Contrary (Ability)

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Contrary あまのじゃく
Devil's Advocate
Flavor text
Generation V
Makes stat changes have an opposite effect.
Generation VI
Makes stat changes have an opposite effect.
Generation VII
Makes stat changes have an opposite effect.
Generation VIII
Makes stat changes have an opposite effect.
Generation IX
Reverses any stat changes affecting the Pokémon so that attempts to boost its stats instead lower them—and attempts to lower its stats will boost them.

Contrary (Japanese: あまのじゃく Devil's Advocate) is an Ability introduced in Generation V.

Effect

In battle

Generation V

This Ability inverts all changes to the stat stages of a Pokémon with this Ability; if an effect would lower a stat, it is increased instead, and if an effect would increase a stat, it is decreased instead. Effects that change a Pokémon's stats without affecting stat stages, such as Guts and paralysis, are not affected by Contrary.

This also applies to self-inflicted changes, such as Curse and Leaf Storm. This Ability only inverts the changes when they are applied; it does not passively cause all existing changes to reverse; therefore, if the Ability Contrary is no longer in effect or the stats are passed by Baton Pass, all existing stat stage changes remain the same. Stats passed by Baton Pass onto a Pokémon with Contrary are not reversed.

Mist (including from Guard Spec.) takes into account Contrary's inversion before determining whether to block the stat change. For example, if a Pokémon with Contrary is targeted by String Shot while protected by Mist, it will gain Speed; if a Pokémon with Contrary is targeted by Swagger while protected by Mist, its Attack will not be changed.

If a Pokémon with Contrary uses Belly Drum, its Attack will be lowered to -6 stages (although the message will still say that the user maximized its Attack); if the user's Attack is already at -6 stages, Belly Drum will still deduct HP. Even if the user has Contrary, Belly Drum fails if the user's Attack is already at +6.

If a move used by a Pokémon with Mold Breaker, Teravolt, or Turboblaze would change a stat stage of a Pokémon with Contrary, the change will not be inverted.

Generation VI

Flower Veil takes into account Contrary's inversion before determining whether to block the stat change.

Stat boosts granted by O-Powers used by other players are still inverted.

Generation VII

Stat stage increases caused by the Z-Power effects of status Z-Moves are not inverted by Contrary. However, the stat stage increases as a result of Extreme Evoboost and Clangorous Soulblaze are inverted.

If a target with Contrary is affected by Strength Sap, even if its Attack stat is at +6 stages, Strength Sap will restore the user's HP by up to the target's effective Attack stat value at +5 stages.

Generation VIII

If a Pokémon with Contrary is hit with a Max Move that would lower stats, or uses a Max Move that would raise stats, the change will be inverted, but the message describing the stat change will not be displayed.

Outside of battle

Contrary has no effect outside of battle.

Pokémon with Contrary

# Pokémon Types First Ability Second Ability Hidden Ability
0213   Shuckle
Bug Rock Sturdy Gluttony Contrary
0327   Spinda
Normal Normal Own Tempo Tangled Feet Contrary
0495   Snivy
Grass Grass Overgrow None Contrary
0496   Servine
Grass Grass Overgrow None Contrary
0497   Serperior
Grass Grass Overgrow None Contrary
0686   Inkay
Dark Psychic Contrary Suction Cups Infiltrator
0687   Malamar
Dark Psychic Contrary Suction Cups Infiltrator
0753   Fomantis
Grass Grass Leaf Guard None Contrary
0754   Lurantis
Grass Grass Leaf Guard None Contrary
0905   Enamorus
Incarnate Forme
Fairy Flying Cute Charm None Contrary
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

Description

Games Description
MDGtI Unavailable
SMD It reverses changes in the Pokémon's stats such as Attack and Travel Speed!


In the manga

Pokémon Adventures


In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 唱反調 Cheungfáandiuh
Mandarin 唱反調 / 唱反调 Chàngfǎndiào
  French Contestation
  German Umkehrung
  Italian Inversione
  Korean 심술꾸러기 Simsul Kkureogi
  Brazilian Portuguese Contrário
  Spanish Respondón


  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.