Substitute

Stats

Base PowerPower PointsAccuracy
10—%
Effect ChancePriorityTarget
—%0User

Taught via

TM/HM: 050

Move Flags

Flavor Text

The user makes a copy of itself using some of its HP. The copy serves as the user’s decoy.

Effect

Transfers 1/4 the user's max HP into a doll that absorbs damage and causes most negative move effects to fail. If the user leaves the field, the doll will vanish. If the user cannot pay the HP cost, this move will fail.

The doll takes damage as normal, using the user's stats and types, and will break when its HP reaches zero. Self-inflicted damage from confusion or recoil is not absorbed. Healing effects from opponents ignore the doll and heal the user as normal. Moves that work based on the user's HP still do so; the doll's HP does not influence any move.

The doll will block major status effects, confusion, and flinching. The effects of Smelling Salts and Wake-Up Slap do not trigger against a doll, even if the Pokémon behind the doll has the appropriate major status effect. Multi-turn trapping moves like Wrap will hit the doll for their regular damage, but the multi-turn trapping and damage effects will not activate.

Moves blocked or damage absorbed by the doll do not count as hitting the user or inflicting damage for any effects that respond to such, e.g., Avalanche, Counter, or a Rowap Berry. Magic Coat still works as normal, even against moves the doll would block. Opposing Pokémon that damage the doll with a leech move like Absorb are healed as normal.

It will also block Acupressure, Block, the curse effect of Curse, Dream Eater, Embargo, Flatter, Gastro Acid, Grudge, Heal Block, Leech Seed, Lock-On, Mean Look, Mimic, Mind Reader, Nightmare, Pain Split, Psycho Shift, Spider Web, Sketch, Swagger, Switcheroo, Trick, Worry Seed, and Yawn. A Pokémon affected by Yawn before summoning the doll will still fall to sleep.

The doll blocks Intimidate, but all other abilities act as though the doll did not exist. If the user has an ability that absorbs moves of a certain type for HP (such as Volt Absorb absorbing Thunder Wave), such moves will not be blocked.

Life Orb and berries that cause confusion still work as normal, but their respective HP loss and confusion are absorbed/blocked by the doll.

The user is still vulnerable to damage inflicted when entering or leaving the field, such as by Pursuit or Spikes; however, the doll will block the poison effect of Toxic Spikes.

The doll is passed on by Baton Pass. It keeps its existing HP, but uses the replacement Pokémon's stats and types for damage calculation.

All other effects work as normal.

Pokémon that learn Substitute by level (5)

Phoenixdex Pokémon (5)

Dustley
Dustley
Normal
Pickup, Overcoat
Shield Dust
60/45/65/25/50/40
Level 45
Aculago
Aculago
Normal Ground
Pickup, Overcoat
Shield Dust
95/85/100/50/85/60
Level 53
Dauvespa
Dauvespa
Bug Ground
Overcoat
Cast Off
70/95/95/50/50/90
Level 44
Scaresteiff
Scaresteiff
Normal Ghost
Guard Down, Saboteur
Fluffy
110/85/80/110/65/70
Level 28

Pokémon that learn Substitute via move relearner (1)

Phoenixdex Pokémon (1)

Pokémon that learn Substitute by TM/HM (338)

Phoenixdex Pokémon (278)

Mega Arcanine
Mega Arcanine
Fire Dragon
Mold Breaker
90/145/110/100/110/100
Cindigre
Cindigre
Fire
Blaze
Strong Jaw
50/64/40/40/55/60
Faintrick
Faintrick
Normal
Unnerve
44/66/50/35/33/57
Fraudkill
Fraudkill
Normal
Play Dead
74/106/80/65/63/87
Mambar
Mambar
Poison
Sturdy
Rattled
30/40/66/35/35/84
Iggydrake
Iggydrake
Normal Dragon
Lucky Coin
120/40/30/75/100/50
Bojina
Bojina
Ghost
Beguile
Pressure
80/90/60/40/65/65
Noperajina
Noperajina
Ghost
Beguile
Illusion
100/120/80/65/85/80
Crocoal
Crocoal
Fire
Blaze
Beguile
52/55/43/70/40/58
Feucrota
Feucrota
Fire
Blaze
Beguile
66/69/54/90/50/76
Burungin
Burungin
Fire Dark
Blaze
Beguile
84/85/74/121/70/101
Dasfix
Dasfix
Steel Poison
Levitate
45/55/40/60/70/30
Malraja
Malraja
Steel Poison
Levitate
80/90/75/95/120/65
Lazuleon
Lazuleon
Rock
Clear Body
Dazzling
65/65/130/95/110/60
Makima
Makima
Normal
Levitate
40/10/55/55/55/40
Makitaku
Makitaku
Normal Ghost
Levitate
70/30/105/105/105/70
Solberon
Solberon
Fire Fairy
Blaze
Prankster
73/75/65/107/95/120
Colgwari
Colgwari
Ground
Harvest
Sap Sipper
140/105/120/75/80/80
Whoodsy
Whoodsy
Psychic
Levitate
45/30/59/57/82/34
Exterrix
Exterrix
Psychic
Levitate
80/56/95/94/128/67
Caslot
Caslot
Dark Fairy
Lucky Shot
Moody
70/77/80/77/80/113
Fallorite
Fallorite
Rock Fire
Levitate
45/70/85/55/50/30
Volstarite
Volstarite
Rock Fire
Levitate
65/120/135/95/70/50
Loftitan-R
Loftitan-R
Steel
Stalwart
Sturdy
80/100/105/50/105/40

Canon Pokémon (60)

Vulpix
Vulpix
Fire
Flash Fire
Drought
38/41/40/50/65/65
Ninetales
Ninetales
Fire
Flash Fire
Drought
73/76/75/81/100/100
Mareep
Mareep
Electric
Static
Plus
55/40/40/65/45/35
Flaaffy
Flaaffy
Electric
Static
Plus
70/55/55/80/60/45
Ampharos
Ampharos
Electric
Static
Plus
90/75/85/115/90/55
Misdreavus
Misdreavus
Ghost
Levitate
60/60/60/85/85/85
Phanpy
Phanpy
Ground
Pickup
Sand Veil
90/60/60/40/40/40
Donphan
Donphan
Ground
Sturdy
Sand Veil
90/120/120/60/60/50
Mega Aggron
Mega Aggron
Steel
Filter
70/140/230/60/80/50
Vibrava
Vibrava
Ground Dragon
Levitate
50/70/50/50/50/70
Flygon
Flygon
Ground Dragon
Levitate
80/100/80/80/80/100
Mega Absol
Mega Absol
Dark
Magic Bounce
65/150/60/115/60/115
Mismagius
Mismagius
Ghost
Levitate
60/60/60/105/105/105
Yamask
Yamask
Ghost
Mummy
38/30/85/55/65/30
Cofagrigus
Cofagrigus
Ghost
Mummy
58/50/145/95/105/30
Durant
Durant
Bug Steel
Swarm, Hustle
Truant
58/109/112/48/48/109