So I've basically been rummaging around PokeSAV to hack movesets onto my Scraggy to test certain moves / Abilities, namely things like Gravity, Smack Down, Ingrain, etc. I've noticed that all of these moves tend to intermingle and the lot of them have developed into their own mini-mechanic in the game, akin to Priority Brackets, Weather Effects, and Room Effects. I wanted to compile them, even if the moves themselves have very little bearing on competitive battling. Nonetheless, they have some relevance, so I decided to post it here.

No one from competitive battling is going to appreciate this, but I think it's kind of nifty.

Height Mechanics

Introduction

In this article, I'm going to be talking about a mechanic of Pokémon battling that has evolved since Generation I: height. At first, this mechanic was pretty simple: a Flying-type Pokémon was immune to Ground-type attacks. This is a pretty easy-to-grasp concept--ground-based attacks can't hit a target that is in the air.

It wasn't until Generation II that we got Spikes, a field move that can't hit airborne targets. In Generation III, we got Levitate and Arena Trap, two Abilities that functioned off the height mechanic. Generation IV is when this whole concept got a bit confusing; with the introduction of Toxic Spikes, Gravity, Magnet Rise, and Iron Ball, the mechanic evolved from something simpler than "Flying-types are immune to Ground-types."

Notably, the moves or Abilities that I will discuss in this article have come to carry a trend: some effects are prevented through being in the air, while others can only affect targets on the ground. Instead of describing this trend as a widespread exception, I've decided to compile them all under this one mechanic.

Height States

Height is limited to three states: airborne, grounded, and forcibly grounded. An airborne Pokémon is one that is, obviously, in the air. A grounded Pokémon is one that is on the ground. A forcibly grounded Pokémon is one that is somehow bound to the ground and unable to be made airborne by outside moves. Flying-type Pokémon and Pokémon with Levitate are airborne by default; all other Pokémon are grounded by default. Throughout a battle, this state can be changed through several effects to be detailed later.

At this point, I can see why you think I'm over-complicating things, but bear with me.

The reason why I am introducing this concept is because all of the height-altering moves can interact with each other and isn't specific to Ground-type immunity, as evidenced by Sky Drop, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes. It's also definitely not limited to Flying-types and Levitate since the immunity bestowed through these qualities can be altered freely throughout a battle.

Effects Of Height

→ Moves Affected

• Ground-type attacking moves can only hit grounded targets. This does not include status moves, such as Sand-Attack or Spikes; Sand-Attack will lower the Accuracy of an airborne target, while Spikes will cover the foe's field with a damaging entry hazard. If a Pokémon is grounded, it will always be susceptible to Ground-type attacks (grounded Flying-types are defensively neutral to Ground-type attacks).

• Sky Drop can target and lift any target, but will only damage a grounded one. Somehow, Sky Drop also bypasses temporary airborne states (Magnet Rise and Telekinesis). Regardless, Sky Drop can't be used in Gravity. Sky Drop is also the buggiest move introduced ever, so, yeah... Need to test if it can affect Ingrained targets.

• Spikes will only trigger and inflict Ground-based effect damage against a grounded Pokémon that is switched in.

• Toxic Spikes will only trigger against and poison a grounded Pokémon that is switched in. If grounded, a Poison-type Pokémon will interact with Toxic Spikes and nullify it and a Steel-type Pokémon will retain immunity to it. An airborne Poison-type cannot interact with Toxic Spikes.

→ Abilities Affected

• Arena Trap can only affect grounded Pokémon; those Pokémon will be prevented from switching out. If a Pokémon is made airborne while affected by Arena Trap, they will be able to switch out so long as they remain airborne.

Changing States

→ Becoming Airborne

• Becoming Flying-type (perpetual) will cause the Pokémon to also become airborne, so long as it stays Flying-type; Flying-type Pokémon are granted an innate airborne state at all times.
  
  • Color Change is an Ability that triggers any time a Pokémon is hit by a damaging attack. It changes the Pokémon to whatever type the damaging attack was.
  • Conversion is a status move that changes the user to the same type as one of its moves.
  • Conversion 2 is a status move that selects a target. It changes the user to a type resistant to the type of the move last used by the target.
  • Reflect Type is a status move that selects a target. It changes the user to the same type as the target.

• Gaining Levitate (perpetual) will cause the Pokémon to also become airborne, so long as it retains the Ability; Levitate is an Ability grants a Pokémon an innate airborne state at all times.
  
  • Trace is an Ability that causes the Ability of the user to match that of a foe. If there is more than one foe, the Ability is chosen randomly.
  • Entrainment is a status move that makes the Ability of a target match that of the user. Pokémon with Multitype, Truant, and Zen Mode cannot gain Levitate in this way.
  • Skill Swap is a status move that switches the Ability of the user with that of the target. Pokémon with Multitype and Wonder Guard cannot gain Levitate in this way.

• Magnet Rise (lasts 5 turns) is a status move that will cause the user to become airborne for 5 turns. This effect can be Baton Passed. Magnet Rise can be stolen using Snatch.

• Telekinesis (lasts 3 turns) is a status move that will cause a target except the user to become airborne for 3 turns. During these 3 turns, all attacks except one-hit KO moves will hit the target without fail. Telekinesis can be used on targets that are already airborne. This effect can be reflected using Magic Coat or Magic Bounce. Need to test if this effect can be Baton Passed.

• Air Balloon (perpetual) is an item that causes the holder to become airborne as long as it is held. Upon being hit by any damaging direct attack, the Air Balloon pops and is consumed. I need to test if an Air Balloon is popped when its effect is suppressed by Magic Room, Klutz, or Embargo.
  
  • Pickpocket is an Ability that causes the Pokémon to obtain any item held by a foe that makes contact with it. It will fail if the user is holding an item already. Pickpocket cannot obtain an Air Balloon through an attack because the attack will pop it. It can obtain it when the Pokémon holding the Air Balloon attacks, however.
  • Bestow is a status move that selects a target and grants it the user's item if it isn't holding an item already.
  • Switcheroo / Trick are status moves that switch the item of the user with that of the target. Switcheroo / Trick will fail if either the user or the target is holding Mail or has Sticky Hold, if either is a Giratina and either of the exchanged items is a Griseous Orb, if either has Multitype and either of the exchanged items is a Plate item, or if either is a Genesect and either of the exchanged items is a Cassette.
  • Though Covet and Thief normally obtain items from the foe, they cannot be used to obtain an Air Balloon because they will pop it first.

→ Becoming Grounded

• Losing Flying-type (lasts until switched out) will cause the Pokémon to become grounded; all non-Flying-type Pokémon are grounded by default.
  
  • All effects used to gain Flying-type (Color Change, Conversion, Conversion 2, and Reflect Type) can be used to lose it as well.
  • Forecast is an Ability that changes the user's type based on the weather; however, this ability only works on Castform, who can't be Flying-type without being hacked anyway.
  • Camouflage is a status move that changes the user's type based on the environment.
  • Soak is a status move that changes a target other than the user to Water-type. Pokemon with Multitype cannot turn Water-type in this way.

• Disabling Levitate (lasts until switched out) will cause the Pokémon to become grounded; all non-Levitate Pokémon are grounded by default.
  
  • Both moves used to gain Levitate (Entrainment and Skill Swap) can be used to lose it as well.
  • Mold Breaker / TeraVoltage / TurboBlaze are Abilities that negate the Ability of a move target if that Ability would weaken or prevent a moved used by the Pokémon. This effect can negate Levitate if the Pokémon uses a Ground-type attacking move or Sky Drop.
  • Gastro Acid is a status move that disables the target's Ability.
  • Simple Beam is a status move that changes the Ability of a target other than the user to Simple.
  • Worry Seed is a status move that changes the Ability of a target other than the user to Insomnia.

• Roost (lasts until end of turn) is a status move that heals the user equal to half their maximum HP. Afterward, the user is grounded for the remainder of the turn and loses its Flying-type (if applicable). If a pure Flying-type Pokémon uses Roost, it becomes Normal-type. At the end of the turn, the Pokémon regains its typing; if and only if it was airborne before using Roost, will the user return to being airborne at the end of the turn. I need to test if this move is superseded by Magnet Rise or Telekinesis.

• Smack Down (lasts until switched out) is an attacking move that deals damage to a target. If the target is airborne, it becomes grounded until it switches out. This effect does not occur if the target is behind a Substitute or has already been grounded this turn through Roost (it will still regain any airborne state at the end of the turn). Telekinesis is removed from the target. If that Pokémon is using Fly or Bounce, that move is canceled immediately.

→ Becoming Forcibly Grounded

• Gravity (lasts 5 turns) is a status move that changes the field to intense gravity for 5 turns. In this setting, all Pokémon are grounded and cannot be made airborne by any means; Telekinesis is removed from all Pokémon. In addition, all Pokémon have their Evasion lowered by two stages. No Pokémon can use Fly, Bounce, Splash, Sky Drop, Jump Kick, Hi Jump Kick, Magnet Rise, or Telekinesis.

• Ingrain (lasts until switched out) is a status move that roots the user, healing it for 1/16 of its maximum HP at the end of each turn and preventing it from being switched out, except by Baton Pass, U-Turn, or Volt Switch. Until it is switched out, the user is grounded and cannot be made airborne by any means. This effect can be Baton Passed. The user cannot use Magnet Rise and Telekinesis has no effect on the user. Oddly enough, a Pokémon firmly rooted to the ground can still use Fly, Bounce, Splash, Sky Drop, Jump Kick, and Hi Jump Kick.

• Iron Ball (perpetual) is held item that halves the Speed of the holder and causes the holder to be forcibly grounded and unable to be made airborne by any means as long as it is held. Magnet Rise and Telekinesis can affect the holder, but will not make it airborne.
  
  • As an item, Iron Ball can be transferred in the same ways as Air Balloon, with the addition of Covet / Thief that steal a foe's item after successfully damaging them, as long as the user is not holding an item.

Further Testing

This is the stuff that still needs testing:

• Whether or not Sky Drop can lift an Ingrained / Iron Ball target, and whether it does damage to Ingrained / Iron Ball airborne.
• Whether Smack Down makes a Pokemon trapped by Arena Trap.
• Whether Smack Down's grounding can be removed by switching types to Flying (probably not).
• Whether Smack Down grounds if Levitate is negated by Mold Breaker.
• What happens if Smack Down hits an already grounded Pokemon and it switches to Levitate / Flying-type
• Whether Telekinesis is passed through Baton pass (probably follows the same trend as Taunt, Encore, Embargo, etc.).
• Whether Embargo / Magic Room / Klutz stop an Air Balloon from popping.
• Whether Roost's grounding is actually linked to the type-change or not; whether Magnet Rise / Telekinesis can make Roost users still airborne.
• Whether Ingrain prevents any jumping moves.
• Whether removing Iron Ball while under Magnet Rise / Telekinesis will gain airborne (probably).
• Whether Smack Down removes Telekinesis' accuracy boost.
• Any other relationships with Fly / Bounce, etc.

Conclusions

Sorry for wasting your time, everyone... But I had to do this for myself!

Nice guide, I'm sure we'll be adding this to the Compiled Guides thread once you've completeed everything :)

I'm sure everyone on the PO server would be willing to help out with some of those specifics.