From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.
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. The distinction between moves that make contact and moves that do not was introduced in Generation III.
Contact is distinct from whether a move is considered physical or special in nature from Generation IV onwards, 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 items or Abilities of the foe, such as Cute Charm and Effect Spore.
Hitting a substitute does not make contact with the Pokémon behind it.
While confusion damage is physical, it does not make contact.
Moves involving contact
The moves Ancient Power and Overheat make contact in Generation III only.
Effects involving contact
Moves
Name
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Effect
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King's Shield
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Decreases an attacker's Attack two stages if it attempts a contact move.
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Spiky Shield
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Damages an attacker for 1/8 of its max HP if it attempts a contact move.
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Abilities
Items
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Name
|
Effect
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Rocky Helmet
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Damages an attacker for 1/6 of its max HP on contact.
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Sticky Barb
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Damages the holder each turn for 1/8 of their max HP. Transfers to an attacker on contact.
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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.
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