Rock (type)
The Rock type (Japanese: いわタイプ Rock type) is one of the eighteen types. Notable Trainers who specialize in Rock-type Pokémon are the Gym Leaders Brock, Flint, and Forrest of Pewter City, Roxanne of Rustboro City, Roark of Oreburgh City, and Grant of Cyllage City. Jasmine is also stated to have trained Rock types in the past. Prior to changes in Generation IV, all Rock-type moves were physical, but they may now also be special depending on the attack.
Statistical averages
Overall
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Fully evolved
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Battle properties
Generation I
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Defensive | ||
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| Power | Types | Power | Types | |
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½× |  
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| ½× |  
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2× |  
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| 0× | None | 0× | None | |
Generation II onwards
Starting in Generation II, Rock-type Pokémon are immune to the damage from the sandstorm weather condition.
Starting in Generation IV, Rock-type Pokémon have a Special Defense boosted by 50% during a sandstorm.
| Offensive |
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Defensive | ||
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| Power | Types | Power | Types | |
| 2× |
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½× |
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| ½× | 
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2× |
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| 0× | None | 0× | None | |
Characteristics
Defense
The Rock type is rather risky defensively. Tied with Grass, Rock types have the most weaknesses, with five. The fact that its Special Defense is mediocre at best to survive against its weakness to Grass- and Water-type moves, which typically special move in nature. As they have the most weaknesses (five types, tied with Grass), double weaknesses among Rock types are very common. Their typically low Speed that many Rock types have causes them unable to outspeed most sweepers.
However, as Rock types have an overall high Defense, this allow them to survive against its weaknesses to Ground- and Fighting-type moves, which typically physical move in nature. Ground types have key resistances to commonly strong Fire-type and Flying-type moves, as well as handful Normal-type and Poison-type moves, help the Rock type to hold its own if it needs to.
Since Generation IV, the Special Defense of a Rock-type Pokémon is increased by 50% during sandstorm, in addition of being immune to the damage caused by it. Furthermore, the Ability Sand Stream is quite commonly used, due to its previously easy access and reliability. Moreover, most Rock types can learn Stealth Rock, an entry hazard move that damages the opposing switch-in Pokémon based on the type effectiveness against Rock.
Offense
Rock is one of the best types offensively. Rock types can deal super-effective damage to the offensive type, Fire, Ice, and Flying, as well as Bug. Being resisted by only three of the eighteen types (Fighting, Ground, and Steel), and the fact that only few amount of Pokémon have a double resistance to Rock keeps its moves relatively effective. As Pokémon of the three types that resist Rock typically can learn Rock-type moves, this proves a quite versatile combination. Double weaknesses to Rock are relatively common, mostly due to the many Flying type as a secondary type.
Contest properties
In Contests, Rock-type moves are typically Tough moves. None of them are Cute moves.
Pokémon
As of Generation VI, there are 55 Rock-type Pokémon or 7.3% of all Pokémon (assuming forms and Mega Evolutions that change typing as different Pokémon), making it the 9th rarest type.
Pure Rock-type Pokémon
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Half Rock-type Pokémon
Primary Rock-type Pokémon
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Secondary Rock-type Pokémon
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Moves
| Gen | Move | Category | Contest | Power | Accuracy | PP | Target | Description | |||||||||
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| II | Ancient Power | Special | Tough | 60 | 100% | 5 (max 8) |
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The user attacks with a prehistoric power. It may also raise all the user's stats at once. | |||||||||
| VI | Diamond Storm | Physical | Beautiful | 100 | 95% | 5 (max 8) |
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The user whips up a storm of diamonds to damage opposing Pokémon. This may also raise the user’s Defense stat. | |||||||||
| IV | Head Smash | Physical | Tough | 150 | 80% | 5 (max 8) |
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The user attacks the target with a hazardous, full-power headbutt. The user also takes terrible damage. | |||||||||
| IV | Power Gem | Special | Beautiful | 80 | 100% | 20 (max 32) |
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The user attacks with a ray of light that sparkles as if it were made of gemstones. | |||||||||
| III | Rock Blast | Physical | Tough | 25 | 90% | 10 (max 16) |
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The user hurls hard rocks at the target. Two to five rocks are launched in quick succession. | |||||||||
| IV | Rock Polish | Status | Tough | — | —% | 20 (max 32) |
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The user polishes its body to reduce drag. It can sharply raise the Speed stat. | |||||||||
| I | Rock Slide | Physical | Tough | 75 | 90% | 10 (max 16) |
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Large boulders are hurled at the opposing team to inflict damage. It may also make the targets flinch. | |||||||||
| I | Rock Throw | Physical | Tough | 50 | 90% | 15 (max 24) |
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The user picks up and throws a small rock at the target to attack. | |||||||||
| III | Rock Tomb | Physical | Clever | 60 | 95% | 15 (max 24) |
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Boulders are hurled at the target. It also lowers the target's Speed by preventing its movement. | |||||||||
| IV | Rock Wrecker | Physical | Tough | 150 | 90% | 5 (max 8) |
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The user launches a huge boulder at the target to attack. It must rest on the next turn, however. | |||||||||
| II | Rollout | Physical | Tough | 30 | 90% | 20 (max 32) |
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The user continually rolls into the target over five turns. It becomes stronger each time it hits. | |||||||||
| II | Sandstorm | Status | Tough | — | —% | 20 (max 32) |
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A five-turn sandstorm is summoned to hurt all combatants except the Rock, Ground, and Steel types. | |||||||||
| V | Smack Down | Physical | Tough | 50 | 100% | 15 (max 24) |
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The user throws a stone or projectile to attack an opponent. A flying Pokémon will fall to the ground when it's hit. | |||||||||
| IV | Stealth Rock | Status | Cool | — | —% | 20 (max 32) |
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The user lays a trap of levitating stones around the opponent's team. The trap hurts opponents that switch into battle. | |||||||||
| IV | Stone Edge | Physical | Tough | 100 | 80% | 5 (max 8) |
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The user stabs the target with sharpened stones from below. Critical hits land more easily. | |||||||||
| V | Wide Guard | Status | Tough | — | —% | 10 (max 16) |
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The user and its allies are protected from wide-ranging attacks for one turn. If used in succession, its chances of failing rises. | |||||||||
| All details are accurate to Generation VII games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual move's page. Target data assumes user is in the lower left. | |||||||||||||||||
Abilities
Interacting with Rock-type
User of Color Change will be changed into Rock-type after it is hit with a Rock-type move. Protean will change its user into Rock-type when it uses a Rock-type move. When a Pokémon with Multitype holds a Stone Plate, it will become a Rock-type Pokémon. When a Pokémon with Imposter is sent out and its opposite opponent is Rock-type, it will transform into that Pokémon and turn into Rock-type.
| Gen | Ability | Description |
|---|---|---|
| V | Sand Force | Strengthens Rock, Ground, and Steel moves to 1.3× their power during a sandstorm. |
| All details are accurate to Generation VI games. For details that have changed between generations, please see an individual Ability's page. | ||
Exclusive Abilities
Only Rock-type Pokémon can have these Abilities. This does not include signature Abilities.
Trivia
- Generation III introduced the most Rock-type Pokémon of any Generation, with 12, and Generations II and IV introduced the fewest Rock-type Pokémon, both with seven.
- Generation IV introduced the most Rock-type moves of any Generation, with six, and Generation VI introduced the fewest Rock-type moves, with only one.
- If there were a hypothetical Pokémon of all 18 types, it would be weak to only Rock-type moves and Freeze-Dry, due to the fact that there are more Pokémon types weak to them than Pokémon types that resist them, and that no types are immune to them.
- However, if Gravity was used or it held an Iron Ball or Ring Target, that hypothetical Pokémon would gain a weakness to Ground-type and Ghost-type moves respectively, as well.
- In the first season of the anime and during much of Generation I, the Rock type was often wrongly assumed to be unaffected by Electric-type attacks. This was likely due to the fact that at the time, most Rock-type Pokémon were part Ground-type, and thus immune to Electric-type moves. However, the only non-Ground Rock-type Pokémon (the then five Fossil Pokémon) were actually weak to them.
- The Rock type is tied with the Grass type for the largest number of weaknesses when unpaired, with five. However, a combination of the two types would (Rock/Grass), however, only have four weaknesses.
- Every known Fossil Pokémon is part or solely Rock-type. This is most likely due to the placement of real fossils in rock formations, as well as the process by which fossils are created.
- Generation V is the only generation that does not have a Rock-type Gym.
- Johto's Olivine Gym was a Rock type Gym before the Steel-type was discovered.
- In Generation I there were only two Rock-type moves, which made it the type with the second fewest moves. Only the Dragon type had fewer moves, with only one move.
In other languages
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