Spikes (move)

The picture used in this article is unsatisfactory.
Please feel free to replace it so it conforms to Bulbapedia conventions.
Reason: Should be replaced with Generation VI images

Spikes
まきびし Caltrop

Battles

Type	Ground
Category	Status
PP	20 (max. 32)
Power	—
Accuracy	—%
Priority	{{{priority}}}
Does not make contact Not affected by Protect Affected by Magic Coat and Magic Bounce Not affected by Snatch Not affected by King's Rock

Target

Foe	Foe	Foe
Self	Ally	Ally
Affects all foes

Availability

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

Contests

Condition	Smart
Appeal	2 ♥♥
Jam	0
Makes all Pokémon after the user nervous.

Super Contests

Condition	Smart
Appeal	2 ♥♥
Prevents the Voltage from going up in the same turn.

Contest Spectaculars

Condition	Smart
Appeal	0
Jamming	0

On Smogon's Movedex:

Spikes (Japanese: まきびし Caltrop) is a non-damaging Ground-type move introduced in Generation II. Prior to Pokémon Crystal, it was the signature move of Pineco and Forretress.

Effect

Generation II

Spikes sets an entry hazard around the enemy team's field. Pokémon who switch into the spike-ridden field take 12.5% of their maximum HP in damage. Flying-type Pokémon are immune to this damage. The move Rapid Spin removes Spikes around the user.

Generation III

Spikes can now be set up to three times, each increasing the damage done to the opponent upon switching in. One layer of Spikes will damage the opponent Pokémon by 1/8 (12.5%) of its maximum HP, two layers will deal 1/6 (16.67%), and three layers will deal 1/4 (25%). Any Pokémon with Levitate will also be immune to the damage.

Generation IV

The move Defog will remove Spikes around its target. Any Pokémon under the effect of Magnet Rise or Magic Guard Ability are unaffected by the damage. However, Flying and Levitating Pokémon are affected under Gravity, while holding Iron Ball, or if Baton Passed an Ingrain.

Generation V

Spikes can now be reflected with Magic Coat and the Ability Magic Bounce.

Generation VI

Defog now removes all Spikes from play regardless of which side of the field they were placed on.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon

Spikes creates a Spiked Tile underneath the user. Any Pokémon that steps on a Spiked Tile will lose 20 HP each. When this move is used by the player, the tile will remain hidden until a foe Pokémon steps on it; but if the move was used by a foe Pokémon, the player will be able to see it so it can be avoided at all times. However, Spiked Tile cannot be laid under one-tile ways and the entrance of a room.

Description

Games	Description
	An attack that scatters Spikes and injures opponent Pokémon when they switch.
	Hurts foes when they switch out.
RS	Sets spikes that hurt a foe switching out.
E	Sets spikes that hurt a foe switching in.
FRLG	A trap of spikes is laid around the foe’s party to hurt foes switching in.
	The user lays a trap of spikes at the foe’s feet. The trap hurts foes that switch into battle.
	The user lays a trap of spikes at the opposing team's feet. The trap hurts Pokémon that switch into battle.

Learnset

By leveling up

#	Pokémon		Type		Level
#	Pokémon		Type		I		II		III		IV		V		VI
091		Cloyster	Water	Ice		33	33	36	28				28			28
204		Pineco	Bug		Bug	43			43			23		28	28			28
205		Forretress	Bug	Steel	49			49			23		28	28			28
211		Qwilfish	Water	Poison		--	--			--				--			--
227		Skarmory	Steel	Flying				42			27		28	28			28
331		Cacnea	Grass		Grass				33			33				33			33
332		Cacturne	Grass	Dark				35			35				35			35
386		Deoxys Defense Forme	Psychic		Psychic				20			33				33			33
658		Greninja	Water	Dark														28
707		Klefki	Steel	Fairy														15
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

By breeding

#	Pokémon		Type		Father
#	Pokémon		Type		II	III	IV	V	VI
138		Omanyte	Rock	Water
225		Delibird	Ice	Flying
315		Roselia	Grass	Poison
361		Snorunt*	Ice		Ice
406		Budew	Grass	Poison
543		Venipede	Bug	Poison
556		Maractus	Grass		Grass
557		Dwebble	Bug	Rock
568		Trubbish*	Poison		Poison
597		Ferroseed	Grass	Steel
616		Shelmet	Bug		Bug
650		Chespin*	Grass		Grass
659		Bunnelby*	Normal		Normal
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

Special move

Generation V

#		Pokémon	Type		Obtained with
0556		Maractus	Grass		Dream World - Rugged Mountain
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 event

Generation II

#		Pokémon	Type		Obtained with
0225		Delibird	Ice	Flying	New York City Pokémon Center
Bold indicates a Pokémon which gets STAB from this move. Italic indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form gets STAB from this move.

In the anime

Pokémon	Method
Skarmory Pineco Effect Forretress
The user lays a trap of spikes at the foe's feet.
User	First Used In	Notes
	Pineco spins around and purple spikes come out of its body and hit the opponent.
Brock's Pineco	Ariados, Amigos	Debut
	Forretress spins around and glowing white spikes comes out of its body and hit the opponent, or Forretress fires black spikes at the opponent that surround it. When the opponent gets pricked by them, it hurts them.
Brock's Forretress	A Tail with a Twist	None
	Skarmory spins its body rapidly and multiple glowing metallic red spikes come out of its body and fall onto the battlefield. The spikes sink into the ground when they land. When the opponent switches to another Pokémon, small explosions go off under their feet, hurting them.
Barry's Skarmory	Casting a Paul on Barry!	None

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Pokémon	Method
Pokémon Association's Forretress Janine's Forretress Carr's Forretress
The user spins its body around rapidly and releases multiple spikes onto the battlefield.
User	First Chapter Used In	Notes
	Forretress spins its body rapidly, and multiple pyramid-shaped spikes come out of its body and onto the battlefield. The spikes make the opponent's movements restricted, or Forretress shoots out spikes from the horns sticking out of its body and onto the battlefield.
The Pokémon Association's Forretress	Forretress of Solitude	Debut
Janine's Forretress	Crossing Crobat	None
Carr's Forretress	Breaking the Restraint	None

In other generations

Generation I	RB Y	Generation I (Japanese)	Generation I (international)	Generation II	Generation II (Japanese)	Generation II (international)	Crystal	Generation III	Generation III (Japanese)	Generation III (international)	RS	FRLG	FRLG E	Generation IV	Generation IV (Japanese)	Generation IV (international)	Pt HGSS	HGSS	Generation V	BW	B2W2	Generation V (Japanese)	Generation V (international)	Generation VI	XY	ORAS	Generation VII	SM USUM	LGPE	Generation VIII	SwSh	BDSP	Legends: Arceus	Generation IX	Stadium (JP)	Stadium	Stadium 2	Colosseum	XD	Battle Revolution	Battrio	MD: Red and Blue	MD:Time, Darkness, andSky	MD: Blazing, Stormy, & Light Adventure Squad	MD: GTI	SMD	MD: RTDX	Rumble	Rumble Blast	Masters EX

Trivia

Despite being a Ground move, no Ground-type Pokémon is able to learn Spikes.
- However, a Greninja with the Ability Protean temporarily becomes a Ground-type when using this move.

In other languages

Language		Title
Mandarin Chinese		滿地星 Mǎndìxīng* 捲捲菱 Juǎnjuǎnlíng*
Dutch		Stekels
Finnish		Naulaisku (OS) Piikki-isku (AG)
French		Picots
German		Stachler
Greek		Καρφιά
Indonesian		Duri Spike
Italian		Punte
Korean		압정뿌리기 Apjeong Ppurigi
Brazilian Portuguese		Espinhos
Serbian		Šiljci
Spanish		Púas

Variations of the move Spikes

Spikes • Stealth Rock • Toxic Spikes • Sticky Web

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.