Mystic Power - Ability ID 287

In-Game Description

"All moves gain the 1.5x power boost from STAB."

Extended In-Game Description

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

Mystic Power grants the 1.5x STAB damage bonus to all moves regardless of type matching. Every attack gains the Same Type Attack Bonus that normally only applies to moves matching the Pokémon's type. This makes every move hit significantly harder with universal offensive power.

Character count: 284

Detailed Mechanical Explanation

For Discord/reference use

Core Mechanics

• Universal STAB: All moves receive the 1.5x Same Type Attack Bonus, regardless of type matching
• No Type Requirement: Moves don't need to match the Pokémon's type(s) to gain STAB
• Damage Multiplier: Every damaging move gains a flat 1.5x power multiplier
• Stacks with Other Bonuses: Combines multiplicatively with other damage modifiers

Activation Conditions

• Applies to all damaging moves used by the Pokémon with this ability
• Works on both physical and special moves
• Functions on multi-hit moves (each hit gets the bonus)
• Affects variable power moves and status moves that deal damage

Technical Implementation

constexpr Ability MysticPower = {
    .onStab = +[](ON_STAB) -> int { return TRUE; },
};

The ability simply returns TRUE for all STAB checks, making the battle engine treat every move as if it has STAB regardless of type matching.

Complete Move Coverage

All moves are affected, including but not limited to:

• Physical Moves: Earthquake, Close Combat, Stone Edge, U-turn, etc.
• Special Moves: Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, Flamethrower, Shadow Ball, etc.
• Status Moves with Damage: Seismic Toss, Night Shade, Dragon Rage, etc.
• Multi-Hit Moves: Bullet Seed, Rock Blast, Bone Rush (each hit boosted)
• Priority Moves: Quick Attack, Extreme Speed, Sucker Punch, etc.
• Recoil Moves: Double-Edge, Flare Blitz, Head Smash, etc.

Interactions with Other Abilities/Mechanics

Positive Synergies

• Life Orb: 1.5x (Mystic Power) × 1.3x (Life Orb) = 1.95x total multiplier
• Choice Items: Enhanced damage on locked moves
• Weather Abilities: Rain/Sun boosted moves get both weather and Mystic Power bonuses
• Type-boosting Items: Expert Belt, type gems, etc. stack multiplicatively
• Adaptability: If a Pokémon somehow had both, normal STAB moves would get 2x × 1.5x = 3x total

Neutral Interactions

• Protean/Libero: User changes type but all moves still get STAB from Mystic Power
• Normalize: Normal-type moves still get the Mystic Power bonus
• Type-changing moves: Moves like Hidden Power get the bonus regardless of their type

No Negative Interactions

• Unlike other abilities, Mystic Power has no drawbacks or situational limitations
• Cannot be negated by abilities like Mold Breaker (it's not an immunity)
• Weather and terrain don't affect its functionality

Strategic Implications

Offensive Applications

• Perfect Coverage: No need to worry about type matchups for raw damage
• Move Flexibility: Can use any move for respectable damage output
• Mixed Attackers: Both physical and special moves become viable damage options
• Utility Moves: Even utility moves with damage components hit harder

Team Building Considerations

• Move Selection: Priority shifts from type coverage to other factors (accuracy, effects, PP)
• Item Choice: Damage-boosting items become more valuable
• Stat Distribution: Both Attack and Special Attack become more valuable
• Coverage Strategy: Can focus on secondary effects rather than type coverage

Example Damage Calculations

Base 80 Power Move (e.g., Thunderbolt without type matching):

• Without Mystic Power: 80 BP
• With Mystic Power: 80 × 1.5 = 120 effective BP

Base 100 Power Move (e.g., Earthquake):

• Without Mystic Power: 100 BP
• With Mystic Power: 100 × 1.5 = 150 effective BP

Comparison to Normal STAB:

• Normal STAB move: 80 BP × 1.5 = 120 BP
• Mystic Power non-STAB: 80 BP × 1.5 = 120 BP
• Result: Every move hits as hard as a STAB move would normally

Common Users in Elite Redux

Based on the species data, Mystic Power appears on:

• Psychic-types: Abra line, Ralts line, and other psychic Pokémon
• Legendary/Mythical Pokémon: Various legendary species as regular or innate ability
• Mixed Attackers: Pokémon with balanced offensive stats
• Utility Pokémon: Species that benefit from universal damage enhancement
• Unown variants: All 28 forms have access to this ability

Competitive Usage Notes

Strengths

• Consistent Damage: All moves deal respectable damage regardless of type
• Simplified Move Selection: Don't need to worry about STAB when choosing moves
• Enhanced Coverage: Off-type moves become genuinely threatening
• No Downsides: Pure benefit with no negative effects or conditions

Optimal Strategies

• Mixed Attacker Sets: Use both physical and special moves effectively
• Coverage Priority: Focus on moves with useful secondary effects
• Item Synergy: Life Orb, Choice items, and type-boosting items all work well
• Movepool Exploitation: Makes use of the entire available movepool

Potential Weaknesses

• No Additional Effects: Only provides damage boost, no utility
• Predictable: Opponents know all moves will hit hard
• Stat Requirements: Still need good offensive stats to maximize effectiveness
• Move Selection: May struggle to choose optimal moves when all are viable

Counters and Responses

Direct Counters

• High Defensive Stats: Pokémon with excellent bulk can still tank enhanced moves
• Type Resistances: Still take reduced damage from resisted moves
• Defensive Abilities: Abilities like Multiscale, Solid Rock still reduce damage

Indirect Responses

• Status Moves: Sleep, paralysis still shut down the offensive threat
• Priority Moves: Fast offensive pressure before they can attack
• Defensive Positioning: Switching to appropriate resistances still works

Version History and Design Intent

• Elite Redux Original: Created as a pure offensive ability for mixed attackers
• Design Philosophy: Removes the type-matching requirement from STAB
• Balance Consideration: 1.5x multiplier matches normal STAB rather than creating overpowered scaling
• Niche: Allows Pokémon to use their entire movepool effectively

Related Abilities

• Adaptability: Enhances STAB from 1.5x to 2x (but only for matching types)
• Libero/Protean: Changes type to match moves (gives STAB + type advantages)
• Normalize: Makes all moves Normal-type (can synergize with Mystic Power)
• Type-boosting abilities: Iron Fist, Strong Jaw, etc. (stack with Mystic Power)

Technical Notes

• Implementation: Simple boolean return in STAB calculation
• Performance: No computational overhead beyond normal STAB checking
• Compatibility: Works with all existing move mechanics and calculations
• Future-Proof: Will automatically work with any new moves added to the game