Arena Trap (Ability)

Arena Trap ありじごく
Antlion
Flavor text
Generation III
Prevents fleeing.RSEFRLG
Prevents the foe's escape.ColoXD
Generation IV
Prevents the foe from fleeing.
Generation V
Prevents the foe from fleeing.
Generation VI
Prevents opposing Pokémon from fleeing.
Generation VII
Prevents opposing Pokémon from fleeing.
Generation VIII
Prevents opposing Pokémon from fleeing.
Generation IX
Prevents opposing Pokémon from fleeing from battle.

Arena Trap (Japanese: ありじごく Antlion) is an Ability introduced in Generation III.

Effect

In battle

Arena Trap prevents all grounded adjacent opponents from fleeing (including Teleport) or switching out as long as the user remains in battle. However, if a Pokémon with Arena Trap switches in, opponents that decided to switch out at the beginning of that turn but have not yet moved will still switch out. Arena Trap does not affect Flying-type opponents, or opponents with the ability Levitate.

Using Baton Pass, U-turn, Volt Switch, Flip Turn, or Parting Shot will still cause the Pokémon to switch out. Holding a Shed Shell allows the Pokémon to switch out, but not flee or Teleport. Having the Ability Run Away or holding a Smoke Ball allows the Pokémon to flee or Teleport, but not switch.

If a wild Pokémon has Arena Trap and the player's Pokémon faints, if the player attempts to flee instead of sending out another Pokémon, they are unaffected by Arena Trap.

Arena Trap does not affect allies.

Generation VI

Ghost-type Pokémon who are normally grounded are now immune to Arena Trap.

Outside of battle

From Pokémon Emerald onwards, if a Pokémon with Arena Trap is in the first place in the party (even if fainted), the wild Pokémon encounter rate of all Pokémon is doubled. It shares this trait with Illuminate and No Guard.

Generation VIII

In Pokémon Sword and Shield, this Ability only affects the rate at which hidden encounters happen.

Generation IX

In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, this Ability has no effect outside of battle.

Pokémon with Arena Trap

# Pokémon Types First Ability Second Ability Hidden Ability
0050   Diglett
Ground Ground Sand Veil Arena Trap Sand Force
0051   Dugtrio
Ground Ground Sand Veil Arena Trap Sand Force
0328   Trapinch
Ground Ground Hyper Cutter Arena Trap Sheer Force
Please note that abilities marked with a superscript are only available in the stated generation or later.
  • For Generation III and IV games, ignore Hidden Abilities.

In other games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

In Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky, when an enemy Pokémon attacks a Pokémon with Arena Trap, there is a 12% chance of the attacking Pokémon becoming immobilized. Flying-type and Pokémon with the Ability Levitate are unaffected.

In Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, any Pokémon adjacent to a Pokémon with the Ability Arena Trap cannot move, but are still able to use moves and items. Flying- and Ghost-type Pokémon, and Pokémon with the Ability Levitate and Run Away are unaffected.

Description

Games Description
MDRB Immobilizes any attacker except Flying-type foes and those with Levitate.
MDTDS Immobilizes any attacker except Flying-type and levitating foes.
BSL ひこうタイプ ふゆう いがいの こうげきしてきた あいてを いどうできなくする
MDGtI Unavailable
SMD Enemy Pokémon next to the Pokémon can't move! It has no effect on Flying- or Ghost-type Pokémon and Pokémon with the Run Away or Levitate Ability!
MDRTDX Enemies next to the Pokémon can't walk. This Ability has no effect on Flying- or Ghost-type Pokémon and Pokémon with the Run Away or Levitate Ability.


In the anime

 
Trapinch


The Pokémon can trap the opponent by digging a large hole.
Pokémon Method
User First Used In Notes
  Trapinch traps the opponent in a big hole.
A wild Trapinch A Rivalry to Gible On! Debut


Trivia

  • Arena Trap's names in English, Spanish, and Italian are puns. "Arena" refers to a place of combat, and also means sand in Latin and Spanish; as such, it can be interpreted both as "a trap on the battlefield" and "sand trap", the latter having a similar meaning to its name in in other languages.

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 沙穴 Sāyuht *
獅蟻 Sī'ngáih *
Mandarin 沙穴 Shāxuè / Shāxué *
獅蟻 Shīyǐ *
  Dutch Valkuil
  French Piège SableVII+
PiègeIIIVI
  German Ausweglos
  Italian Trappoarena
  Korean 개미지옥 Gaemi Jiok
  Spanish Trampa Arena
  Vietnamese Bẫy Trận Địa


Variations of the Ability Arena Trap
Arena TrapMagnet PullShadow Tag


  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.