What are all the ways to know what item opposing Pokémon has?

Question

The ones I know off are knock off to remove the item and frisk to identify the item. What are others or that's all? This is for competitive help btw.

Comments

Frisk, Covet, Knock Off, Life Orb recoil, if it used a move boosted by a Gem, Trick, Switcheroo, any item that gives a unique effect (Air Balloon, Leftovers, Shell Bell, etc.), if it's a Focus Sash/Band that activates, Weakness Policy with a super effective move, Metronome if the move power keeps going up, White Herb if stat changes are reset, Heavy-Duty Boots if no hazard damage is taken, Power Herb if a move like Geomancy is used in one turn, Mental Herb if it is freed from Encore and the like immediately, Black Sludge, Ring Target if you can hit it super effectively with moves it should be immune to, Flame/Toxic Orb if it's statused, Berries if the criteria takes effect, if the Pokemon needs a specific item to be in that form (Arceus, Silvally, Genesect, Mega Evolutions, more), Teatime if the opponent has a Berry, Corrosive Gas, if it used a Z-Move, things like the Absorb Bulb and Cell Battery taking effect, and probably more I'm not thinking of.

Unnerve/As One can be a very niche way to determine if an opponent has a Berry, but it's hardly reliable, as there's no guarantee it would have a Berry.

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Poltergeist is another option.

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Ok wow. I'd like to know all. Btw weakness polic necrozma dusk mane IS tourbleing me.

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X when you're done editing your comment to answer the question completely, post it as answer. I'll go and study now.

Answer 1

I think I have most if not all of the ways, but I'm not entirely sure. Please tell me any I've missed!

• Frisk immediately tells you if the opponent has an item and what it is.

• Covet, Knock Off, and Corrosive Gas all state what the Pokemon's item was before removing it.

• Trick and Switcheroo swap your item with the foe's, so you can easily give the opponent any item.

• Some items give telling signs. These include Life Orb recoil, the Air Balloon message, Leftovers/Shell Bell/Black Sludge recovery, a Pokemon with Heavy-Duty Boots not taking hazard damage, Flame/Toxic Orbs giving the holder a status (unless they're immune) a move getting progressively stronger with Metronome, and so on.

• Some items give messages when they activate. This includes Gems, a Focus Sash/Focus Band (provided they take effect), Weakness Policy when struck with a super effective move, a Power Herb activating a two-turn move in one turn, White Herb resetting stat changes, Mental Herb freeing one from Encore and the like, and Berries.

• If the Pokemon needs a specific item, then it should be obvious. Examples are the Arceus Plates, Mega Stones, Genesect Drives, RKS Memories, and the Sinnoh Orbs.

• If a Pokemon used a Z-Move, you know it has a Z-Crystal.

• Ring Target, if on a Pokemon with immunities, can be discovered if a move that the holder should be immune to connects.

• Poltergeist deals damage if the opponent has a held item, plus it reveals the held item.

• Unnerve/As One can be a very niche way to determine if an opponent has a Berry, but it's hardly reliable, as there's no guarantee it would have a Berry.

• Teatime can force an opponent to eat their Berry, revealing what they had before it was consumed.

Generation 9 VGC uses open team sheets that tells you, among other information, what each Pokemon's item is.

• You can also make some educated guesses. That Toxapex probably has a Black Sludge, Xerneas is surely going with a Power Herb, that Gorebyss is carrying a White Herb to avoid the negative effects of Shell Smash, and many, many more examples.

Hope I helped!

Comments

You forgot Poltergeist again lol.

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LoL
(Filler)

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Edited, thanks.

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Generally, you can calc an attack mid-game and compare to find out if somebody is running Band/Specs as well. Sometimes you just know the damage range from experience playing the format.

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Thanks!