Pokémon Natures

A Pokémon’s Nature is an innate personality mechanic that modifies two of its stat growth multipliers by 10%—increasing one stat by 10% and decreasing another by 10%. Out of 25 total Natures in the franchise, 20 apply stat modifiers while 5 are neutral, making Nature selection essential for maximizing offensive power, defense, or Speed in battle.

Introduced in Generation III (Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire), Natures provide a passive layer of stat customization that applies on top of a Pokémon’s base stats, Individual Values (IVs), and Effort Values (EVs). Understanding how Natures work allows you to optimize physical attackers, special sweepers, wallbreakers, and defensive tanks for both main-story campaigns and competitive play.

What are Pokémon Natures and how do they work?

At its core, a Pokémon’s Nature reflects its individual disposition, but mechanically it functions as a stat multiplier. When a Pokémon’s stats are calculated, its Nature applies a 1.1x multiplier (+10%) to one primary stat and a 0.9x multiplier (-10%) to another primary stat. HP (Hit Points) is the only stat that is never modified by any Nature.

To understand the impact of Natures, it helps to distinguish them from other stat determinants:

• Base Stats: Fixed values shared by every member of a species. For example, every Gengar has a base Special Attack of 130 and a base Attack of 65.
• Individual Values (IVs): Hidden genetic stats ranging from 0 to 31 for each attribute, set when a Pokémon is generated or hatched.
• Effort Values (EVs): Stat points acquired through combat or training items, up to a maximum of 252 in any single stat and 510 total across all stats.
• Nature: A final 10% percentage modifier applied to the calculated total of a stat after Base Stats, IVs, and EVs are combined.

Because the 10% modifier applies to the total calculated stat rather than just the base stat, its impact scales significantly at higher levels and with trained Effort Values. For instance, at Level 100 with maxed IVs and EVs, a physical attacker with an Adamant (+Attack, -Special Attack) Nature will gain over 30 additional Attack points compared to the same Pokémon with a neutral Nature. Conversely, lowering an unused stat—such as Special Attack on a purely physical attacker—imposes zero practical penalty.

Which stats are affected by Natures?

There are six core stats in the series, five of which can be modified by Natures:

• HP (Hit Points): Dictates total health. Unaffected by Natures.
• Attack (Atk): Determines damage dealt by physical moves (such as Earthquake, Close Combat, and Flare Blitz).
• Defense (Def): Reduces damage taken from incoming physical attacks.
• Special Attack (Sp. Atk): Determines damage dealt by special moves (such as Surf, Thunderbolt, and Ice Beam).
• Special Defense (Sp. Def): Reduces damage taken from incoming special attacks.
• Speed (Spe): Determines move priority during each turn of battle. If two active Pokémon use moves with the same priority bracket, the Pokémon with the higher Speed stat moves first.

Because there are 5 stats that can be boosted and 5 stats that can be lowered, there are 25 total mathematical combinations. The 5 combinations where a Nature boosts and lowers the exact same stat result in zero net change, forming the 5 “neutral” Natures.

The full Pokémon Nature chart

The following chart lists all 25 Natures, their impact on stat growth, and the flavor preferences associated with them for Berry consumption.

Natures grouped by primary stat boost

Selecting the optimal Nature requires matching a Pokémon’s role on your team with its specific stat distribution. Below is a breakdown of how the 20 stat-altering Natures function based on the stat they increase.

Natures that boost Attack

These Natures cater to physical attackers that use moves reliant on the Attack stat.

• Adamant (+Atk, -Sp. Atk): The standard choice for purely physical sweepers like Dragonite, Lucario, or Tyranitar. It lowers Special Attack, which physical attackers do not use.
• Brave (+Atk, -Spe): Ideal for physical attackers designed for Trick Room teams (where slower Pokémon act first) or slow gyro-ball users like Ferrothorn.
• Lonely (+Atk, -Def): Increases Attack at the expense of physical defense. Rarely used except on niche mixed attackers that cannot afford to lower Special Attack or Speed.
• Naughty (+Atk, -Sp. Def): Increases Attack while lowering Special Defense. Used primarily on mixed attackers requiring physical hit power alongside moves like Hydro Pump or Ice Beam.

Natures that boost Special Attack

Special attackers rely on these Natures to maximize non-contact elemental move damage.

• Modest (+Sp. Atk, -Atk): The premier choice for special attackers like Gengar, Gardevoir, and Chandelure. It reduces Attack, leaving durability and Speed untouched.
• Quiet (+Sp. Atk, -Spe): Designed for special attackers used inside Trick Room, such as Reuniclus or Armarouge, ensuring maximum damage while minimizing Speed.
• Mild (+Sp. Atk, -Def): Boosts Special Attack while lowering Defense. Useful for mixed offensive sets that need physical moves to break specific walls.
• Rash (+Sp. Atk, -Sp. Def): Boosts Special Attack while lowering Special Defense. Chosen for specific mixed-attacker EV spreads that take physical priority hits.

Natures that boost Speed

Speed is often considered the most critical stat in competitive play because striking first frequently prevents the opponent from attacking at all.

• Jolly (+Spe, -Sp. Atk): The top choice for fast physical attackers like Weavile, Aerodactyl, and Dragapult. Outspeeding fast opposing threats is prioritized over raw Attack power.
• Timid (+Spe, -Atk): The standard choice for fast special attackers like Greninja, Alakazam, and Flutter Mane.
• Hasty (+Spe, -Def): Boosts Speed while dropping Defense. Employed by frail mixed sweepers that need both attack stats left intact.
• Naive (+Spe, -Sp. Def): Boosts Speed while dropping Special Defense. Popular on mixed attackers that use physical attacks alongside moves like Overheat or Draco Meteor.

Natures that boost Defense

Defensive walls use these Natures to cushion physical damage from opposing physical sweepers.

• Impish (+Def, -Sp. Atk): Used by physical tanks like Hippowdon, Corviknight, and Skarmory that utilize physical moves (Body Press, Brave Bird) or support options.
• Bold (+Def, -Atk): The primary choice for defensive walls that rely on special attacks or night shade/seismic toss, such as Amoonguss, Slowbro, and Koffing/Weezing.
• Relaxed (+Def, -Spe): Perfect for slow physical walls like Ferroseed or Avalugg operating in Trick Room or using Speed-dependent moves.
• Lax (+Def, -Sp. Def): Lowers Special Defense to gain Defense. Generally avoided due to lowering an important defensive stat.

Natures that boost Special Defense

Special tanks and support pivots rely on Special Defense multipliers to check opposing special sweepers.

• Careful (+Sp. Def, -Sp. Atk): Used by physical-leaning support Pokémon and special walls like Grimmsnarl, Blissey (physical set variations), or Snorlax.
• Calm (+Sp. Def, -Atk): The standard choice for special walls like Toxapex, Umbreon, and Blissey that do not use physical attacks.
• Sassy (+Sp. Def, -Spe): Preferred for slow special tanks used in Trick Room or pivots using U-turn/Voltswitch to move last in a turn.
• Gentle (+Sp. Def, -Def): Reduces Defense to gain Special Defense. Rarely optimal because physical attacks are widespread.

The five neutral Natures

Bashful, Docile, Hardy, Quirky, and Serious impose no stat multipliers. In competitive formats, neutral Natures are virtually never used because almost every Pokémon species has at least one stat (usually its unused offensive attribute) that can be safely penalized in exchange for a 10% boost to a useful stat.

How to check your Pokémon’s Nature in-game

In modern Pokémon games, checking a Nature’s effect is built into the Pokemon Summary screen. When viewing the stat hexagon or numerical stat list:

• The stat boosted by 10% is highlighted with a red tint (or a red up-arrow).
• The stat reduced by 10% is highlighted with a blue tint (or a blue down-arrow).
• If no stats are highlighted in color, the Pokémon has one of the five neutral Natures.

In addition to stat highlights, the summary screen lists the text name of the Nature (e.g., “Adamant Nature”) under the personality profile. If playing older titles from Generation III or IV prior to HeartGold and SoulSilver, stat screens do not use color coding, requiring players to cross-reference the Nature name with a standard Nature chart.

How to get or change the Nature you want

Depending on the game generation you are playing, securing the proper Nature involves wild-encounter abilities, targeted breeding, or stat-altering consumables.

1. Wild catching with the Synchronize Ability

From Generation IV onward, leading your party with a Pokémon possessing the Synchronize Ability (such as Ralts, Abra, or Espeon) influences the Nature of wild Pokémon.

2. Breeding with an Everstone

Breeding is the classic method for obtaining ideal Natures with custom egg moves and IVs. If either parent Pokémon holds an Everstone

3. Stat Mints (Generation VIII onwards)

Introduced in Pokémon Sword and Shield and retained in subsequent mainline titles, Mints (e.g., Adamant Mint, Timid Mint) allow players to instantly alter a Pokémon’s stat multipliers without re-breeding or re-catching. Using a Timid Mint on an Adamant Gengar will adjust its stat growth to boost Speed and decrease Attack immediately.

True Natures vs. Mints: Trade-offs and Berry mechanics

While Mints adjust the effective stat growth of a Pokémon, they do not rewrite the Pokémon’s underlying, native Nature. This detail introduces important mechanics and edge cases that every trainer should understand:

• Visual Display: A Pokémon’s summary screen will still show its original caught/hatched Nature name (e.g., “Impish”), but the red and blue stat highlight colors will adjust to match the newly applied Mint effect.
• Breeding Inheritance: If you give a Mint to a Pokémon and subsequently breed it while holding an Everstone, the offspring will inherit the parent’s original native Nature, not the Nature granted by the Mint.
• Pinch Berry Confusion: Specific health-restoring Berries—specifically Figy, Wiki, Mago, Aguav, and Iapapa Berries—restore 33% (or 50% in older gens) max HP when health drops below 25%. However, if a Pokémon consumes a Berry matching a flavor it dislikes based on its original native Nature, it will become confused upon eating it. Mints do not alter flavor dislikes.

For example, if a Pokémon natively born with a Modest Nature (dislikes Spicy flavor) is fed an Adamant Mint, its stats will reflect the Adamant modifier (+Atk, -Sp. Atk). However, if that same Pokémon eats a Figy Berry (Spicy flavor), it will still suffer from confusion because its true underlying Nature remains Modest.

How to choose the best Nature for your Pokémon

When selecting a Nature, evaluate the Pokémon’s role using a four-step framework:

1. Identify the Primary Offensive Stat: Look at the Pokémon’s base stats. If Attack is substantially higher than Special Attack (e.g., Dragonite’s 134 Atk vs 100 Sp. Atk), focus exclusively on physical Natures (Adamant or Jolly). If Special Attack is dominant (e.g., Alakazam’s 135 Sp. Atk vs 50 Atk), choose Modest or Timid.
2. Determine Speed Tier Needs: Ask whether the Pokémon relies on outspeeding opponents to function. Sweepers with high base Speed benefit more from Speed-boosting Natures (Jolly/Timid) than raw damage Natures, allowing them to outpace rival threats in the same Speed tier.
3. Evaluate Utility and Trick Room: If the Pokémon operates in Trick Room or uses moves like Gyro Ball, choose Speed-reducing Natures (Brave, Quiet, Relaxed, Sassy) with 0 Speed IVs to ensure it moves first under Trick Room conditions.
4. Select the Penalty Stat: Always penalize the stat the Pokémon does not use. Physical attackers should penalize Special Attack; special attackers should penalize Attack; purely defensive walls should penalize the offensive stat they do not utilize.

Common mistakes when choosing Natures

Avoiding standard setup errors ensures your Pokémon performs at its mathematical ceiling in battle.

Here are key common mistakes players make when setting up team Natures:

• Penalizing the Wrong Stat on Mixed Attackers: Giving a mixed attacker (a Pokémon using both physical and special attacks, like Rayquaza or Blaziken) an Adamant or Modest Nature reduces the output of half its movepool. Use Naive, Hasty, Rash, or Naughty instead to preserve both offensive stats at the cost of a minor defensive penalty.
• Using Neutral Natures for Competitive Teams: Selecting Serious or Hardy deprives your Pokémon of a free 10% boost to its core role. A 10% increase to a maxed stat can equate to 30–40 actual stat points at Level 100.
• Confusing Lowered Attack with Lowered Foul Play Damage: Special attackers benefit double from Attack-reducing Natures (Timid/Modest). Lowering Attack reduces damage taken from opposing Foul Play attacks and minimizes self-inflicted confusion damage.
• Overlooking Speed Creep: Running Modest instead of Timid on a special sweeper might give higher raw damage numbers, but failing to outspeed key metagame threats results in taking a knockout hit before getting to attack.

Frequently asked questions

Do Pokémon Natures affect HP?

No, HP is the only core stat that is completely immune to Nature modifiers. No Nature will increase or decrease a Pokémon’s base or calculated HP.

What is the difference between a Nature and an Ability?

A Nature is a passive 10% multiplier applied to stat growth calculations. An Ability is a passive combat or overworld skill (such as Intimidate, Levitate, or Flash Fire) that provides unique tactical effects during battle.

Does a Mint permanently change breeding traits?

No, using a Mint changes only the active stat growth multipliers of that specific Pokémon. When breeding with an Everstone, the parent passes down its original native Nature, not the Nature applied by the Mint.

Which Nature is best for physical sweepers?

Adamant (+Attack, -Special Attack) is best if raw damage output is required, while Jolly (+Speed, -Special Attack) is ideal if outspeeding rival offensive threats is necessary.

Why do special attackers want 0 Attack IVs and an Attack-lowering Nature?

Special attackers do not use physical Attack. Keeping physical Attack as low as possible reduces damage taken from the move Foul Play, decreases confusion self-damage, and minimizes healing granted to opponents using Strength Sap.

Source: Britannica

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