Ground (type)
- Ground redirects here. For the Egg Group formerly known as the Ground Egg Group, see Field (Egg Group).
The Ground type (Japanese: じめんタイプ Ground type) is one of the eighteen types. Notable Trainers who specialize in Ground-type Pokémon are Giovanni of Viridian City, Bertha of the Sinnoh Elite Four, Clay of Driftveil City, and Hapu of Poni Island. Prior to changes in Generation IV, all damaging Ground-type moves were physical, but they may now also be special depending on the attack.
Statistical averages
Overall
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Fully evolved
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Battle properties
Generation I
Ground-type Pokémon are immune to Thunder Wave.
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Generation II onwards
Ground-type Pokémon are immune to damage from the sandstorm weather condition.
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Characteristics
Defense
Defensively, Ground-type Pokémon are somewhat risky. Despite having above average HP and Defense, their below average Special Defense and Speed worsens their weakness to common Water, Grass, and Ice types (all of which have generally special movesets). Ground only resists Poison (a type rarely used offensively) and Rock, but it is immune to Electric-type moves, including the crippling Thunder Wave.
Offense
Offensively, Ground is one of the most powerful types. It is the only type super effective against Electric, and is super effective against five types in total, a coverage matched only by Fighting, which is also super effective against the Rock and Steel types. The other types are Fire, Rock, Poison, and Steel. Even though Grass- and Bug-type Pokémon resist Ground attacks, many of them lose this resistance due to secondary typings with a weakness to Ground (such as the common Grass/Poison and Bug/Poison types).
Ground-type physical moves are commonly known and have many potent options, most notably Earthquake, which has high attack power and widespread compatibility due to its TM status in every generation. Single-target physical moves such as Bonemerang and High Horsepower can be generally considered inferior options to Earthquake; however, unlike Earthquake, their damage is not reduced by the effect of Grassy Terrain, and they are far less risky to use in Double and Triple Battles. Ground-type special moves pale in comparison, considering the relatively low Special Attack stats of the majority of Ground-type Pokémon. The special Ground-type move with the best mix of utility and power is unquestionably Earth Power.
Ground's greatest disadvantage is its ineffectiveness against common Flying-type Pokémon and those with Levitate (unless they are grounded). However, most Ground-type Pokémon can learn Rock-type (mainly those available via TM such as Rock Slide) moves to take down Flying-types, Bug-types (which resists Ground), and also Ice-types (which Ground is weak against).
Contest properties
Pokémon
As of Generation VII, there are 65 Ground-type Pokémon or 8.1% of all Pokémon (counting those that are Ground-type in at least one of their forms), making it the 8th most common type.
Pure Ground-type Pokémon
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Half Ground-type Pokémon
Primary Ground-type Pokémon
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Secondary Ground-type Pokémon
Moves
| Gen | Move | Category | Contest | Power | Accuracy | PP | Target | Description | |||||||||
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| I | Bone Club | Physical | Tough | 65 | 85% | 20 (max 32) |
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The user clubs the target with a bone. This may also make the target flinch. | |||||||||
| II | Bone Rush | Physical | Tough | 25 | 90% | 10 (max 16) |
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The user strikes the target with a hard bone two to five times in a row. | |||||||||
| I | Bonemerang | Physical | Tough | 50 | 90% | 10 (max 16) |
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The user throws the bone it holds. The bone loops around to hit the target twice—coming and going. | |||||||||
| V | Bulldoze | Physical | Tough | 60 | 100% | 20 (max 32) |
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The user strikes everything around it by stomping down on the ground. This lowers the Speed stat of those hit. | |||||||||
| I | Dig | Physical | Tough | 80 | 100% | 10 (max 16) |
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The user burrows, then attacks on the next turn. | |||||||||
| V | Drill Run | Physical | Tough | 80 | 95% | 10 (max 16) |
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The user crashes into its target while rotating its body like a drill. Critical hits land more easily. | |||||||||
| IV | Earth Power | Special | Beautiful | 90 | 100% | 10 (max 16) |
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The user makes the ground under the target erupt with power. This may also lower the target's Sp. Def stat. | |||||||||
| I | Earthquake | Physical | Tough | 100 | 100% | 10 (max 16) |
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The user sets off an earthquake that strikes every Pokémon around it. | |||||||||
| I | Fissure | Physical | Tough | — | 30% | 5 (max 8) |
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The user opens up a fissure in the ground and drops the target in. The target faints instantly if this attack hits. | |||||||||
| VII | High Horsepower | Physical | 95 | 95% | 10 (max 16) |
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The user fiercely attacks the target using its entire body. | ||||||||||
| VI | Land's Wrath | Physical | Beautiful | 90 | 100% | 10 (max 16) |
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The user gathers the energy of the land and focuses that power on opposing Pokémon to damage them. | |||||||||
| II | Magnitude | Physical | Tough | Varies | 100% | 30 (max 48) |
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The user attacks everything around it with a ground-shaking quake. Its power varies. | |||||||||
| IV | Mud Bomb | Special | Cute | 65 | 85% | 10 (max 16) |
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The user launches a hard-packed mud ball to attack. This may also lower the target's accuracy. | |||||||||
| III | Mud Shot | Special | Tough | 55 | 95% | 15 (max 24) |
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The user attacks by hurling a blob of mud at the target. This also lowers the target's Speed stat. | |||||||||
| III | Mud Sport | Status | Cute | — | —% | 15 (max 24) |
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The user kicks up mud on the battlefield. This weakens Electric-type moves for five turns. | |||||||||
| II | Mud-Slap | Special | Cute | 20 | 100% | 10 (max 16) |
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The user hurls mud in the target's face to inflict damage and lower its accuracy. | |||||||||
| VI | Precipice Blades | Physical | Cool | 120 | 85% | 10 (max 16) |
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The user attacks opposing Pokémon by manifesting the power of the land in fearsome blades of stone. | |||||||||
| VI | Rototiller | Status | Tough | — | —% | 10 (max 16) |
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Tilling the soil, the user makes it easier for plants to grow. This raises the Attack and Sp. Atk stats of Grass-type Pokémon. | |||||||||
| I | Sand Attack | Status | Cute | — | 100% | 15 (max 24) |
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Sand is hurled in the target's face, reducing the target's accuracy. | |||||||||
| III | Sand Tomb | Physical | Clever | 35 | 85% | 15 (max 24) |
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The user traps the target inside a harshly raging sandstorm for four to five turns. | |||||||||
| VII | Shore Up | Status | — | —% | 10 (max 16) |
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The user regains up to half of its max HP. It restores more HP in a sandstorm. | ||||||||||
| II | Spikes | Status | Clever | — | —% | 20 (max 32) |
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The user lays a trap of spikes at the opposing team's feet. The trap hurts Pokémon that switch into battle. | |||||||||
| VII | Stomping Tantrum | Physical | 75 | 100% | 10 (max 16) |
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Driven by frustration, the user attacks the target. If the user's previous move has failed, the power of this move doubles. | ||||||||||
| VII | Tectonic Rage | Physical | — | —% | 1 (max 1) |
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The user burrows deep into the ground and slams into the target with the full force of its Z-Power. The power varies, depending on the original move. | ||||||||||
| VII | Tectonic Rage | Special | — | —% | 1 (max 1) |
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The user burrows deep into the ground and slams into the target with the full force of its Z-Power. The power varies, depending on the original move. | ||||||||||
| VI | Thousand Arrows | Physical | Beautiful | 90 | 100% | 10 (max 16) |
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This move also hits opposing Pokémon that are in the air. Those Pokémon are knocked down to the ground. | |||||||||
| VI | Thousand Waves | Physical | Tough | 90 | 100% | 10 (max 16) |
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The user attacks with a wave that crawls along the ground. Those hit can't flee from battle. | |||||||||
| All details are accurate to Generation VII games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual move's page. Target data assumes user is in the lower left. | |||||||||||||||||
Abilities
Interacting with the Ground type
A Pokémon with Color Change, Protean, Imposter, RKS System, or Multitype will become a Ground-type Pokémon if (respectively) it is hit with a Ground-type move, uses a Ground-type move, is sent out against a Ground-type opponent, is holding a Ground Memory, or is holding an Earth Plate or Groundium Z.
| Gen | Ability | Description |
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| III | Levitate | Gives full immunity to all Ground-type moves. |
| V | Sand Force | Strengthens Rock, Ground, and Steel moves to 1.3× their power during a sandstorm. |
| All details are accurate to Generation VI games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual Ability's page. | ||
Exclusive Abilities
Only Ground-type Pokémon can have these Abilities. This does not include signature Abilities.
| Gen | Ability | Description |
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| III | Arena Trap | Prevents opposing Pokémon from fleeing. |
| All details are accurate to Generation VI games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual Ability's page. | ||
Trivia
- Generation I introduced the most Ground-type Pokémon of any Generation, with 14, and Generation VI introduced the fewest, with two.
- Generation I introduced the most Ground-type moves of any Generation, with six, and Generations IV and V introduced the fewest, with two each.
- Generation VI is the only Generation to not introduce a pure Ground-type Pokémon.
- In the anime, Ground-type Pokémon's immunity to Electric-type attacks is treated inconsistently, sometimes upheld and sometimes ignored. The anime (in particular Showdown at Pewter City) also implies that Ground's immunity to Electric has a limit depending on the voltage, as Brock's Onix, when first fighting Pikachu, was completely unaffected by Pikachu's electricity, but in the rematch, Pikachu's electric attacks, having been boosted at an abandoned hydroelectric plant, were giving Onix a noticeable degree of pain, although it still was not enough to completely incapacitate it, as well as environmental factors (such as water being sprayed on it).
- Each type that resists Flying is weak to Ground, and vice versa.
- More Pokémon are immune to Ground-type moves than any other type, as both Flying Pokémon and levitating Pokémon are immune to Ground.
- Ground is the only type in the Generation II games and their remakes that a notable Trainer does not specialize in.
In other languages
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