Berserk Gene はかいのいでんし Destructive Gene

Pokémon Global Link artwork

Introduced in Generation II Pocket Generation II Items

TheBerserk Gene (Japanese:はかいのいでんしDestructive Gene) is a type of consumableheld item exclusive to theGeneration II games. It is heavily associated withMewtwo.

In the core series games

Cost

Effect

It raises the holder'sAttack stat by two levels as soon as it enters battle. It also inflictsconfusion on the holder. It is consumed upon use.

In the handheld games, the Berserk Gene does not actually set the number of turns the holder is confused for, unlikemoves that can confuse. The condition for the confusion status is that if the number of remaining turns for it becomes zero after subtracting 1 from the counter, the Pokémon recovers from confusion. As a result, if the number of turns it is confused for is 0, each time the Pokémon tries to use a move, the game will subtract 1 from the number of turns, but it underflows to 255 due to the use of an unsigned byte, resulting in confusion that lasts for 256 turns in battle. If a confused Pokémon is switched out and replaced by a Pokémon holding a Berserk Gene, the holder will be confused for the remaining duration of the first Pokémon's confusion.

InPokémon Stadium 2, confusion from a Berserk Gene is properly configured to last 2 to 5 turns.

The Berserk Gene is consumed even if the holder is already confused or already has +6 Attack stages when it enters battle (due toBaton Pass).

Description

Acquisition

In spin-off games

Detective Pikachu

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

InDetective Pikachu, the Berserk Gene is referenced several times as part of the drug known asR, which can momentarily make Pokémon more powerful, but also causes them to become berserk. Its effects derive fromMewtwo's cells and the Berserk Gene within them.

	Spoilers end here.

Trivia

• In the game data ofPokémon Gold, Silver, andCrystal, Mewtwo is defined to always hold a Berserk Genewhen encountered in the wild. However, Mewtwo cannot be encountered in the wild in these games, so this data is unused.
  • Even if Mewtwo could be encountered in the wild, the Berserk Gene would be consumed immediately, so the player would not be able to obtain a Berserk Gene from wild Mewtwo.

In other languages

External links

• On Smogon Itemdex:
  • Generation II

Related articles

This item article is part ofProject ItemDex, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on allitems.

• Items
• Items introduced in Generation II
• Items Pocket
• Held items
• In-battle effect items
• Held items with negative effects
• Stat-raising held items