Pain Split

Type

Normal

Category

status

Power

—

Accuracy

—

PP

20

Priority

0

Target

adjacent

Contact

No

Spread

No

Protect blocks

Yes

Wide Guard blocks

No

A utility move whose value depends on the team's gameplan and the tempo it creates.

• Gardevoir Mega
• Houndoom Mega
• Chesnaught Mega
• Gallade Mega
• Chandelure Mega
• Gengar Mega
• Audino Mega
• Basculegion Female
• Zoroark
• Froslass Mega
• Starmie Mega
• Gengar Gmax
• Gengar
• Hatterene Gmax
• Ninetales
• Alcremie
• Houndstone
• Alcremie Gmax
• Chandelure
• Sinistcha
• Gardevoir
• Musharna
• Banette Mega
• Mawile Mega
• Rotom Mow
• Passimian
• Spiritomb
• Oranguru
• Rotom Fan
• Zoroark Hisui
• Rotom Frost
• Hatterene
• Chesnaught
• Gourgeist Average
• Rotom Wash
• Garbodor
• Basculegion Male
• Rampardos
• Rotom Heat
• Cofagrigus
• Polteageist
• Stunfisk
• Overqwil
• Houndoom
• Mimikyu Totem Busted
• Gallade
• Mimikyu Totem Disguised
• Mimikyu Busted
• Sableye Mega
• Reuniclus
• Starmie
• Trevenant
• Medicham Mega
• Gourgeist Super
• Gourgeist Large
• Ninetales Alola
• Froslass
• Gourgeist Small
• Mimikyu Disguised
• Toxapex
• Forretress
• Garbodor Gmax
• Stunfisk Galar
• Banette
• Qwilfish
• Audino
• Arbok
• Rotom
• Qwilfish Hisui
• Medicham
• Mawile
• Sableye

Pain Split is a Normal-type status move. It targets a single adjacent target and has 20 PP. Pain Split is a Normal-type status move. It targets a single adjacent target and has 20 PP.

A utility move whose value depends on the team's gameplan and the tempo it creates.

Consider Pain Split when your team needs the utility it provides rather than direct damage. Status moves define speed control, redirection, protection and disruption in VGC. Its value depends on whether your team can exploit the turns it creates. Check your team composition for Pokémon that benefit from the positioning or tempo it generates.

In team building, Pain Split competes with other support and disruption options for a limited number of moveslots. Ask whether your team has enough offense to justify a utility move, and whether you have the speed or bulk to use it safely. Many successful teams run one or two status moves that enable the rest of the roster, so treat it as part of your overall gameplan rather than an afterthought.

Common mistakes with Pain Split include: Using it without a clear plan for the turns it creates. Forgetting that Protect and Detect can block it, wasting a key turn. Not considering how redirectors like Follow Me and Rage Powder change targeting.

Protect and Detect block this move. These interactions are situational, so test them in the team builder and matchup analyzer before committing to the moveslot.

Use the tools below to test Pain Split in a full team context and compare it with alternative options.

• Protect / Detect: blocks this move.
• Wide Guard: does not block this move.
• Follow Me / Rage Powder: spread moves are not redirected.
• Quick Guard: no effect (non-priority).