Mega Launcher (Ability ID: 178)

In-Game Description

"Boosts Beam/Pump/Cannon/Shot/ Gun/Pulse, etc. moves by 1.3x."

Extended In-Game Description (280-300 chars)

Powers up pulse, beam, ball, and aura moves by 30%. Also boosts all status moves for enhanced utility. Heal Pulse restores 75% HP instead of 50% when boosted. Covers a vast movepool including projectiles, energy attacks, and support moves for versatile offense.

Character count: 285

Detailed Mechanical Explanation

Mega Launcher provides a significant 1.3x damage multiplier to an extensive range of moves, plus special interactions with healing moves.

Core Mechanics

Damage Boost

• Multiplier: 1.3x damage to qualifying moves
• Implementation: Applied via onOffensiveMultiplier in abilities.cc

Move Selection Logic

Mega Launcher boosts moves through multiple criteria:

1. FLAG_MEGA_LAUNCHER_BOOST moves: Any move with this specific flag
2. All Status moves: Every status move gets boosted regardless of name or type
3. Gunman ability interaction: If the user has Gunman ability, all status moves are treated as Mega Launcher moves

Heal Pulse Special Enhancement

Heal Pulse receives unique treatment with Mega Launcher:

• Normal: Heals 50% of target's max HP
• Mega Launcher Boosted: Heals 75% of target's max HP
• Implementation: Special code in battle_script_commands.c checks for Mega Launcher boost and increases healing

if (megaLauncherBoosted)
    gBattleMoveDamage = -(gBattleMons[gActiveBattler].maxHP * 3 / 4);  // 75%
else
    gBattleMoveDamage = -(gBattleMons[gActiveBattler].maxHP / 2);      // 50%

Comprehensive Move Coverage

Classic "Beam/Pulse" Moves

• Aurora Beam, Signal Beam, Hyper Beam, Bubble Beam
• Steel Beam, Moongeist Beam, Prismatic Laser
• Heal Pulse, Dragon Pulse, Dark Pulse

Ball/Sphere Moves

• Energy Ball, Focus Blast, Aura Sphere
• Shadow Ball, Electro Ball, Weather Ball

Projectile Moves

• Rock Blast, Bullet Seed, Seed Bomb
• Gyro Ball, Acid Spray, Mud Bomb

Elite Redux Custom Moves

• Archer Shot, Supersonic Shot, Drake Missile
• Various custom beam and pulse attacks

Status Move Enhancement

ALL status moves receive the 1.3x boost, making Mega Launcher valuable for:

• Support movesets
• Status-based strategies
• Utility moves

Notable Pokemon with Mega Launcher

Natural Users

• Blastoise line: Signature Mega Launcher users
• Clauncher/Clawitzer: Original Mega Launcher Pokemon

High-Tier Users

• Kingdra: Has it as an innate ability
• Genesect variants: All forms have Mega Launcher as innate
• Ultra Necrozma forms: Legendary-tier users

AI Rating

The AI rates Mega Launcher as 7/10 in terms of ability strength, placing it in the "strong" tier alongside abilities like Mold Breaker and Moxie.

Battle Applications

Offensive Power

• 1.3x boost to massive movepool including high-BP attacks
• Enhanced projectile and energy-based movesets
• Versatility across physical, special, and status moves

Support Utility

• Enhanced Heal Pulse (75% HP healing)
• Boosted status moves for better support
• Team utility through enhanced healing

Special Interactions

• Artillery/Super Scope abilities: Make Mega Launcher moves always hit
• Gunman ability: Expands Mega Launcher to include ALL status moves
• Heal Pulse bleeding interaction: Heal Pulse fails if target has bleed status

Strategic Implications

Mega Launcher transforms Pokemon into versatile attackers capable of:

• High damage output across multiple move types
• Superior support capabilities with enhanced healing
• Effective status move application
• Consistent performance regardless of weather or terrain

The ability's broad coverage and utility make it valuable for both offensive and support roles, with the Heal Pulse enhancement providing unique team support capabilities.