Trace (Ability)

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Trace トレース
Trace
Flavor text
Generation III
Copies special ability.
Generation IV
The Pokémon copies the foe's ability.
Generation V
The Pokémon copies a foe's Ability.
Generation VI
The Pokémon copies an opposing Pokémon's Ability.
Generation VII
When it enters a battle, the Pokémon copies an opposing Pokémon's Ability.
Generation VIII
When it enters a battle, the Pokémon copies an opposing Pokémon's Ability.
Generation IX
When it enters a battle, the Pokémon copies an opposing Pokémon's Ability.

Trace (Japanese: トレース Trace) is an Ability introduced in Generation III.

Effect

In battle

Trace copies the Ability of a random adjacent opponent, replacing Trace itself.

This is activated when the Pokémon with Trace enters battle or when a Pokémon gains Trace. In Wonder Launcher battles, Trace can be activated by an ally's Ability Urge.

Trace can be swapped by Skill Swap. In Generations III and IV, Trace can be copied by Role Play, but In later generations, Trace cannot be copied by Role Play, Power of Alchemy, or Receiver. Entrainment fails if used by a Pokémon with Trace.

Generation III

It can copy any Ability, but if it copies Trace, it will not activate again.

Generation IV

There are now Abilities that cannot be copied by Trace.

Trace can not copy the ability of a Pokémon holding a Griseous Orb.

While a Pokémon with Trace is in battle, if at any time an opponent has an Ability that can be copied by Trace, Trace will activate and replace itself with that Ability. Trace can only activate once while a Pokémon is on the field; even if the Pokémon gains Trace again (e.g. via Skill Swap) after activating it the first time, Trace cannot activate until after it is switched out.

In a Double Battle with only one opponent remaining, if a Pokémon with Trace is sent into battle to replace a fainted Pokémon, Trace has a 50% chance to select the non-present opponent and not activate. Once a Pokémon takes its turn (uses a move, switches out, etc.), Trace will activate and copy the Ability of the opponent that is present.

Generation V

When a Pokémon with Trace enters battle, it copies a random adjacent opponent's Ability (replacing itself). If no opponents have Abilities that can be copied by Trace when the Pokémon with Trace enters battle, Trace cannot be activated until it enters battle again.

Generation VI onward

While a Pokémon with Trace is in battle, if at any time an adjacent opponent has an Ability that can be copied by Trace, Trace will activate and replace itself with that Ability. Even if a Pokémon had previously activated Trace, if it gains Trace again (e.g. via Skill Swap), Trace will activate at the first opportunity.

Abilities that cannot be copied

Trace cannot copy any of the following Abilities in generations marked with a ✔.

Ability Generations
III IV V VI VII VIII IX
As One
Battle Bond
Comatose
Commander
Disguise
Embody Aspect
Flower Gift
Forecast
Gulp Missile
Hunger Switch
Ice Face
Illusion
Imposter
Multitype
Neutralizing Gas
Poison Puppeteer
Power Construct
Power of Alchemy
Protosynthesis
Quark Drive
Receiver
RKS System
Schooling
Shields Down
Stance Change
Teraform Zero
Tera Shell
Tera Shift
Trace
Zen Mode
Zero to Hero

Trace can copy Wonder Guard.

Outside of battle

Trace has no effect outside of battle.

Pokémon with Trace

# Pokémon Types First Ability Second Ability Hidden Ability
0065 Alakazam Alakazam
Mega Alakazam
Psychic Psychic Trace None None
0137 Porygon Porygon
Normal Normal Trace DownloadGen IV+ Analytic
0233 Porygon2 Porygon2
Normal Normal Trace DownloadGen IV+ Analytic
0280 Ralts Ralts
Psychic Fairy Synchronize Trace Telepathy
0281 Kirlia Kirlia
Psychic Fairy Synchronize Trace Telepathy
0282 Gardevoir Gardevoir
Psychic Fairy Synchronize Trace Telepathy
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

When a Pokémon with this Ability is hit by a move or regular attack, Trace replaces itself with the Ability of the attacking Pokémon. Trace does not distinguish between foes and allies, and can be activated by beneficial moves such as Safeguard. Prior to Gates to Infinity, Pokémon can have more than one Ability—if a Pokémon has more than one Ability, Trace chooses one at random. The copied Ability lasts until the Pokémon enters a new floor.

Description

Games Description
MDRB Changes ability to that of the foe attacking or using a move.
MDTDS Changes the Pokémon's ability to match that of an attacking foe.
BSL こうげきや わざを つかってきた ポケモンと おなじ とくせいになる
MDGtI Unavailable
SMD
MDRTDX
The Pokémon copies the Ability of a Pokémon that uses a move against it. The Pokémon can copy the Ability of an enemy or a teammate. The effects last until the Pokémon goes to a different floor.


In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 複製 Fūkjai *
追蹤 Jēuijūng *
Mandarin 複製 / 复制 Fùzhì *
追蹤 Zhuīzōng *
France Flag.png French Calque
Germany Flag.png German ErfassenVIII+
FährteIIIVII
Italy Flag.png Italian Traccia
South Korea Flag.png Korean 트레이스 Trace
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Traçar
Spain Flag.png Spanish CalcoIX+
RastroIIIVIII
Turkey Flag.png Turkish Kopyalama
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Theo dấu


Project Moves and Abilities logo.png 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.