Ground · Physical move · Gen 6
Thousand Waves
Thousand Waves is a Ground-type physical move introduced in Generation 6. It has 90 base power and 100% accuracy, with 10 PP (16 with PP Max). In double battles it hits all adjacent opponents (spread moves deal 0.75× damage when they hit more than one target). 2 Pokémon and forms can learn it.
Type
Ground
Category
Physical
Power
90
Accuracy
100%
PP
10 (max 16)
Priority
0
Effect
Hits adjacent foes. Prevents them from switching. Prevents the target from switching out. The target can still switch out if it is holding Shed Shell or uses Baton Pass, Flip Turn, Parting Shot, Teleport, U-turn, or Volt Switch. The effect ends if either the user or the target leaves the field.
- Targets
- All adjacent opponents
- Scarlet & Violet
- Not usable — it was removed in Scarlet & Violet
- Pokémon Champions
- Not usable
- Legends: Z-A
- Usable (2 Pokémon)
Type matchups as a Ground attack
2× vsFireElectricPoisonRockSteel
½× vsGrassBug
0× vsFlying
Pokémon that learn Thousand Waves
2 Pokémon and forms (Mega Evolutions share their base form's moves). ✓ = can learn it in that game by any method; “Gens” lists every main-series generation it could be learned in.
| Pokémon | Type | Champions | S/V | Z-A | Gens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Zygarde | Dragon/Ground | ✓ | 7–8 | ||
 Zygarde-10% | Dragon/Ground | ✓ |
Thousand Waves FAQ
What does Thousand Waves do?
Thousand Waves is a Ground-type physical move with 90 power. Prevents the target from switching out. The target can still switch out if it is holding Shed Shell or uses Baton Pass, Flip Turn, Parting Shot, Teleport, U-turn, or Volt Switch. The effect ends if either the user or the target leaves the field.
Which Pokémon can learn Thousand Waves?
2 Pokémon and forms can learn Thousand Waves in at least one game: 0 in Scarlet & Violet, 0 in Pokémon Champions and 2 in Legends: Z-A. Examples: Zygarde and Zygarde-10%.
Is Thousand Waves in Pokémon Champions?
No, no Pokémon can use Thousand Waves in Pokémon Champions.
What is Thousand Waves super effective against?
As a Ground-type attack, Thousand Waves is super effective against Fire, Electric, Poison, Rock and Steel, not very effective against Grass and Bug and has no effect on Flying (unless its effect says otherwise).
Move data and effect text from Pokémon Showdown (MIT), generation from PokéAPI; learnsets for Gen 1–9, Pokémon Champions and Legends: Z-A from Showdown. Unofficial fan site.