Chloroplast - Ability ID 268

In-Game Description

"Weather Ball, Solar Beam/Blade, Growth act as if used in sun."

Extended In-Game Description

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

Chloroplast lets Weather Ball, Solar Beam, Solar Blade, and Growth act as if used in harsh sunlight. Weather Ball doubles power and becomes Fire-type. Solar moves charge instantly. Growth boosts Attack and Special Attack by 2 stages each instead of 1.

Character count: 295

Detailed Mechanical Explanation

For Discord/reference use

Core Mechanics

Chloroplast makes specific moves behave as if they were used during harsh sunlight conditions, regardless of the actual weather:

1. Weather Ball Enhancement

   • Base power doubles from 50 to 100
   • Type changes to Fire-type (same as during actual sun)
   • Works even in no weather, rain, hail, or sandstorm

2. Solar Beam/Solar Blade Instant Charging

   • Removes the charging turn requirement
   • Moves execute immediately in one turn
   • Same effect as using these moves in actual harsh sunlight

3. Growth Double Boost

   • Attack stat increases by +2 stages instead of +1
   • Special Attack stat increases by +2 stages instead of +1
   • Provides the enhanced sun effect without requiring actual sun weather

Implementation Details

Battle Script Integration:

• Growth script checks for Chloroplast ability alongside actual sun weather
• Both Attack and Special Attack get the doubled boost when Chloroplast is present
• Solar moves skip charging phase when Chloroplast is active
• Weather Ball power calculation treats Chloroplast as sun condition

Code References:

• Defined in abilities.cc as constexpr Ability Chloroplast = { .chloroplast = TRUE };
• Used in battle scripts via jumpifability BS_ATTACKER, ABILITY_CHLOROPLAST
• Weather Ball implementation in battle_util.c checks HasChloroplast(battlerAtk)

Strategic Applications

Immediate Benefits:

• Enables immediate Solar Beam/Solar Blade usage without setup
• Provides powerful Weather Ball without weather dependency
• Makes Growth significantly more valuable as a setup move

Team Synergy:

• Works well with Pokémon that learn Solar moves naturally
• Benefits Grass-types that commonly have Growth in their movepool
• Provides fire coverage through Weather Ball without actual Fire typing

Weather Independence:

• Functions regardless of current weather conditions
• Cannot be negated by opposing weather effects
• Provides consistent solar-based benefits

Comparison to Related Abilities

vs. Chlorophyll:

• Chlorophyll provides Speed boost in sun
• Chloroplast provides move effects without weather dependency

vs. Solar Power:

• Solar Power boosts Special Attack but causes HP loss in sun
• Chloroplast enhances specific moves without stat changes or HP costs

vs. Drought:

• Drought creates actual sunlight weather
• Chloroplast simulates sun effects for specific moves only

Notable Interactions

• Big Leaves ability: Also provides Chloroplast effect alongside other benefits
• Solar Flare ability: Another ability that grants chloroplast functionality
• Pledge moves: Water Pledge and Grass Pledge also benefit from Chloroplast effects
• Healing moves: Morning Sun, Synthesis, and Moonlight get enhanced healing with Chloroplast

This ability effectively grants "selective sunlight" for specific moves, making it highly valuable for Pokémon that rely on solar-based strategies without requiring weather setup or risking weather wars with opponents.