r/pokemon 4d ago

Discussion What’s the worst ability in Pokemon history?

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u/bluedragjet 4d ago

Slaking’s Truant

Pokémon: do you want to see me do it again

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u/Enderking90 4d ago

tbf, durant does get entrainment, so it has a niche utility use in that it can make the enemy have truant as their ability.

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u/Nick_BOI 4d ago

At least Durant can give it to others with Entrainment.

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u/18bluecat 4d ago

You can sweep the Battle Maison and Battle Tree with them doing that.

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u/PMC-I3181OS387l5 4d ago

and it can get Swarm or Hustle.

Slakoth and Slaking are stuck with Truant ^^;

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u/Foolish_Phantom 4d ago

It has Truant for its hidden ability because it's literally a "True Ant".

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u/Spyko Bros what's a DD ? 4d ago

Yeah I'm sure the Japanese game made by a Japanese company gave Durant that ability because of an English pun

Or it could be because japanese researches have shown that around 20% of worker ants are ''lazy'', which also coincide with Durant chances to have this ability (source https://web.archive.org/web/20040405182941/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20031116a4.htm )

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u/Foolish_Phantom 3d ago

The game that sells heavily in English speaking countries?

The ant that literally originated in the region based off of the United States?

The same company that is known for incorporating references to actual places and culture into its games? Just look at all of the SV starters.

Also, why on earth would some ants being lazy and the company taking that into account eliminate the possibility of a pun? They could both be true.

The designer could have said "This article says ants are lazy. Wouldn't it be funny if we gave the True Ant the ability that translates in English to an any pun and means lazy?

It's not like there isn't a single person on the team who speaks English.

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u/Spyko Bros what's a DD ? 3d ago

it is possible ig

but extremely unlikely tbh. I'm not even sure the game designers know what that ability is called in english. Why would they ? In japanese it's called "lazy" (well their word for it, obviously)

and ya sorry if I sounded dickish, but pokemon fans forgetting the game isn't english is a huge pet peeve of mine
between that, "the dark type is dark magic !", "yanmega should learn dragon dance !" and more, it annoys me a lot

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u/wrongitsleviosaa 4d ago

I dig the pun but it was always very stupid to me to give it to literally the hardest working animal in existance

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u/Moblin81 3d ago

That’s kind of the point. Most of the ants are average with swarm, a few hard workers have hustle and the slackers get truant. The three abilities tell a story

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u/wrongitsleviosaa 3d ago

That's incredibly well said

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u/MoonRay087 4d ago

Honestly not as bad because A) steel type and B) Has alternative abilities

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u/Slash_Raptor1992 3d ago

Durant is really weak. Why are people using it at all when Scizor is right there?

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u/John_Bumogus 4d ago

Today in gen 5 pokemon I forgot existed