker with poison, paralysis, or sleep on contact.
|
Flame Body
|
Has a 30% chance of burning an attacker on contact.
|
Fluffy
|
Halves damage taken from contact moves, but doubles damage taken from Fire-type moves.
|
Gooey
|
Decreases an attacker's Speed by one stage on contact.
|
Iron Barbs
|
Damages an attacker for 1/8 of its max HP on contact.
|
Long Reach
|
Contact moves from the user will not trigger effects caused by contact.
|
Mummy
|
Replaces an attacker's Ability with Mummy on contact.
|
Pickpocket
|
Steals an attacker's held item on contact if the defending Pokémon has none.
|
Poison Point
|
Has a 30% chance of poisoning an attacker on contact.
|
Poison Touch
|
Has a 30% chance of poisoning a target on contact.
|
Rough Skin
|
Damages an attacker for 1/8 of its max HP on contact.
|
Static
|
Has a 30% chance of paralyzing an attacker on contact.
|
Tangling Hair
|
Decreases an attacker's Speed by one stage on contact.
|
Tough Claws
|
Boosts the power of contact moves used by this Pokémon by 33%.
|
|
Items
|
Name
|
Effect
|
|
Rocky Helmet
|
Damages an attacker for 1/6 of its max HP on contact.
|
|
Sticky Barb
|
Damages the holder each turn for 1/8 of their max HP. Transfers to an attacker on contact.
|
|
Trivia
- In Pokémon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness, battle animations for contact moves do not show the attacking Pokémon hitting the defending one at all. As in the Stadium series, physical blows usually utilize quick camera cuts between the attacking and defending Pokémon to imply direct contact.
In other languages