What Does Illuminate Do in Pokémon?

Compare Illuminate’s encounter and battle effects, the Scarlet and Violet version change, and eight Poke Wordle candidates. Learn why accuracy protection does not guarantee a hit.

Illuminate changed: check the game first

Illuminate helps with wild encounters in older games, but protects accuracy in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet from version 2.0.1 onward. Its battle effect stops other Pokémon from lowering the holder’s accuracy stat stage and ignores the target’s evasion stages. That does not make every move hit: a move’s own accuracy and effects such as Sand Veil still matter.

Games or versionIn battleOutside battle or version note
Applicable main-series games in generations III–VIINo battle effectAn Illuminate holder at the front of the party doubles wild encounters, even if fainted
Sword and ShieldNo battle effectAffects random encounters, not the number of all visible Pokémon
Scarlet and Violet before 2.0.1No battle effectThe description changed in 1.3.2, before any Illuminate holder was available
Scarlet and Violet from 2.0.1Protects accuracy stages; ignores the target’s evasion stagesNo confirmed increase in wild encounter rate

The description changed in 1.3.2; the battle effect began in 2.0.1. See Bulbapedia · Serebii’s Illuminate entry.

Why does accuracy protection not guarantee a hit?

Think of a move’s accuracy as having several inputs. Illuminate deals with particular stat-stage adjustments, rather than replacing the entire hit check.

Situation, while Illuminate is active and not bypassedWhat follows
Another Pokémon tries to lower the holder’s accuracy stageThat reduction is prevented
The target has raised its evasion stageThat stage increase does not help it evade this holder’s move
A move has less than 100 base accuracyIlluminate alone does not turn that number into 100
Sand Veil affects the hit check without changing stagesIlluminate does not remove that effect

What did the older encounter effect do?

In main-series games in generations III–VII, a Pokémon with Illuminate at the front of the party doubles the wild encounter rate, even if it has fainted. Generation III Rock Smash encounters are unaffected; HeartGold and SoulSilver apply the bonus to Rock Smash encounters too. See Bulbapedia’s field-effect notes.

Sword and Shield’s bonus affects random encounters, not visible spawns. It does not increase the Shiny chance per encounter.

Which Illuminate Pokémon are in Poke Wordle?

These eight entries currently have Illuminate among their available Abilities on this site.

PokémonTypesGenerationBase stat total
StaryuWater1340
StarmieWater, Psychic1520
ChinchouWater, Electric2330
LanturnWater, Electric2460
VolbeatBug3430
WatchogNormal5420
MorelullGrass, Fairy7285
ShiinoticGrass, Fairy7405

A green Illuminate clue: Chinchou or Lanturn?

Suppose the answer is Lanturn and you guess Chinchou in Poke Wordle, with generation II enabled and the relevant columns visible. Here is what the clues tell you:

Chinchou’s clueFeedback against LanturnReason
Water and ElectricBoth greenBoth types match
Generation 2GreenThey debuted in the same generation
Illuminate, Volt Absorb, Water AbsorbAll greenThe two entries share all three available Ability names
Base stat total 330Gray, upward arrowLanturn has 460: a difference of 130
First stageDifferentLanturn is a second-stage entry

The Ability column lists possible Abilities for an entry; it does not give one individual three active Abilities. Even all three green labels do not identify the answer. Here the higher total and different evolution stage separate two otherwise similar candidates. See the colors and arrows guide for reading the remaining feedback.

Generation II still uses this site’s published Ability clues; the setting only filters candidates. See the generation settings guide.