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What Is the Difference Between Sp. Attack & Attack in Ruby?

In the "Pokemon Ruby" game, the amount of damage a Pokemon deals to other Pokemon you are fighting against is determined by its statistics and the type of move it uses. Whether the damage dealt by a move is affected by the Attack statistic or the Special Attack statistic depends on whether the move is considered physical or special.

Attack
- The Attack statistic affects the damage dealt by all physical moves. In "Pokemon Ruby," like in all "Pokemon" games from Generation III or earlier, moves are considered physical when they belong to specific types. All moves that deal damage and belong to the Bug, Fighting, Flying, Ghost, Ground, Normal, Poison, Rock and Steel types are physical moves, regardless of whether they require the user to make contact with the enemy or not.
Special Attack
- The Special Attack statistic, Sp. Attack for short, affects the damage dealt by all special moves. In "Pokemon Ruby," like in all "Pokemon" games from Generation III or earlier, moves are considered special when they belong to specific types. All moves that deal damage and belong to the Dark, Dragon, Electric, Fire, Grass, Ice, Psychic and Water types are special moves, regardless of whether they require the user to make contact with the enemy or not.
Considerations
- Pokemon whose Special Attack statistic is higher than the Attack statistic will do more damage with special moves, and vice versa, while Pokemon whose Attack and Special Attack are equal will deal the same amount of damage with both special and physical moves. Because of this, you should examine the statistics of each of your Pokemon when deciding which moves to teach them in order to maximize your Pokemon's effectiveness in battle.
Other Factors
- The nature of a Pokemon can affect the growth of their Attack and Special Attack statistics. Pokemon with a Lonely, Adamant, Naughty or Brave nature receive a bonus to their Attack statistic, while Pokemon with a Modest, Mild, Rash or Quiet nature receive a bonus to their Special Attack statistic. The Bold, Modest, Calm and Timid natures slow the growth of the Attack statistic, while the Adamant, Impish, Careful and Jolly natures slow the growth of the Special Attack statistic.

Game Boy