Struggle (move)
| Struggle わるあがき Vain Struggle | ||||||||||||
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Struggle (Japanese: わるあがき Vain Struggle) is a damage-dealing move introduced in Generation I. It is a move that every Pokémon can use when none of its moves are usable, although no Pokémon can naturally learn it.
Effect
Generation I
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This move effect may be in need of research. Reason: In Japanese Pokémon Stadium, does Struggle work like the later Pokémon Stadium? (Does it hit ghosts, and takes no recoil when knocking out an opponent?) You can discuss this on the talk page. |
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Struggle inflicts damage, and the user receives recoil damage equal to ½ of the damage done to the target. Struggle will automatically be used by a Pokémon that has no usable moves but is ordered to attack. Struggle is capable of striking a critical hit.
Struggle has 10 base PP, though no PP would ever be deducted from it.
Struggle has an accuracy of 100%.
If the user of Struggle attacks first and knocks itself out due to recoil damage, the opponent will not attack or be subjected to recurrent damage during that round. If Struggle breaks a substitute, the user will take no recoil damage.
Self-inflicted recoil damage from Struggle from the previous turn can be countered if the opponent did not make a move on the following turn.
Struggle deals Normal-type damage in this Generation, meaning it is not very effective against Rock-type Pokémon and ineffective against Ghost-type Pokémon. If the only usable move is disabled by Disable, the affected Pokémon will use Struggle.
In Stadium, Struggle can hit Ghost Pokémon, and no recoil damage is taken if Struggle knocks out an opponent.
Generations II and III
Struggle now has a maximum of 1 PP instead of 10 (16 with PP Ups), and its recoil damage is equal to ¼ of the damage the attack did to the opponent. Although still classified as a Normal-type move, Struggle is now unaffected by types, inflicting neutral damage to Steel-, Rock-, and Ghost-type Pokémon and being unaffected by STAB. Struggle can hit through Wonder Guard. Its target is a randomly selected opponent in Double Battles.
The user will take recoil damage even if Struggle breaks a substitute, or if its Ability is Rock Head.
If a Pokémon holding a Choice Band is affected by Disable, Taunt, or Imprison such that it cannot use the move that the Choice Band forces it to, it will not be able to use a move other than Struggle as long as the item and effect both remain active. If a Pokémon is holding a Choice Band and is affected by Torment, the Pokémon will use Struggle every second turn.
Generation IV
The user now takes ¼ of its maximum HP as recoil damage, regardless of how much damage the attack did to the opponent. This ¼ is rounded down except in the case of Shedinja, who will knock itself out with recoil damage.
The user will take recoil damage even if its Ability is Magic Guard.
Struggle now bypasses accuracy checks to always hit, unless the target is in the semi-invulnerable turn of a move such as Dig or Fly.
Despite being considered a recoil move, Struggle will not gain a boost by Reckless.
Struggle can no longer be copied by Mirror Move.
Despite having a base power of 60 or less, Struggle's power is not boosted by Technician in Generation IV.
Generation V
Struggle's ¼ calculation is now subject to standard rounding; for example, a Pokémon with 201 maximum HP using Struggle will have its recoil round down to 50, but 202 or 203 HP will round up to 51 recoil damage.
Struggle is unaffected by a held Normal Gem (and will not consume it).
Struggle's power is now boosted by Technician.
Generation VI
Even if the user is affected by Electrify, Struggle is still considered typeless.
If a Pokémon is forced to use Struggle, it will not be able to Mega Evolve on the same turn, as the menu from which this option would be selected never appears.
Generation VII
If a Pokémon is forced to use Struggle, it will not be able to Ultra Burst or power up a move into a Z-Move on the same turn.
Generation VIII
If a Pokémon is forced to use Struggle, it will not be able to Dynamax on the same turn. If a Dynamax Pokémon is forced to use Struggle, it will not turn into a Max Move.
If a Pokémon only knows unusable moves, it will use Struggle.
Generation VIII
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
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Struggle cannot be mastered.
Description
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Learnset
No Pokémon can learn or know Struggle directly, but all Pokémon can use Struggle when they cannot use any other moves, which occurs if all of their moves are incapacitated by any combination of having 0 PP, being affected by Disable, Taunt, Torment, Imprison, Heal Block, Cursed Body, an Assault Vest, or Choice items, not being selectable due to the necessary conditions for selecting them not being met (such as in the case of Belch), or being unusable moves.
In other games
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series
In Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team and Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky, Struggle has 30 base power, and 100% accuracy. The attack can be used when the Pokémon runs out of PP for its moves and the Pokémon attempts to use one of its moves. The user attacks enemy in front and receives recoil damage equal to ¼ of their maximum HP. It deals Normal-type damage, much like in Generation I core series games.
In Gates to Infinity recoil damage is 20% of max HP instead. When used by a Gigantic Pokémon, the move can damage nearby enemies in a 1 tile range around the user if used by a mobile Gigantic Pokémon, or enemies in the same room if used by stationary Gigantic Pokémon (such as Lugia and Ho-Oh).
Pokémon GO
 Struggle
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Updates
- Gyms & Raids
- July 30, 2016
- Energy cost: 20 → 0
- February 16, 2017
- Power: 15 → 35
- Energy cost: 0 → 33
- Duration: 1.695 → 2.2 seconds
- Damage window: 0.8 - 1.5 → 1.2 - 2 seconds
- February 21, 2017
- Energy cost: 33 → 0
Description
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In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
 Graveler, Omanyte, and Caterpie  Recoil | |||
| The user tackles the opponent. | |||
| Pokémon | Method | ||
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| User | First Chapter Used In | Notes | |
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Graveler tackles the opponent. After the attack, it takes recoil damage. | ||
| Yellow's Gravvy | Eradicate Raticate! | Debut | |
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Omanyte tackles the opponent. After the attack, it takes recoil damage. | ||
| Yellow's Omny | Eradicate Raticate! | Debut | |
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Caterpie tackles the opponent. After the attack, it takes recoil damage. | ||
| Yellow's Kitty | Eradicate Raticate! | Debut | |
In other generations
Core series games
Side series games
Spin-off series games
Trivia
- Struggle is the last Generation I move in index number order.
- Even though Struggle can only be accessed by the loss of all PP, it was given Contest, Super Contest, and Contest Spectacular stats.
- Struggle is one of two non-Shadow moves that cannot be copied by Sketch in any generation, the other being Sketch itself.
- In Generation I, Struggle was the only move that could not be called via Metronome, besides Metronome itself.
- Struggle has the lowest base power of all recoil-causing moves.
- Because it deals typeless damage, Struggle is the only damaging Normal-type move which can hit a Ghost-type opponent without the aid of Odor Sleuth, Foresight, a Ring Target, or Scrappy.
- Along with Barrage and Kinesis, Struggle is one of three moves introduced in Generation I that have not been featured in the main series anime.
- Of these moves, it was the only one to exist in Pokémon Sword and Shield prior to v1.2.0.
- Certain glitch Pokémon, including Generation IV hybrids, 'Ng'Mp, 'ゥ., and 4, ゥァ (DD), can learn Struggle by level up.
- Should a player hack Struggle onto a Pokémon, it will not be displayed correctly in Pokémon Stadium 2's lab (not the case for the previous game) and will be highlighted, as if it was a Generation II move. This does not happen when selecting a team for battle.
- In Pokémon Stadium, the move description erroneously states that Struggle inflicts recoil to the user equal to ¼ of the damage inflicted; the correct number in Generation I is ½.
- In Generation I, a glitch can occur making it impossible for a Pokémon to use Struggle if it has previously used Transform followed by either Metronome or Mirror Move. This renders the Pokémon completely unable to battle until its PP is restored.[1]
In other languages
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References
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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. |
- Moves
- Moves that target the user
- Normal-type moves
- Cool moves
- Physical moves
- Generation I moves
- Moves in need of research
- Charged Attacks in Pokémon GO
- Moves that cannot miss
- Moves that have recoil
- Moves usable in Pokémon Sword and Shield
- Moves in Pokémon Legends: Arceus
- Moves in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
- Moves in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
