Truant なまけ
Lazy
Flavor text
Generation III
Moves only every two turns.
Generation IV
The Pokémon can't attack on consecutive turns.DPPt
Pokémon can't attack on consecutive turns.HGSS
Generation V
Pokémon can't attack on consecutive turns.
Generation VI
The Pokémon can't attack on consecutive turns.
Generation VII
The Pokémon can't use a move the following turn if it uses one.
Generation VIII
The Pokémon can't use a move if it had used a move on the previous turn.
Generation IX
Each time the Pokémon uses a move, it spends the next turn loafing around.

Truant (Japanese: なまけ Lazy) is an Ability introduced in Generation III. Prior to Generation V and in Generation IX, it is the signature Ability of Slakoth and Slaking.

Effect

In battle

This Ability effect may be in need of research.
Reason:
  • If a sleeping Pokémon with Truant attempts to use Sleep Talk or Snore, will it still loaf around every two turns while sleeping? If it uses a move successfully while sleeping and then wakes up next turn, will it loaf around when waking up?
  • If a confused, paralyzed, frozen, infatuated, or flinching Pokémon tries to use a move in the turn when it should loaf around, can these status conditions replace loafing around? If that happens, will it loaf around the next turn instead?
    • For instance, can a Pokémon hit itself in confusion in the turn it should loaf around?
    • As another example, if a Pokémon is going to loaf around next turn, but it is hit by a move like Bite or Stomp that cause it to flinch, will it flinch or loaf around?
      You can discuss this on the talk page.

Every second turn, a Pokémon with Truant cannot use a move due to loafing around. If it attempts to use a move at this point, it will fail without spending PP.

A Pokémon with Truant will still loaf around every second turn in a battle against an unidentified ghost (including the ghost Marowak).

Truant cannot be overwritten by Simple Beam, Worry Seed, or Entrainment, but it can be overwritten by Skill Swap, Role Play, Doodle, or Mummy, or disabled with Gastro Acid or Neutralizing Gas.

Counting turns

This Ability effect may be in need of research.
Reason: Test if counting turns works this way in all generations
You can discuss this on the talk page.

A Pokémon's Truant turn counter starts when it enters the battle.

In Generation III, a Pokémon's Truant counter is updated at the end of the turn, only if the Pokémon still has this Ability.[1][2][3] If a Pokémon changes Abilities during the battle, its Truant counter will remain untouched as long as this Pokémon does not switch out.

For instance, once a Pokémon acquires Truant for the first time in battle, it will be able to use a move normally if it has not used any move in the current turn. Conversely, if it has already used any move, then the turn counter will be updated and it will loaf around the next turn.

If a Pokémon with Truant is sent out following an ally Pokémon fainting to end-of-turn damage, the Truant counter will be updated and then it will loaf around next turn.

In Generation V, Truant is reset by sleep and a Pokémon with Truant will always be able to attack on the turn it wakes up.

If a Pokémon gains Truant after it calls upon Mega Evolution, Ultra Burst, or Dynamax at the beginning of a turn, but before it moves that turn, it will loaf around on its first attempt to move.

Using moves

This Ability effect may be in need of research.
Reason:
  • If a Pokémon with Truant uses moves with a charging turn like Fly, does it spend PP when it fails due to loafing around?
  • If a Pokémon with Truant is affected by Encore, does Encore count only the turns when moves are usable, or does it also count the turns when it was loofing around? For instance, if Encore was going to last 6 turns, then will it alternate between 3 turns using the locked move and 3 turns loofing around?
    You can discuss this on the talk page.

If a Pokémon with Truant uses a move with a charging turn (such as Fly), this move will charge normally the first turn but then the user will loaf around the next turn instead of executing the move (unless the user is holding a Power Herb).

If a Pokémon with Truant uses a move that forces it to recharge next turn (such as Hyper Beam), then it will loaf around and recharge during the same turn. Because of the recharge, this Pokémon will be unable to use items or switch out on this turn.

If a Pokémon with Truant uses a move and is then Instructed to use the move again, the Pokémon will loaf around instead of executing that move. Then, the next turn, it will be able to use a move normally, unaffected by Instruct.

If a Pokémon with Truant is affected by Encore, it will be locked into reusing the last move used and then loaf around every second turn as usual.

Using items

In Generation III only, using an item from the Bag (such as an HP healing item or a Poké Ball) counts as a turn. From Generation IV onwards, it does not count. For instance, if the player uses an item when the Pokémon was going to loaf around, then this will happen the next turn: it will be able to use a move normally in Generation III, or it will loaf around in later generations.

Any held items (such as Leftovers) work normally regardless of the Pokémon loafing around.

Outside of battle

Truant has no effect outside of battle.

Pokémon with Truant

# Pokémon Types First Ability Second Ability Hidden Ability
0287 Slakoth Slakoth
Normal Normal Truant None None
0289 Slaking Slaking
Normal Normal Truant None None
0632 Durant Durant
Bug Steel Swarm Hustle Truant
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

Truant activating in Super Mystery Dungeon

In Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky, and the Mystery Dungeon (WiiWare) games, when a Pokémon with this Ability uses a move or a Wonder Orb, the Pokémon gains the Paused status which prevents the Pokémon from taking any action the next turn.

In Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, Truant instead causes the truant status condition for one turn. Unlike the previous Paused status, the truant status only prevents the Pokémon from using moves and allows the use of items. Truant additionally can inflict the Yawning status condition on all surrounding enemies when the Pokémon with the Ability Truant is asleep. The Truant Wand allows the user to change any Pokémon's Ability to Truant, including bosses.

Description

Games Description
MDRB Prevents action in your next turn after using a move or a Wonder Orb.
MDTDS Keeps the Pokémon from taking an action in the turn after using a move or a Wonder Orb.
BSL わざを くりだしたり ふしぎだまを つかった つぎのターンは こうどうできない
MDGtI Unavailable
SMD When the Pokémon uses a move, it will get the truant status condition! Also, if an enemy Pokémon is next to the sleeping Pokémon with this Ability, it will get the yawning status condition!
MDRTDX When the Pokémon uses a move, it will get the Truant condition. Also, if an enemy Pokémon is next to a sleeping Pokémon with this Ability, the enemy will sometimes get the Yawning condition.


In animation

Pokémon animated series


A Trainer's Slaking

Sawyer's Slaking
The Pokémon occasionally becomes too lazy to attack during battle.
Pokémon Method
User First Used In Notes
Slaking Slaking occasionally becomes too lazy to attack during battle.
A Trainer's Slaking The Journalist from Another Region! Debut
Sawyer's Slaking Analysis Versus Passion! None

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon Pocket Monsters

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 懶惰 Láahndoh
Mandarin 懶惰 / 懒惰 Lǎnduò
French Absentéisme
German Schnarchnase
Italian Pigrone
Korean 게으름 Geeureum
Brazilian Portuguese Molenga
Spanish Latin America Pereza
Spain PerezaIX+
AusenteIIIVIII
Turkish Aylak
Vietnamese Lười biếng

References

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.