Phantom Pain - Ability ID 457

In-Game Description

"Ghost-type moves deal normal damage to Normal."

Extended In-Game Description

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

Phantom Pain removes Normal-type immunity to Ghost-type moves, allowing Ghost attacks to hit Normal-type Pokemon with regular effectiveness. This bypasses the natural type interaction where Ghost moves normally have no effect on Normal-types. Works with all Ghost-type moves and their variants.

Character count: 294

Detailed Mechanical Explanation

For Discord/reference use

Core Mechanics

Phantom Pain is a unique type-modifying ability that removes the natural immunity Normal-type Pokemon have to Ghost-type moves. Instead of dealing 0x damage (no effect), Ghost-type moves deal 1x damage (normal effectiveness) to Normal-type Pokemon when the attacking Pokemon has Phantom Pain.

Activation Conditions

• Move requirement: Only affects Ghost-type moves
• Target requirement: Only affects moves targeting Normal-type Pokemon
• Timing: Activates during type effectiveness calculation
• Scope: Works on all Ghost-type moves regardless of power or category

Technical Implementation

constexpr Ability PhantomPain = {
    .onTypeEffectiveness = +[](ON_TYPE_EFFECTIVENESS) -> int {
        CHECK(moveType == TYPE_GHOST)        // Must be Ghost-type move
        CHECK(defType == TYPE_NORMAL)        // Must target Normal-type
        CHECK_NOT(*mod)                      // Only if no modifier set
        *mod = UQ_4_12(1.0);                // Set to 1.0x effectiveness
        return TRUE;
    },
};

Type Effectiveness Override

• Normal interaction: Ghost vs Normal = 0x damage (no effect)
• With Phantom Pain: Ghost vs Normal = 1x damage (normal effectiveness)
• Fixed-point math: Uses UQ_4_12(1.0) which represents 1.0x multiplier
• Priority: Only applies if no other type effectiveness modifier is active

Important Interactions

• Dual typing: Affects Normal-type portion of dual-type Pokemon
• Multi-hit moves: Each hit benefits from the effectiveness change
• STAB bonus: Ghost-type moves still get STAB if attacker is Ghost-type
• Critical hits: Can still critical hit with modified effectiveness
• Type-boosting items: Works with items like Spell Tag or Ghost Gem

Move Coverage

Phantom Pain affects all Ghost-type moves including:

• Physical moves: Shadow Punch, Shadow Claw, Phantom Force
• Special moves: Shadow Ball, Ominous Wind, Hex
• Status moves: Confuse Ray, Spite (if they deal damage)
• Signature moves: Shadow Storm, Astral Barrage
• Z-moves: Never-Ending Nightmare and Ghost-type Z-moves

Ability Interactions

• Mold Breaker: Cannot bypass Phantom Pain as it's offensive ability
• Scrappy: Redundant with Phantom Pain for Ghost vs Normal
• Normalize: Doesn't conflict - affects move type before Phantom Pain
• Ability suppression: Gastro Acid, Neutralizing Gas disable Phantom Pain

Strategic Implications

• Coverage expansion: Allows Ghost-types to hit Normal-types for neutral damage
• Anti-Normal: Excellent against Normal-type walls and tanks
• STAB utilization: Ghost-types can use their STAB moves more freely
• Niche utility: Situational but powerful against Normal-heavy teams
• Prediction reward: Rewards predicting Normal-type switches

Common Users

• Ghost-type Pokemon seeking better coverage
• Mixed attackers with Ghost-type moves
• Pokemon that struggle against Normal-type walls
• Competitive Ghost-types in formats with many Normal-types

Competitive Usage Notes

• Meta dependent: More valuable in Normal-type heavy metagames
• Coverage tool: Provides reliable neutral coverage option
• Switch punishment: Discourages Normal-type pivots
• Team support: Benefits entire team's Ghost-type move users
• Niche but impactful: Situational ability with high impact when relevant

Counters

• Type immunity: Steel types still immune to Poison moves
• Resist berries: Berries still reduce super-effective damage
• Ability suppression: Gastro Acid, Simple Beam, Neutralizing Gas
• Non-Ghost moves: Ability only affects Ghost-type moves
• Protect variants: King's Shield, Spiky Shield still work

Synergies

• Ghost-type STAB: Maximizes Ghost-type move utility
• Choice items: Allows Ghost-type Choice item users more flexibility
• Hex setup: Makes Hex more reliable after status infliction
• Shadow Ball: Special Ghost move becomes universally neutral
• Will-O-Wisp combo: Burn + Hex combo works on all types

Unique Characteristics

• Type chart modifier: One of few abilities that directly changes type effectiveness
• Offensive utility: Purely offensive benefit with no defensive component
• Universal effect: Benefits any Ghost-type move user on the team
• Meta shifting: Can change viability of Ghost-type Pokemon significantly

Version History

• Elite Redux exclusive ability
• Part of the expanded ability roster for enhanced competitive depth
• Designed to address Ghost-type coverage limitations
• Provides unique type interaction manipulation