Flinching causes a Pokémon to skip its turn. If a Pokémon is hit by a move with a flinch chance before it has acted in that turn, it flinches — losing its action entirely that turn.
The key rule: flinch only works if the attacker moves before the flinched target. A faster Pokémon can flinch a slower one; a slower Pokémon cannot flinch a faster one because the faster one already moved.
Fake Out and flinch
Fake OutFake OutmoveA +3 priority Normal-type move that does small damage and forces the target to flinch — only usable on the user's first turn out.Click to read more → has a 100% flinch chance and +3 priority — meaning it almost always moves before the target and almost always flinches it. This is why Fake Out is so dominant: it’s a guaranteed free turn of disruption on turn one.
Flinch from other moves
Several spread moves carry flinch chances:
- Rock SlideRock SlidemoveA Rock-type spread move with 75 base power and a 30% flinch chance on each target it hits.Click to read more → — 30% flinch on each target it hits. In doubles, Rock Slide can flinch both opposing Pokémon simultaneously.
- Iron Head — 30% flinch, used by Kingambit.
- Air Slash — 30% flinch, notably on Togekiss. Combined with Serene Grace, this becomes 60%.
- Headbutt — 30% flinch.
- Zen Headbutt — 20% flinch.
Why flinch matters in doubles
Flinching is especially impactful in doubles because the opponent has two Pokémon — and a single Rock Slide can flinch both. A 30% chance sounds low, but when it hits, an entire turn of the opponent’s offense disappears. Togekiss is specifically built around chaining Air Slash flinches to lock opponents out of acting entirely.
Serene Grace doubles flinch chances, making Air Slash a 60% flinch move in Togekiss’s case — something opponents always have to account for.