The Rash nature in Pokémon raises Special Attack by 10% and lowers Special Defense by 10%. This makes it a nature built for offensive power, specifically for Pokémon that rely on special moves and don’t mind taking extra damage from opposing special attacks.
How the Rash Nature Affects Stats
Every Pokémon nature adjusts two stats, pushing one up by 10% and pulling another down by the same amount. Rash boosts Special Attack at the cost of Special Defense. In practical terms, a Pokémon with a Rash nature hits harder with moves like Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, or Surf, but takes more damage from those same types of moves when they’re aimed back at it.
The 10% modifier applies to the final stat calculation, so the difference becomes more noticeable at higher levels. At level 50 (the standard for most competitive formats), a Pokémon with base 100 Special Attack would have roughly 10 extra points in that stat compared to a neutral nature. That gap widens further at level 100.
Rash vs. Modest vs. Mild
Three natures boost Special Attack, and choosing between them depends entirely on what stat you’re willing to sacrifice. Modest lowers Attack, Mild lowers Defense, and Rash lowers Special Defense. For a pure special attacker that never uses physical moves, Modest is almost always the better pick because you’re giving up a stat you weren’t using anyway.
Rash becomes interesting on mixed attackers, Pokémon that use both physical and special moves. Since Modest would cut into your physical damage, Rash lets you keep full Attack power while still boosting Special Attack. The trade-off is that your Pokémon becomes more fragile on the special side. Mild offers the same Special Attack boost but sacrifices physical Defense instead. The choice between Rash and Mild comes down to which type of incoming damage your Pokémon is more likely to face.
Which Pokémon Benefit From Rash
Rash works best on Pokémon with high Special Attack that already have low Special Defense, since you’re not giving up much by lowering a stat that was weak to begin with. Mixed attackers that run both physical and special moves in the same set get the most out of it.
Some strong candidates include Hydreigon, which commonly runs both physical and special coverage moves, and Lucario, whose movepool supports mixed sets effectively. Zoroark, Naganadel, and Darkrai also fit the profile of fast special attackers with low enough Special Defense that the Rash penalty barely matters. Legendary Pokémon like Rayquaza and certain Deoxys formes can also take advantage of Rash when running mixed attacking sets.
That said, most competitive players still lean toward Modest or Timid (which boosts Speed) for dedicated special attackers. Rash occupies a niche for specific mixed-attacker builds where preserving both Attack and Speed is essential.
Berry Flavor Preferences
Natures also determine which berry flavors a Pokémon likes and dislikes. Since Rash raises Special Attack (the stat tied to Dry flavor) and lowers Special Defense (tied to Bitter flavor), a Rash Pokémon likes Dry berries and dislikes Bitter ones. This matters for berries that restore health but cause confusion if the Pokémon dislikes the flavor, like the Wiki Berry (Dry) or the Aguav Berry (Bitter). A Rash Pokémon would happily eat a Wiki Berry but could become confused from an Aguav Berry.
How Rash Mints Work
If you’ve already caught or bred a Pokémon with the wrong nature, you don’t need to start over. Rash Mints, available in Pokémon Scarlet, Violet, and Sword and Shield, apply the Rash stat modifiers to any Pokémon without actually changing its displayed nature. Your Pokémon’s summary screen still shows its original nature, but its stats recalculate as if it were Rash. This also means berry flavor preferences stay tied to the original nature, not the mint.
You can typically buy mints from competitive battle facilities or find them as rewards in postgame content. They’re a straightforward way to fix a nature mismatch on a Pokémon you’ve already invested time into training.
When to Avoid the Rash Nature
Rash is a poor fit for any Pokémon that needs to take special hits reliably. Walls, tanks, and support Pokémon that already struggle with special bulk will crumble faster with a 10% Special Defense cut. It’s also unnecessary on Pokémon that only use special moves, since Modest gives the same offensive boost without touching a defensive stat you actually use. If your Pokémon doesn’t carry at least one physical attack worth keeping, there’s no reason to choose Rash over Modest.