Contact

Contact (Japanese: 接触 contact) or direct attack (Japanese: 直接攻撃 direct attack) is a term used to describe the condition when one Pokémon in a battle physically touches the opponent in order to deal damage with a move.

Contact is distinct from whether a move is physical or special in nature, but most moves that make contact are physical moves, while most special moves do not make contact; status moves do not make contact in any case.

The use of contact-based moves can trigger various Abilities of the foe, such as Cute Charm and Effect Spore. It can also trigger certain items, and can be used to spread Pokérus.

Hitting a substitute does not make contact with the Pokémon behind it.

Note that Ancient Power and Overheat make contact in Generation III only.

List of physical moves that do not make contact

These are physical moves that do not make contact. (This does not include moves such as Hyper Beam, which belonged to physical-based types before Generation IV reclassified them as special.)

Move	Type
Attack Order	Bug	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Barrage	Normal	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Beat Up	Dark	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Bone Club	Ground	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Bone Rush	Ground	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Bonemerang	Ground	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Bulldoze	Ground	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Bullet Seed	Grass	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Diamond Storm	Rock	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Earthquake	Ground	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Egg Bomb	Normal	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Explosion	Normal	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Feint	Normal	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Fissure	Ground	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Fling	Dark	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Freeze Shock	Ice	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Fusion Bolt	Electric	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Gunk Shot	Poison	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Ice Shard	Ice	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Icicle Crash	Ice	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Icicle Spear	Ice	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Land's Wrath	Ground	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Magnet Bomb	Steel	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Magnitude	Ground	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Metal Burst	Steel	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Natural Gift	Normal	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Pay Day	Normal	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Petal Blizzard	Grass	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Pin Missile	Bug	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Poison Sting	Poison	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Precipice Blades	Ground	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Present	Normal	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Psycho Cut	Psychic	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Razor Leaf	Grass	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Rock Blast	Rock	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Rock Slide	Rock	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Rock Throw	Rock	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Rock Tomb	Rock	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Rock Wrecker	Rock	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Sacred Fire	Fire	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Sand Tomb	Ground	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Secret Power	Normal	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Seed Bomb	Grass	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Self-Destruct	Normal	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Sky Attack	Flying	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Smack Down	Rock	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Spike Cannon	Normal	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Stone Edge	Rock	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Thousand Arrows	Ground	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Thousand Waves	Ground	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Twineedle	Bug	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}

Also, while confusion damage is physical, it does not make contact.

List of special moves that make contact

These are special moves that do make contact. (This does not include moves such as Fire Punch, which belonged to special-based types before Generation IV reclassified them as physical.)

Move	Type
Draining Kiss	Fairy	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Grass Knot	Grass	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Infestation	Bug	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Petal Dance	Grass	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Trump Card	Normal	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}
Wring Out	Normal	{{{3}}}	{{{4}}}	{{{5}}}	{{{6}}}

Effects involving contact

Moves

Name	Effect
King's Shield	Decreases an attacker's Attack two stages if it attempts a contact move.
Spiky Shield	Damages an attacker for 1/8 of its max HP if it attempts a contact move.

Abilities

Name	Effect
Aftermath	An attacker loses 1/4 of its max HP if this Pokémon faints from its contact move.
Cute Charm	Has a 30% chance of infatuating an attacker on contact.
Effect Spore	Has a 30% chance of inducing poison, paralysis, or sleep in an attacker on contact.
Flame Body	Has a 30% chance of burning an attacker on contact.
Gooey	Decreases an attacker's Speed by one stage on contact.
Iron Barbs	Damages an attacker for 1/8 of its max HP on contact.
Mummy	Replaces an attacker's Ability with Mummy on contact.
Pickpocket	Steals an attacker's held item on contact if the defending Pokémon has none.
Poison Point	Has a 30% chance of poisoning an attacker on contact.
Poison Touch	Has a 30% chance of poisoning a target on contact.
Rough Skin	Damages an attacker for 1/8 of its max HP on contact.
Static	Has a 30% chance of paralyzing an attacker on contact.
Tough Claws	Boosts the power of contact moves used by this Pokémon by 33%.

Items

	Name	Effect
	Rocky Helmet	Damages an attacker for 1/6 of its max HP on contact.
	Sticky Barb	Damages the holder each turn for 1/8 of their max HP. Transfers to an attacker on contact.

Trivia

In Pokémon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness, battle animations for contact moves do not show the attacking Pokémon hitting the defending one at all. As in the Stadium series, physical blows usually utilize quick camera cuts between the attacking and defending Pokémon to imply direct contact.

In other languages

Language		Title
French		Contact
German		Berührung
Italian		Contatto
Korean		접촉 contact
Spanish		Contacto