Imprison (move)

Imprison
ふういん Seal

Battles

Type	Psychic
Category	Status
PP	10 (max. 16)
Power	—
Accuracy	—%
Priority	{{{priority}}}
Does not make contact Not affected by Protect Not affected by Magic Coat Affected by Snatch Not affected by King's Rock

Target

Foe	Foe	Foe
Self	Ally	Ally
Affects all foes

Availability

Introduced	Generation III
Not a TM, TR, HM, or Move Tutor move.

Contests

Condition	Smart
Appeal	3 ♥♥♥
Jam	0
Worsens the condition of those that made appeals.

Super Contests

Condition	Smart
Appeal	1 ♥
Earn +3 if two Pokémon raise the Voltage in a row.

Contest Spectaculars

Condition	Smart
Appeal	0
Jamming	0

On Smogon's Movedex:

Imprison (Japanese: ふういん Seal) is a non-damaging Template:Type2 move introduced in Generation III.

Effect

Imprison prevents opponents from using any move which is also known by the user. In double battles, the move targets the user and affects both opponents. However, if no opponent knows a move the user knows when the user attempts to use Imprison, it will fail. The effect of Imprison lasts until the user switches out or faints. If the user's moveset changes while Imprison is in effect, such as by Mimic, Sketch or Transform, opponents are prevented from using the new moves.

If the target of this move runs out of PP of the rest of its usable moves, it will start to Struggle.

Generation V

Imprison no longer fails if no opponent knows a move the user knows when the user attempts to use Imprison.

Imprison can now be affected by Snatch.

Learnset

Generation III

By leveling up

#	Pokémon	Type	Level
0037	Vulpix	Fire	25
0280	Ralts	Psychic	31
0281	Kirlia	Psychic	33
0282	Gardevoir	Psychic	33
Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

By breeding

|- | colspan="6" | Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move.
Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution gets STAB from this move.
*Indicates Pokémon that can only learn the move through chain breeding. |} |}

Generation IV

By leveling up

#	Pokémon	Type		Level
0037	Vulpix	Fire		21
0234	Stantler	Normal		43
0280	Ralts	Psychic		32
0281	Kirlia	Psychic		36
0282	Gardevoir	Psychic		40
0436	Bronzor	Steel	Psychic	12
0437	Bronzong	Steel	Psychic	-- 12
0480	Uxie	Psychic		6
0481	Mesprit	Psychic		6
0482	Azelf	Psychic		6
Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

By breeding

Template:Breedlist |- | style="background: #FFF; font-family:monospace,monospace" | 0088 | style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | | style="background: #FFF" | Grimer
| colspan="2" style="background:#9141CB; text-align: center;" | Poison | style="background: #FFF" | Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir |- | style="background: #FFF; font-family:monospace,monospace" | 0200 | style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | | style="background: #FFF" | Misdreavus
| colspan="2" style="background:#704170; text-align: center;" | Ghost | style="background: #FFF" | Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir |- | style="background: #FFF; font-family:monospace,monospace" | 0353 | style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | | style="background: #FFF" | Shuppet
| colspan="2" style="background:#704170; text-align: center;" | Ghost | style="background: #FFF" | Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir |- | style="background: #FFF; font-family:monospace,monospace" | 0355 | style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | | style="background: #FFF" | Duskull
| colspan="2" style="background:#704170; text-align: center;" | Ghost | style="background: #FFF" | Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir |- | style="background: #FFF; font-family:monospace,monospace" | 0442 | style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | | style="background: #FFF" | Spiritomb
| colspan="1" style="background:#704170; text-align: center;" | Ghost || style="background:#624D4E" align="center" colspan="1" rowspan="1" | Dark | style="background: #FFF" | Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir

|- | colspan="6" | Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move.
Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution gets STAB from this move.
*Indicates Pokémon that can only learn the move through chain breeding. |} |}

Generation V

By leveling up

#	Pokémon	Type		Level
0037	Vulpix	Fire		21
0234	Stantler	Normal		49
0280	Ralts	Psychic		34
0281	Kirlia	Psychic		39
0282	Gardevoir	Psychic		45
0436	Bronzor	Steel	Psychic	12
0437	Bronzong	Steel	Psychic	-- 12
0480	Uxie	Psychic		6
0481	Mesprit	Psychic		6
0482	Azelf	Psychic		6
0517	Munna	Psychic		13
0527	Woobat	Psychic	Flying	19
0528	Swoobat	Psychic	Flying	19
0570	Zorua	Dark		53
0571	Zoroark	Dark		59
0605	Elgyem	Psychic		25
0606	Beheeyem	Psychic		25
0607	Litwick	Ghost	Fire	24
0608	Lampent	Ghost	Fire	24
0643	Reshiram	Dragon	Fire	8
0644	Zekrom	Dragon	Electric	8
0645	Landorus	Ground	Flying	9
0646	Kyurem	Dragon	Ice	8 64
Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

By breeding

Template:Breedlist |- | style="background: #FFF; font-family:monospace,monospace" | 0088 | style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | | style="background: #FFF" | Grimer
| colspan="2" style="background:#9141CB; text-align: center;" | Poison | style="background: #FFF" |
    |- | style="background: #FFF; font-family:monospace,monospace" | 0200 | style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | | style="background: #FFF" | Misdreavus
| colspan="2" style="background:#704170; text-align: center;" | Ghost | style="background: #FFF" |
    |- | style="background: #FFF; font-family:monospace,monospace" | 0353 | style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | | style="background: #FFF" | Shuppet
| colspan="2" style="background:#704170; text-align: center;" | Ghost | style="background: #FFF" |
    |- | style="background: #FFF; font-family:monospace,monospace" | 0355 | style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | | style="background: #FFF" | Duskull
| colspan="2" style="background:#704170; text-align: center;" | Ghost | style="background: #FFF" |
    |- | style="background: #FFF; font-family:monospace,monospace" | 0442 | style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | | style="background: #FFF" | Spiritomb
| colspan="1" style="background:#704170; text-align: center;" | Ghost || style="background:#624D4E" align="center" colspan="1" rowspan="1" | Dark | style="background: #FFF" |
    |- | style="background: #FFF; font-family:monospace,monospace" | 0562 | style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | | style="background: #FFF" | Yamask
| colspan="2" style="background:#704170; text-align: center;" | Ghost | style="background: #FFF" |
    |- | style="background: #FFF; font-family:monospace,monospace" | 0577 | style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | | style="background: #FFF" | Solosis
| colspan="2" style="background:#EF4179; text-align: center;" | Psychic | style="background: #FFF" |
    |- | style="background: #FFF; font-family:monospace,monospace" | 0582 | style="background: #FFF; text-align: center;" | | style="background: #FFF" | Vanillite
| colspan="2" style="background:#3DCEF3; text-align: center;" | Ice | style="background: #FFF" |

|- | colspan="6" | Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move.
Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution gets STAB from this move.
*Indicates Pokémon that can only learn the move through chain breeding. |} |}

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon	Method
File:Ruru Imprison.png Kirlia
The user creates a forcefield around the enemies body that prevents it from moving.
User	First Chapter Used In	Notes
	Kirlia creates a forcefield around its body that prevents it from moving.
Ruby's Ruru	VS. Rayquaza I	Debut

Trivia

In the European and American versions of the game, Imprision had its animation changed.

In other languages

Chinese: 封印 Fēngyìn
French: Possessif
German: Begrenzer
Greek: Επισφράγιση
Italian: Esclusiva
Korean: 봉인 Bong'in
Spanish: Cerca
Serbian: Zatvaranje

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.