Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Timing Notes

Tags: pokemon-gold-silver-and-crystal, in-depth-guides, timing-notes, battle-system

Contents

• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Turn phases
• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Priority and Turn Order
• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Switching Out
• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Before the attack
• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Obedience check
• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Attacker uses the attack
• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Critical Hits
• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Damage Calculation
• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Stat Stages
• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Type Matchup Chart
• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Accuracy
• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - End of attack
• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - End of turn
• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Fainting and Switching Out
• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Chance of Running in Wild Battles
• Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Tag Battles

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Turn phases

An overview of a turn

Every turn of a Pokémon battle consists of these steps in this order.

1. Commands: Both players choose their commands (see below)
2. Pokémon that chose to use an item will now do so.
3. Turn order is calculated.
4. Pokémon that chose to switch out will now do so.
5. Pokémon use their attacks.
   1. Before the attack
   2. Obedience check
   3. During the attack
   4. Critical Hits
   5. Damage calculation (also see Stat Stages and the Type Matchup Chart)
   6. Accuracy Check
   7. After the attack
6. End of the turn.

Commands

At the beginning of the turn, the menu of commands appears with "Fight", "Pokémon", "Pack", and "Run."

• Fight: Choose a move from the list of moves that appears. This move chosen is called the move "chosen for use" for this turn.
• Pokémon: Check data on Pokémon or switch the Pokémon in battle. Switching is not usable if a Pokémon "can’t switch out" because of a move’s effect.
• Pack: Use an item on the Pokémon in battle, who skips its attack this turn.
• Run: Attempt to run from a wild Pokémon battle. See the Chance of Running in wild Pokémon Battles section, below, for how the game calculates the escape rate.

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Priority and Turn Order

After both Pokémon choose an attack the turn order (who gets to use the attack first) is determined. All attacks are categorized in four priority levels:

2: Endure, Protect, Detect -> 1: Quick Attack, Mach Punch, Extremespeed -> 0: All other attacks -> -1: Counter, Mirror Coat, Whirlwind, Roar, Vital Throw

• The attack with the higher priority strikes first.
• If both attacks have the same priority, the holder of Quick Claw has a 23.4% chance of striking first,. If this chance succeeds and both Pokémon hold a Quick Claw, the one who strikes first is randomly determined (in battles in which Exp. Points can be gained, the player’s Pokémon always strikes first in this case).
• Otherwise, the Pokémon with the higher Speed strikes first.
• If both Pokémon have the same Speed, the one who strikes first is randomly determined.

Calculating Speed

This process is followed to calculate a Pokémon’s Speed in battle. These calculations are done in advance rather than when determining turn order.

1. Multiply the Speed by the Speed multiplier derived from the Pokémon’s Speed stat stage .
2. In a battle in which Exp. Points can be gained, if the Pokémon is controlled by the player and the player has earned the Plain Badge, the Speed rises by 1/8 of its previous value.
3. If the Pokémon is paralyzed, divide the Speed by 4.

For the purposes of Detect, Endure, and Protect, Pokémon that chose to switch at the beginning of a turn are ignored when determining whether a particular Pokémon "strikes last" in that turn.

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Switching Out

After that, Pokémon that chose to switch out do so.

When a Pokémon enters the battle, the effect of Spikes applies for that Pokémon and that Pokémon faints if Spikes causes the Pokémon to have zero HP. If both sides have Spikes and both Pokémon are switched out, here is what happens:

Leader’s Pokémon switches out --> Leader’s Pokémon loses HP because of Spikes --> Other player’s Pokémon switches out --> Other player’s Pokémon loses HP because of Spikes --> Pokémon with zero HP faint

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Before the attack

After that, the following steps are taken for each Pokémon about to use an attack.

If the Pokémon flinches and isn’t asleep or frozen, it skips its attack.

If the Pokémon used Hyper Beam on its previous turn, it "must recharge" and skips its attack. (If the Pokémon also flinches, the "X must recharge!" message isn’t shown but Hyper Beam’s effect will still end.)

Then, the game checks to see if the attacker is asleep. If so, the attack is not used unless either Snore or Sleep Talk was chosen. Next, if Pokémon is asleep ("[Name] is fast asleep!") the game checks if the Pokémon has waken up. If the Pokémon is frozen, the Pokémon won’t use the attack unless it’s Flame Wheel or Sacred Fire (not even on the second attack segment of Fly, Dig, and so on).

Then:

1. If the attacker is confused, there is a 50% chance for the attacker to hit itself instead.
2. If the attacker is in love, there is a 50% chance for the attack to be canceled.
3. The attacker can’t use the move if it can’t be used because of Disable.
4. If the attacker is paralyzed, there is a 50% chance for the attacker to be unable to move.
5. Obedience check, see below.

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Obedience check

In a battle in which Exp. Points can be gained, only after choosing an attack, the game checks to see if the Pokémon is of a different ID from that of the player. (The OT name is not considered.) If so, the following process is used:

• The badge level (B) is determined based on the player’s Badges.
  • If the player has no Badges, B is 10.
  • If the player has the Hive Badge, B is 30.
  • If the player has the Fog Badge, B is 50.
  • If the player has the Storm Badge, B is 70.
  • If the player has the Rising Badge, B is 101.
• If the Pokémon’s level (L) is greater than B and a random integer from 0 through (L + B - 1) is greater than or equal to B and the Pokémon is attempting to use a move, the Pokémon becomes disobedient. When disobedient, the Pokémon no longer has a move it last used, Encore ends against the Pokémon, and one of the following happens:
  • If the Pokémon would use Snore or Sleep Talk while it’s asleep, the Pokémon instead "ignore[s] orders sleeping".
  • Otherwise, if another random integer from 0 through (L + B - 1) is greater than or equal to B:
    • C is set to N - (L - B), where N is a random integer from 0 through 255.
    • If C is 0 or greater and is greater than or equal to L minus B, one of the following messages is used: "X is loafing around", "X ignored orders!", "X turned away!", "X won’t obey!"
    • If C is 0 or greater and is less than L minus B, the message shown is "X won’t obey!" and the Pokémon deals confusion damage to itself.
    • If C is less than 0, the message shown is "X began to nap!" and the Pokémon goes to sleep. (Not prevented by Safeguard or Substitute.)
  • Otherwise, the Pokémon will attempt to use a different move if possible. (It could not use a different move while asleep, during the effect of Disable, or if the different move has zero PP, but it could while frozen, even if the different move isn’t Flame Wheel or Sacred Fire.) If it can’t, one of the following messages is used: "X is loafing around", "X ignored orders!", "X turned away!", "X won’t obey!" If the Pokémon uses a different move, the last move it used is not set to that move, the last move it chose for use is set to that move, and PP is reduced from that different move instead of from the move ordered.

An obedience check is done even if the Pokémon uses Pursuit as the opposing Pokémon is about to switch. An obedience check is not done if the Pokémon is continuing to use Thrash, Petal Dance, Outrage, Bide, Rollout, or a two-turn attack during their effects.

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Attacker uses the attack

"[Name] used [Attack]!"

Then if, as commands were chosen, there is no PP remaining for all moves ("There’s no PP left for this move!"), the move Struggle is used instead. Otherwise, the move’s PP is reduced by 1. If the PP can’t be reduced this way, the Pokémon doesn’t use that move instead. Fly, Dig, Petal Dance, Thrash, Rollout, and the like use up 1 PP only when selected. If a different attack is used because of disobedience, 1 PP is spent for the attack actually used.

The exception to PP reduction is Struggle when it’s chosen for use automatically because the Pokémon has no moves it could choose.

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Critical Hits

The method for determining a critical hit is below.

• Set C to 0.
• If Focus Energy is in effect for attacker, add 1 to C.
• If attack is Aero Blast, Crab Hammer, Cross Chop, Karate Chop, Razor Leaf, or Slash, add 2 to C.
• If attacker is holding Scope Lens, add 1 to C.
• If attacker’s current species is Chansey and the attacker is holding Lucky Punch, C is set to 2.
• If attacker’s current species is Farfetch’d and the attacker is holding Stick, C is set to 2.
• The critical hit chance is as follows:
  • C = 0: 17/256
  • C = 1: 32/256
  • C = 2: 64/256
  • C = 3: 85/256
  • C = 4 or more: 128/256

A critical hit deals two times more damage than usual (see below). Also during a critical hit, if the attacker’s Attack or Special Attack stat stage is equal to or less than the opposing Pokémon’s Defense or Special Defense stat stage, changes to Attack, Defense, Special Attack, and Special Defense because of Reflect, Light Screen, badges, stat stages, and burns are ignored.

An attack’s critical hit chance is determined before damage calculation.

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Damage Calculation

After that, the damage is calculated. This is the damage calculation process for Pokémon Gold Version, Pokémon Silver Version, Pokémon Crystal Version, and Pokémon Stadium 2 (known as Pokémon Stadium Gold and Silver in Japan). The game performs each step in the following order.

• In battles in which Exp. Points can be gained, the badges have the appropriate stat multiplied by 9 and divided by 8 for Pokémon controlled by the player (the Zephyr Badge raises Attack, the Plain Badge raises Speed, the Mineral Badge raises Defense, and the Glacier Badge raises Special Attack).* (This calculation is done in advance rather than during damage calculation.)
• Stat stage modifying attacks (see below) modify the appropriate stat (Attack or Defense).* (This calculation is done in advance rather than during damage calculation.)
• If the attacker is burned, halve the Attack value.* (This calculation is done in advance rather than during damage calculation.)
• If the attack is Selfdestruct or Explosion, divide the opposing Pokémon’s Defense by 2.
• If Reflect is in effect for the opposing Pokémon, double the Defense value.*
• If Light Screen is in effect for the opposing Pokémon, double the Special Defense value.*
• If the attacker’s original species is Pikachu and the attacker is holding Light Ball, Special Attack is doubled.
• If the attacker’s original species is Cubone or Marowak and the attacker is holding Thick Club, Attack is doubled.
• If the Attack or Special Attack stat, the Defense or Special Defense stat, or both exceeds 255, divide both stats by 4 (in Pokémon Gold Version, Pokémon Silver Version, and Pokémon Crystal Version, the result is then truncated to an 8-bit integer; for example, 0x0123 in hexadecimal becomes 0x0023).
• If the opposing Pokémon’s original species is Ditto and the opposing Pokémon is holding Metal Powder, both Defense and Special Defense are multiplied by 1.5.
• If the Attack or Special Attack stat, the Defense or Special Defense stat, or both is 0, it becomes 1.
• The damage is equal to:

  int(int(int(2*L/5+2)*A*P/D)/50)

  where L is the attacker’s level, A is the attacker’s Attack or Special Attack value, P is the attack’s power, and D is the opposing Pokémon’s Defense or Special Defense value. For physical attack types (Normal, Fighting, Flying, Poison, Ground, Rock, Bug, Ghost, Steel), use the Attack and Defense values. For special attack types (Fire, Water, Electric, Grass, Ice, Psychic, Dragon, Dark), use the Special Attack and Special Defense values.
• When the attack does a critical hit (see above), the calculated damage is doubled.
• If the attacker is holding certain items like Pink Bow and Charcoal, multiply the calculated damage by 1.1 (multiply by 110, divide by 100) if the attacker is using an attack of the appropriate type.
• If the damage calculated is greater than 997, it becomes 997.
• Add 2 to the calculated damage.
• Weather. Sunny Day raises the damage of Fire-type attacks by 50% and lowers the damage of Water-type attacks by 50%. Rain Dance raises the damage of Water-type attacks by 50%, lowers the damage of Fire-type attacks by 50%, and halves the damage done by Solarbeam.
• Badges. In Pokémon Gold Version, Pokémon Silver Version, and Pokémon Crystal Version, in battles in which Exp. Points can be gained, the Johto and Kanto badges multiply damage of the appropriate attack type by 9/8 for Pokémon controlled by the player, as shown here: Zephyr Badge: Flying; Hive Badge: Bug; Plain Badge: Normal; Mineral Badge: Steel; Glacier Badge: Ice; Fog Badge: Ghost; Storm Badge: Fighting; Rising Badge: Dragon; Soul Badge: Poison; Volcano Badge: Fire; Boulder Badge: Rock; Rainbow Badge: Grass; Marsh Badge: Psychic; Earth Badge: Ground; Thunder Badge: Electric; Cascade Badge: Water.
• Same Type Attack Bonus. If the attack type shares a type with one of the user’s types, the damage is multiplied by 1.5.
• Types of the attacker and the opposing Pokémon. The damage calculated is multiplied by a multiplier that depends on the attacker’s and the opposing Pokémon’s types (see the Type Matchup Chart, below). As an exception, after Foresight is used against the opposing Pokémon, normal and fighting attacks against the opposing Pokémon are normally effective against the Ghost type.
• Finally, in a process called "damage variance", a random integer from 217 through 255 is multiplied in the currently calculated damage, and divided by 255.

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Stat Stages

Stat stages refer to levels that raise or lower stats during a battle. Each stat stage has 13 different levels.

That stat scale applies to the stat stages for Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed. At the start of a battle, each Pokémon’s stat stages begin at 0. The stat stages for a Pokémon are reset to 0 when the Pokémon leaves the battle, (except Baton Pass). Each stat stage can’t go lower than -6 or higher than 6. To apply those stat stages, multiply the stat by the stat multiplier for the corresponding stat stage, then adjust the stat so that it’s neither less than 1 nor greater than 999.

The term "stat stages" refers to those for Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed, as well as those for Evasion and Accuracy (see the "Accuracy Check" section, below).

Stat Modification

When an effect raises or reduces a Pokémon’s Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, or Speed stat stage; when an item is used to cure poison, burn, paralysis, freezing, or sleep; when a Pokémon gains a level (after calculating new stats); when Haze is used by either Pokémon in battle; or when Rest is used, the new values of the Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed stats are each the original stat modified by badges, stat stages, and (in Pokémon Gold Version, Pokémon Silver Version, and Pokémon Crystal Version) paralysis and burns, but not less than 1 or greater than 999.

When an effect paralyzes or burns a Pokémon, the current Speed or Attack, respectively, is reduced to 1/4 of its previous value, rounded down, but not less than 1, and other stats remain unchanged.

When Transform is used, the opposing Pokémon’s original Attack, Defense, Special stats, and Speed, as determined in the preceding sentences, are copied and the user’s original stats become equal to those values until Transform’s effect ends, but the user’s current stats remain unchanged.

When a Pokémon enters the battle, the new values of the Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed stats are each the original stat modified by badges, paralysis, and burns.

When a Pokémon enters the battle because of Baton Pass, instead the new values of the Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed stats are each the original stat modified by stat stages. In Stadium 2 (called "Pokémon Stadium Gold and Silver" in Japan and "Pokémon Stadium 2" elsewhere), if that Pokémon’s stat stage would be greater than 0, its stats are also modified by paralysis and burns.

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Type Matchup Chart

Attack types are the rows; Pokémon types are the columns. If a Pokémon has two types, the type matchups from both types are multiplied.

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Accuracy

If the attack has flag "g" in the list of moves, an accuracy check is now done for it.

In an accuracy check, the following situations are checked in order. Earlier effects take precedence over later effects.

1. Using Dream Eater when the opposing Pokémon is not sleeping will fail.
2. If the opposing Pokémon had used Protect or Detect, attack will fail.
3. If attacker had used Mind Reader or Lock-on, attack won’t hit if the opposing Pokémon is using Fly and the attack is Earthquake, Fissure, or Magnitude, or the attack will succeed otherwise (Gust, Thunder, Twister, and Whirlwind will be effective even to opponents using Dig). Either way, the effect of Mind Reader and Lock-on now ends.
4. Absorb, Dream Eater, Giga Drain, Leech Life, and Mega Drain on a substitute will fail.
5. Gust, Thunder, Twister, and Whirlwind are effective if the opposing Pokémon if using Fly, and all other attacks will miss on them. Earthquake, and Magnitude are effective to Pokémon using Dig, and all other attacks will miss on them.
6. During Rain Dance, Thunder won’t miss.
7. Swift won’t miss.

Then, the accuracy rate is decided as follows. Each Pokémon has one stat stage each for evasion and accuracy, which are not really stats, but affect an attack’s probability of hitting an opposing Pokémon. The table below shows the multipliers for evasion and accuracy.

An attack’s accuracy is multiplied by its user’s accuracy multiplier, as shown in the table above, but not to less than 1, then multiplied by its the opposing Pokémon’s evasion multiplier, as shown in the table above, but not to less than 1 or greater than 255. For attacks with flag "g", if the opposing Pokémon is holding BrightPowder, the accuracy falls by 20, but not to less than 0. Then, if the accuracy equals 255, it will hit. Otherwise, the attack will hit if a random integer from 0 through 255 is less than its accuracy.

Accuracy and evasion are two of a Pokémon’s stat stages. Like other stat stages, each Pokémon begins with a stat stage of 0, and a Pokémon’s stat stages are reset to 0 when it leaves the battle (except Baton Pass)..

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - End of attack

If an attack is successful (including each hit of a multi-hit attack), the following effects resolve:

1. Recoil/Drain
2. If the attack has an additional effect such as a stat stage modification, poisoning, or burning, the probability of the effect happening is now determined. If a random integer from 0 through 255 is less than the attack’s additional effect chance, the additional effect will occur. For instance, for Blizzard, there is a 51/256 chance the opposing Pokémon will become frozen. The additional effect won’t occur if the opposing Pokémon faints because of damage, even if the attack is Ancientpower, Metal Claw, or Steel Wing.
3. The opposing Pokémon faints if it has zero HP
4. Destiny Bond/Rage effect
5. Defrost check

After a Pokémon’s attack segment, any end-of-attack effects will happen for that Pokémon. These effects happen even if a Pokémon doesn’t choose a move for use at the beginning of the attack segment. These effects are, in order:

1. HP loss from poison/burn
2. HP loss and recovery from Leech Seed
3. Effect of Nightmare
4. Effect of Curse

If a Pokémon faints at any time during its attack segment, including the end of its attack segment, no end-of-attack effects are applied to either that Pokémon or the new Pokémon, and if the Pokémon struck first, the opposing Pokémon’s attack segment is skipped. (If the opposing Pokémon used Hyper Beam on the previous turn, it "must recharge" on the next possible attack segment.)

If a Pokémon faints before the end of an opposing Pokémon’s attack segment, usually as the result of an attack, no end-of-attack effects are applied to the opposing Pokémon.

When a Pokémon switches out or uses Baton Pass, the Pokémon that replaces it does nothing during its attack segment but any end-of-attack effects are still applied to that Pokémon.

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - End of turn

These effects are invoked at the end of the turn, after all Pokémon take their attack segments. The effects are, in order:

1. Future Sight (non-leader first)
2. Sandstorm/Sunny Day/Rain Dance
3. Multi-turn attacks
4. Perish Song
5. Recover with Leftovers
6. Check if defrosted
7. Check end of Reflect/Light Screen/Safeguard
8. Check for condition based on Berry
9. Check end of Encore

Effects above that apply to both players are resolved leader-first unless noted otherwise.

For Future Sight, Perish Song, and Sandstorm, the game applies the effect to each Pokémon; then each Pokémon with 0 HP faints; then the player’s Pokémon gain Exp. Points for fainted opponents if necessary; then new Pokémon in battle are chosen if necessary; then the game is decided.

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Fainting and Switching Out

If a Pokémon faints at any time during its attack segment, including the end of its attack segment, no end-of-attack effects are applied to either that Pokémon or the new Pokémon, and if the Pokémon struck first, the opposing Pokémon’s attack segment is skipped. (If the opposing Pokémon used Hyper Beam on the previous turn, it "must recharge" on the next possible attack segment.)

If a Pokémon faints before the end of an opposing Pokémon’s attack segment, usually as the result of an attack, no end-of-attack effects are applied to the opposing Pokémon.

When a Pokémon switches out or uses Baton Pass, the Pokémon that replaces it does nothing during its attack segment but any end-of-attack effects are still applied to that Pokémon.

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Chance of Running in Wild Battles

In a wild Pokémon battle, if the current Speed of the Pokémon trying to run is equal to or greater than the opposing Pokémon’s, running is successful. Otherwise, the formula below is used.

X=int(A*32/B)+(30*C)

where:

• A = Current Speed of Pokémon trying to run
• B = Remainder of (D / 4) divided by 256 where D is the current Speed of the opposing Pokémon. If B equals 0, running is successful.
• C = Number of times the player already tried to run this battle, not counting the current attempt. Doesn’t count attempts to run when an effect (such as Mean Look) prevents the Pokémon from running. This variable is reset to 0 when the player chooses the Fight command, but doesn’t change when the player’s Pokémon changes.

If X is greater than 255, running is successful. Otherwise, if a random integer from 0 through 255 is less than or equal to X, running is successful. Otherwise, running fails.

Pokémon Gold Version, Silver Version, and Crystal Version - Tag Battles

In Stadium 2 (called "Pokémon Stadium Gold and Silver" in Japan and "Pokémon Stadium 2" elsewhere), two players can team up on a single side. Each player on a side enters six Pokémon, then chooses three of them before a battle begins. There are two variations of this so-called "tag battle":

• For the Anything Goes rules, each player on a side with two players can choose only a Pokémon he or she controls when it’s switched out or replaced with Baton Pass. Nevertheless, Whirlwind and Roar can replace the Pokémon on a side with another one controlled by either player on that side. If all Pokémon on a single side faint, that side loses.
• For other rules, each player on a side with two players can choose only a Pokémon controlled by the other player on that side when it’s switched out or replaced with Baton Pass. Nevertheless, Whirlwind and Roar can replace the Pokémon on either side with another one controlled by either player on that side. If all Pokémon controlled by even one of the players on a side faint, that side loses. (Because of this, the rules for Destiny Bond, Explosion, Perish Song, and Selfdestruct are applicable if one player on a side has only one Pokémon remaining.)

Things such as same-species and same-item restrictions are enforced only for each player’s team individually, not for the combined team when a battle begins.