Pokémon Natures
All 25 natures with stat boosts, cuts, and competitive recommendations · Filter by stat
| Nature | +10% Stat | −10% Stat | Tier | Best For |
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Pokémon Natures — Complete Guide
Every Pokémon has one of 25 natures, set at the moment it is encountered or hatched. Natures raise one stat by 10% and lower another by 10%, making nature choice one of the highest-impact teambuilding decisions in competitive play. Five natures — Hardy, Docile, Serious, Bashful, and Quirky — are neutral and leave all stats unchanged.
How natures affect stats
A nature's modifier is applied to the final stat formula: a +10% nature multiplies the stat total by 1.1, and a −10% nature multiplies by 0.9. At level 50 (standard VGC), the difference between a boosting and hindering nature on a 252 EV stat can exceed 20 points — often the margin between a KO and a survive. The five stats that can be modified are Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. HP is never affected by nature.
Jolly vs. Adamant — when to choose
Jolly (+Speed, −Sp. Atk) and Adamant (+Attack, −Sp. Atk) are the two premier physical attacker natures. Use Jolly when you need to hit a specific Speed tier — for example, reaching 252 Speed to outpace base-130s like Dragapult or base-115s like Iron Valiant. Use Adamant when your Pokémon is already fast enough without the boost, or when the extra Attack secures a key OHKO your team depends on. Use the counters tool to check which threats you need to outspeed.
Timid vs. Modest — when to choose
Timid (+Speed, −Attack) and Modest (+Sp. Atk, −Attack) serve the same trade-off for special attackers. Timid is default for offensive special attackers in standard formats. Modest is a valid choice on bulkier special attackers (like Heatran or Volcarona) where the Speed gap is covered by priority, paralysis support, or Trick Room, and the extra Special Attack power pushes past important damage thresholds.
Trick Room natures
Under Trick Room, the turn order is reversed — the slowest Pokémon moves first. This makes Brave (+Attack, −Speed) the gold standard for physical Trick Room attackers and Quiet (+Sp. Atk, −Speed) the equivalent for special attackers. Minimising Speed via a 0 Speed IV stacks with the nature's −10% modifier for maximum slowness. Defensive Trick Room setters often run Relaxed (+Defense, −Speed) or Sassy (+Sp. Def, −Speed).
Natures for walls and support Pokémon
Defensive natures drop a rarely-used attacking stat in exchange for a defensive buff. Bold (+Defense, −Attack) and Impish (+Defense, −Sp. Atk) both raise Defense; choose Bold for physical walls that never use their Attack stat, or Impish when the Pokémon uses physical utility moves that are based on Attack (like Seismic Toss). Calm (+Sp. Def, −Attack) and Careful (+Sp. Def, −Sp. Atk) are analogous for special walls — Careful is typical for Pokémon with no special moves, while Calm suits mixed defenders. See the type chart to identify which attack types your wall needs to handle.
Nature Mints (Gen VIII+)
Since Sword and Shield, Nature Mints let you apply a different nature's stat modification to any Pokémon without changing the underlying nature value. Mints are available from the Battle Tower and do not affect Synchronize encounters. This means any Pokémon can be corrected to any nature with enough BP, removing the need to soft-reset for the right nature unless it is specifically required for breeding or cosmetic reasons. Once your team is ready, share it on crob.at.
Frequently asked questions
- Does nature affect HP?
- No. Nature never modifies the HP stat — only Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed.
- What are the 5 neutral natures?
- Hardy, Docile, Serious, Bashful, and Quirky. These natures boost and cut the same stat, so the net effect is 1× — no change.
- Can I change a Pokémon's nature?
- You can override the stat effect using a Nature Mint (Gen VIII+), but the underlying nature does not change. There is no way to permanently change a Pokémon's nature in-game.
- What is the best nature for a wall?
- Bold or Impish for physical walls; Calm or Careful for special walls. The choice between the two depends on whether the Pokémon uses any physical or special moves respectively.