Many Pokémon players are unaware that their creature’s nature is far more than just their personality, with the traits actually affecting the growth of a Pokémon.
As wholesome as it can be to know that your favourite Pokémon is ‘Naughty’ or ‘Quirky’, your Pokémon’s nature actually has a major influence on their stats.
Here’s everything you need to know about all 25 natures and what they mean for your Pokémon.
What are Pokémon natures?
Pokémon natures were first introduced in Generation 3 of the main gaming series (Ruby/Sapphire), with each Pokémon being randomly assigned one nature from a total of 25.
Each nature that your Pokémon is listed as having increases one of its stats by 10 per cent and decreases another by 10 per cent.
For example, a Pokémon listed as being ‘brave’ will have a higher than usual attack stat.
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There are five natures which provide zero bonus as they both increase and decrease the same stat by 10 per cent, cancelling itself out.
You can check which nature your Pokémon has by looking at their summary.
Here’s all 25 natures and the effects they have on your Pokémon:
- Adamant: increases Attack, reduces Special Attack
- Bashful: no effect
- Brave: increases Attack, reduces Speed
- Bold: increases Defence, reduces Attack
- Calm: increases Special Attack, reduces Attack
- Careful: increases Special Defence, reduces Special Attack
- Docile: no effect
- Gentle: increases Special Defence, reduces Defence
- Hardy: no effect
- Hasty: increases Speed, reduces Defence
- Impish: increases Defence, reduces Special Attack
- Jolly: increases Speed, reduces Special Attack
- Lax: increases Defence, reduces Special Defence
- Lonely: increases Attack, reduces Defence
- Mild: increases Special Attack, reduces Defence
- Modest: increases Special Attack, reduces Attack
- Naive: increases Speed, reduces Special Defence
- Naughty: increases Attack, reduces Special Defence
- Quiet: increases Special Attack, reduces Speed
- Quirky: no effect
- Rash: increases Special Attack, reduces Special Defence
- Relaxed: increases Defence, reduces Speed
- Sassy: increases Special Defence, reduces Speed
- Serious: no effect
- Timid: increases Speed, reduces Attack
When out in the wild, many trainers will catch several of the same Pokémon in a bid to find one with a desired nature best suited to the Pokémon’s strengths and weaknesses.
A Pokémon’s nature also influences which berries and PokeBlocks it likes as each flavour is linked to a stat:
- Attack: Spicy
- Attack: Dry
- Defence: Sour
- Defence: Bitter
- Speed: Sweet
In Sword/Shield, Pokémon trainers also have the option of changing their Pokémon’s nature by purchasing ‘Mints’ at the Battle Tower once you have completed the main storyline.
Mints overwrite a Pokémon’s nature by changing both the increased and lowered stats affected by its nature.
How to use Pokémon natures in battle
Weaponising your Pokémon’s nature is an easy way to get the upper hand in battles. To take advantage of the mechanic, increase the stat a Pokémon excels at and reduce another that they will never use.
In the long run, it’s recommended to boost the stat your Pokémon is already good at, rather than wasting energy on trying to up a stat that will always be weaker due to your Pokémon’s nature.
For instance with a timid Pikachu, their nature will increase speed and lower attack, so to make the most of its nature and maximise its potential, up its speed stat as much as possible.
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