Pokémon: The 10 Best Psychic Moves, Ranked | Game Rant
The psychic moves in the Pokémon games have always been a bit of a wild-card move-set. For the most part the damaging psychic moves all have fairly good accuracy ratings, making them very reliable. The non-damaging psychic moves, of which there are many, are quite varied in how they affect the game/opponents. Most inflict a status effect on the enemy, raise stats of the user, lower the stats of the opponent, or have a unique ability like swapping stats or items with the opponent. In the earlier Pokémon games psychic moves were very popular; this was due to the only pokémon type that was strong against psychic pokémon, bugs, did not have very powerful attacks. The more recent Pokémon games have corrected this by also making psychic pokémon weak against dark and ghost types, and by giving the bug type some more damaging attacks.
10 Synchronoise
This move was introduced in generation five; which was Black & White 1 & 2 for the Nintendo DS. This generation included new battle modes allowing for battles with teams of up to three pokémon. This new battle system allowed for some interesting new moves and strategies. Synchronoise allows the user to hit all pokémon in the opposing group that share a pokémon type. This includes multi-type pokémon; so a psychic type pokémon would hit a grass/psychic pokémon in the opposing group. Synchronoise has a respectable power rating of 120, an accuracy rating of 100, and a PP count of 15.
9 Hypnosis
Hypnosis can be a battle winning ability – if it hits. This move puts an opposing pokémon to sleep for 1 – 3 turns. While asleep, pokémon are unable to perform any of their moves - with very few exceptions. The accuracy rating for Hypnosis is 60, but at least this gives a better chance than not of it working. Although it didn’t make this list, there is a psychic move called Dream Eater (TM #85) that only works on sleeping pokémon. Dream Eater not only inflicts significant damage, but also heals the user by half the damage amount. Hypnosis has a PP count of 20.
8 Extrasensory
Extrasensory is a fantastic standard psychic attack to weaken an opposing pokémon for follow-up coup de grâce move. This move has a power rating of 80, an accuracy rating of 100, and a PP count of 20. Additionally, Extrasensory has a 10% chance of making the opposing pokémon flinch. When a pokémon flinches it loses its move for the turn; so flinching can’t be inflicted on a pokémon that moves before the user. This move, like many psychic attacks, becomes devastating when the user is holding Psychium Z; at which point it is called Shattered Psyche and has a power of 160.
7 Psychic Fangs
This is a decent attack move that has a secondary effect that can come in extremely handy in the right situations. Psychic Fangs has a power rating of 85, an accuracy rating of 100, and a PP count of 10. The secondary effect of Psychic Fangs is that it can tear down the protective barriers Light Screen and Reflect. These barriers reduce the damage a pokémon takes from special attacks and physical attacks (respectively) by half. This allows the pokémon using Psychic Fangs to deliver a decent amount of damage and remove the protections of the opponent in one turn.
6 Telekinesis
This move lifts the opposing pokémon into the air, with the main benefit being that every subsequent move performed against it always hits – regardless of any modifiers. Suddenly moves that are very powerful/useful, but have a low accuracy rating are guaranteed to work; the #9 entry, Hypnosis, is a good example of how effective this combo can be. The only draw-back to lifting the opponent into the air is that ground-based attacks, like Dig, will automatically miss. The lifting effect has a duration of three turns, and is best used at the outset of a battle. Hypnosis has a PP count of 15.
5 Teleport
This is a useful move that has two effects. One of these effects is used in battle, the other while exploring the world. Teleport’s effect in battle is to essentially run away; however, Teleport is always successful, unlike the risky proposition of making a normal attempt to flee. Bear in mind that this effect does not work when fighting another trainer; it only works when fighting wild pokémon. The other effect of Teleport is that it can transport the trainer back to the last pokémon center they visited. This move fails if it is used while underground or in a building. This move will save the player quite a bit or time – real time and game time.
4 Psycho Boost
This is the most powerful psychic move that doesn’t require a condition be met, or the user to sacrifice a turn to be used. Psycho Boost has a power rating of 140, an accuracy rating of 90, and a PP count of 5. The PP count of only 5 is overly restrictive considering the negative effect of using Psycho Boost, but the PP count can be increased to 8 with certain items. The negative to having such a high power is that every use of Psycho Boost lowers the user’s special attack by two stages, to a minimum of -6. This makes the move better suited to being used exclusively as a “finishing move”.
3 Glitzy Glow
Glitzy Glow is not the most damaging of attacks, but the other stats and secondary effect more than make up for this. This move has a power rating of 90, an accuracy rating of 100, and a PP count of 15. This move’s secondary effect is to reduce damage from special attacks by half. The ability to effectively double the user’s special defense s is normally move by itself, like the psychic move Light Screen. Glitzy Glow allows the user to combine this effect with a powerful attack. Only the pokémon Eevee can learn this move.
2 Prismatic Laser
In addition to having a really cool name, Prismatic Laser is one of the most powerful attacks that doesn’t require special conditions to be met beforehand. This has an power rating of 160, an accuracy rating of 100, and a PP count of 10. The power-to-accuracy ratio is almost unseen in pokémon games, and for such a powerful attack the 10 PP count is beyond generous. The only negative to Prismatic Laser is that it requires the user to skip the following turn. Losing a turn is a serious set-back, but at least it happens after the move is used and not before.
1 Psychic
Psychic has been an all-around great attack since it was introduced in generation one. This move has a power rating of 90, an accuracy rating of 100, and a PP count of 10. Psychic’s stats make it one of the best TMs (#29) to teach a pokémon in need of powerful attack. This move also has a small (10%) chance of lowering the opposing pokémon’s special defense by one stage, to a maximum of -6. This will of course rarely happen, but when it does it usually ensures the battle will be over next turn. The PP count of 10 is higher than most moves with a similar power-to-accuracy ratio.
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