The way this works is exactly the same as the rate the pokemon and move above you threads, except this one is for abilities.

The process is simple. I will post a pokemon ability for the next person to talk about and rate, they'll rate it on a scale of 1-10, give a brief explanation on their rating, and then they will provide a new ability for the next person to rate, so on and so forth until the end of time. Ratings will be on a 1-10 scale. Examples of this are: 2/10, 5/10, 8/10, etc.

The first ability to rate will be Intimidate.

Intimidate is a pretty solid ability, especially in competitive play. I'm pretty terrible at competitive battling, but I've seen clips where people are able to strategically switch Pokemon with Intimidate in and out when they anticipate their opponent with use Protect to lower their opponents attack over and over again. Overall I'll give it a 9 out of 10, being able to lower your opponent's attack is always beneficial.

The next ability is Soundproof.

Soundproof is really situational. Against some Pokemon it's really useful but it's more of an in game thing as it blocks annoying moves like supersonic and growl. Competitively it's not very viable.

The next ability to rate will be Water Absorb.

Water Absord is really only useful if your opponent is really stupid. With the exception of Volcanion, the Wooper line, and the Palpitoad line, all of the Pokemon that have it are already resistant to water, so it wouldn't make sense for your opponent to use a water type move against them. I suppose it helps if you're in a double battle and your opponent has a Pokemon with Surf, as it will dis-incentivize (is that a word?) him from using it, even if your other Pokemon is weak against water. For the most part though, not a particularly useful ability in most circumstances. I'll give it a 6 out of 10.

The next ability is Shadow Tag.

Water absorb is also a bit situational since it requires you to be hit by a water type attack to activate. Even if you are hit by a water type move, you are only recovering 1/4 of your hp. In game, it would be better to heal using a potion instead of relying on passive recovery on the chance you are attacked with a water type move. Overall, I rate it a 4/10

The next ability is Sheer Force.

Sheer Force is an ability that I feel is actually kind of overlooked. Lets think about it for a second, right? You have let's say a Rampardos with Sheer Force. You want to use Zen Headbutt. A solid choice. Normally, you'd have a 20% chance to make the enemy Pokemon Flinch. Pretty low if you ask me. Negligible to say the least. But with Sheer Force, it makes the a 0% chance but increased the power of Zen Headbutt by 30% more. So now Zen Headbutt has a power of 110 instead of 80.

That is an amazing increase. 110 power on a move with 90% accuracy and 15 PP. Although, it does give up it's chance to make the enemy Pokemon flinch. I think that the 30% damage increase is good but the flinch could help a lot in the right situation so I'll give Sheer Force a 8.5/10 just because the situational additional effects could help in a pinch.

The next ability up is Guts!

Guts is very situational as most Pokemon who get it are too slow to take advantage of it. Big exception being Swellow of course. It's better in game where everything has stun spore haha

The next ability is Arena Trap

Guts is an interesting ability. It doesn't come into effect unless you have a status problem, but it helps turn that status problem into less of a negative by boosting your attack stat. This is good for two reasons. Obviously the first reason is that if you are poisoned or burned it gives you a better chance to knock out your opponent before you die from that. If you are paralyzed you are slower and may not be able to attack every turn, but when you do attack you pack more of a punch. It also may cause your opponent to not want to inflict a status problem on you, because of the attack increase. That's an additional benefit that you may not think about initially. Overall, I'll give it a 7 out of 10.

The next ability is Inner Focus.

Edit: Ninja'd lol

Inner Focus is a pretty average ability to have because it protects from flinch inducing moves like headbutt and fake out. Other than that, it is a very situational ability that isn't bad, but isn't game changing either. Definitely better abilities out there. Overall, I rate it a 5/10.

The next ability to rate is Speed Boost.

Speed boost is amazing for Pokemon that can utilize it well. The most famous Speed Booster is probably Yanmega yet I would argue that it's not among the best. Ninjask and Scolipede are both fantastic at setting up stat boosts and using baton pass to ... pass them around (badum tshh). Mega Blaziken is, well, banned from OU so we don't talk about that.

Next ability is Motor Drive

Motor Drive is a solid situational ability that only a select few Pokemon have. In order for it to take effect and raise your speed, it requires you to be hit by an electric type attack (and oddly enough, all the Pokemon that have Motor Drive as an ability are electric type). While electric type moves are by no means uncommon in-game and in competitive battling, this is still a very specific circumstance which is also unlikely to be met since most opposing Pokemon, competitive or in-game, wouldn't try to attack you with a move that's the same typing you are. Since it's an ability with very limited use and payoff, I'll rate it a 5/10.

The next ability is Levitate.

SacredShadow : Levitate has been the game changer for some pokemon in the past, flying types have the perk of being able to switch in on ground attacks and generally force an opponent to forgo any ground type tactics overall, and several other conditions like arena trap and spikes don't affect flying types either. Levitate grants the same perks to pokemon who aren't flying type, and that's sensational. Unless you're fan rotom, in which case it's just weird. I give it an eight.

Next up, iron fist.

Iron fist is a very good ability. You usually get a lot of coverage punching moves with that ability (elemental punches, shadow punch etc.) however I don't know if it's always the best option. My prime example of this is probably the second most famous Iron Fist pokemon, Conkeldurr. It gets a really strong drain punch and ice punch, but that's about it. People tend to use its other ability, Guts, way more often due to the predictable nature of Iron Fist sets. Still a solid ability though.

The next ability to rate will be Gooey.

Gooey gets an instant 10 out of 10, since it is an ability that only our lord and savior Goomy can have. Seriously though, it is a pretty good ability. The ability to attack first is crucial in Pokemon battles, so any time you can lower your opponent's speed, it's a plus.

The next ability is Overgrow.

Overgrow is pretty bad. I mean when it activates it helps I guess but you'd rather not be below a third of your health. Most grass starters get much better hidden abilities like Venusaur's Clorophyl, Serperior's Contrary etc. Also if you use it to get a powerful Giga Drain off, you'll likely go above a third of your health again which defeats the purpose.


The next ability to rate will be Shell Armor

Overgrow is a pretty standard and common ability among grass types, especially starters. Having extra power behind your moves is always nice, but it doesn't activate unless you are at or under 1/3 of your maximum HP. When it does activate however, it is a pretty substantial power up of 50%. While it does require you to be near fainting, it is a pretty decent clutch move with good payoff. I rate it a solid 6/10.

The next ability to rate is Adaptability.

Edit: Ninja'd again. Good lord lol.

Adaptability is a great ability in my opinion. The STAB increase from 1.5x to 2x is huge. If used by Crawdaunt, for example, it could increase Surf's power from 90 to 180, making it more powerful that Hyper Beam. I'll give it a 9 out of 10.

The next ability is Drought.

Drought is a great ability with the right team support. It got nerfed obviously as it only lasts for 5 turns but you can still do some cool stuff with it. 8/10

The next ability to rate is Inner Focus

Again? Lol.

Inner Focus is pretty average as far as abilities go. Being protected from flinch causing moves is always nice, but Inner Focus is pretty limited in its use outside of that. It also doesn't help that there are other abilities like Mold Break, which ignores the effects of other abilities and can break through Inner Focus. I stand by my previous rating of 5/10.

The next ability to rate is Moxie.

Moxie isn't that great of an ability in my opinion for competitive play, as you will be switching Pokemon in and out a lot. It could be really helpful in regular story mode gameplay though, since you can typically destroy an entire team with one Pokemon. I'll give it a a 7 out of 10.

The next ability is Sturdy.

Sturdy is a very... iffy ability. It basically grants the same effect as the focus sash by default, and it is often found on pokemon that have weaknesses crippling enough to reliably one shot them. However, there are many things which bypass it, namely traps and weather, since as soon as your pokemon isn't at full health you're vulnerable. The other thing sturdy does, which I'm not 100% sure about, is immunity to moves like guillotine, fissure, and sheer cold. If it still has that effect after the gen 5 change, I think so anyways. 5/10

Next up, solar power.

Solar Power doesn't seem like a particularly useful ability. It's completely useless unless there is harsh sunlight, and while the 1.5x for special attack is nice, it also cuts into your HP. Overall, not a great ability. 4 out of 10.

The next ability is Run Away.

Run Away is only convenient when you need to escape from Pokemon that use moves like mean look or have abilities like arena trap. Unless you are being swarmed by Digletts, there isn't really a lot of application for this move. To make matters worse, Run Away does nothing as far as battling goes. It would be nice if it could allow you to recall your Pokemon from trapping moves like bind or fire spin, at least then it would serve some sort of purpose. Overall, it is a very underwhelming move that is only slightly convenient in some situations. I rate it a 2/10.

The next ability to rate is Prankster.

Any ability that can gain attack priority over other moves in a good one, and prankster is no different. To have the ability to inflict status conditions onto other Pokémon, even if they have quick guard (in gen V at least) is a big advantage to sticking first or having better stats. Obviously the ability isn’t that good, as it only affects a variety of moves and can now be blocked by quick guard, the ability is still a quality one and I’d rate it a 6/10

The next ability is infiltrator.

Infiltrator is an ok ability. It allows your Pokemon to bypass the effects of Reflect, Light Screen, Mist, and Substitute. However, if your opponent doesn't use one of these moves, it's pretty useless. It's an ability that is really only useful is specific situations. 5 out of 10.

The next ability is Levitate.

Levitate is fantastic. Not only do you dodge all ground type attacks (which is arguably the best offensive typing in the game, or at least top 3), you also dodge all entry hazards sans stealth rock. The ability literally has no drawbacks. Top tier ability for sure.

The next ability to rate is Pressure

Pressure is a really annoying ability. It isn't that good when your Pokemon has it, but it's annoying as heck when your opponent has it. Kind of like Zubat lol. In a competitive battle most moves have enough PP for Pressure to not be a huge deal, and in an offline battle such as against a gym leader or a member of the Elite 4, your opponent's Pokemon don't last long enough for it to have much of an impact. However, if the gym leader or Elite 4 member has a few Pokemon with Pressure, it can cause a lot of problems for you. For example, both of Phoebe's Dusclops have Pressure in the Hoenn games, and they do a number on your PP, especially if you don't one-shot them. That being said, if the Pokemon survives for enough turns in a competitive battle, Pressure could become troublesome for your opponent. 6 out of 10.

The next ability is Rock Head.

Rock Head has an interesting concept but I don't know how useful it is competitively. I find the alternative, Reckless, to be a lot better as during competitive play I'd rather have a bit more power than to not take some recoil. Most Rock Head Pokemon are slow anyway so they'll take plenty of hits and damage regardless of the ability. 5/10

The next ability to rate will be Cursed Body

Cursed Body is a pretty cool ability. having a chance to disable your opponent's move any time they use a physical attack on your can come in handy. That being said, the ability can be ignored altogether by using special attacks instead of physical ones. Overall, I'll give it a 7 out of 10.

The next ability is Effect Spore.

Effect Spore is a funny ability. I've actually tried to use it competitively before and it has minor success some battles. Getting that clutch sleep or that clutch paralysis can really turn the tides of the battle. I tried it with a sashed Parasect and the thing actually put in a decent amount of work. Now I got lucky throughout that entire fight obviously but I think it ended up getting 4 kills before finally going down. All thanks to effect spore too. It's an infuriating ability in game though. Once a wild Shroomish has you trapped there is never an escape. 4/10

The next ability is Fur Coat

Fur Coat is a useful ability that reduces damage taken from physical attacks by 50%. Even though Furfrou and Alolan Meowth are the only pokemon that can get this ability, it is a very useful one to have both in-game and competitively since it essentially doubles your defense stat in battle. Overall I think it deserves a solid 8/10.

The next ability to rate is Super Luck.

Super Luck is a pretty good ability. Critical hits are super useful in battle not only because they increase damage, but also because they ignore stat modifiers. Pairing Super Luck with an attack like Slash could make your Pokemon quite the threat. I'll rate it a 7 out of 10.

The next ability to rate is Slow Start lol

Slow Start is easily right up there with Truant as one of the worst abilities in the game. For 5 turns, your attack and speed stats (arguably the most important stats) are cut in half. Thankfully, Regigigas is the only pokemon that has this ability, because it is just too much of a handicap for normal pokemon to handle. Even a Regigigas with a monstrous base 160 attack and 100 speed is harmless until turn 6 when it gains access to its full power. A lot can happen in 5 turns and this crippling ability prevents an otherwise strong pokemon from being used more often in competitive battling. I rate it a 1/10 as it serves no purpose.

The next ability to rate is Sand Stream.

Sand Stream can be a really useful ability. It creates a sandstorm, which causes damage to Pokemon that aren't rock, ground, or steel type, and also raises the special defense of rock type Pokemon. It can also be used to reverse current weather conditions, if your opponents Pokemon has created a weather condition that is beneficial for them. Overall, a pretty solid ability, 8 out of 10.

The next ability to rate is Early Bird.

Early Bird is a bad ability. Yeah you'll sleep for less longer but how often would you really need that anyway? Get a better ability for your Pokemon, 2/10

The next ability is Inner Focus

Inner focus is a decent ability, but not great. Preventing flinching is nice, but how often are you in a situation when you will flinch anyway? It protects you from Fake Out I suppose, but that's about it. All in all, not that useful. I'll give it a 4 out of 10.

The next ability is Clear Body.

Clear Body is nice as stat drops are always annoying. It still doesn't eliminate your own stat drops from moves like Leaf Storm though so chances are its only use would be to stop intimidate and sticky webs. 6/10

The next ability is CompoundEyes

Compound Eyes is a pretty solid ability. It is great in that it makes moves like Thunder, Blizzard, Fire Blast, and other high power moves with typically low accuracy a lot more usable. Overall I'll give it an 8 out of 10.

The next ability is Pickup.

Pickup is a god send depending on the game that you play. In Ruby/Sapphire it was entirely broken, being able to get high level items, including rare candies, before the first gym.
Even after it was nerfed to depend on your level, it was still a decent ability. If you have any space to spare, pick up a few pokemon with this ability to greatly increase your money, depending on the game.

Rating: 11/10 in Ruby/Sapphire
7/10 every other game

I guess I'll rate Pickup as well then. It's a very solid ability to have in game when you don't have your full team of 6 yet. Put a zigzagoon or an Aipom with it on your team and it will give you all sorts of neat stuff. In battle it has a very specific use as well as it allows you to pick up items that were used up previously (things like berries, for example). This should almost never happen to you though. 7/10

The next ability to rate will be Marvel Scale

Marvel Scale is a pretty good ability. If you are at a disadvantage because of a status condition, Marvel Scale neutralizes it by increasing your defense pretty significantly. This is good for the obvious reason that your defense is higher if you're poisoned, burned, or paralyzed, however it's also beneficial for the less obvious reason that your opponent will be less likely to inflict a status condition on you if he or she knows that it will increase your defense. I'll rate it an 8 out of 10.

The next ability to rate is Thick Fat.

Thick fat is fantastic. Becoming resistant to two of the most offensive types out there - fire and ice - will always be a huge help. Then when you have bulky Pokemon like Mega Venusaur getting this ability and it becomes almost broken. Easily a 9/10

The next ability to rate will be Sand Rush

Sand Rush is a pretty solid ability, if the Pokemon knows the move Sandstorm. It results in increased speed, in addition to the regular benefits of Sandstorm. If the Pokemon doesn't know Sandstorm though, or you aren't a huge fan of weather moves like me, then it is kind of useless. 6 out of 10.

The next ability to rate is Swift Swim.

Swift Swim is similar to Sand Rush as it increases speed in rain. Useful, but with Drizzle now only lasting 5-8 turns it got significantly nerfed. 7/10

The next ability is Sheer Force

I'm honestly not really sure how I feel about Sheer Force. For some moves it's good I guess, but for others I think I'd rather have the additional effect. It can be good situationally, but overall I'll rate it a 5 out of 10.

The next ability is Gale Wings.

Gale Wings would've received a 10/10 in generation 6. In generation 7 however it was nerfed to oblivion. It now only takes effect when you're on full HP. That means that Talonflame, who mainly uses recoil moves like Flare Blitz and Brave Bird, has no more use for it. Can't even priority roost anymore for free health. 4/10 in generation 7.

The next ability is Skill Link

Skill Link is an incredibly overpowered ability. It turns moves like Bullet Seed, Icicle Spear, Pin Missile, and Rock Blast into 125 power / 90-100 accuracy moves. It also turns Spike Cannon into a 100 power / 100 accuracy move. It's usefulness is limited to certain Pokemon with certain movesets, but with those Pokemon it is great. 10 out of 10.

The next ability is Arena Trap.

Arena Trap is underrated. Sure, in game it's not that useful as very few trainers have the AI level to switch out their Pokemon. In competitive play however it's fantastic. It used to be even better before generation 5 I think, because there would be no team preview back then. Dugtrio was always a fear in the back of your mind so this ability deserves a 10/10

The next ability is Huge Power

Huge Power is a really good ability to have since it basically doubles your attack stat. This is why pokemon with weak attack stats like Azumarill and Diggersby (at 50 and 56 respectively) are able to completely abuse this this ability and punch holes in teams. This is also why Mega Mawile is so godly in competitive, it essentially has a colossal base attack stat of 210. Nothing is surviving. I rate this ability 10/10 overall.

The next ability to rate is Disguise.

Honestly, I don't know too much about that ability. It's exclusive to Mimikyu from the gen 7 games, which (other than Let's Go Eevee) I haven't played. It seems pretty solid, but the explanation on Bulbapedia is a little convoluted, so I'm not sure I'm understanding it correctly. I'll hesitantly give it an 8 out of 10.

The next ability is Shadow Tag.