Pokémon Natures
Pokémon natures are another key feature of the games, introduced in Generation III (Ruby/Sapphire). Each Pokémon has one nature, randomly selected from a total of 25.
About Pokémon Natures
Rather than just being a superficial personality
, Natures actually affect the growth of a Pokémon. Each nature increases one of its stats by 10% and decreases one by 10% by level 100. Five natures increase and decrease the same stat and therefore have no effect.
In most cases it is preferable to have a nature that decreases either Attack or Special Attack for Pokémon whose strengths are the opposite type of attack. Gyarados, for example, favours physical (Attack) moves, so it's best to use a nature that decreases its Special Attack since it won't be used.
The 25 natures are shown in the grid below. Read across the top for stat-reducing natures, and down the left side for stat-increasing natures. Where the modifiers intersect is the name of the nature - for example, a Hasty nature will reduce a Pokémon's Defense but increase its Speed.
| - Attack | - Defense | - Sp. Atk | - Sp. Def | - Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| + Attack | Hardy | Lonely | Adamant | Naughty | Brave |
| + Defense | Bold | Docile | Impish | Lax | Relaxed |
| + Sp. Atk | Modest | Mild | Bashful | Rash | Quiet |
| + Sp. Def | Calm | Gentle | Careful | Quirky | Sassy |
| + Speed | Timid | Hasty | Jolly | Naive | Serious |