Fossilized - Ability ID 303

In-Game Description

"Halves dmg taken by Rock moves. Boosts own Rock moves by 1.2x."

Extended In-Game Description

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

Fossilized grants dual Rock-type synergy, reducing incoming Rock-type damage by 50% while boosting the power of the user's Rock-type moves by 20%. This ancient adaptation reflects millions of years of geological pressure and crystallization, providing both defensive resilience and offensive enhancement to fossil Pokemon.

Character count: 295

Detailed Mechanical Explanation

For Discord/reference use

Core Mechanics

Fossilized provides two distinct effects that work independently:

Defensive Component:

• Reduces damage from incoming Rock-type moves by 50%
• Applied as a defensive multiplier (RESISTANCE(.5))
• Works against all Rock-type attacks regardless of physical/special classification

Offensive Component:

• Boosts the power of the user's Rock-type moves by 20% (1.2x multiplier)
• Applied as an offensive multiplier (MUL(1.2))
• Affects all Rock-type moves used by the Pokemon

Technical Implementation

constexpr Ability Fossilized = {
    .onOffensiveMultiplier =
        +[](ON_OFFENSIVE_MULTIPLIER) {
            if (moveType == TYPE_ROCK) MUL(1.2);
        },
    .onDefensiveMultiplier =
        +[](ON_DEFENSIVE_MULTIPLIER) {
            if (moveType == TYPE_ROCK) RESISTANCE(.5);
        },
    .breakable = TRUE,
};

Activation Conditions

• Offensive Boost: Activates whenever the Pokemon uses any Rock-type move
• Defensive Resistance: Activates whenever the Pokemon is targeted by any Rock-type move
• Breakable: This ability can be suppressed by Mold Breaker and similar effects

Affected Moves (Rock-type)

Rock-type moves that receive the 1.2x boost include:

• Physical: Rock Slide, Stone Edge, Rock Blast, Head Smash, Accelerock
• Special: Power Gem, Ancient Power, Meteor Beam
• Status: Stealth Rock (damage calculation when triggered)

Damage Calculations

Offensive Boost Example:

• Base Stone Edge (100 power) → 120 effective power
• With STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus): 100 × 1.5 (STAB) × 1.2 (Fossilized) = 180 effective power
• Critical hit potential makes this extremely dangerous

Defensive Resistance Example:

• Incoming Rock Slide (75 power) → 37.5 effective power against Fossilized Pokemon
• Super effective Rock moves against Flying-types: 2x × 0.5 = 1x neutral damage

Interactions with Other Abilities/Mechanics

• Stacks with: STAB, items (Hard Stone, Rock Gem), Weather effects, terrain effects
• Overridden by: Mold Breaker, Teravolt, Turboblaze, Neutralizing Gas
• No interaction with: Abilities that modify type effectiveness (Solid Rock, Filter)
• Breakable: Yes - can be suppressed by ability-negating effects

Strategic Implications

Offensive Usage:

• Transforms Rock-type moves into reliable STAB-level damage even for non-Rock types
• Excellent for mixed attackers using both physical and special Rock moves
• Synergizes with high critical hit ratio moves like Stone Edge

Defensive Usage:

• Provides resistance to one of the most common coverage types
• Reduces Stealth Rock damage significantly
• Helps against Rock-type priority moves like Accelerock

Common Users

Fossilized is primarily found on fossil Pokemon as an innate ability:

Primary Users:

• Kabuto line: Kabuto, Kabutops - Water/Rock dual types benefit from both aspects
• Omanyte line: Omanyte, Omastar - Shell-based Pokemon with ancient origins
• Aerodactyl: Including Mega form - Flying/Rock type gains crucial Rock resistance
• Cranidos line: Cranidos, Rampardos - Pure Rock types maximize offensive benefit
• Shieldon line: Shieldon, Bastiodon - Defensive Rock/Steel types utilize resistance
• Anorith line: Anorith, Armaldo - Bug/Rock types gain balanced benefits
• Lileep line: Lileep, Cradily - Rock/Grass types with defensive focus
• Archen line: Archen, Archeops - Rock/Flying types benefit from Rock resistance
• Tyrunt line: Tyrunt, Tyrantrum - Rock/Dragon types with offensive potential
• Amaura line: Amaura, Aurorus - Rock/Ice types gain defensive utility

Competitive Usage Notes

Tier 2-4 Usage:

• Most fossil Pokemon are placed in mid to lower tiers due to stat distributions
• Fossilized helps boost their viability by improving their signature Rock-type coverage
• Particularly valuable on Pokemon with access to both physical and special Rock moves

Meta Considerations:

• Rock-type moves are common coverage options, making the resistance valuable
• 20% boost is significant but not overwhelming - maintains competitive balance
• Synergizes well with Choice items and setup moves

Counters

• Mold Breaker users: Completely bypass both effects
• Non-Rock coverage: Use other types for neutral damage
• Status moves: Ability doesn't affect non-damaging moves
• Multi-hit moves: Each hit is reduced individually, but total damage can still be significant

Synergies

Item Synergies:

• Hard Stone: Stacks with offensive boost (1.2 × 1.2 = 1.44x total)
• Rock Gem: One-time 1.3x boost stacks multiplicatively
• Choice items: Enhanced Rock-type moves become extremely powerful

Team Synergies:

• Sandstorm support: Many fossil Pokemon benefit from Sand immunity/boost
• Stealth Rock support: Reduced damage from opposing hazards
• Rock Polish/Agility: Speed control to utilize boosted Rock moves

Version History

• Elite Redux: Introduced as signature ability for fossil Pokemon
• Current Status: Active and unchanged since implementation
• Balance Notes: 20% boost and 50% resistance provide meaningful but balanced effects

Notes

• The ability name reflects the ancient, petrified nature of fossil Pokemon
• Thematically appropriate as these Pokemon have adapted to geological forces over millions of years
• Provides both offensive and defensive utility without being overpowered
• Helps distinguish fossil Pokemon from other Rock-types in the metagame