Terastallize - INTRODUCTION & Analysis

One of my favorite features in this game is the integration of the Terastallize (Tera for short) mechanic, the latest battle mechanic in the Pokémon world. Because of this, many trainers who haven’t thoroughly explored or experienced the most up-to-date Pokémon games may find it hard to fully grasp and maximize the potential of this mechanic, especially in a game with limited resources like this one.

For the numbered annotations (?) in the article, I will leave detailed explanations/examples in the comments section.

1/ INTRODUCTION:

Tera is a mechanic that allows Pokémon to temporarily change their type during battle. The basics are as follows: The type that changes the first time you unlock Tera will be one of the Pokémon’s existing types and is called the Hidden Type - Tera Type. You can still change this Hidden Type to any type you want by participating in Tera Raids to collect corresponding Tera Type shards. Tera has maximum priority, so it will always go before all other moves.

The move Tera Blast (UR tier TM in this game) will change its effect based on the Tera Type and stats of the Pokémon using it (0).

Pokémon can only Terastallize once per battle and will lose this state if they faint. If revived using an item or move, the Pokémon will revert to its default state.

The type-changing effects will be nullified and have no impact on Pokémon already in Tera state (1).

Pokémon will gain the passive ability of their new Tera type.

2/ ANALYSIS:

Since it changes the type, which directly affects both the OFFENSIVE and DEFENSIVE abilities of a Pokémon, in this article I will also analyze how the Tera mechanic impacts these two aspects.

OFFENSIVE: First, let me explain why a Pokémon’s type is closely tied to its offensive power. There is a term called STAB - Same Type Attack Bonus, which grants a 1.5x multiplier when a Pokémon uses a move of the same type.

STAB does not apply to damage from burn effects of status conditions or binding moves (Bind, Whirlpool, etc.), Leech Seed, Salt Cure, etc. When using Tera, there are two scenarios: (2) Terastallizing into a completely new type compared to the original: The Pokémon retains its original STAB and gains additional STAB for the new type. Terastallizing into the same type as the original: The STAB multiplier becomes x2. For Pokémon with the Ability Adaptability, which increases STAB from x1.5 to x2, when Terastallizing: (3) Adaptability will now only apply to the Tera Type. STAB will be x2 for the new type and x2.25 for the same type (slightly nerfed). Additionally, moves of the same type as the Pokémon’s Tera Type will have their Power increased to 60 if they meet the following conditions: Base Power < 60 in the turn it is used (including the bonus from Technician Ability if present). It's not a multi-strike move (Bullet Seed, Pin Missile, etc.). Not a priority move or a move with increased priority (Quick Attack, Aqua Jet, etc.). Not a move with variable power (Water Spout, Eruption, Heavy Slam, etc.). *Moves with conditional Power boosts will still apply if they meet the above conditions.

DEFENSIVE: Simply put, Pokémon will trade one weakness for another, which allows neglected Pokémon with poor single or dual typings to make a comeback to the meta. However, for Pokémon that already have great single or dual typings, this mechanic only serves a strategic purpose in specific cases. Moreover, when choosing a Tera Type for your Pokémon, you should consider the hidden passives of each type, specifically:

Fire: Immune to Burn, a status effect that burns 1/16 HP per turn and halves the physical damage the Pokémon deals.

Grass: Immune to powder and spore moves like Sleep Powder, Spore, etc. (details at: https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Category:Powder_and_spore_moves).

Electric: Immune to Paralysis, which reduces Speed by 1/2 and has a 25% chance to prevent movement in a turn.

Ice: Immune to Freeze, a status effect with an indefinite freeze duration where the Pokémon only has a 20% chance to thaw at the end of each turn. Additionally, Ice-type Pokémon gain a 50% Special Defense boost in hailstorm weather and are immune to damage from this weather condition.

Poison: Immune to poison effects and can absorb (clear) Toxic Spikes on the field.

Ground/Steel: Immune to damage from Sandstorm weather.

Flying: Immune to all field hazards (Toxic Spikes, Spikes, Arena Trap, etc.) and unaffected by Terrain effects. Rock: Gains a 50% Defense boost in Sandstorm weather and is immune to damage from it.

Ghost: Pokémon can always switch out, unaffected by moves (Mean Look, Binding moves, etc.) or Abilities (Shadow Tag, Arena Trap, etc.).

Dark: Negates status moves used by Pokémon with the Prankster Ability, which grants +1 priority to status moves.

3/ SUMMARY:

In conclusion, Tera allows trainers to unlock countless strategies and reverse battle matchups, and since the game doesn’t limit the number of Pokémon on a team that can Terastallize, this raises the strategic possibilities (and, of course, the grind/pay-to-win aspect, haha). However, not all Pokémon need Tera, and there’s no definitive "best" Tera Type. So, don’t feel FOMO, and think carefully about your team-building strategy before choosing a Pokémon to Terastallize and when to do it during battles.

The article is a bit long, but thank you for sticking around until the end. GLHF!

Note: This article is based on my experience playing both official games and GBA ROM hacks, so I only mentioned things that could happen in this game (of course, I haven’t been able to test everything), and some things that aren’t available/won’t be in this game weren’t mentioned, haha! Feel free to comment if I’ve made any mistakes or missed anything!

(0): Tera Blast

Type: Normal - Category: Special Power: 80 - Accuracy: 100 - PP: 10 (max 16)

The move's type dynamically adapts to match the Pokémon's Tera Type. Its damage calculation, either physical or special, is determined by the Pokémon's superior Attack or Special Attack stat.

(1): Abilities that alter a Pokémon's type, such as Protean, Libero, or Color Change, are temporarily deactivated while Tera Blast is used. Similarly, moves like Soak or Magic Powder have no effect.

(2) This widely-used Pokémon exemplifies the strategic timing of Tera Blast, particularly when a Mega Stone is involved. The choice to Tera Blast before or after Mega Evolution influences Gyarados' STAB. If Tera Blast is used before Mega Evolution, Gyarados gains STAB for Water and Flying types. Conversely, if Tera Blast is activated after Mega Evolution, Water and Dark types receive the STAB bonus.

(3) I believe this Pokémon offers the most potent and cost-effective combination of Mega Evolution, Tera Blast, and Adaptability. I'm currently breeding for a Shiny variant. Once I've obtained one, I'll share an update. With a single Fell Stinger to secure a knockout, this Pokémon has the potential to sweep through battles without requiring extensive team support.