Parental Bond (Ability)

Parental Bond (Japanese: おやこあい Family Affection) is an Ability introduced in Generation VI. It is the signature Ability of Mega Kangaskhan.

Effect

In battle

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Fury Cutter and Echoed Voice; is their power boost effected?

Generation VI

Parental Bond causes most damaging moves used by the Pokémon to become two-strike moves, with the second attack being half as strong as the first. It does not affect multi-strike moves.

If a move could hit multiple targets (including allies), such as Earthquake and Rock Slide, it will not strike twice; however, if it can only hit a single Pokémon, such as in a Single Battle or if using a move that can hit multiple targets when only one target is in range, it will strike twice. If a move could hit multiple Pokémon but only hits one due to missing the other Pokémon, it will only strike once.

Any attack which has a secondary effect (except Secret Power) has the same secondary effect on both strikes (such as Power-Up Punch), including effects that do not always trigger. If the Pokémon's Ability is changed to Mummy after the first strike, it will continue to make a second strike regardless. Since Parental Bond turns moves into two-hit multi-strike moves, each strike has a separate chance to be a critical hit, items and Abilities that trigger upon strike or contact such as Cursed Body and Rocky Helmet occur for each strike, and Spiky Shield and King's Shield only damage and decrease Attack (respectively) once if a Pokémon with Parental Bond uses a contact move against a Pokémon that has used one of them.

Unlike other secondary effects, Secret Power's secondary effect can only occur after the second hit. If a move has recoil damage, the recoil will be based on the damage dealt by both strikes, but will be taken after the second strike; Struggle will inflict recoil damage equal to half the user's maximum HP (after the second strike). Circle Throw and Dragon Tail will strike twice, but only force the opponent to switch out once after both strikes are dealt. U-turn and Volt Switch strike twice, then the user switches out. Bug Bite and Pluck consume the target's Berry after the second strike, so if the target could eat its Berry due to low HP after the first strike, it will. Moves that require the user to recharge after use like Hyper Beam strike twice, and the user only needs to recharge for one turn. Smelling Salts, Wake-Up Slap and Knock Off do not cure the target of paralysis or sleep or remove the target's held item (respectively), until after the second strike, so both strikes get the increased power. Fire-type moves, Scald and Steam Eruption thaw a frozen target after the second strike (so a frozen target cannot be thawed and then burned by the same move). If Meloetta has Parental Bond and uses Relic Song, it will change Forme only once, after the second strike.

If Present heals the target it will only strike once, but if it damages the target it will strike twice (the second strike will always damage the target). Fixed-damage moves such as Seismic Toss and Dragon Rage deal the full amount of damage for both strikes. The damage dealt by Psywave is generated separately for each strike, and the second strike's damage is not halved. Each strike of Super Fang halves the target's HP (effectively quartering it if HP is not restored between strikes). Counter, Mirror Coat, Metal Burst and Bide deal the full amount of damage for both strikes. The first strike of Assurance counts as previously taking damage for the second strike, giving it increased power. Grass Pledge, Fire Pledge, and Water Pledge strike twice, even when used as a combination move. Natural Gift and Spit Up strike twice.

Fling, Self-Destruct, Explosion, and Final Gambit only strike once. Moves with a charging turn (such as Fly and Solar Beam) only strike once, even if the Pokémon becomes fully charged in one turn (such as with a Power Herb). Endeavor also only strikes once, even if the user or target's HP is changed after it strikes (such as by Iron Barbs or the Sitrus Berry). Confusion damage only occurs once.

Even though the Ability makes the Pokémon strike twice, there is only one accuracy check for the strike. This means if the first strike misses there will be no second strike, and if the first strike does not miss, then the second is guaranteed to strike.

Generation VII

The second strike's damage was reduced, now dealing 25% of the damage of the first strike.

Parental Bond does not affect Z-Moves.

Outside of battle

Parental Bond has no effect outside of battle.

Pokémon with Parental Bond

In other games

In Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon

When Kangaskhan is Mega Evolved with the Awakening Emera in Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, Parental Bond will instead spawn a baby Kangaskhan as a party member, following its mother until the Awakening Emera is used up. They will still attack like normal, however.

Description

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

• X's Li'l Kanga was revealed to have Parental Bond as her Ability in the PokéSPedia data-book.

In other languages

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 親子愛 Chānjí-oi Mandarin 親子愛 / 亲子爱 Qīnzǐ-ài French Amour Filial German Familienbande Italian Amorefiliale Korean 부자유친 Bujayuchin Spanish Amor Filial

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.