Infiltrator - Ability ID 151

In-Game Description

"Own moves bypass Substitutes and damage reduction screens."

Extended In-Game Description

For use in Elite Redux extended ability UI (IMPORTANT: exactly 280-300 chars counted WITH spaces)

Infiltrator allows moves to bypass protective effects that would normally block or reduce damage. All moves ignore Substitute dolls and damage reduction screens like Reflect, Light Screen, and Aurora Veil. Also bypasses Mist when using stat-lowering moves, ensuring attacks connect at full power.

Character count: 296

Detailed Mechanical Explanation

For Discord/reference use

Infiltrator provides the ability to bypass several defensive mechanics in battle:

Core Mechanics

• Substitute Bypass: All moves hit through Substitute dolls as if they weren't there
• Screen Penetration: Ignores damage reduction from Reflect (physical), Light Screen (special), and Aurora Veil (both)
• Mist Penetration: Stat-lowering moves bypass Mist protection

Technical Implementation

constexpr Ability Infiltrator = {
    .onInfiltrate = +[](ON_INFILTRATE) -> InfiltrateType { 
        return INFILTRATE_SCREENS | INFILTRATE_SUBSTITUTE; 
    },
};

Activation Conditions

• Always Active: No setup required, works on all moves
• Damage Calculation: Screens provide 50% damage reduction (33% in doubles), which Infiltrator completely negates
• Substitute Interaction: Moves hit the real Pokémon instead of being blocked by the doll

Affected Screens

1. Reflect: Halves physical damage (bypassed)
2. Light Screen: Halves special damage (bypassed)
3. Aurora Veil: Halves both physical and special damage (bypassed)
4. Mist: Prevents stat reduction (bypassed for stat-lowering moves)

Move Interactions

• All offensive moves benefit from screen bypass
• Stat-lowering moves bypass Mist protection
• Critical hits naturally bypass screens, so Infiltrator provides no additional benefit for crits
• Sound moves naturally bypass Substitute, so overlap exists there

Strategic Applications

• Wall Breaking: Excellent against defensive teams relying on screens
• Guaranteed Damage: Ensures moves deal expected damage without defensive interference
• Status Application: Stat-lowering moves always work against Mist users

Common Users in Elite Redux

Pokémon commonly found with Infiltrator include:

• Noctowl
• Crobat
• Seviper
• Spiritomb

Battle Impact

Infiltrator transforms matchups against defensive teams. A 100 base power move hitting through Light Screen deals the same damage as a 200 base power move hitting normally. This makes Infiltrator users particularly valuable for breaking through defensive cores and ensuring consistent damage output.