Assist (move)

Assist
ねこのて Cat's Paw
Assist VII.png
Assist VII 2.png
Type  Normal
Category  Status
PP  20 (max. 32)
Power  —
Accuracy  —%
Priority  {{{priority}}}
  • Does not make contact
  • Not affected by Protect
  • Not affected by Magic Coat
  • Not affected by Snatch
  • Not affected by Mirror Move
  • Not affected by King's Rock
Target
Foe Foe Foe
Self Ally Ally
Affects the user
Availability
Introduced  Generation III
Condition  Cute
Appeal  1
Jam  0  
The appeal's quality varies depending on its timing.
Condition  Cute
Appeal  2 ♥♥
Makes the order of contestants random in the next turn.
Condition  Cute
Appeal  1
Jamming  0  
Effectiveness varies depending on when it is used.

Assist (Japanese: ねこのて Cat's Paw) is a non-damaging Normal-type move introduced in Generation III. Prior to Generation IV, it was the signature move of Skitty.

Effect

  This move effect may be in need of research.
Reason: Can it call moves from an ally (and allied inactive Pokémon) in a Multi Battle in Generation III? What are the effects of Choice items on Assist?
You can discuss this on the talk page.

The Assist user executes a move that is randomly selected from all the eligible moves known by other Pokémon in the same party. If the same move is known by multiple Pokémon, each of them counts and therefore the move is more likely to be called.

Assist can call a move that currently has no PP or is known by a fainted Pokémon. It is also able to call moves that are currently inaccessible to their original users due to Disable, Heal Block, Taunt, or Torment.

If the other Pokémon in the user's party do not know any eligible moves, Assist fails.

Generation III

If a Pokémon is in battle and its moves have temporarily changed (such as from Transform or Mimic), Assist can only access its original moves.

In Pokémon Colosseum, Assist does not call moves from fainted Pokémon.

Generation IV

Assist cannot call a move from an allied Pokémon belonging to a different Trainer in a Multi Battle.

Generation V

Assist can use moves known by unhatched Eggs in the party. In a wild Double Battle, a wild Pokémon that uses Assist can use a move the other wild Pokémon knows (even if they are fainted).

If a Pokémon is in battle and its moves have temporarily changed, Assist can now only access its current moves.

Generation VI

Assist can no longer use moves known by unhatched Eggs in the party.

Assist can also no longer call any moves that switch the target out or moves with a semi-invulnerable turn.

Generation VII

If powered up by a Normalium Z into Z-Assist, and if the called move is a damaging move, it will turn the called move into its respective Z-Move. If the called move is a status move, Z-Assist will merely execute that move without any additional effects.

Generation VIII onwards

Assist cannot be selected in a battle.

Uncallable moves

  This move effect may be in need of research.
Reason: Whether Shadow moves are callable
You can discuss this on the talk page.

Assist cannot call itself or any of the following moves marked with a ✓:

Description

Games Description
RSEColo.XD Attacks randomly with one of the partner's moves.
FRLG The user randomly picks and uses a move of an allied Pokémon.
DPPtHGSSPBR
BWB2W2
XYORAS
The user hurriedly and randomly uses a move among those known by other Pokémon in the party.
SMUSUM The user hurriedly and randomly uses a move among those known by ally Pokémon.
SwShBDSPLA
SV
This move can't be used. It's recommended that this move is forgotten. Once forgotten, this move can't be remembered.


Learnset

By leveling up

# Pokémon Types Egg Groups Level
0300     Field Fairy 19 18DP
22PtHGSS
22 22XY
31ORAS
31
0431     Field Field 29 29 29 29
0432     Field Field 29 29 29 29
0509     Field Field 6 6 6
0510     Field Field 1, 6 1, 6 1, 6
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 breeding

# Pokémon Types Egg Groups Egg Move
0052     Field Field
0052  
Meowth
Alolan Form
  Field Field
0096     Human-Like Human-Like
0161     Field Field
0215    
 
Field Field HGSS
0327     Field Human-Like
0390     Field Human-Like HGSS
0677     Field Field
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 IV

# Pokémon Types Egg Groups Obtained with
0052     Field Field Pokémon Center Meowth
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.


In other games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Assist randomly calls a move known by any Pokémon (prior to Gates to Infinity) / any teammate (from Gates to Infinity) on the floor. Unlike most non-damaging moves, Assist can be boosted by Ginseng in Red Blue Rescue Team (but not from Explorers of Time and Darkness). The move is not affected by Taunt in Red Blue and Rescue Team as well as Explorers of Time and Darkness, but is affected by it in Explorers of Sky.

Game Base
Power
Max
Power
Base
PP
Max
PP
Base
Accuracy
Max
Accuracy
Range Target Cuts
corners
MDRB - - 27 - —% - Varies Varies Varies
MDTDS - - 27 - 100% - Varies Varies Varies
BSL - - 27 - 100% - Varies Varies Varies
MDGtI - - 20 99 —% - Varies Varies Varies
SMD - - 20 99 - Varies Varies Varies
With some exceptions, Pokémon learnsets match those from the core series games:

Description

Games Description
MDRB Makes the user randomly use one move out of all the moves of the Pokémon on the floor.
MDTDS Causes the user to unleash a random move drawn from all the moves that all Pokémon on the floor know.
BSL フロアすべての ポケモンのわざから どれかひとつの わざを くりだす
MDGtI It causes you to unleash a random move from all the moves that your teammates on the floor know.
SMD It enables you to use one of the moves known by your teammates.*
It causes you to unleash a random move from all the moves known by your teammates on the floor.*


In the anime

 
Skitty
 
Skitty;
using Razor Leaf
 
Skitty;
using Ember
 
Skitty;
using String Shot
The user hurriedly and randomly uses a move among those known by other Pokémon in the party.
Pokémon Method
User First Used In Notes
  A white orb appears on Skitty's front paw. Skitty then fires a random move known by the Trainer's team from the orb.
May's Skitty Game Winning Assist Debut


In the manga

Pokémon Adventures


In other generations

Core series games

Side series games

Spin-off series games

Trivia

  • In Generation III, the status screen erroneously states that the move has 100% accuracy, even though it targets the user (thus it ignores accuracy and evasion checks). The move called by Assist still has to undergo accuracy and evasion checks as normal, however.
  • The Japanese name for this move, ねこのて Neko no Te (Cat's Paw), is likely a reference to the saying 猫の手も借りたい neko no te mo karitai, which translates to "I would even like to borrow a cat's hands" ("I would even like a cat to assist me"), which means "I need all the help I can get". This is reflected by the way the move works, and that many feline Pokémon are capable of learning it.
  • The restrictions added to Assist in Generation VI are likely due an exploit when used by a Pokémon with the Ability Prankster in Generation V. If the rest of the party only know a specific move and nothing else, Assist can execute that move every turn with increased priority.

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 借助 Jejoh *
協助 Hipjoh *
Mandarin 借助 Jièzhù *
協助 / 协助 Xiézhù *
  Dutch Bijstand
  Finnish Avustus
  French Assistance
  German Zuschuss
  Greek Στήριξη
  Hindi मदद Madad
  Indonesian Tangan Kucing
  Italian Assistente
  Korean 조수 Josu
Portuguese   Brazil Assistência (TCG, manga)
Auxílio
  Portugal Assistência
  Serbian Asistencija
Spanish   Latin America Asistencia
  Spain Ayuda
  Vietnamese Tay Mèo

References


  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.