Absorb
すいとる Absorb
[[File:|center]]
Type  Grass
Category  Special
PP  25 (max. 40)
Power  20
Accuracy  100%
Priority  {{{priority}}}
  • Does not make contact
  • Affected by Protect
  • Not affected by Magic Coat
  • Not affected by Snatch
  • Affected by Mirror Move
  • Not affected by King's Rock
Target
Foe Foe Foe
Self Ally Ally
May affect anyone adjacent to the user
Availability
Introduced  Generation I
Condition  Smart
Appeal  2 ♥♥
Jam  3 ♥♥♥
Startles the Pokémon that appealed before the user.
Condition  Smart
Appeal  1
Earn +3 if two Pokémon raise the Voltage in a row.
Condition  Smart
Appeal  0  
Jamming  0  

Absorb (Japanese: すいとる Absorb) is a damage-dealing Grass-type move introduced in Generation I. Absorb is the first in a line of three Grass-type HP-draining attacks, the other two being Mega Drain and Giga Drain.

Effect

Generation I-II

Absorb does damage, and up to 50% of the damage done to the target is restored to the user, rounded up. If Absorb breaks a substitute, no HP will be restored to the user. If HP is restored to the user when its current HP would be greater than its maximum HP, its current HP will be set equal to its maximum HP. Absorb has 20 PP.

In the Pokémon Stadium series, Absorb will always miss if the target has a substitute.

Generation III

Absorb functions the same as in Generation II, however, when used on a Pokémon with the Liquid Ooze Ability, the user will lose the amount of HP it would have gained instead.

Can be used as part of a contest combination, with the user gaining extra appeal points if the move Growth was used in the prior turn.

Generation IV and V

Absorb's PP is increased to 25. If the user has a Big Root as its held item, it will recover 30% more HP than it normally would. Big Root does not increase damage dealt. All other effects are the same.

Description

Games Description
A Grass-type attack. It adds half the HP it drained from the target to the attacker's HP.
Steals 1/2 of the damage inflicted.
RSE An attack that absorbs half the damage inflicted.
FRLG An attack that absorbs half the damage it inflicted to restore HP.
PMDRB Inflicts damage on the target. It also restores the user's HP based on the damage it inflicted.
Conq A nutrient-draining attack. The user’s HP is restored by half the damage taken by the target.
PMDTDS Inflicts damage on the target, then restores the user's HP based on the damage inflicted.


Learnset

By leveling up

# Pokémon Type Level
I II III IV V VI
043   Oddish Grass Poison -- -- -- -- -- ''''
044   Gloom Grass Poison -- -- -- -- -- ''''
045   Vileplume Grass Poison   -- --     ''''
114   Tangela Grass Grass 29 27 10 10 8 8 10 ''''
140   Kabuto Rock Water 34 10 13 6 6 '
141   Kabutops Rock Water --, 34 --, 10 --, 13 --, 6 --, 6 '
182   Bellossom Grass Grass   -- --     ''''
191   Sunkern Grass Grass   -- -- -- -- ''''
192   Sunflora Grass Grass   -- -- -- -- ''''
252   Treecko Grass Grass     6 6 6 ''''
253   Grovyle Grass Grass     --, 6 --, 6 --, 6 ''''
254   Sceptile Grass Grass     --, 6 --, 6 --, 6 ''''
267   Beautifly Bug Flying     --, 10 --, 10 --, 10 '
270   Lotad Water Grass     7 5 5 ''''
271   Lombre Water Grass     7 5 5 ''''
272   Ludicolo Water Grass     --     ''''
285   Shroomish Grass Grass     -- -- -- ''''
286   Breloom Grass Fighting     -- -- -- ''''
315   Roselia Grass Poison     -- -- -- ''''
331   Cacnea Grass Grass     5 5 5 ''''
332   Cacturne Grass Dark     --, 5 --, 5 --, 5 ''''
387   Turtwig Grass Grass       9 9 ''''
388   Grotle Grass Grass       9 9 ''''
389   Torterra Grass Ground       --, 9 --, 9 ''''
406   Budew Grass Poison       -- -- ''''
465   Tangrowth Grass Grass       8 8 10 ''''
546   Cottonee Grass Grass         -- ''''
548   Petilil Grass Grass         -- ''''
556   Maractus Grass Grass         -- ''''
590   Foongus Grass Poison         -- ''''
591   Amoonguss Grass Poison         -- ''''
592   Frillish Water Ghost         5 '
593   Jellicent Water Ghost         --, 5 '
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move.
Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move.
A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method.
An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.


By event

Generation II

#   Pokémon Type Obtained with
0231   Phanpy Ground New York City Pokémon Center
Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move.
Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB
from this move.


In the anime

 
Tangrowth
 
Bellsprout
 
Shroomish
A nutrient-draining attack that absorbs the opponent's energy and adds it to the user.
Pokémon Method
User First Used In Notes
  Tangrowth holds out its arms and fires two red beams from them at the opponent. When the opponent is hit, its body glows red and it drains its energy. Sometimes, the red parts of its hands glow red before it fires the beams.
A wild Tangrowth Promoting Healthy Tangrowth! Debut
  Shroomish releases a red beam from the hole on its head at the opponent. When hit, the opponent's body glows red and it absorbs its energy.
A wild Shroomish Promoting Healthy Tangrowth! None
  Bellsprout releases two red beams from the leaves on the side of its body at the opponent. When it hits it, the opponent's body glows red and it absorbs its energy.
A wild Bellsprout Promoting Healthy Tangrowth! Bellsprout cannot legally learn Absorb


In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga


In other generations

In other languages

Language Title
Mandarin Chinese 吸收 Xīshōu
  Dutch Absorbeer
  French Vol-Vie
  German Absorber
  Greek Απορρόφηση
  Italian Assorbimento
  Korean 흡수 Heubsu
  Brazilian Portuguese Absorção
  Romanian Absorbirea
  Serbian Apsorpcija
  Spanish Absorber


  This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games.