Population Bomb
Pokémon Champions
Hits 10 times. Each hit can miss.
- Power
- 20
- Accuracy
- 90%
- PP
- 12 Scarlet & Violet: 10
- Hits
- One Pokémon next to the user
- On Showdown
- 0.2% of Champions VGC Pokémon run it
Changes over time
How Population Bomb changed from game to game, newest first.
- Champions
PP 10 → 12 Buffed
Numbers: PokéAPI’s changelog. Descriptions: Pokémon Showdown’s for each generation, PokéAPI’s notes where Showdown’s don’t differ. Champions: Pokémon Showdown.
See it in the games
No clip of Population Bomb here yet. Find Population Bomb on YouTube →
How it works in Champions
Hits ten times. This move checks accuracy for each hit, and the attack ends if the target avoids a hit. If one of the hits breaks the target's substitute, it will take damage for the remaining hits. If the user has the Skill Link Ability, this move will always hit ten times. If the user is holding Loaded Dice, this move hits four to ten times at random without checking accuracy between hits.
“The user’s fellows gather in droves to perform a combo attack that hits the target one to ten times in a row.”
In-game text, Scarlet & Violet
What interacts
Abilities and items that boost Population Bomb, block it, punish its user or change how it works.
Boosts it
4
- Tough Claws×1.3
- Poison Touch30% to poison
- Sharpness×1.5
- Technician×1.5
Blocks or weakens it
2
- Fluffytakes ½
- Aura Guardtakes ½
Punishes the user
12
- Rough Skintakes ⅛ back
- Iron Barbstakes ⅛ back
Rocky Helmettakes ⅙ back- Static30% paralysis
- Flame Body30% burn
- Poison Point30% poison
- Effect Spore30% poison, paralysis or sleep
- Cute Charm30% infatuation
- Gooey−1 Speed
- Tangling Hair−1 Speed
- Mummyreplaces its ability
- Lingering Aromareplaces its ability
- Wandering Spiritswaps abilities
- Perish Bodya 3-turn faint countdown for both
- Aftermathtakes ¼ if it knocks the holder out
- Pickpocketsteals its item
Sticky Barbcan stick to it
Changes how it works
8
- Long Reachno contact
Protective Padsno contact effects- Unseen Fistgoes through Protect
- Piercing Drillgoes through Protect for ¼ damage
- Infiltratorgoes through Substitute
- Pixilatebecomes Fairy-type, ×1.2
- Aerilatebecomes Flying-type, ×1.2
- Refrigeratebecomes Ice-type, ×1.2
- Galvanizebecomes Electric-type, ×1.2
- Dragonizebecomes Dragon-type, ×1.2
- Unseen Fistgoes through Protect for ¼ damage
No ability or held item affected it in these games.
Mold Breaker, Teravolt and Turboblaze ignore the abilities that block or weaken it.
Good to know
- Can't be used through: Metronome.
- Checks accuracy for every hit; it stops at the first miss.
Who runs Population Bomb on Showdown
Smogon · Showdown Champions VGC · Sep 2026: Smogon’s usage stats from Pokémon Showdown, not the in-game ladder.
On the ladder today
Ranked Doubles Pokémon with Population Bomb among their most used moves.
Who learns Population Bomb
1 Pokémon can learn it in Pokémon Champions.
All 2 Pokémon that learn it in any game → Filter the Pokédex to Champions →