Best Pokémon Natures: How to Pick the Right One

Ask "what is the best nature for my Pokémon?" and the honest answer is: it depends on the Pokémon's role. A nature can raise one stat by 10% and lower another by 10%, and picking the right one is one of the cheapest ways to make a Pokémon hit harder or last longer. Here is how natures work and how to choose.

What natures actually do

There are 25 natures. Each one raises one stat by 10% and lowers another by 10% — except five "neutral" natures that do nothing. Natures never touch HP. The five stats a nature can change are:

• Attack (physical damage)
• Defense (physical bulk)
• Special Attack (special damage)
• Special Defense (special bulk)
• Speed (who moves first)

The rule of thumb: boost the stat your Pokémon uses to do its job, and drop the stat it needs least. A physical attacker rarely uses Special Attack, so lowering it costs nothing.

Best natures by role

| Role | Best nature | Effect | | --------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------ | | Physical sweeper | Jolly | +Speed, −Sp. Atk | | Physical wallbreaker | Adamant | +Attack, −Sp. Atk | | Special sweeper | Timid | +Speed, −Attack | | Special wallbreaker | Modest | +Sp. Atk, −Attack | | Physical wall | Impish | +Defense, −Sp. Atk | | Special wall | Calm | +Sp. Def, −Attack | | Mixed / bulky support | Careful or Bold | +Sp. Def / +Def |

The two questions that decide it: Does this Pokémon attack physically or specially? and Does it want to outspeed, or to survive? Answer those and the nature is obvious.

Fast or strong? The Jolly vs Adamant question

The most common decision is Jolly versus Adamant on a physical attacker:

• Jolly (+Speed) — you outspeed more threats and hit first. Best when the Pokémon needs to sweep.
• Adamant (+Attack) — you hit harder but stay slower. Best when the Pokémon is already fast enough, or is a wallbreaker that doesn't need to outspeed.

The special-side version is Timid (speed) versus Modest (power). Same logic.

Don't fight your Pokémon's strengths

Check the Pokémon's base stats before you pick — its page shows them, for example Umbreon's stats and best nature or Garchomp's. A bulky Pokémon with low Speed gains little from a Speed nature; lean into its bulk with Calm or Careful instead. A frail, fast attacker wants to press its speed advantage with Jolly or Timid.

Once each Pokémon has a role and a nature, check that the team holds together — natures won't save a squad with a shared type weakness. Drop your six into the Pokémon team builder to see the combined weakness table, and read how to build a Pokémon team if you want the full workflow.

Build and check your team → or browse Pokémon and their stats →.