Pokémon Ruby Version, Sapphire Version, and Emerald Version - Priority and Turn Order

Tags: pokemon-ruby-sapphire-and-emerald, battle-system, in-depth-guides, priority

Turn order is determined two times each turn: once after commands are chosen, and again at the end of each turn (before end-of-turn effects).

• Attacks with a higher priority level strike first.
• If two or more attacks have the same priority level, ties are broken using each Pokémon in battle’s Speed. At a 20% chance (which chance was determined as the turn began), all holders of Quick Claw whose attacks have the same priority level will strike at a random order and before other Pokémon whose attacks have the same priority level.
• If there are still ties in priority or Speed, ties are broken at random.

Priority Levels

Every move is categorized in one of ten priority levels:

• 5: Helping Hand
• 4: Magic Coat, Snatch
• 3: Protect, Detect, Endure, Follow Me
• 1: Quick Attack, Mach Punch, Extremespeed, Fake Out
• 0: All other attacks
• -1: Vital Throw
• -3: Focus Punch
• -4: Revenge
• -5: Counter, Mirror Coat
• -6: Whirlwind, Roar

Modifications to Speed

• Speed stat stage is applied.
• If Pokémon has Swift Swim, Speed is doubled in rain.
• If Pokémon has Chlorophyll, Speed is doubled during Sunny Day.
• If Pokémon is holding Macho Brace, Speed is halved.
• If Pokémon is paralyzed, Speed is multiplied by 1/4.
• In battles in which the Bag can be used (except in the Battle Pyramid), if the player has the Dynamo Badge or the Thunder Badge, the Speed of the player’s team’s Pokémon is multiplied by 1.1.

Turn Order Rules

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.