Haunted Spirit (Ability #335)

Overview

Haunted Spirit is a defensive retaliation ability that punishes opponents for knocking out its user with contact moves. When the Pokémon with this ability faints, it leaves behind a spiritual curse that continuously damages the attacker.

Mechanics

Activation Conditions

1. KO Requirement: The Pokémon must be knocked out (reduced to 0 HP)
2. Contact Move: The move that deals the final blow must make contact
3. Attacker Type: The attacker cannot be a Ghost-type Pokémon
4. Status Check: The attacker must not already be cursed

Curse Effect Details

• Damage: 1/4 of the cursed Pokémon's maximum HP per turn
• Timing: Damage occurs at the end of each turn during the "curse damage" phase
• Duration: Persists until the cursed Pokémon switches out or faints
• Minimum Damage: At least 1 HP if calculated damage would be 0
• Protection: Magic Guard and similar abilities prevent curse damage

Implementation Specifics

The ability uses the onDefender trigger with the following checks:

• ShouldApplyOnHitAffect(attacker) - Standard hit effect validation
• !IsBattlerAlive(battler) - Pokémon must be KO'd
• !IS_BATTLER_OF_TYPE(attacker, TYPE_GHOST) - Ghost-types are immune
• !(gBattleMons[attacker].status2 & STATUS2_CURSED) - No double cursing
• IsMoveMakingContact(move, attacker) - Contact move requirement

Strategic Applications

Defensive Usage

• Tank Punishment: Forces opponents to think twice about using contact moves to finish off bulky Pokémon
• Physical Wall Counter: Particularly effective against physical attackers who rely on contact moves
• Entry Hazard Synergy: Combines well with hazards to wear down switch-ins after the curse

Team Support

• Momentum Control: The curse effect can force switches, giving your team positional advantage
• Late Game Pressure: Particularly valuable in endgame scenarios where HP preservation is crucial
• Wallbreaker Deterrent: Discourages common contact-based wallbreaking moves

Counterplay

Direct Counters

• Ghost-type Attackers: Completely immune to the curse effect
• Non-contact Moves: Special attacks and non-contact physical moves avoid the trigger
• Magic Guard: Prevents curse damage entirely
• Quick Switching: Immediate switch-out removes the curse status

Indirect Counters

• Heal Bell/Aromatherapy: Team-based status removal can cleanse curse
• Natural Cure: Switching out removes the curse anyway
• Priority Moves: Many priority moves are non-contact (Quick Attack, Bullet Punch exceptions noted)

Notable Interactions

Status Mechanics

• Curse stacks with other damage-over-time effects (poison, burn, etc.)
• Does not prevent the cursed Pokémon from using moves
• Visual indicator appears on the cursed Pokémon during battle
• AI recognizes curse status when calculating move values

Battle Scenarios

• U-turn/Volt Switch: These contact moves can trigger the ability but immediately switch out
• Multi-hit Moves: Only the final hit needs to cause the KO for the curse to activate
• Substitute: The ability can trigger even if Substitute is present when KO'd

Competitive Analysis

Strengths

• Provides guaranteed retaliation against physical attackers
• No immunity beyond Ghost-types and Magic Guard
• Significant damage output (25% max HP per turn)
• Psychological deterrent effect

Weaknesses

• Requires the Pokémon to faint to activate
• Limited to contact moves only
• Ghost-types completely bypass the effect
• One-time use per battle appearance

Tier Placement: B-tier

While situational, Haunted Spirit provides valuable utility in the right circumstances. The ability to guarantee significant damage after fainting makes it a respectable defensive option, though its reliance on specific conditions prevents it from reaching higher tiers.

Pokémon Distribution

This ability appears on Ghost-type Pokémon that thematically align with spiritual revenge concepts. Check the species data files for current distribution.

Related Abilities

• Aftermath: Damages attackers when KO'd by contact moves (fixed damage)
• Innards Out: Damages attackers based on remaining HP when KO'd
• Mummy: Spreads ability to contact move users
• Vengeful Spirit: Combines Haunted Spirit with Vengeance effects

Code References

• Implementation: src/abilities.cc (HauntedSpirit function)
• Battle Script: data/battle_scripts_1.s (BattleScript_HauntedSpiritActivated)
• Status Handling: src/battle_util.c (ENDTURN_CURSE case)
• Ability ID: 335 (ABILITY_HAUNTED_SPIRIT)