Stench
Summary
Stench is an ability in the Pokémon series that predominantly provides an opportunity to cause the opponent to flinch when the Pokémon endowed with Stench executes a damaging move. Inside the battle, this ability bestows a 10% chance to instigate the target to flinch, impeding them from taking action in that turn provided the holder of the ability acts first. This flinch effect can serve as a strategic asset in dictating the tempo of the battle.
Beyond the realm of battles, Stench exerts an additional benefit—it slashes the wild Pokémon encounter rate by 50% given the Pokémon possessing this prowess is leading the player's party. This proves to be extremely useful for players who prefer to bypass repetitive random encounters while navigating through zones densely populated with wild Pokémon.
Notwithstanding the flinch effect's subdued activation rate, Stench can be amalgamated with certain moves or strategies to formulate flinch-centric tactics. For instance, coupling it with moves that naturally boast a high flinch rate, or with powerful items such as the King’s Rock, can yield promising synergy.
Effects
- This Pokémon's damaging moves have a 10% chance to make the target flinch with each hit if they do not already cause flinching as a secondary effect. This ability does not stack with a held item. Overworld: The wild encounter rate is halved while this Pokémon is first in the party.
Flavor Texts
- ruby-sapphire: Helps repel wild POKéMON.
- emerald: Helps repel wild POKéMON.
- firered-leafgreen: Helps repel wild POKéMON.
- diamond-pearl: The stench helps keep wild Pokémon away.
- platinum: The stench helps keep wild Pokémon away.
- heartgold-soulsilver: The stench helps keep wild Pokémon away.
- black-white: The stench may cause the target to flinch.
- black-2-white-2: The stench may cause the target to flinch.
- x-y: The stench may cause the target to flinch.
- omega-ruby-alpha-sapphire: The stench may cause the target to flinch.
- sun-moon: By releasing stench when attacking, this Pokémon may cause the target to flinch.
- ultra-sun-ultra-moon: By releasing stench when attacking, this Pokémon may cause the target to flinch.
- lets-go-pikachu-lets-go-eevee: By releasing stench when attacking, this Pokémon may cause the target to flinch.
- sword-shield: By releasing stench when attacking, this Pokémon may cause the target to flinch.
- scarlet-violet: By releasing a stench when attacking, the Pokémon may cause the target to flinch.
Pokémon with the Stench ability
Gloom
44 - Grass, Poison
Grimer
88 - Poison
Muk
89 - Poison
Koffing
109 - Poison
Weezing
110 - Poison
Stunky
434 - Poison, Dark
Skuntank
435 - Poison, Dark
Trubbish
568 - Poison
Garbodor
569 - Poison
Garbodor-Gmax
10207 - Poison