Parasitic Spores

Ability ID: 609 Type: Regular Ability

In-Game Description: "Deals 1/8 HP damage to non-Ghost. Spreads on contact."

Extended In-Game Description

For use in Elite Redux extended ability UI (280-300 chars max)

On switch-in, coats the user in parasitic spores. Each turn, affected Pokémon lose 1/8 max HP (Ghost types immune). When using contact moves, spreads spores to the target. Magic Guard prevents damage but not spreading. Spores persist until switch-out. Multiple Pokémon can be infected at once.

Character count: 293

Detailed Mechanical Explanation (Discord/Reference)

Parasitic Spores is a multi-faceted ability that both inflicts damage over time and spreads to other Pokémon through contact moves.

Core Mechanics

1. Initial Application (On Entry): Sets the parasiticSpores volatile flag for the battler
2. Damage Phase: End-of-turn damage of 1/8 max HP per turn (12.5%)
3. Spread Mechanism: Contact moves spread spores to targets
4. Type Immunity: Ghost types are completely immune to damage

Implementation Details

• Storage: Uses gVolatileStructs[battler].parasiticSpores (1-bit flag)
• Persistence: Lasts until Pokémon switches out or faints
• Message System: Dedicated battle script messages for entry, spread, and damage

Trigger Conditions

• Entry Effect: Activates when Pokémon with this ability enters battle
• Damage Trigger: End-of-turn damage phase
• Spread Trigger: When using contact moves against unaffected targets

Numerical Effects

• Damage Amount: 1/8 of max HP per turn (12.5%)
• Minimum Damage: 1 HP (if calculated damage would be 0)
• Spread Condition: Must make contact and hit successfully

Interactions

• Magic Guard: Completely prevents parasitic spores damage but allows spreading
• Ghost Types: Full immunity to damage (can still have spores and spread them)
• Contact Moves: Any move with the contact flag can spread spores
• Switch Out: Removes parasitic spores effect completely

Special Cases

• Turn Order: Damage occurs between Toxic Waste and generic battler timers
• Self-Damage: The original user still takes damage from their own spores
• Spread Immunity: Pokémon already affected by spores cannot be affected again
• Failed Moves: Spread only occurs if the contact move successfully hits

Notes

• Dual Nature: Both passive damage dealer and contact-based spreader
• Contagion Effect: Can create widespread damage in longer battles
• Contact Punishment: Discourages physical attackers from making contact
• Strategic Switching: Effect removal on switch creates counterplay options
• Unique Implementation: Combines volatile effects, contact detection, and type immunity systems