Synchronize (Ability)

Not to be confused with Synchronoise (move).
Synchronize シンクロ
Synchro
Flavor text
Generation III
Passes on status problems.
Generation IV
Passes on a burn, poison, or paralysis to the foe.DPPt
Passes a burn, poison, or paralysis to the foe.HGSS
Generation V
Passes a burn, poison, or paralysis to the foe.
Generation VI
Passes poison, paralyze, or burn to the Pokémon that inflicted it.
Generation VII
The attacker will receive the same status condition if it inflicts a burn, poison, or paralysis to the Pokémon.
Generation VIII
The attacker will receive the same status condition if it inflicts a burn, poison, or paralysis to the Pokémon.
Generation IX
If the Pokémon is burned, paralyzed, or poisoned by another Pokémon, that Pokémon will be inflicted with the same status condition.

Synchronize (Japanese: シンクロ Synchro) is an Ability introduced in Generation III.

Effect

In battle

When a Pokémon with Synchronize is burned, paralyzed, or poisoned by another Pokémon, that Pokémon will be inflicted with the same status condition. Synchronize will not inflict confusion, sleep or freeze.

Even if Synchronize would have no effect due to the other Pokémon already having a status condition or the other Pokémon's type, Ability, or team condition (e.g. Safeguard), it will still activate (revealing it as the Pokémon's Ability), but have no effect. Synchronize can affect a Pokémon behind a substitute. Synchronize can be activated by other Pokémon's Abilities, such as Static, but cannot be activated by the Toxic Orb or Flame Orb.

If a Pokémon with Synchronize has a Berry that cures the status condition it was just inflicted with, Synchronize will activate before the Berry is eaten.

Generations III and IV

When a Pokémon with Synchronize is badly poisoned by another Pokémon, that Pokémon will be inflicted with the regular poison condition.

If Psycho Shift is used by a burned, paralyzed, or poisoned Pokémon targeting a Pokémon with Synchronize, Synchronize activates after Psycho Shift cures the user of its status condition. Therefore, Synchronize will inflict the status condition anew in such a case.

If a single move such as Discharge results in a status ailment being given to more than one Pokémon (including as a result of Synchronize itself), Pokémon that receive the status in even-numbered orders (second, and possibly fourth) will not be able to activate Synchronize even if they have that ability.

Toxic Spikes do not activate this Ability unless a Pokémon on the field directly causes a Pokémon with Synchronize to switch in, such as by using the moves Roar or Whirlwind.

Generation V onward

When a Pokémon with Synchronize is badly poisoned by another Pokémon, that Pokémon will now be inflicted with the bad poison condition, rather than the regular poison condition.

If Psycho Shift is used by a burned, paralyzed, poisoned, or badly poisoned Pokémon targeting a Pokémon with Synchronize, Synchronize now activates before Psycho Shift cures the user of its status condition. Therefore, Synchronize will fail to inflict the status condition anew in such a case.

If multiple Pokémon receive a status from the same move, Synchronize now gets an opportunity to activate for any Pokémon that has it, regardless of what order they received the status in. Synchronize can now cause another Pokémon's Synchronize to activate, but if this happens, the original Pokémon therefore already has a status condition, and it will merely cause an ability message to appear with no other effect.

Toxic Spikes do not activate this Ability, even if another Pokémon forced the Pokémon with this Ability to switch in by using a move like Roar or Dragon Tail.

In SOS Battles, if a Pokémon with Synchronize is in the first slot of the party when the wild Pokémon calls an ally, there is a 50% chance that the called ally will be forced to have the same Nature as the Pokémon that was originally in the first slot when the battle began (which is not necessarily the Pokémon with Synchronize).

Outside of battle

Generations III-V

From Pokémon Emerald onward, if a Pokémon with Synchronize is in the first slot in the party (even if fainted) when a wild Pokémon is encountered, there is a 50% chance that the game will force it to have the same Nature as the Pokémon in the first slot. (Otherwise, the Nature is chosen at random, so the Pokémon still has a 1 in 25 chance of having the same Nature as the lead Pokémon.) This does not apply to roaming Pokémon, Pokémon in the Pokéwalker, or Pokémon in the Entree Forest. In Emerald, it also does not apply to stationary Pokémon (such as Regirock or Rayquaza).

Generation VI

From Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire onward, if a Pokémon with Synchronize is leading the party, gift Pokémon (except Pokémon obtained via Mystery Gift and Eggs) that are in the No Eggs Discovered Egg Group will always have the same Nature as the Pokémon with this Ability.

Generation VII

In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon only, if a Pokémon with Synchronize is leading the party, gift Pokémon (except Pokémon obtained via Mystery Gift and Eggs) will always have the same Nature as the Pokémon with this Ability regardless of Egg Group.

Generation VIII

In Pokémon Sword and Shield, if a Pokémon with Synchronize is leading the party, wild Pokémon are now guaranteed to have the same Nature as the leading Pokémon (ignoring any Mints). Pokémon encountered in Max Raid Battles or obtained as gift Pokémon are not affected by Synchronize.

In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, entering a Pokémon Hideaway with a lead Pokémon with Synchronize causes all wild Pokémon inside to have the same Nature as the leader.

Generation IX

In Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Synchronize appears to have no effect on the Nature of wild Pokémon.

Pokémon with Synchronize

# Pokémon Types First Ability Second Ability Hidden Ability
  Abra
Psychic Psychic Synchronize Inner Focus Magic Guard
  Kadabra
Psychic Psychic Synchronize Inner Focus Magic Guard
  Alakazam
Psychic Psychic Synchronize Inner Focus Magic Guard
  Mew
Psychic Psychic Synchronize None None
  Natu
Psychic Flying Synchronize Early Bird Magic Bounce
  Xatu
Psychic Flying Synchronize Early Bird Magic Bounce
  Espeon
Psychic Psychic Synchronize None Magic Bounce
  Umbreon
Dark Dark Synchronize None Inner Focus
  Ralts
Psychic Fairy Synchronize Trace Telepathy
  Kirlia
Psychic Fairy Synchronize Trace Telepathy
  Gardevoir
Psychic Fairy Synchronize Trace Telepathy
  Munna
Psychic Psychic Forewarn Synchronize Telepathy
  Musharna
Psychic Psychic Forewarn Synchronize Telepathy
  Elgyem
Psychic Psychic Telepathy Synchronize Analytic
  Beheeyem
Psychic Psychic Telepathy Synchronize Analytic
  Indeedee
Male
Psychic Normal Inner Focus Synchronize Psychic Surge
  Indeedee
Female
Psychic Normal Own Tempo Synchronize Psychic Surge
  Rabsca
Bug Psychic Synchronize None Telepathy
Please note that this is only 100% accurate to Generation IX games.
  • For Generation III games, ignore Abilities introduced in Generation IV or later and Hidden Abilities.
  • For Generation IV games, ignore Hidden Abilities.
  • For Generation V games, ignore Abilities introduced in Generation VI or later.
  • For Generation VI games, ignore Abilities introduced in Generation VII or later.
  • For Generation VII games, ignore Abilities introduced in Generation VIII or later.
  • For Generation VIII games, ignore Abilities introduced in Generation IX or later.

In other games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

In Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky, if the user gets inflicted with paralysis, burn, poison or bad poison, it will inflict all adjacent enemies with that status condition (if possible). Bad poison will be transferred as bad poison, unlike in the core series games prior to Generation V.

Pokémon UNITE

In Pokémon UNITE, Synchronize is Gardevoir's Ability. When an opponent inflicts movement speed reduction or damage over time on the user, this ability inflicts that same effect on the opponent. It goes on a 9s cooldown after being triggered.

Description

Games Description
MDRB
MDTD
Shares status problems with any Pokémon in reach.
MDS Shares status problems with any foes in reach.
BSL どくじょうたい などに なったときに まわりのポケモンも おなじじょうたいに する
MDGtI Passes Poisoned, Badly Poisoned, Paralysis, or Burn status to foes that are next to it.*
When the Pokémon has the Poisoned, Badly Poisoned, Paralysis, or Burn status condition, foes next to it will get the same status condition!*
SMD When the Pokémon is poisoned, is badly poisoned, has paralysis, or has a burn, enemies next to it will get the same status condition!
MDRTDX When the Pokémon is Poisoned, is Badly Poisoned, has Paralysis, or has a Burn, enemies next to it will get the same status condition.


In the manga

Pokémon Adventures


  • Red's Espeon, Vee, was revealed to have Synchronize as his Ability.
  • Green's Abra was revealed to have Synchronize as her Ability.
  • Sabrina's Alakazam was revealed to have Synchronize as her Ability.
  • Greta's Umbreon was revealed to have Synchronize as its Ability.
  • Mew was revealed to have Synchronize as its Ability.

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 同步 Tùhngbouh
Mandarin 同步 Tóngbù
  French Synchro
  German Synchro
  Italian Sincronismo
  Korean 싱크로 Synchro
  Brazilian Portuguese Sincronia
  Spanish Sincronía
  Turkish Eşitleme
  Vietnamese Đồng hóa



  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.