Charge Moves & Semi-Invulnerable Moves (Fly, Dig & More)
How charge moves like Solar Beam differ from semi-invulnerable moves like Fly, Dig and Dive, and exactly which moves punish each one. (updated: 2026-07-24)
Two different kinds of two-turn moves
Moves that use one turn to set up and attack on the next fall into two different categories. One is a charge move (like Solar Beam); the other is a semi-invulnerable move (Fly, Dig, Dive). Both look the same on the surface — wait a turn, then hit hard on the next — but what happens to the user on that first turn is completely different.
Charge moves: you can still be hit on turn one
Solar Beam spends its first turn "charging," but during that turn you're hit by incoming attacks as normal. The only way to skip the charge entirely is harsh sunlight, which also happens to be the only weather that doesn't halve the move's power.
Semi-invulnerable moves: you dodge almost everything
Fly, Dig, and Dive put the user into an airborne, underground, or underwater state for one turn, dodging nearly every move aimed at them. Each one, though, has a specific counter.
- Fly (airborne): Thunder and Hurricane always hit it.
- Dig (underground): Earthquake hits it, at double power.
- Dive (underwater): Surf and Whirlpool hit it, at double power.
Playing around them
If you suspect the opponent is carrying a semi-invulnerable move, just having the matching counter-move ready is usually enough to turn their "safe" turn into a costly one. Earthquake and Surf are both popular moves already, so slotting either one in doubles as natural insurance. If you're worried about all three at once and don't have a dedicated counter, leaning on a read-based switch to eat the wasted turn works too.
Using them yourself
Semi-invulnerable moves are handy for dodging a hit or baiting a switch, but they cost you a turn in the damage race since you can't attack on turn one either. If the opponent still has a Pokémon with the matching counter-move on the field, it's often better to hold off. For Solar Beam specifically, its value depends heavily on whether you can reliably set up harsh sunlight first.