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: Whether all consecutively executed moves can only strike once, or if Uproar is just an exception.

Generation VI

Parental Bond causes most damaging moves used by the Pokémon to become two-strike moves, with the second strike 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.

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 they protect a Pokémon from a contact move used by a Pokémon with Parental Bond. Additionally, there is only one accuracy check, so either both strikes hit or both strikes miss.

Any attack which has a secondary effect (except Secret Power) has the same secondary effect on both strikes (such as Power-Up Punch); if a secondary effect has a certain chance of occurring, each strike has an independent chance of activating that effect. Even if the Pokémon's Ability is changed to Mummy after the first strike, it will continue to make a second strike regardless. Pay Day scatters coins after the first hit only. Incinerate burns up the item after the first hit only, as there is no item anymore after the first hit.

Unlike other secondary effects, Secret Power's secondary effect can only occur after the final strike. If a move has recoil damage, the recoil will be based on the damage dealt by both strikes, but will be taken after the final strike; Struggle will inflict recoil damage equal to half the user's maximum HP (after the final strike). Moves that switch the target out and moves that switch the user out strike twice, then force a Pokémon to switch out after both strikes are conducted. Bug Bite and Pluck consume the target's Berry after the final strike, so if the target could eat its Berry after the first strike (e.g. due to low HP), it will consume it before the attacker can. Smelling Salts, Wake-Up Slap, Knock Off, and Thief or Covet do not cure the target of paralysis or sleep, remove the target's held item, or steal the target's held item (respectively), until after the final strike, so both strikes get the increased power. Fire-type moves, Scald and Steam Eruption thaw a frozen target after the final strike (so a frozen target cannot be thawed and then burned by the same move). Smack Down and Thousand Arrows only cause the target to fall to the ground after the final strike. If Meloetta has Parental Bond and uses Relic Song, it will change Forme only once, after the final strike. Burn Up will only remove the user's Fire typing after the second strike, allowing it to still gain the same-type attack bonus for 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 changed 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. The power of Fury Cutter and Echoed Voice is boosted only once per attack, so the second strike does not increase its move power. Grass Pledge, Fire Pledge, and Water Pledge strike twice, even when used as a combination move. Natural Gift and Spit Up strike twice. Moves that require recharging after use strike twice, but the user only needs to recharge for one turn.

Fling, Self-Destruct, Explosion, Uproar 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.

Generation VII

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

Spirit Shackle and Anchor Shot only trap the target after the final 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

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Parental Bond activating in Super Mystery Dungeon

When Kangaskhan Mega Evolves with the Awakening Emera in Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, Parental Bond will instead spawn a baby Kangaskhan as a party member. Similar to client Pokémon, the baby Kangaskhan acts independently and cannot be controlled by the player. It will ignore team tactics and always follow its mother. It has the same moves as its mother, has about 1/3 of the power as the mother, and spawns with 100 HP.

When the Awakening Emera is used up, the baby Kangaskhan will go into Berserk mode along with its mother, although it will warp back to its mother if it ventures too far on its own. When the Berserk mode wears off, the baby Kangaskhan disappears.

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.