Counter (move)

Counter (Japanese: カウンター Counter) is a damage-dealing move introduced in Generation I. It was TM18 in Generation I.

Generation I
If the last amount of damage done before the use of Counter is greater than 0 and was dealt by a or  attack (except Counter), Counter will do twice as much damage to the opponent. Otherwise, Counter misses.

Although Counter deals Fighting-type damage, it is not affected by type effectiveness (so it can affect Pokémon).

Counter is a decreased priority move. If the opponent does not use a decreased priority move during the round that it is used, Counter will go last regardless of the user's or opponent's speed. If the opponent also uses a decreased priority move during the same round, the attack order of the users will be determined normally. If the user is put to or is  during the round that Counter is (or attempts to be) used, Counter's decreased speed priority will not be reset. Subsequently, it will only be reset on the turn after the user wakes up or is defrosted, or if the user switches out.

Counter can cause a critical hit, but the actual amount of damage dealt by it will not be altered by a critical hit. Counter will only counter the last hit of a multi-hit move and the last attack of a partial trapping move. Counter will always miss if called by.

If both active Pokémon use Counter during the same round, both attacks will fail. An attack absorbed by a can be countered for the amount of damage it would have done to the user had the user not had a substitute.

Handheld games
Switching, full, and using a multi-turn move will not reset the last amount of damage done, allowing Counter to counter itself as well as self-inflicted recoil damage. If an HP-restoring or battle item is used on the opponent during the same round that Counter is used, Counter will counter the item.

Specifically, Counter will fail in the following circumstances (displayed as a miss):
 * If the opponent's last selected move's power is 0 (all damaging moves have non-zero power, including moves like that deal fixed damage)
 * If the opponent's last selected move's type is not Normal or Fighting, or if the move is Counter
 * If the last move used in the battle did no damage to its target, unless it is one of a few select status moves that do not reset the data for the last damage-dealing move used.
 * These moves are:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Stadium
In Stadium, switching, full paralysis, and using a multi-turn move reset the last amount of damage done, so Counter can't counter itself or self-inflicted recoil damage if the opponent does not make a move on its following turn.

Generations II and III
Counter counters all physical moves for twice the damage done to the user. Counter no longer counters a move that hits a substitute. Furthermore, Ghost-type Pokémon are now immune to Counter.

Counter can counter regardless of its actual type.

In the Generation II core series games only, the OHKO moves and  (but not ) can be countered for maximum damage if they missed.

In Double Battles, Counter will hit the last opponent that dealt physical damage to the attacker. Counter cannot affect allied Pokémon.

Counter can also be used as part of a Pokémon Contest combination, with the user gaining extra two appeal points if move was used in the prior turn.

Generation IV
Counter can no longer be copied by.

Counter can no longer counter, since Hidden Power is now a special move.

Generation V onwards
In Triple Battles, Counter can hit non-adjacent opponents provided a non-adjacent opponent was the last Pokémon to attack the user.

If the Pokémon using Counter is hit by a physical attack that deals 0 damage, Counter becomes a physical move with 1 base power.

Counter can also be used as part of a Contest Spectacular combination, with the user gaining an extra three appeal points if any of the moves, or  was used in the prior turn.

Description

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The user gains the Counter status and returns any damage dealt to it from physical moves (including the regular A button attack) equal to the damage received. Oddly in Explorers of Time and Darkness, though moves are assigned as Physical or Special in game, Counter will return damage from damaging moves from types previously assigned as physical prior to the Physical/Special split. The Counter status lasts 7-12, or 6 turns.

Pokémon GO

 * Prior to an update to Niantic's servers on February 21, 2017, Counter had a power of 10.

Description

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Trivia

 * In the Spanish and Italian versions of the games, the move was incorrectly translated to Contador and Contatore respectively (meaning someone or something that counts). This translation was corrected to Contraataque and Contrattacco (meaning "counterattack") in the Generation VI games. The Spanish dub also corrected the name to Contraataque.
 * The Polish dub of the anime committed the same error.
 * Counter is the only decreased priority move introduced in Generation I.

In other languages
Konter Contraataque Riposte Contrattacco カウンター 双倍奉还（招式）