Pokémon Moves

STAB stands for Same-Type Attack Bonus. When a Pokémon uses a move that shares one of its own types, that move's power is multiplied by 1.5. It is a reward for matching a Pokémon's moves to its type, and it is one of the first things experienced players think about when choosing moves.

Here is a worked example. Charizard is a Fire-type, so when it uses a Fire-type move that move gets the 1.5x STAB bonus. If the target is a Grass-type, Fire is also super effective for another 2x, from the type chart. Multiply the two together and the move hits for 1.5 x 2 = 3x its usual damage.

Pokémon pick up moves in a few ways. The most common is leveling up: at set levels a Pokémon learns a new move on its own. You can also teach moves with items called TMs, short for Technical Machines, and some games have move tutors who teach specific moves in exchange for something.

Breeding is another route, since certain moves can pass to a newly hatched Pokémon, which is covered on the breeding page. However a Pokémon learns a move, it can only hold 4 at once, so adding a fifth means giving one up.

The hardest-hitting moves almost always come with a cost, which keeps them balanced. Hyper Beam is a classic example: it deals heavy damage, but the user then has to spend the following turn recharging and cannot act. Explosion and Self-Destruct hit even harder, but the user faints as a result.

Because of those drawbacks, the strongest move is rarely the best choice. A reliable move that lands every turn, especially one that gets STAB and hits a weakness, often out-damages a huge move you can only use now and then. Move choice is about consistency as much as raw power.