I also remember how complicated it was to actually get one. By the time Gen VII rolled around, that was all done away with, and thank Arceus for that. And if you’re looking for some suggestions for great hidden abilities in gen 7, well you’ve come to the right place.
10. Tinted Lens
Tinted Lens is actually a really good hidden ability. The only thing that’s holding it back is the fact that it’s limited to a handful of Pokémon, none of which are viably competitive. For those unaware, the Tinted Lens ability makes it so that your Pokémon’s “not very effective” moves are effective. Technically, it doubles the effectiveness of those moves. It essentially lets you turn the Pokémon with the ability into a face-rolling powerhouse for main-game battles. It’s just a shame that it’s limited to the likes of Butterfree, which (let’s be honest) you’re not bringing into battle.
9. Scrappy
I’ve sung the praises of Scrappy before. In this case, it’s for a Scrappy Pangoro from USUM. And to be honest, this ability doesn’t have any practical competitive battle application like every other entry on this list. But it more than makes up for that in how situationally valuable it is. Scrappy, when it comes down to it, allows you to hit ghost types with normal moves. “Big deal,” you say? Well, what that means is that you can False Swipe ghosts. If you don’t immediately get why this is so important, then maybe you haven’t been out catching many of them. If you do get it, then I’ve felt your pain, and Pangoro is here to make it all go away.
8. Sturdy
Okay, Sturdy isn’t exactly a super-secret Illuminati-Esque hidden ability. However, there are some Pokémon that do get it as a hidden ability. And I love it, so I’m going to include it. This one lets your Pokémon survive a one-hit KO move. It’s basically a Focus Sash inability form, and that’s definitely powerful.
7. Gale Wings
Here’s a hidden ability that I didn’t even know about until I made this list. Probably because the only Pokémon that can get it are the Talonflame line. The effect is simple: It gives your flying-type moves priority when you’re at full HP. This essentially turns your first move of every battle into a priority. And this is obviously pretty valuable, especially in competitive formats. But to simplify this idea down to caveman talk: If Pokémon hit hard, and Pokémon hit first, Pokémon win battle.
6. Lightning Rod
Here’s a hidden ability that I absolutely love, especially on the Pikachu line in SM. If an electric-type move gets used while a Lightning Rod Pokémon is on the field, that move is negated, and the ability holder gets a Sp. ATK boost. That’s okay for regular battles. But the official VGC format is doubles, meaning not only can a Lightning Rod Pokémon suck in moves meant to hit its partner, but you can hit it with an electric type move yourself to give it that boost. Very handy.
5. Infiltrator
I’ll admit that the Pokémon you’re going to want to use Infiltrator on, don’t have it as a hidden ability, but as a regular one. That said, it’s an incredible ability. So it’s gotta get ranked here. The likes of Crobat can get the ability, which actually turns it into a viable underused competitive battler. Infiltrator allows your Pokémon to bypass things like Substitute, Reflect, Light Screen, and Safe Guard. With the right setup, it essentially allows you to build a sweeper that completely negates whatever your opponent tries to do, beating their team to a bloody pulp in the process.
4. Unnerve
Haxorus, Mewtwo, and Tyranitar are three examples of uber Pokémon that all get Unnerve as a hidden ability. So that should tell you everything you need to know about how good it is. And it’s an easy-to-understand effect: It just stops your opponent’s Pokémon from eating berries. This, combined with what SM/USUM Pokémon get it, turns it into a very technical and powerful competitive ability. But Unnerve requires you to have a good knowledge of competitive setups, making it an ability that is seen a lot at the highest levels of play.
3. Magic Bounce
The only decent Pokémon that gets Magic Bounce as a hidden ability in Gen VII (in my opinion) is Espeon. It just so happens that I’m a massive Espeon fan, though, so make of that what you will. And magic Bounce is a powerful ability whether it’s a hidden one or not. Basically it bounces non-attacking moves back at your opponent. Meaning Spikes, Toxic Spikes, and Stealth Rocks are all setup on your opponent’s field instead of your own. If you time your Magic Bounce switch-in correctly, at best, it’ll win you the game. And at worst, it’s going to win you a tempo.
2. Moxie
Moxie: gain one stage of attack each time you knock out a Pokémon. And what are the Pokémon that have Moxie as a hidden ability? Gyarados. It’s absolutely worth checking this out if you’ve never looked into it before.
1. Magic Guard
This entry might be a bit controversial, but I’m still going to argue that Magic Guard is easily the best hidden ability in all of Gen VII. It prevents your Pokémon from taking any damage from non-direct attack moves. And it goes a bit deeper than that, though. It moreso means that you only take damage from direct attack moves than anything else. This means Pain Split, Leech Seed, status ailments, Life Orb, entry hazards, and weather conditions all just bounce off. Abra/Kadabra/Alakazam are the only Pokémon with Magic Guard as a hidden ability. But if you can get your hands on that mustached menace, you know he’s already powerful enough as-is. So adding in Magic Guard is absolutely killer as far as I’m concerned.
