Items

Introduction

In battle, most Pokémon can hold one item. Held items give passive effects: they can boost stats, restore HP, protect from status, change the Pokémon’s type, or be required to use a special form. In the team builder, you pick one item per Pokémon (or none).

This guide covers how items work and four areas: species-specific items, items required for forms, items that change a Pokémon’s type, and popular VGC items and what they do.

Species-specific items

Some items only work for certain Pokémon. If a different species holds them, they have no effect (or a very weak one). So you only give these items to the right Pokémon.

For example, the light ball boosts the Attack and Special Attack of Pikachu when Pikachu holds it. If another Pokémon holds the Light Ball, it does nothing. The soul dew is meant for Latias and Latios and powers up their psychic and dragon moves when held.

In the team builder, when you select a species, items that are only for that species (or its forms) are grouped so you can easily see which ones are relevant. Other species can’t use them effectively.

Items required for forms

Some items are required to use a special form in battle. If the Pokémon doesn’t hold that item, it can’t use the form.

• Mega Stones — to Mega Evolve, the Pokémon must hold the correct Mega Stone (e.g. charizardite x for Mega Charizard X ). When you pick a Mega form in the team builder, the required stone is automatically set. See the Mega Evolution guide for full details.
• Primal Orbs — Groudon must hold the red orb and Kyogre must hold the blue orb to become Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre . Again, the builder sets the correct orb when you choose the Primal form.
• Other examples include the rusted sword and rusted shield for Zacian Crowned and Zamazenta Crowned forms, and the griseous orb for Giratina Origin form.

So when building a team, if you want to use a Mega or Primal form, the held item is locked to the required one for that form. You can’t give that Pokémon a different item and still use the form.

Items that change type

A few items change the Pokémon’s type (or add a type) while held. The best-known example is Arceus and the plates ( flame plate and splash plate , there is one for each type). When Arceus holds that plates, its type becomes that type (e.g. fire or water).

Popular VGC items

In VGC (Video Game Championships) and other double-battle formats, certain held items show up again and again. Here are the most common and what they do.

• choice band (Choice Band) — Boosts the holder’s Physical Attack by 50%, but they can only use the first move they pick until they switch out. Great on physical attackers that want maximum damage.
• choice specs (Choice Specs) — Same idea as Choice Band but for Special Attack: 50% boost, locked into one move until switch. Common on special wallbreakers.
• choice scarf (Choice Scarf) — Boosts Speed by 50% and locks the holder into one move. Used for revenge killing and speed control without investing in Speed EVs.
• life orb (Life Orb) — Powers up all damaging moves by about 30%; the holder loses 10% of their max HP per hit. No move lock, so flexible; popular on mixed or multi-target attackers.
• focus sash (Focus Sash) — If the holder is at full HP and would be KO’d in one hit, they survive with 1 HP (one time per battle). Typical on frail leads or sweepers that need one guaranteed turn.
• leftovers (Leftovers) — Restores 1/16 of max HP each turn. Staple on bulky, defensive Pokémon that stay in for many turns.
• sitrus berry (Sitrus Berry) — When HP drops below 50%, restores 25% of max HP once. Often used on mid-bulk mons or in formats where recovery matters.
• assault vest (Assault Vest) — Raises Special Defense by 50%, but the holder cannot use non-damaging moves (no status, no setup). Good on special tanks that only need to attack.
• rocky helmet (Rocky Helmet) — When the holder is hit by a contact move, the attacker takes 1/6 of their max HP. Used to punish physical attackers and U-turn.
• safety goggles (Safety Goggles) — Holder is immune to powder moves (e.g. Spore, Rage Powder) and to damage from sand or hail. Strong tech in meta with sleep or weather.
• covert cloak (Covert Cloak) — Holder is immune to the secondary effects of the opponent’s moves (e.g. flinch, stat drops, burn from Scald). One of the most common items in recent VGC.
• mental herb (Mental Herb) — One-time use: removes Taunt, Encore, Disable, and similar from the holder. Lets support or setup mons shake off disruption once.

In the team builder, these and other popular items are easy to find when choosing a held item for your Pokémon.