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Sheer Cold (Japanese: ぜったいれいど Absolute Zero) is an Ice-type one-hit knockout move introduced in Generation III.

Effect

Generations III to VI

If Sheer Cold hits, it will inflict damage equal to the target's current HP. Despite having an accuracy of 30% listed, Sheer Cold's chance of hitting a Pokémon is instead calculated using the following formula:

H i t C h a n c e = ( L e v e l u s e r − L e v e l t a r g e t + 30 ) % {\displaystyle HitChance=(Level_{user}-Level_{target}+30)\%}

This formula means that the accuracy starts at 30% when the Pokémon have the same level, and is 1% more likely to hit for every level the user is higher than the target. If the user is at least 70 levels higher than the target, Sheer Cold will always hit. If the user is a lower level than the target, the move always fails.

This chance of hitting is not an accuracy: it is not affected by accuracy and evasion stats, nor is it affected by other accuracy modifiers such as Gravity, Wide Lens, and Compound Eyes. Additionally, Sheer Cold cannot hit a semi-invulnerable Pokémon. However, effects that guarantee moves to hit (such as No Guard and Lock-On) still affect Sheer Cold.

Sheer Cold can be used as part of a Contest Spectacular combination and will give an extra three appeal points if any of the moves Lock-On, Mind Reader and Miracle Eye was used in the prior turn.

Generation VII onwards

Ice-type Pokémon are now immune to Sheer Cold.

Additionally, the move's base chance of hitting is only 20% if the user is not an Ice-type Pokémon:

H i t C h a n c e n o n I c e = ( L e v e l u s e r − L e v e l t a r g e t + 20 ) % {\displaystyle HitChance_{nonIce}=(Level_{user}-Level_{target}+20)\%}

Under this formula, if the user is at least 80 levels higher than the target, Sheer Cold will always hit.

When used in a Max Raid Battle against a Dynamax Pokémon while it is under the effect of a mysterious barrier, Sheer Cold will deplete two bars of the barrier's strength if it hits. Otherwise, Sheer Cold will always fail against Dynamax Pokémon. Tera Raid bosses are unaffected by Sheer Cold.

Description

Learnset

By leveling up

#	Pokémon		Types	Egg Groups		Level
						III	IV	V	VI	VII	VIII		IX
0037				Field						50	48		−
0038				Field						−	1		−
0087				Water 1	Field	34	34	34	34	1, Evo.		1, Evo.	Evo.
0131				Monster	Water 1	55	55	55	50	50	65	65	65
0144				No Eggs Discovered		85	78	78	1, 78	99	70	70	70
0245				No Eggs Discovered		−	−	−	−	1	1	1	Rem.
0362				Fairy	Mineral	61	59	59	1, 59XY 1, 61ORAS	1, 61	1	1	1
0363				Water 1	Field	49	49	49	49XY 46ORAS	46	52	52
0364				Water 1	Field	55	55	55	55XY 52ORAS	52	64	64
0365				Water 1	Field	61	65	65	65XY 60ORAS	60	72	72
0382				No Eggs Discovered		60	60DPPt 75HGSS	75	75XY 65ORAS	65	45	45	45
0459				Monster	Grass		46	46	46	46	50	50	50
0460				Monster	Grass		58	58	58	58	56	56	56
0582				Mineral				53	53	53	48
0583				Mineral				58	58	58	56
0584				Mineral				67	1, 67	1, 67	60
0613				Field				57	57	57	42		42
0614				Field				66	1, 66	1, 66	46		46
0615				Mineral				61	1, 61	1, 57	60		60
0646				No Eggs Discovered				−	−	−	88		88
1002				No Eggs Discovered									75
Bold indicates a Pokémon gains STAB from this move. Italics indicates a Pokémon whose evolution or alternate form receives STAB from this move. A dash (−) indicates a Pokémon cannot learn the move by the designated method. An empty cell indicates a Pokémon that is unavailable in that game/generation.

By event

Generation IV

In other games

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: needs Pokemon Rumble

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Sheer Cold defeats the target in one hit. Prior to Gates to Infinity, Sheer Cold knocks out the target by deaing "calamitous damage" (Japanese: とてつもない タメージ tremendous damage) which is internally treated as 9999 damage.

Description

In the anime

Lapras Beartic Glalie Articuno
The foe is attacked with a blast of absolute-zero cold. The foe instantly faints if it hits.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Used In		Notes
	Lapras's body glows light blue and releases a wave of light blue energy, freezing anything around it.
Solidad's Lapras	May, We Harley Drew'd Ya!		Debut
	Abomasnow raises both of its arms in the air and multiple ice pillars shoot out from around it in a circle. A line of ice pillars then jut out straight at the opponent and hit it, or its body becomes surrounded in a light blue aura. It then opens its mouth and the inside of it starts to glow light blue; firing a white- blue beam towards the opponent.
A wild Abomasnow	Pikachu's Ice Adventure		None
Morana's Abomasnow	Survival of the Striaton Gym!		None
	Beartic's body becomes outlined in light blue aura and it pulls its head back and opens its mouth. When it does, a spinning orb of bright blue energy forms in front of it. Beartic then fires a powerful light blue beam of energy with light blue snowflake-shaped sparkles from the orb at the opponent.
Two wild Beartic	The Beartic Mountain Feud!		None
	Vanillish's body becomes surrounded in a light blue aura. It then opens its mouth and the inside of it starts to glow light blue. A spinning wind then comes out of Vanillish's mouth and it fires a powerful, light blue beam of energy surrounded in light blue sparkles and wind from its mouth at the opponent. As the light blue beam travels at the opponent, large icy pillars jut out of the ground around the beam. The beam then disappears and multiple ice pillars continue to jut out of the ground at the opponent.
Cryogonal Man's Vanillish	The Mighty Accelguard to the Rescue!		None
	Glalie's body becomes surrounded by a blue aura and the inside of its mouth shines white. The ground around Glalie begins to freeze and any opponent standing in its wake are frozen and instantly knocked out.
Morana's Glalie	Survival of the Striaton Gym!		None
	Mega Abomasnow freezes everything around itself.
A Trainer's Abomasnow	Mega Evolution Special I		None
	A light blue field of energy forms around Primal Kyogre. The energy field then grows in size, freezing everything it touches; or, Kyogre freezes whatever it touches.
Kyogre (XY series)	Mega Evolution Special III		None
	Kyogre freezes everything around itself.
A wild Kyogre	The One That Didn't Get Away!		None
	Articuno's eyes shine light blue, and it releases a powerful blizzard from its body at the opponent, freezing them. The opponent is instantly knocked out if the move hits.
A wild Articuno	Battling in the Freezing Raid!		None

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team

In other generations

Core series games

Side series games

Spin-off series games

Trivia

• Sheer Cold is the only OHKO move introduced outside of Generation I, and the only special OHKO move. Prior to Generation VII, it was the only OHKO move that no Pokémon had a type-based immunity to.
• Sheer Cold is the only attack where a type-immunity can occur through the move’s property rather than by standard type matchups or Ability immunities. In this case, Ice-types are immune to the attack as of Generation VII.

In other languages

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