Worst Pokemon Abilities

The Top Ten
1 Truant

It doesn't have any redeeming factors: It makes you immobile doing every other turn. The opponent can just use Protect every other turn and you can't do anything.

Um, this was made to balance Slaking. If he didn't have this, Norman's Slaking probably wouldn't be possible.

Only good thing about Truant is Truant + Entrainment which only lets you get long streaks in Battle Maisons with Durant.

2 Slow Start

Truant might be infamous but its op if used right. on the other hand, slow start is just about as bad.
Halves attack and speed for FIVE TURNS. what? Oh wait... it also resets if you switch out.
This will alwas be bad.

I just don't understand why they made this ability. Regigigas is a legendary, it is supposed to be strong and hard to catch.

At least with Truant, you can use recharge moves for that turn you miss. Slow Start on the other hand...

3 Defeatist

Why would any Pokemon have an ability that halves it's own stats... Game Freak does odd things sometimes.

Halving stats? This is one of the worst things (after Garbodor) that Gen V introduced.

I love Archeops, but this made me question putting him on my team.

4 Run Away

At least this has some use in game (but definitely not competitive)

HM slave with Run Away is decent for getting though caves...although you could just use repels or lead your fastest pokemon.

Run away is an ability that lets you run away. That's pretty much it. This ability is worthless in battle and is just a waste of an ability slot

"You met a Shiny Entei in this cave! " really all I met is Zubats yes now's my chance (accidently pressed the run away button) "You ran away successfully with Run Away! "
Sh t

5 Stall

Slow Start and Truant are given to Pokemon that would be broken otherwise, but THIS is just bad. I mean, really bad. And I know, Payback, but that doesn't stop it from being terrible.

The thing about Sableye. Would you rather have the ability that makes your Status moves go first or the one that kills your Speed stat?

The fact that Sableye was mediocre and they gave it an ability that makes it more mediocre harms Sableye.

6 Klutz

I voted only to say that it's not good, but not terrible. You know how many times I've battled Lopunny w/ Switcheroo Flame Orb/Iron Ball? Annoying.

It's pointless. Just teach your damn mon toxic.

Ok, sure, put this on random Pokemon to severely cripple them so you have to get another one

7 Illuminate

I actually didn't know Starmie could have this ability. I used on in Pokemon B2W2 and had it at the front of my party. I got so annoyed with running into wild pokemon that I threw my DS against the wall and broke it...

Thankfully, an already useless early-game Pokemon is the only Pokemon to actually have it.

It makes encounter rate higher why would unless your are hunting shiny Pokemon?

8 Weak Armor

This is actually a pretty good ability. Skarmory can troll with Guard Swap while keeping the Speed boost without keeping the Defense drop, and meanwhile, it can also force switches. It's also a pretty good ability on Vanilluxe.

Weak Armor is mainly used by defensive Pokemon with barely any speed, this ability is so backwards that it turns a physical tank into a failure, Thus it should be higher.

Ruined Skarmory. The swords dance set-up and sweep with this ability doesn't work.

9 Normalize

Makes all abilities the Pokemon uses Normal-Type. This is useless as Normal is the worst of all types, being super effective against nothing. If it turned all moves into moves of a better type such as Ice, it may be better. Well, actually, it wouldn't, since your coverage is still pathetic.

What's the point? Congratulations, you can now literally not hit a single ghost-type. Also, normal type sucks.

Can be okay under some circumstances, but if you're up against a ghost type you're screwed.

10 Infiltrator

How is this bad? It ignores the godly magic bounce dual screen espeon

The Contenders
11 Gluttony

God I hate Guttony. Makes every Nuzlcoke of Gen 3 remakes a crap-shoot. I could get Zigzagoon with pickup (good HM slave with decent ability) or good death fodder.

Only works with certain berries, and depending on your remaining HP, Sitrus Berries are often better anyway.

The name itself makes me hate it.

12 Frisk

How is this bad? Helps scouting, which is great in competitive play.

What's the point of this ability?
Every pokemon with this ability, have other, A LOT better ability.
Alolan Exeggutor have Harvest.
Yanma have Speed Boost.
Stantler - Sap Sipper.
Duskull have levitate.
Even Noivern's telepathy is more usefull.

13 Honey Gather

Honey is just useless outside of the Sinnoh games.

Honey is bad anyway, just use sweet scent.

14 Wonder Guard

Wonder guard is the worst ability. It the only thing holding shedinja back. Shedinja deserves to be powerful, but wonder guard makes its super high hp stat worthless.

Who the heck put Wonder Guard on this list?

15 Heavy Metal

Why this is bad? Low kick and grass knot require weight to deal heavy damage, making this bad if you do not predict it

16 Emergency Exit

Do you hate setting up with swords dance? Were you too slow and the other Pokémon hit you for half health? Do you hate winning? This is the ability for you.

Golisopod has to low speed and sp def to be useful with this ability. I mean stealth rocks does 1/4 damage. and then a fast powerful move by the opponent and then it activates. when it comes out again, the same stuff happens only now it is defeated.

17 Hustle

It's not so bad if you have an accuracy boosting move or an X accuracy, but other than that, easily the worst non negative ability of all time. Nice, physical attacks hit harder, but you can't land them anymore. This should be in 5th place, as in just below the intentionally bad abilities.

If an ability has the original Japanese name allude to seppuku and its French name literally as "agitation", you would be better off without it. And it's especially unnecessary for strictly special attackers like Togekiss.

I mean, it may boost your attack, but it's still pretty bad. Especially with moves that already have 70% or 80% accuracy. And Dynamic Punch? Forget it.

18 Pure Power

Just huge power with a way better name.

19 Damp
20 Zen Mode

Darmanitan is a good Pokemon with high attack and good physical moves. It also has belly drum, which maximizes attack. Why should it turn into a special attacker psychic type. This mode doesn't suit it's moveset. It's Only good special move is Overheat, which lowers SpA by two stages, so it's a one time use. Some use special TMs. But this ability doesn't activate until Darmanitan has reached 50% health. So, Darmanitan's special moves are useless until it has reached half health. And it will be quickly KOd because of low speed.
Zen mode increases Darmanitan's stats to 540, but it's still quite useless.

21 No Guard

I probably am using this for one or max 2 moves with low accuracy and meanwhile my opponent swaps to bull horn driller and takes me out. Yay.

This move is Great and Terrible all at once.

Dynamic Punch Machamp with No Guard
Your argument is invalid

22 Water Absorb

It's bad! Do you know what it does? Heals the Pokemon with that ability if hit by a Water Type Move! I hate it! Unless it's my Pokemon who has that ability!

23 Plus

Couldn't find minus on here, but besides the fact that it's useless outside of a double battle, Plusle and Minun just aren't that good.

Can only do anything if your opponent happens to have minus, and most pokemon with this ability are not very useful anyways.

Minus is better.

24 Skill Link

Its actually not bad. mega heracross has it and can learn pin missile, bullet seed, and rock blast

Why is skill link on here? It's op.

25 Aura Break

No one should ever use this unless you know for a fact an aura will be there. Power construct is way better.

Just cancels the effects of auras...

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