Hydrate (Ability #315)

Basic Information

• ID: 315
• Name: Hydrate
• Type: ATE Ability (Type-changing ability)
• Breakable: No
• Implementation: Uses ATE_ABILITY(TYPE_WATER) macro

In-Game Description

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

Extended In-Game Description

Hydrate transforms all Normal-type moves used by the Pokémon into Water-type attacks, gaining a 20% power boost and STAB benefits. This includes physical moves like Tackle and Body Slam, special moves like Swift and Hyper Beam, and status moves. Water-type moves are boosted by rain weather and resisted by Grass/Dragon types. Perfect for versatile Water attackers.

Character count: 296

Technical Implementation

Core Mechanism

constexpr Ability Hydrate = {
    ATE_ABILITY(TYPE_WATER),
};

ATE_ABILITY Macro Breakdown

#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; }

Key Functions

1. Type Conversion (onMoveType):

   • Checks if the move type is Normal
   • Sets ateBoost flag to TRUE (enables 20% power boost)
   • Returns TYPE_WATER + 1 to change move type

2. STAB Application (onStab):

   • Grants STAB for Water-type moves
   • Works for both converted moves and natural Water moves

Mechanical Details

Power Boost

• Base Effect: 20% power increase (1.2x multiplier)
• Applied To: All Normal-type moves that get converted
• Stacks With: Weather, items, other ability boosts

Type Interactions

• Water-type advantages: 2x vs Fire, Ground, Rock
• Water-type resistances: 0.5x vs Water, Grass, Dragon
• Status moves: Also converted but power boost irrelevant

Move Examples

Physical Moves Converted:

• Tackle → Water Tackle (40 → 48 power + STAB)
• Body Slam → Water Body Slam (85 → 102 power + STAB)
• Double-Edge → Water Double-Edge (120 → 144 power + STAB)

Special Moves Converted:

• Swift → Water Swift (60 → 72 power + STAB, never misses)
• Hyper Beam → Water Hyper Beam (150 → 180 power + STAB)
• Tri Attack → Water Tri Attack (80 → 96 power + STAB)

Status Moves Converted:

• Thunder Wave → Water Thunder Wave (still causes paralysis)
• Toxic → Water Toxic (still badly poisons)

Strategic Applications

Offensive Benefits

1. Movepool Expansion: Converts Normal moves into powerful Water attacks
2. STAB Advantage: Gains 1.5x STAB on converted moves (stacks with 1.2x conversion boost)
3. Weather Synergy: Benefits from rain weather (additional 1.5x boost)
4. Surprise Factor: Unexpected Water-type coverage from Normal moves

Defensive Considerations

1. Type Chart Changes: Normal moves now resist Fire/Ground/Rock
2. New Weaknesses: Converted moves resisted by Grass/Dragon types
3. Immunity Loss: Normal moves no longer immune to Ghost types

Competitive Use Cases

1. Rain Teams: Excellent addition to rain-based strategies
2. Mixed Attackers: Benefits both physical and special Normal moves
3. Utility Pokémon: Status moves become Water-type for type-specific interactions

Similar Abilities

• Pixilate: Converts Normal → Fairy (same mechanics)
• Refrigerate: Converts Normal → Ice (same mechanics)
• Aerilate: Converts Normal → Flying (same mechanics)
• Galvanize: Converts Normal → Electric (same mechanics)

Pokémon That Can Have This Ability

Note: Specific Pokémon data would need to be extracted from SpeciesList.textproto

Battle Interactions

With Weather

• Rain: Converted Water moves gain additional 1.5x boost (permanent rain: 1.2x)
• Sun: Converted Water moves receive 0.5x penalty
• Other Weather: No additional effects

With Items

• Mystic Water: Boosts converted Water moves by 1.2x
• Life Orb: Stacks with conversion boost (1.2x × 1.3x)
• Choice Items: Work normally with converted moves

With Other Abilities

• Swift Swim: Doubles Speed in rain (excellent synergy)
• Water Absorb/Storm Drain: Immune to converted moves from opponents
• Protean: Overrides Hydrate's type conversion

Coding Notes

• Uses the standard ATE_ABILITY macro for consistent implementation
• ateBoost flag enables power calculation bonus
• Type conversion occurs before damage calculation
• STAB check works for both converted and natural Water moves
• Implementation is consistent with other ATE abilities in the codebase

Version History

• Added in Elite Redux as ability #315
• Part of the expanded ability roster
• Implementation follows standard ATE ability patterns