Psychic-type Pokemon: Weaknesses & Strengths explained
The Pokemon CompanyMewtwo is the most iconic Psychic-type Pokemon ever.
Psychic-type Pokemon are some of the strongest and most sought-after creatures in the game. However, players must understand their strengths to exploit their full potential when using them or know the proper counters when fighting them. Here’s a guide to understand everything about them.
Engaging with Psychic types can be intimidating for trainers. Their capacity to confound your Pokemon, causing self-inflicted harm, and their ability to induce sleep can turn the tide of battle. Moreover, when victory seems within reach, they can disappear, preventing both triumph and capture.
Psychic-type Pokemon have existed since the very first generation of Pokemon games, so they’ve given players trouble for over 25 years. They’re great if you’re using them, but a nightmare if you’re up against them. The good news is that Psychic-type Pokemon have some well-known weaknesses you can exploit when battling another trainer or trying to catch them in the wild.
Here’s what you need to know to survive an encounter with a Psychic-type Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet or any other main series game – and to come out victorious.
Contents
- Psychic-type Pokemon weaknesses
- Psychic-type Pokemon strengths & resistances
- Best counters for Psychic-type Pokemon
- What is a Psychic-type Pokemon?
- All Psychic-type moves
Psychic-type Pokemon weaknesses
When going into battle against Psychic-type Pokemon, it pays to know that they are weak against Bug, Ghost, and Dark-type moves.
Dark-type Pokemon are especially useful against Psychic-types Pokemon, as they are immune to Psychic-type moves. This was introduced in Gen 2 as a means of curbing the overwhelming dominance of Psychic-type Pokemon in Gen 1, established by the likes of Mewtwo and Alakazam.
Psychic moves also don’t do very much damage against Steel-type Pokemon or other Psychic types. Of course, this also means there’s little point in bringing a Psychic-type to battle another Psychic-type Pokemon.
Remember, a Psychic-type Pokemon could also have a second type; for example, they could also be a Grass-type. In this case, they’ll also be weak against other forms of damage relating to that type.
For example, if you were battling the mythical Grass/Psychic-type Celebi, then Fire-type moves would also be effective as well as Bug, Ghost, and Dark-type moves.
Psychic-type Pokemon strengths & resistances
We’d also avoid bringing Fighting-type Pokemon into a battle against Psychic-types, as their moves do little to no damage against them. Meanwhile, Psychic-type moves do double damage to Fighting-type Pokemon.
Poison-type Pokemon are also vulnerable to Psychic-type moves, so perhaps leave those inside the Poke Ball when in battle.
Best counters for Psychic-type Pokemon
To face Psychic-type Pokemon you might want to use Darkrai or Dragapult because of their Dark and Ghost-types, though even more solid options are Spiritomb and Sableye, as they are both Ghost/Dark-type Pokemon.
Always keep in mind that a Pokemon can have a secondary type that could get you in trouble if you don’t pick your fighter carefully.
What is a Psychic-type Pokemon?
A Psychic-type Pokemon is any that specializes in certain moves that use psychic themes to either do damage or inflict status effects on an opponent. Rather than being elemental, Psychic-type moves often scramble an enemy Pokemon’s brain somehow.
For example, ‘Confusion’ is a psychic move. This puts the opposing Pokemon into a trance-like state in which the Pokemon attacks allies or themselves instead of the Pokemon casting the move.
Psychic-type Pokemon can also have a second ‘type’, which means it’s possible to be a Psychic-type Pokemon and a Grass-type at the same time. There are also Water/Psychic-type Pokemon. However, the type is most often combined with, Ghost, Fairy, or Dark-type Pokemon.
Lots of Legendary Pokemon are Psychic-type due to many of them being directly descended from the powerful Pokemon God Arceus. Psychic-type damage is non-elemental, but Psychic-type Pokemon can also use elemental moves alongside their psychic moves.
All Psychic-type moves
There are 79 Psychic-type moves in the Pokemon universe, and here they are:
Agility | Freezing Glare | Heart Swap | Magic Coat | Power Trick | Psyshield Bash | Telekinesis |
Ally Switch | Future Sight | Hyperspace Hole | Magic Powder | Prismatic Laser | Psystrike | Teleport |
Amnesia | Genesis Supernova | Hypnosis | Magic Room | Psybeam | Psywave | Trick |
Barrier | Glitzy Glow | Imprison | Max Mindstorm (x2) | Psyblade | Reflect | Trick Room |
Calm Mind | G-Max Gravitas (x2) | Instruct | Meditate | Psychic | Rest | Twin Beam |
Confusion | Gravity | Kinesis | Miracle Eye | Psychic Fangs | Role Play | Wonder Room |
Cosmic Power | Guard Split | Light Screen | Mirror Coat | Psychic Noise | Shattered Psyche (x2) | Zen Headbutt |
Dream Eater | Guard Swap | Light That Burns the Sky | Mist Ball | Psychic Terrain | Skill Swap | |
Eerie Spell | Heal Block | Lumina Crash | Mystical Power | Psycho Boost | Speed Swap | |
Esper Wing | Heal Pulse | Lunar Dance | Photon Geyser | Psycho Cut | Stored Power | |
Expanding Force | Healing Wish | Lunar Blessing | Power Split | Psycho Shift | Synchronoise | |
Extrasensory | Heart Stamp | Luster Purge | Power Swap | Psyshock | Take Heart |
That’s everything you need to know about Psychic-type Pokemon. For more Pokemon content, check our guides below:
Fairy-type | Fighting-type | Psychic-type | Electric-type | Legendary Pokemon | All cat Pokemon | Cutest Pokemon | The rarest and most expensive Pokemon cards | 10 best ROM hacks and fan-made games | Fairy-type weaknesses | Ice-type weaknesses | Electric-type weaknesses | Ground-type weaknesses | Dragon-type weaknesses | Flying-type weaknesses