How Accuracy & Evasion Work — Stages & Playing Around Misses
How accuracy and evasion stages work, which moves ignore them entirely, and how to play around the risk of missing. (updated: 2026-07-23)
Accuracy and evasion are tracked as separate stages
The "Accuracy" number listed on a move is its base accuracy — whether it actually connects depends on multiplying that by the attacker's accuracy stage and the defender's evasion stage. These are two independent stats: using a move that lowers the opponent's evasion doesn't touch your own accuracy stage at all.
How the stage bonus works
Accuracy and evasion are tracked on the same -6 to +6 stage system as every other stat (the higher your accuracy or the opponent's evasion, the more likely a hit lands; lower does the opposite). It's the same mechanism as stat-boosting moves in general — the twist here is that both the attacker and the defender each have their own independent stage.
Moves that change accuracy or evasion
- Mud-Slap and Muddy Water: lower the target's accuracy
- Sweet Scent and Defog: lower the target's evasion
- Minimize and Double Team: raise the user's own evasion
Moves whose accuracy shifts with weather or ability
A few moves are strongly affected by weather or ability. Thunder and Hurricane become guaranteed hits in rain, but lose accuracy in harsh sunlight. The ability Compound Eyes boosts the holder's own move accuracy, while Keen Eye prevents the holder's own accuracy from being lowered.
Moves that always hit, or ignore evasion
One-hit KO moves like Fissure have a fixed 30% accuracy that isn't affected by stage bonuses (they also come with their own restrictions, like failing against Ice-types). Some moves, like Tearful Look, ignore the target's raised evasion — and even Protect — entirely.
Playing it out in a real match
Against an opponent stacking evasion (Minimize and the like), it's usually safer to take them down before they can lean on the odds rather than gambling on a hit landing. If your own team's main attacker relies on a lower-accuracy, high-power move, weigh both the KO count and the hit chance together on the damage calculator before committing to it.