Pokemusings, week 15

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What the hail!?

Our coverage of weather effects in Pokemon battles concludes in this week's issue of Pokemusings. We've already gone through sunlight, rain, and sand. Now it's time to examine hail. While not as common as the other weather effects, hail has some pretty interesting and effective uses. Since it's decidedly on the underused side, building a team around hail is a great way to throw your opponents a curveball.

To summon a hailstorm, you need a Pokemon with the Snow Warning ability or the move Hail (TM 07). There are a few areas in Diamond/Pearl where hailstorms occur naturally. The northwest section of Sinnoh is rife with hail, so be prepared for it when your adventures take you there.

Hailstorms behave similarly to the sandstorms that we covered last week. Pokemon that aren't of the ice variety receive damage on every turn. Restorative moves like Synthesis, Moonlight, and Morning Sun recover 25 percent of the users hit points during hailstorms. Outside of that, there are only a few moves and abilities that hail effects. Out of all the weather effects that can be summoned, hail has the least impact on battles. This is both good and bad; it gives you more versatility, but it also limits how you can ruin things for your foe.