The Pokémon Dictionary

By chaos and Tangerine.
  1. Generations
  2. Styles Of Play
  3. Commonly Used Terms and Abbreviations
  4. Specific Sets and Combinations
  5. General Movesets
  6. Abbreviations of Moves and Items

Generations

In competitive play, the cartridge games are segregated into generations, or groups of games with similar game mechanics. Generations generally correspond to Nintendo's handhelds and are named after the initial two games released on the platform.

Here are the currently recognized generations:

R/B (also known as RBY)

The games Red, Green, Blue and Yellow make up the first generation. The first generation is defined by its heavy centralization around a few Pokémon, due to the small number of available Pokémon and unbalanced mechanics. The generation was largely Speed oriented, which lead to the popularity of paralysis-inflicting moves such as Thunder Wave and Body Slam. RBY also had many glitches that may be implemented in a battling simulator.

G/S (also known as GSC)

Gold / Silver / Crystal is the second generation, most notable for its splitting of the Special stat into Special Attack and Special Defense, in addition to adding two new types of Pokémon. The generation also introduced items, such as Leftovers, which helped promote the slow pace and defensively oriented nature it is famous for. Despite the stall-ish nature of the game, Stall Breaking tactics may still be effective.

R/S (also known as Advance, ADV, and RSE)

The games Ruby / Sapphire / Emerald / FireRed / LeafGreen make up the third generation generation; it introduced abilities, natures, revamped the IV system, and made stat experience into Effort Values. The introduction of items such as Choice Band led to more varied strategies. Introduction of many new Pokémon also made it more difficult to cover every threat. The metagame never truly stabilized despite the heavy usage of certain key Pokémon such as Blissey, Skarmory, Tyranitar, Celebi, and Swampert.

D/P (also known as DPP, DPPt)

Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum make up the current generation and it is famous for changing attacking mechanics so that physical and special moves were differentiated individually rather than by their type. It introduced a particularly large number of quality Pokémon by giving many lackluster Pokémon new evolutions, while introducing many new attacks that gave many Pokémon from previous generations a chance to shine. This large number of Pokémon to choose from also meant that there were too many threats to prepare for, making it impossible to counter everything your opponent attempts to do. Team advantage also became more significant, with many players gaining advantages before the battle even begins.

Styles Of Play

Offense

Offensive teams rely on outspeeding and outdamaging the opponent directly. Players using this style of play will often utilize hard-hitting Pokémon and use resistances and immunities to switch into attacks as opposed to defined walls to take hits. Tactics include lures to eliminate counters, using stat boosters, and utilizing a quick Stealth Rock in order to facilitate kills. The suicide lead is an expansion of the quick Stealth Rock concept and is often used by offensive teams. A suicide lead is essentially a Pokémon in the lead position whose role is to stop the opponent from setting up Stealth Rock and at the same time set up its own Stealth Rock.

Stall

Stall teams are based off of residual damage. This damage can come in many forms, including: sandstorm, hail, Toxic Spikes, Spikes, and Stealth Rock. The majority of Pokémon on a team like this will have good defenses and contribute to the overall goal of indirectly fainting the opponent's team. Tactics include using Ghosts to block Rapid Spin (a move which can eliminate entry hazards like Toxic Spikes, Spikes, Stealth Rock), setting up those entry hazards as fast as possible, and using Pseudo-Hazing (PHazing) moves such as Perish Song, Whirlwind, and Roar.

Balance

This type of team does not rely on any single type of Pokémon. Generally speaking, balanced teams have a couple of sweepers, backed up by a number of walls and/or tanks. Most teams of this type will utilize a form or two of entry hazard. The most successful balanced teams often center around a certain threat, while the other teammates seek to help guarantee a sweep by said threat.

Commonly Used Terms and Abbreviations

Aromatherapist / Cleric
A Pokémon that uses Aromatherapy or Heal Bell.
Auto-Weather
A Pokémon whose ability creates a weather effect such as sand, rain, hail, or sun when they are brought into play.
BP
Base Power of a move.
BST
Refers to the total of a Pokémon's base stats.
Entry Hazards
Any of the attacks which deal damage as a Pokémon switches in - Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes
Hax
An event which has a low probability of happening which critically affects the outcome of a match. Also used to refer to luck in general.
Mixed Sweeper
A sweeper that uses both physical and special offensive moves to do damage. Mixed sweepers are referred to with the Mix- prefix.
NFE
Not Fully Evolved, a Pokémon that is not in its final evolution stage. Most don't see competitive usage outside of Little Cup.
NVE
Not Very Effective, a move that does lowered damage due to resistances.
OHKO
Short for "One-Hit Knockout", though it can also refer to moves that KO the opponent in one hit like Horn Drill.
Phazer / Pseudo-hazer / Shuffler
A Pokémon that uses Roar or Whirlwind.
Pinch Berry
Stat-boosting Berry that activates when the holder falls below 25% health. Often used in conjunction with Substitute, as Substituting 3 times activates the Berry. The most common ones are: Salac (boosts Speed), Petaya (boosts Special Attack), and Liechi (boosts Attack).
Priority
Any attack which will always move first (e.g. Fake Out, ExtremeSpeed, Ice Shard).
Pseudo Passer / Dual Screen
A Pokémon which uses moves like Reflect, Light Screen, and Wish with the intent of passing them to another Pokémon.
Residual damage
Damage taken by a Pokémon without having been attacked, whether by recoil (Life Orb or otherwise), weather (hail or sandstorms), status effects (poison or burn), and entry hazards.
ResTalker / Rest Talk
A Pokémon who uses the moves Rest and Sleep Talk.
Revenge Kill
KOing an opposing Pokémon immediately after one of your own Pokémon has fainted, therefore avoiding the risk of switching into an attack.
Revenge Killer
A Pokémon whose main purpose on a team is to revenge kill certain threats, usually those who your team lacks a solid defense against. Generally characterized by high Speed and frailty. May also be a Trapper.
Spinner
A Pokémon with Rapid Spin.
STAB
Same Type Attack Bonus, which increases the power of a direct attack by 50% if the one of the user's types is the same as the attack's type.
Status-absorber
A Pokémon that can avoid, remove, or use to its advantage one or more status effects through means like Rest Talk or the ability Guts.
Suicide lead
A lead Pokémon that tries to set up entry hazards quickly and prevent opponents from doing the same (with Taunt) before dying.
Supporter
A Pokémon that uses non-offensive moves which benefit the team.
Sweeper
A Pokémon that uses offensive moves to do damage and bring down an opponent's team. Many carry boosting moves like Swords Dance. Usually physically- or specially-oriented.
Tank
A Pokémon intended to take attacks, usually from one side of the spectrum, and hit back.
Trapper
A Pokémon which can either stop an opponent from switching out - via Arena Trap or Magnet Pull - or can KO them even if they do - via Pursuit.
Wall
A Pokémon intended to take attacks, usually from one side of the spectrum, extremely effectively.
Wall-Breaker
An offensively oriented Pokémon meant specifically for crushing walls rather than sweeping. This is usually done with extra powerful offense (even at the expense of continued sweeping abilities or using a Pokémon with low Speed), and often with physical and special moves.

Specific Sets and Combinations

Agiligross
A Metagross with Agility.
Bellyzard
A Charizard with Belly Drum.
Bulkygyara
A Gyarados with defensive EVs, aimed to take hits.
CeleTran
Using Celebi and Heatran as a Defensive Core.
Crocune
A Suicune with Surf, Sleep Talk, Calm Mind, and Rest.
Curselax
A Snorlax with Curse.
GyaraJolt.
Gyarados and Jolteon.
GyaraVire
Gyarados and Electivire.
Lati@s
Latias and Latios collectively.
Mixpert
Swampert with Earthquake, Ice Beam, Surf/Hydro Pump and Stealth Rock/Roar.
TechniTop
A Hitmontop with the ability Technician and a set with low base power priority moves such as Bullet Punch, Fake Out, and Mach Punch.
Tyraniboah / Boah
A Tyranitar with Substitute, Focus Punch, Crunch or Dark Pulse, and Thunderbolt or Ice Beam.
Skarmbliss
Skarmory and Blissey used on the same team. Also called Blisskarm.
Stallrein
A Walrein using Substitute + Protect under hail to stall for up to 32 turns, using Leftovers + Ice Body to fully replenish the HP lost during each two-turn cycle.

General Movesets

BoltBeam
Thunderbolt and Ice Beam.
ChestoRest
Using a Chesto Berry and Rest in tandem to wake up instantly after a Rest.
EndFlail
Endure and Flail.
EndRev
Endure and Reversal.
EndSalac
Endure and item Salac Berry.
Paraflinch
Utilizing both paralysis and flinches to keep an enemy Pokémon from being able to attack.
SubCM
Substitute and Calm Mind.
SubRoost
Substitute and Roost.
SubPunch
Substitute and Focus Punch.
SubSalac
Substitute and item Salac Berry.
SubSeed
Substitute and Leech Seed.

Abbreviations of Moves and Items

AA
Aerial Ace.
BB
Brick Break or Brave Bird.
BP
Short for either Bullet Punch or Baton Pass, depending on the context.
CB/Band
Choice Band, an item that increases the power of physical attacks by roughly 50% but locks the holder into one move (CB is a very common prefix).
CC
Close Combat or Cross Chop.
CM
Calm Mind.
DD
Dragon Dance.
DM
Draco Meteor.
DT
Double Team.
Dual Screen
Light Screen and Reflect.
EQ
Earthquake.
ES
ExtremeSpeed.
FP
Short for either Focus Punch or Full Paralysis, depending on the context.
GK
Grass Knot.
HP
Hidden Power.
Lefties
Leftovers, an item that restores 6.25% of the users health each turn.
LK
Lovely Kiss.
LO
Life Orb, an item that increases the power of the holder's attacks by roughly 30% but takes 10% health each time it issues a direct attack.
MM
Meteor Mash.
NP
Nasty Plot.
QA
Quick Attack.
Scarf
Choice Scarf, an item that increases the holder's Speed by 50% but locks the holder into one move.
SD
Swords Dance.
SE
Stone Edge.
Specs
Choice Specs, an item that increases the power of special attacks by roughly 50% but locks the holder into one move.
SR
Stealth Rock.
STalk
Sleep Talk.
TSpikes or TS
Toxic Spikes.
T-Wave
Thunder Wave.
WoW
Will-O-Wisp.
WW
Whirlwind.