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'''Anime physics''' is a [[fanon]] term used to describe all the unusual, impossible, and sometimes absurd moments in the {{pkmn|anime}} where real-world physics do not seem to apply.  At times, the term can also be used to describe when an [[move|attack]] works differently in the anime than it would in the {{Pkmn|games}}.  Some common examples are unusual feats of strength and agility, surviving lethal attacks, and the {{wp|magic satchel}} theory, sometimes called {{wp|hammerspace}} (the ability to hold innumerable items in one [[bag]]).

Anime physics are often caused by several factors. Inconsistencies in animation, such as objects changing size in-between scenes or even single video frames, are usually the result of unintentional mistakes on the animators' part. Some mistakes, such as characters frequently having different heights throughout an episode or show (without specific reason), are simply the result of a lack of skill or care on the animators' part.

Deviations from standard laws defined in the real world are common in some genres of animation, in this case the Pokémon anime. Characters may sustain damage that normally would result in mortal injuries or immediate death, but instead are simply left soot-covered (in the case of explosions or incineration), disheveled, or fatigued. Characters may not age, whether or not time does actually pass within the fictional universe. In the Pokémon universe, main characters often mention weeks, months, or even a year to have passed, but themselves do not age. [[Ash Ketchum]], who at his [[EP001|debut]] was confirmed to be 10 years old,  [[BW001|remains at the age of 10 to this day]], despite the fact that episodes occasionally state weeks to have passed since the previous one.

==Examples==
===Loose physics===
Some phenomena that appear in the anime (as well as the entire [[Pokémon]] canon) are impossible in real-world physics.
* [[Poké Ball]]s change in size and convert Pokémon to and from a plasma-like substance (the {{OBP|Pokémon|species}} retains its consciousness in this state).
* Whenever a character throws a [[Poké Ball]] they usually throw it forward, but once the Pokémon is released the ball falls back down as if thrown up.  
* [[Move]]s like {{m|Water Gun}} are depicted as spitting water, but usually the Pokémon spits much more water than its body could hold.
* In ''[[DP044|Mass Hip-Po-Sis!]]'', {{p|Hippopotas}} initially doesn't weigh down {{TRT}}'s [[Team Rocket's mechas|balloon]], but it does after using {{m|Sand Tomb}}. This means the move creates the sand out of nothing.
* In the anime, many things explode. Most attacks explode when they connect with an opposing attack, even if the attacks would not normally do so (even, and some would say especially, inert, non-volatile substances such as leaves or water).
** In [[Pokémon Contests]], almost every move will explode and send a shower of sparkles down into the crowd.
** Some moves explode when they clearly cannot, such as a {{m|Bite}} attack.
** Sometimes moves are amplified in power and even made to explode just to enable them to blast off {{TRT}}.
** It is possible that some moves, such as physical moves, explode on contact so as to have little violence in a children's show.
* During some of the battles in the anime, the Pokémon stay in the air longer than usual despite their weight, either when using attacks or receiving attacks (not including Pokémon that fly naturally). This is evident in ''[[DP108|Dealing With Defensive Types!]]'' when {{Ash}}'s {{AP|Chimchar|Infernape}} battles against [[Byron]]'s {{p|Bronzor}} and actually can be seen floating.
** On a similar note, many attacks do not move at the speed they normally would (or should), sometimes even leaving enough time for characters to have a three or four sentence conversation. An example is in ''[[DP103|Jumping Rocket Ship!]]''. {{an|Barry}} has his {{TP|Barry|Empoleon}} use {{m|Hydro Pump}} a few seconds before Ash's Chimchar uses {{m|Flamethrower}}, and they clash in the exact middle of the battlefield.  This could just mean that that Flamethrower accelerates much quicker, but before the attacks even collide, Jessie gets in several lines of dialogue.
* In ''[[DP007|Like It or Lup It!]]'', [[Dawn's Piplup]] uses {{m|BubbleBeam}} while spinning in the air. Defying the laws of physics, Piplup manages to "float" in the air while releasing the bubbles which spin around Piplup when BubbleBeam is supposed to travel in a straight direction, not floating around slowly.
* In almost every episode, [[Jessie]], [[James]], and {{MTR}} manage to get launched hundreds of feet into the air, sometimes crashing through the roof of a building or a cave wall, by various means (usually a Pokémon attack). However, others standing near them will not be moved or even affected, and Team Rocket never get too hurt from the flight, which would surely kill a normal person. They also are in a stationary position during the first part of their flight, and then start suddenly spinning, normally after making a humorous comment.
** In ''[[SS012|Training Daze]]'', Team Rocket is already flying when the episode starts and they don't land during the episode.
** Similarly, in ''[[SS002|Cerulean Blues]]'', Misty is struck by numerous {{m|Poison Sting}} attacks, but suffers no lasting injuries. Also, the Invincible Pokémon Brothers are blasted through the [[Gym]]'s roof by a {{m|Hyper Beam}}, yet can still be heard to make a comment as they fly off.
* Characters throughout the anime have repeatedly been shown to take attacks such as {{m|Thunderbolt}} (the Japanese name meaning 100,000 Volts), and Flamethrower with no long-lasting harmful effects, though there are obvious problems with this in the real world.
** One example of this is in ''[[EP032|The Ninja Poké-Showdown]]'', where {{an|Brock}} is shown to survive taking one of {{AP|Charmander}}'s Flamethrower to the face.  Less than ten seconds after the attack he is shown looking perfectly fine with the attack not even damaging his clothes.  These types of scenes often are like this one in that they are intended to be humorous.
* Pokémon often disobey {{wp|Newton's laws of motion|Newton's Third Law}}: Attacks, such as Hyper Beam, that blast the target backwards do nothing of the sort to the user. This is especially notable with flying or levitating Pokémon; they can't even brace themselves against the ground.
* In ''[[DP170|An Elite Coverup!]]'', Team Rocket's {{TP|James|Mime Jr.}} can be seen running on top of {{TP|Jessie| Wobbuffet}} while staying in place. This would be impossible because then Mime Jr. would run in Wobbuffet's inertial reference frame and increase speed in respect to Wobbuffet.
* Whenever Team Rocket has prop decoys such as a fake building to hide away from pursuers, the building always decreases in height after it falls so that the pursuers are not crushed.
<!--BEFORE YOU ADD ANYTHING TO ^^ THIS ^^ SECTION, MAKE SURE IT IS PHYSICS. PERSONALITY, COLOR, EVOLUTION, INDIVIDUAL POKÉMON'S STRENGTHS/WEAKNESSES (such as Ash's Pikachu vs another Pikachu), TIME, MOVE TYPES, "ANIME HUMOR", AND POKÉMON TYPES DO NOT COUNT.-->

===Magic satchels===
[[File:Cilan cookware.png|thumb|200px|right|Contents of Cilan's backpack.]]
* Ash and his friends seem to have an unlimited amount of space in their bags or pockets, especially Brock and {{an|Cilan}}, from a sleeping bag to the things they use to cook.
** This was played for laughs as early as ''[[EP009|The School of Hard Knocks]]'', where Ash and {{an|Misty}} watch in disbelief as Brock produces a full dining set out of his bag.  This comes complete with table, chairs, and fine china, which is perfectly undamaged despite how it's being transported.
** Cilan appears to keep a table, chairs, and a miniature kitchen complete with tableware in his backpack.
* In ''[[EP115|A Tent Situation]]'', Tracey brings out around 40-50 sketch books to show to [[Professor Oak]] and then puts them back in the same bag that they should not have fit into in the first place.

===Move and type effectiveness errors===
* Many times when [[Ash's Pikachu]] fights a {{type|Ground}} Pokémon, it uses an {{type|Electric}} move and still causes damage. 
** Since the beginning of the {{series|Diamond & Pearl}}, however, Electric-type attacks have been consistently shown to have no effect on Ground-type Pokémon.
* {{an|May}}'s {{TP|May|Squirtle|Wartortle}} attacked and damaged [[Harley]]'s {{p|Banette}} with {{m|Tackle}} in ''[[AG174|New Plot, Odd Lot]]'', despite the {{t|Ghost}} type's immunity to {{type|Normal}} attacks.
* In multiple instances, {{m|Shadow Ball}} is able to hit {{type|Normal}} Pokémon, despite being a {{type|Ghost}} attack.
* Pokémon without {{a|Sturdy}} survive [[one-hit knockout move]]s, like {{m|Horn Drill}}, without fainting.
<!--* Pokémon can {{m|Explosion|explode}} multiple times without fainting.-->
* Some non-damaging attacks cause damage to the Pokémon being attacked, such as [[Pyramid King Brandon#Dusclops|Brandon's Dusclops]] using {{m|Will-O-Wisp}}.
** Furthermore, it affected [[Ash's Charizard]] which, as a {{type|Fire}} Pokémon, should not be affected by Will-O-Wisp.
* {{m|Safeguard}} has been able to protect against attacks instead of status problems.
* {{m|Light Screen}} has been able to block physical attacks, even though it usually only affects special attacks.
** Similarly, {{m|Counter}} has been shown to block special attacks, even though in the games it only affects physical attacks.
*** This was disputed in [[EP174|''Imitation Confrontation'']], which was also the debut of the move {{m|Mirror Coat}} in the anime. Regardless, Counter and Mirror Coat were then used interchangeably.
* {{type|Psychic}} moves have had effect on {{type|Dark}} Pokémon, even though Dark-type Pokémon are immune to the effects of Psychic-type moves.
** In ''[[SS005|The Blue Badge of Courage]]'', {{TP|Misty|Psyduck}} uses {{m|Confusion}} on a {{p|Poochyena}} that belongs to the [[Gym Badge thieves]].
** In ''[[M13|Zoroark: Master of Illusions]]'', [[Karl]]'s {{p|Bronzor}} levitated {{mov|Zorua|Zorua|13}} with {{m|Psychic}}. As a {{type|Dark}} Pokémon, Zorua is immune to {{type|Psychic}} moves.
* {{m|Swift}}, a move that cannot miss in the games, was dodged twice in the anime: first by a {{p|Weavile}} who avoided Swift from {{Ash|Ash's}} {{AP|Aipom}} in ''[[AG185|Duels of the Jungle]]'', second by [[Elesa]]'s {{p|Zebstrika}} in ''[[BW049|Enter Elesa, Electrifying Gym Leader!]]''.
* {{m|Aerial Ace}}, another move which cannot miss, has been avoided by other Pokémon several times.
* In ''[[DP031|The Grass-Type Is Always Greener!]]'', Gardenia's {{DL|Gardenia|Turtwig}} used {{m|Leech Seed}} on [[Ash's Turtwig]], even though Grass-type Pokémon are immune to the effects of Leech Seed.
* In ''[[DP117|Noodles! Roamin' Off!]]'', a {{p|Metagross}} was damaged by {{p|Seviper}}'s {{m|Poison Tail}}, even though {{type|Steel}} Pokémon are immune to {{type|Poison}} moves.
* In the Japanese opening ''[[V (Volt)]]'', Pikachu was seen using {{m|Quick Attack}} on a {{p|Honedge}}, visibly causing damage. A Normal-type attack should not have caused damage to a Ghost-type Pokémon like Honedge.

===Other conflicts with the games===
* The weight of some Pokémon is sometimes ignored in the anime:
** {{Ash}} was able to pick up {{TP|Ash|Larvitar}} despite it weighing 158.7 lb (72 kg), according to game data. He also carried a {{p|Hippopotas}} on his back, amounting to 109 lb (49 kg) of weight bearing down on his head and neck. Similarly, [[May's Beautifly]] has often landed on people's heads with no adverse effects despite the species weighing 62.6 lb (28.4 kg). In ''[[DP105|Get Your Rotom Running!]]'', {{an|Dawn}} was able to hold her {{TP|Dawn|Piloswine}} on her back despite it weighing 123 lb (55.8 kg).
** In ''[[AG147|Sweet Baby James]]'', Jessie picks up [[May's Munchlax]] and puts it in a bag, despite it weighing over 231.5 lb (105 kg). In ''[[AG159|Off the Unbeaten Path]]'', [[Max]] was able to carry Munchlax on his back despite it weighing around four times as much as him.
** In ''[[AG057|Going for a Spinda]]'', {{an|Brock}} not only lifts {{TP|Brock|Forretress}} one-handed despite it weighing 277.3 lb (125.8 kg), but also pitches it high enough for it to land into the mouth of a giant {{p|Spinda}} mecha.
* The anime often makes Pokémon bigger than the games say they are, like {{p|Groudon}} and {{p|Kyogre}}.
* In the anime, certain {{type|Water}} Pokémon like {{p|Goldeen}}, {{p|Carvanha}}, and {{p|Sharpedo}} cannot be used by Trainers in {{pkmn|battle}} without being in a body of water, unlike how they seem to float over the ground in the games, specifically the 3D games.
* In ''[[AG170|Second Time's the Charm!]]'', Ash recalled his {{AP|Corphish}} and sent it right back out in the same turn to cure its {{status|confusion}}, which is impossible in the games.

[[Category:Fanon terminology]]
[[Category:Anime]]