Immolate - Ability ID 279

In-Game Description

"Normal-type moves become Fire and Fire gains STAB."

Extended In-Game Description

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

Immolate converts all Normal-type moves to Fire-type and grants STAB for Fire moves. Converted moves receive a 10% damage bonus on top of the type change. This allows Fire-types to effectively use Normal moves like Return, Body Slam, and Hyper Beam as powerful Fire attacks with full STAB.

Character count: 295

Detailed Mechanical Explanation

For Discord/reference use

Immolate is part of the "-ate" ability family that converts Normal-type moves to another type while providing STAB and damage bonuses.

Core Mechanics

• Type Conversion: All Normal-type moves become Fire-type
• STAB Application: Fire-type moves receive Same Type Attack Bonus (1.5x damage)
• Damage Bonus: Converted moves receive an additional 10% damage multiplier (1.1x)
• Total Multiplier: Converted moves deal 1.5x (STAB) × 1.1x (ate bonus) = 1.65x base damage

Activation Conditions

• Only applies to Normal-type moves used by the Pokémon with Immolate
• Works on both physical and special Normal-type moves
• Activates automatically when a Normal-type move is selected

Technical Implementation

#define ATE_ABILITY(type)                    \
    .onMoveType = +[](ON_MOVE_TYPE) -> int { \
        CHECK(moveType == TYPE_NORMAL)       \
        *ateBoost = TRUE;                    \
        return type + 1;                     \
    },                                       \
    .onStab = +[](ON_STAB) -> int { return moveType == type; }

constexpr Ability Immolate = {
    ATE_ABILITY(TYPE_FIRE),
};

The ateBoost flag triggers a 1.1x damage multiplier in the damage calculation system.

Affected Normal-Type Moves

All Normal-type moves become Fire-type, including but not limited to:

• Physical: Return, Body Slam, Double-Edge, Facade, Giga Impact, Quick Attack, Extreme Speed
• Special: Hyper Beam, Swift, Hidden Power (if Normal), Boomburst
• Status: Moves like Thunder Wave remain Normal-type (status moves aren't affected by type conversion)

Interactions with Other Mechanics

• Type Effectiveness: Converted moves follow Fire-type effectiveness (weak to Water/Ground/Rock, resisted by Fire/Water/Rock/Dragon)
• Weather: Benefits from Sun (1.5x Fire move boost), hindered by Rain (0.5x Fire move reduction)
• Items: Works with Charcoal, Heat Rock effects, and other Fire-type boosting items
• Abilities: Synergizes with Flash Fire, Drought, and other Fire-type abilities
• Protean/Libero: If the user has Protean/Libero, they become Fire-type when using converted moves

Strategic Implications

• Movepool Expansion: Gives Fire-types access to powerful Normal moves as Fire attacks
• Coverage: Normal moves typically have neutral coverage, now gain Fire typing advantages/disadvantages
• Power Boost: Significant damage increase for former Normal moves (65% total boost)
• Typing Synergy: Works exceptionally well on pure Fire-types who get STAB on both natural Fire moves and converted Normal moves

Example Damage Calculations

Base Return (102 BP at max happiness):

• Without Immolate: 102 BP Normal move
• With Immolate: 102 × 1.5 (STAB) × 1.1 (ate bonus) = ~168 effective BP Fire move

Common Users

Pokémon with Immolate as innate ability:

• Vulpix (innate)

Pokémon with Immolate as regular ability:

• Fennekin line (Fennekin, Braixen)
• Fuecoco line (Fuecoco, Crocalor, Skeledirge)

Competitive Usage Notes

• Niche Strategy: Allows Fire-types to use Normal moves for coverage while maintaining Fire typing benefits
• Sun Teams: Excellent in sun-based teams where Fire moves get additional weather boost
• Choice Item Synergy: Works well with Choice items since all attacks become Fire-type
• Priority Moves: Quick Attack becomes a Fire-type priority move with STAB

Counters

• Water/Ground/Rock types: Resist the converted Fire moves
• Flash Fire users: Immune to converted Fire attacks and get Attack boost
• Weather Control: Rain significantly reduces damage of converted moves
• Heatran: Immune to Fire moves due to Flash Fire ability

Synergies

• Drought: Boosts converted Fire moves by additional 50%
• Flash Fire: If activated by opponent, boosts all Fire moves including converted ones
• Choice Items: All attacks become same type, maximizing Choice item effectiveness
• Flame Orb + Guts: Guts boost applies to converted Normal physical moves

Version History

• Added as part of Elite Redux's expanded ability system
• Part of the "-ate" family alongside Refrigerate, Pixilate, Aerilate, and others
• Follows standard -ate ability mechanics with Fire-type conversion