Illuminate (Ability)

Illuminate (Japanese: はっこう Luminescence) is an Ability introduced in Generation III.

Effect

In battle

Illuminate has no effect during battle.

Outside of battle

If a Pokémon with Illuminate is in the first place in the party (even if fainted), the wild Pokémon encounter rate increases by 100%. It shares this trait with Arena Trap and No Guard.

Pokémon with Illuminate

#	Pokémon		Types		First Ability	Second Ability	Hidden Ability
0120		Staryu	Water		Water	Illuminate	Natural Cure	Analytic
0121		Starmie	Water	Psychic	Illuminate	Natural Cure	Analytic
0170		Chinchou	Water	Electric	Volt Absorb	Illuminate	Water Absorb
0171		Lanturn	Water	Electric	Volt Absorb	Illuminate	Water Absorb
0313		Volbeat	Bug		Bug	Illuminate	Swarm	Prankster
0505		Watchog	Normal		Normal	Illuminate	Keen Eye	Analytic
0755		Morelull	Grass	Fairy	Illuminate	Effect Spore	Rain Dish
0756		Shiinotic	Grass	Fairy	Illuminate	Effect Spore	Rain Dish
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

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Prior to Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, a Pokémon with Illuminate "blinks" after a turn in which it was damaged. The "blink" summons a hostile Pokémon somewhere on the floor.

In Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, the Pokémon obtains the Decoy status after using an illuminating move. The Decoy status makes enemies preferentially attack the Pokémon instead of other allies.

Affected moves

The table below lists the moves affected by Illuminate, as well as the Pokémon that can have Illuminate and learn those moves.

Move Type Cat. Pow. Acc. Learned by Confuse Ray  Ghost  Status — 100 {{{6}}} Dazzling Gleam  Fairy  Special 80 100 {{{6}}} Flash  Normal  Status — 100 {{{6}}} Light Screen  Psychic  Status — — {{{6}}} Luster Purge  Psychic  Special 70 100 {{{6}}} Moonlight  Fairy  Status — — {{{6}}} Morning Sun  Normal  Status — — {{{6}}} Solar Beam  Grass  Special 120 100 {{{6}}} Shock Wave  Electric  Special 60 — {{{6}}} Spark  Electric  Physical 65 100 {{{6}}} Tail Glow  Bug  Status — — {{{6}}} Volt Tackle  Electric  Physical 120 100 {{{6}}}

Description

Games Description MDRB If damaged, a wild Pokémon appears on the dungeon floor. MDTDS Causes a wild Pokémon to appear on a dungeon floor if the Pokémon is attacked. BSL こうげきされると フロアの どこかに ポケモンが あらわれる MDGtI When the Pokémon is attacked, an enemy Pokémon appears somewhere on the current floor.* When this Pokémon is attacked, an enemy appears somewhere on the floor.* SMD If the Pokémon uses an illuminating move such as Confuse Ray or Light Screen, it will be a decoy! MDRTDX If the Pokémon uses an illuminating move, such as Confuse Ray or Light Screen, the Pokémon will become a Decoy.

In the anime

Watchog
The Pokémon raises the likelihood of meeting wild Pokémon by illuminating the surroundings. This can also be used to see things that are invisible.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Used In		Notes
	Watchog holds out its arms and the yellow parts of its eyes and all the yellow stripes on its body flash yellow extremely brightly. The light then dies down a little, causing any invisible things to appear.
Lenora's Watchog	A Night in the Nacrene City Museum!		Debut
	Staryu is able to lure in nearby Pokémon.
Toren's Staryu	The Power of Us		None

In the manga

Be the Best! Pokémon B+W

Watchog
The Pokémon glows bright, attracting wild Pokémon.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	Watchog glows bright, attracting wild Pokémon.
Monta's Watchog	Let's Master Pokémon Capturing!		Debut

Pokémon Adventures

• Misty's Starmie and Chinchou are revealed to have Illuminate as their Ability.
• A Team Plasma Grunt's Watchog was revealed to Illuminate as its Ability.

Trivia

• Every Pokémon with this Ability can learn the move Flash and Confuse Ray.
• Out of the three Abilities that are exclusively used outside of battle, Illuminate is the only one that shares its external effect with other Abilities.

In other languages

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 發光 Faatgwōng Mandarin 發光 / 发光 Fāguāng Finnish Valaisu French Lumiattirance German Erleuchtung Hebrew הארה He'ara Italian Risplendi Korean 발광 Balgwang Polish Rozświetlenie Portuguese Brazil Iluminação Portugal Iluminar Russian Освещение Osveshcheniye Spanish Iluminación

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.