What Is the Pokémon Damage Calculator on calc.pokemonshowdown.com?

Updated

The Pokémon Damage Calculator at calc.pokemonshowdown.com is a browser-based tool that estimates how much damage one Pokémon's move will deal to another. You use it by selecting a generation, entering both Pokémon's stats, moves, abilities, items, and field conditions, and reading the resulting damage range as a percentage of the defender's HP. It's most useful when you want to check whether a specific attack will KO, survive, or fall into a particular range before committing to a battle decision.

What the tool does

The calculator takes the full context of a Pokémon matchup and returns damage as a percentage range. The page shows two move panels — one for each Pokémon — so you can evaluate both sides of an exchange in the same view.

Key capabilities visible on the page:

  • Generation selection — RBY, GSC, ADV, DPP, B/W, X/Y, S/M, S/S, and S/V. Mechanics differ between generations, so picking the right one matters for accuracy.
  • Output notation — a 48th-based fraction or a 100% percentage display.
  • Calculation modes — One vs One, One vs All, All vs One, Champions, Random Battles, and Other Metagames.
  • Detailed Pokémon input — level, gender, forme, Tera Type, G-Max, weight, base stats, IVs, EVs, DVs, nature, ability, item, status, and current HP.
  • Stat stages — from +6 to -6 for Attack, Defense, Sp. Atk, Sp. Def, Special, and Speed.
  • Move modifiers — physical/special, critical hit, Z-move, Stellar type, and multi-hit counts (2–5 hits, or up to 10 uses).
  • Field and situational conditions — number of fainted allies (zero through five), status conditions, and Dynamax health.

How to use it

  1. Pick the generation for the format you're playing. Using the wrong generation changes type matchups, move availability, and damage formulas.
  2. Set the output notation to whichever you find easier to read.
  3. Choose a mode — One vs One for a single matchup, or One vs All / All vs One when you want to sweep a move across multiple targets.
  4. Enter Pokémon 1 — select the species, then set level, nature, ability, item, EVs/IVs, stat stages, and current HP. You can also import sets directly.
  5. Enter Pokémon 2 the same way.
  6. Select a move in either Pokémon's move panel. The calculator shows detailed results for that move.
  7. Read the damage range as a percentage of the target's HP, then decide whether the attack KOs, is a roll, or falls short.

Common things to watch

  • Imported sets — the page includes an import option and a "Clear Imported Sets" control. If results look wrong, check whether an old imported set is still loaded.
  • JavaScript — the page notes that if the "Copied" message persists for more than a few seconds, you should enable JavaScript. The calculator depends on it.
  • Stat stages and status — forgetting to set a boost, a burn, or a paralysis will change the numbers, so set these before reading results.
  • Generation mechanics — a set that works in one generation may not be legal or may calculate differently in another, so match the generation to your format.

When to use it

Use this calculator when you need a concrete number rather than a rough guess: checking whether a wall survives a boosted hit, whether a sweeper gets a guaranteed KO, or how much a multi-hit move chips through. For quick in-battle intuition it's less useful than practice, but for planning sets, EV spreads, and matchup decisions it gives you a defensible answer.