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So, recently I've been trying to get past the Totem Kommo-o in Ultra Moon. Now my strategy has kind of varied with each failed attempt, but it starts with my Mr. Mime using Shattered Psyche. Now, since Mr. Mime is part Fairy, the Kommo-o will always lead with Poison Jab, and that's where things get odd.

My Mr. Mime has 101 hp, and after Kommo-o uses Poison Jab, I've seen it left with 1 hp, 2 hp, 4 hp, 6 hp, or it just gets OHKOed. I've saved right before I battle Kommo-o, neither of us get any additional stat boosts or anything (besides all of Kommo-o's stats increasing by 1 but that happens every time so it's a given), and this is always on my first turn, so there's no way the damage output could have been modified at all, so why hasn't it stayed constant throughout all my attempts to beat the Totem? What's with these miniscule hp fluctuations?

As a side note, this isn't the only time I've observed this effect happening, but this was the most recent example and the only one I can remember, so I'm using it for my question.

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Fun fact: A week ago while battling online I got the same doubt, and thought I'd ask here or google it, but by the time the battle ended, I'd forgotten, so it's pretty cool you asked, because that gave me the opportunity to try and find out  :D
It's becuase totem Kommo-o's Ivs and/or nature are randomly generated each time you encounter it. I think.
Also, how is that a "fun Fact"? empty boxes, I don't count that as factual. But yeah, I get this all the time too.
It's fun because I'm fun, and it's a fact because it's a fact.
Curse you and your confusing logic!

1 Answer

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Best answer

random is a random factor between 0.85 and 1.00 (inclusive):
From Generation III onward, it is a random integer percentage between 0.85 and 1.00 (inclusive)
In Generations I and II, it is realized as a multiplication by a random uniformly distributed integer between 217 and 255 (inclusive), followed by an integer division by 255

--Bulbapedia

It is this random variable that causes the fluctuation, and there's no humanly way to control the output. This why battle simulators use an RNG (Random Number Generator).

This is why we see

Possible damage amounts: (231, 235, 238, 242, 243, 246, 250, 251, 255, 257, 259, 263, 265, 269, 270, 274)

in the PS! Damage Calculator.

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Ohh, I see. Thank you!