Counter (move)

If the last amount of damage done before the use of Counter is greater than 0 and was dealt by a Normal-type or Fighting-type attack (except Counter), Counter will do twice as much damage to the opponent. Otherwise, Counter misses.

Although Counter deals Fighting-type damage, it is not affected by type effectiveness (so it can affect Ghost-type Pokémon).

Counter is a decreased priority move. If the opponent does not use a decreased priority move during the round that it is used, Counter will go last regardless of the user's or opponent's speed. If the opponent also uses a decreased priority move during the same round, the attack order of the users will be determined normally. If the user is put to sleep or is frozen during the round that Counter is (or attempts to be) used, Counter's decreased speed priority will not be reset. Subsequently, it will only be reset on the turn after the user wakes up or is defrosted, or if the user switches out.

Counter can cause a critical hit, but the actual amount of damage dealt by it will not be altered by a critical hit. Counter will only counter the last hit of a multi-hit move and the last attack of a partial trapping move. Counter will always miss if called by Metronome.

If both active Pokémon use Counter during the same round, both attacks will fail. An attack absorbed by a substitute can be countered for the amount of damage it would have done to the user had the user not had a substitute.

Switching and using a multi-turn move will not reset the last amount of damage done, allowing Counter to counter itself as well as self-inflicted recoil damage. If an HP-restoring or battle item is used on the opponent during the same round that Counter is used, Counter will counter the item.

Specifically, Counter will fail in the following circumstances (displayed as a miss):

• If the opponent's last selected move's power is 0 (all damaging moves have non-zero power, including moves like Seismic Toss that deal fixed damage)
• If the opponent's last selected move's type is not Normal or Fighting, or if the move is Counter
• If the last move used in the battle did no damage to its target, unless it is one of a few select status moves that do not reset the data for the last damage-dealing move used.
  • These moves are: Conversion, Haze, Whirlwind, Roar, Teleport, Mist, Focus Energy, Supersonic, Confuse Ray, Recover, Softboiled, Rest, Transform, Light Screen, Reflect, PoisonPowder, Toxic, Poison Gas, Stun Spore, Thunder Wave, Glare, Substitute, Mimic, Leech Seed, and Splash.

If the last damage was done by a Normal or Fighting attack, a Pokémon selected another type of attack and got fully paralyzed, and the opponent used Counter, then the two players will desynchronize. Likewise, if the last damage was done by another type of attack, a Pokémon selected Normal or Fighting attack and got fully paralyzed, and the opponent used Counter, then the two players will also desynchronize.

In Stadium, switching, full paralysis, and using a multi-turn move reset the last amount of damage done, so Counter can't counter itself or self-inflicted recoil damage if the opponent does not make a move on its following turn.

Counter now counters all physical moves for twice the damage done to the user. Counter no longer counters a move that hits a substitute. Furthermore, Ghost-type Pokémon are now immune to Counter.

Counter can counter Hidden Power regardless of its actual type. Counter can also counter Beat Up (despite Dark-type moves not being physical).

In the Generation II core series games only, the OHKO moves Fissure and Horn Drill (but not Guillotine) can be countered for maximum damage if they missed.

In Double Battles, Counter will hit the last opponent that dealt physical damage to the attacker. Counter cannot affect allied Pokémon.

Counter can also be used as part of a Pokémon Contest combination, with the user gaining extra two appeal points if move Taunt was used in the prior turn.

Counter can no longer be copied by Mirror Move.

Counter can no longer counter Hidden Power, since Hidden Power is now a special move.

In Triple Battles, Counter can hit non-adjacent opponents provided a non-adjacent opponent was the last Pokémon to attack the user.

If the Pokémon using Counter is hit by a physical attack that deals 0 damage, Counter becomes a physical move with 1 base power.

Counter can also be used as part of a Contest Spectacular combination, with the user gaining an extra three appeal points if any of the moves Encore, Taunt or Torment was used in the prior turn.