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Complete guide to Pokémon natures in Polished Crystal. Learn how natures boost and reduce stats by 10%, which nature to choose for sweepers and tanks, and how to get specific natures using Synchronize ability and Everstone breeding. Includes nature chart for all 25 natures.
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Natures modify your Pokémon's stats by +10% in one stat and -10% in another. Five neutral natures exist with no effect.
The right nature enhances strengths or compensates for weaknesses. Not critical for casual play, but necessary for competitive battling and team optimization.
This guide covers nature mechanics, choosing natures by role, and obtaining natures via Synchronize and breeding.
Every Pokémon has one of 25 natures. Most natures increase one of five stats (Attack, Defense, Speed, Sp. Atk, or Sp. Def) by 10% and decrease a different stat by 10%. HP is never affected.
The modifier applies to the final stat calculation after base stats, IVs, and EVs are factored in. For example, an Adamant nature (+Attack, -Sp. Atk) on a Pokémon with 200 Attack becomes 220 Attack.
Five neutral natures (Hardy, Docile, Serious, Bashful, Quirky) have no effect - they boost and reduce the same stat, canceling out.
The table below shows all 25 natures and their stat modifiers. Natures boost one stat by 10% and reduce another by 10%, except for neutral natures which have no effect.
| Nature | Increased Stat | Decreased Stat |
|---|
Hardy | - | - |
Lonely | Attack | Defense |
Brave | Attack | Speed |
Adamant | Attack | Sp. Atk |
Naughty | Attack | Sp. Def |
Bold | Defense | Attack |
Docile | - | - |
Relaxed | Defense | Speed |
Impish | Defense | Sp. Atk |
Lax | Defense | Sp. Def |
Timid | Speed | Attack |
Hasty | Speed | Defense |
Serious | - | - |
Jolly | Speed | Sp. Atk |
Naive | Speed | Sp. Def |
Modest | Sp. Atk | Attack |
Mild | Sp. Atk | Defense |
Quiet | Sp. Atk | Speed |
Bashful | - | - |
Rash | Sp. Atk | Sp. Def |
Calm | Sp. Def | Attack |
Gentle | Sp. Def | Defense |
Sassy | Sp. Def | Speed |
Careful | Sp. Def | Sp. Atk |
Quirky | - | - |
The best nature depends on your Pokémon's role, base stats, and moveset. Match the nature to how you'll use the Pokémon in battle.
Physical attackers use Attack-based moves and want one of these natures:
Adamant (+Attack, -Sp. Atk) - Best for pure physical attackers with no special moves. Maximizes damage output.
Jolly (+Speed, -Sp. Atk) - Use when Speed is more valuable than raw power. Ideal for fast sweepers who need to outspeed opponents.
Example: Heracross has high Attack but average Speed. Adamant maximizes damage, while Jolly helps outspeed threats like Gengar.
Special attackers rely on Sp. Atk-based moves:
Modest (+Sp. Atk, -Attack) - Maximizes special damage output. Use when you don't need extra Speed.
Timid (+Speed, -Attack) - For fast special sweepers. Prioritizes outspeeding over damage.
Example: Alakazam has very high base Speed. Timid guarantees it moves first, while Modest may be overkill since it's already fast.
Tanks and walls prioritize Defense or Sp. Def, depending on what they need to handle:
Bold (+Defense, -Attack) - Walls physical attackers. Reduces unused Attack stat.
Impish (+Defense, -Sp. Atk) - Same as Bold but for Pokémon with no special moves.
Calm (+Sp. Def, -Attack) - Walls special attackers. Reduces unused Attack stat.
Careful (+Sp. Def, -Sp. Atk) - Same as Calm but for Pokémon with no special moves.
Relaxed (+Defense, -Speed) or Sassy (+Sp. Def, -Speed) - For walls that don't rely on Speed, or benefit from moving last (when using moves like Gyro Ball or in Trick Room).
Example: Umbreon has balanced defenses and low Attack. Bold or Calm work well depending on team needs. Careful is ideal if running only physical moves.
Pokémon using both physical and special moves should avoid natures that reduce either attacking stat:
Hasty (+Speed, -Defense) or Naive (+Speed, -Sp. Def) - Boost Speed without hurting offense.
Mild (+Sp. Atk, -Defense), Rash (+Sp. Atk, -Sp. Def), Lonely (+Attack, -Defense), or Naughty (+Attack, -Sp. Def) - Situational. Only use if the defensive drop doesn't matter.
Mixed sets are generally suboptimal - most Pokémon perform better specializing in one attacking stat.
Support Pokémon focus on moves like status effects, hazards, healing, or screens rather than damage:
Example: Clefable runs Wish and Moonlight for support. Bold or Calm increases bulk without affecting its utility.
Check your Pokémon's base stats before choosing a nature:
If a Pokémon has balanced attacking stats but low Speed, consider a defensive nature to create a bulky attacker or wall.
When in doubt, boost your best stat and reduce your worst stat. Use a neutral nature if unsure.
Put a Pokémon with Synchronize in your party's lead slot. Wild encounters will always match that Pokémon's nature.
Pokémon with Synchronize:
This is the most reliable way to catch specific natures in the wild. Breed for a Synchronizer with your target nature, then hunt for the Pokémon you want.
Give a parent Pokémon an Everstone to hold. The offspring will always inherit that parent's nature.
This guarantees nature inheritance when breeding competitive Pokémon. Combined with other breeding mechanics (IVs, egg moves, Hidden Abilities), you can pass down the exact nature you need every time.
Where to get Everstone: