Pokémon Diamond Version, Pearl Version, and Platinum Version - Targeting

Tags: pokemon-diamond-pearl-and-platinum, battle-system, in-depth-guides, targeting

The game now finds the attack’s target. This depends on the attack’s range.

The possible ranges are:

• All exc. user: All Pokémon other than the user.
• All opposing Pokémon
• Ally: User’s partner. If user doesn’t have a partner as commands are chosen, user doesn’t choose a target.)
• Both sides
• No particular target
• Opposing Pokémon’s side
• Random opposing Pokémon: A single opposing Pokémon, selected at random.
• Single exc. user: A single Pokémon other than the user, selected at random.
• Single opposing Pokémon
• User
• User or ally: Either the user or its partner (if any).
• User’s side

If an effect causes a Pokémon to use a move "with no particular target", or no target was selected for the move, and the move has a range of "single Pokémon except user", "no particular target", "opposing Pokémon selected at random", or "single opposing Pokémon", the target is chosen randomly among the opposing Pokémon. For all other target types, the move targets all Pokémon that fit the targeting criteria. Note that attacks with a range of "no particular target", "opposing Pokémon’s side", "user’s side", and "both sides" don’t target a particular Pokémon.

If an attack has more than one target, the effect is applied to each target separately, in the order in which they take their attack segments in that turn.

If an attack’s move has a single target and there is no Pokémon at a potential target’s position, the attack targets one of the opposing Pokémon instead, at random.

If an attack has no target, the attack does nothing.

Three effects affect targets: Follow Me, Lightningrod/Storm Drain, and Magic Coat. They are applied in this order:

• Follow Me takes effect. If the attack is redirected to another target, the remaining effects below are ignored. (See attack description for Follow Me for details.)
• If Magic Coat is in effect for the target when certain moves are used, that target uses that attack instead, and the remaining effects below for the previous attack are ignored. (See attack description for Magic Coat for details. If this effect happens, effects that trigger whenever that target is targeted by an attack don’t happen.)
• If a Pokémon other than the target has Lightningrod or Storm Drain, the attack is redirected to that target. (See those abilities' descriptions for details.)

The Pressure ability takes into account the target determined after Follow Me is applied.

If an attack has multiple targets, the effects for the first target in turn order resolve, then the effects for the second target in turn order, and so on.