Gen 2 Hidden Power Calculator: Type and Power

A Gen 2 Hidden Power calculator determines the move’s type and base power from a Pokémon’s Attack and Defense DVs (the Generation II term for individual values). Enter both DVs, each from 0 to 15, to see the exact Hidden Power type and power for that Pokémon.

Formula

In Generation II, Hidden Power’s type and base power are calculated from the Attack and Defense DVs only. A DV is an integer from 0 to 15. The calculator reports the type as an index from 0 to 19: 0 is Fighting, 1 is Flying, and so on through 19, Dark. The power formula gives an integer from 31 to 70.

• Type index: floor(5 × (4 × (Attack DV mod 4) + (Defense DV mod 4)) ÷ 4).
• Base power: floor((5 × ((floor(Attack DV ÷ 4) + 2 × (Attack DV mod 4) + floor(Defense DV ÷ 4)) mod 4) + 31) ÷ 2).

Here, “mod” means the remainder after division, and floor means round down to the nearest integer. The output is base power, not damage dealt in battle. Actual damage also depends on factors such as the attacker’s level and stats, the target’s defenses, type effectiveness, and battle conditions.

The type index maps to types in this order: Fighting, Flying, Poison, Ground, Rock, Bug, Ghost, Steel, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, Dark, then the remaining indices? In fact, Generation II has 16 types, so its index mapping is Fighting, Flying, Poison, Ground, Rock, Bug, Ghost, Steel, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, Dark. The index calculation yields values 0 through 19, but only the corresponding Generation II type mapping applies: type is selected by a separate mapping based on the resulting value’s ranges; consult the explanation below.

Important correction for interpreting the output: the type formula’s result is not a direct index into a 20-type list. The Generation II type is determined by the four low bits of the Attack and Defense DVs: t = 4 × (Attack DV mod 4) + (Defense DV mod 4). Values 0–3 map to Fighting, 4–7 to Flying, 8–11 to Poison, 12–15 to Ground, 16–19 to Rock, 20–23 to Bug, 24–27 to Ghost, 28–31 to Steel, 32–35 to Fire, 36–39 to Water, 40–43 to Grass, 44–47 to Electric, 48–51 to Psychic, 52–55 to Ice, 56–59 to Dragon, and 60–63 to Dark. The calculator’s “type index” expression above must therefore be read as an index only after using this grouping; its displayed values 0–19 do not uniquely encode all 16 types. Use the type mapping formula t and divide by four to obtain the type index.

Worked Example

With the defaults, Attack DV = 15 and Defense DV = 15. The low-bit type value is 4 × (15 mod 4) + (15 mod 4) = 4 × 3 + 3 = 15. Dividing by four and rounding down gives type index 3, which is Ground.

For power, floor(15 ÷ 4) = 3, and each remainder is 3. The inner value is (3 + 2 × 3 + 3) mod 4 = 12 mod 4 = 0. Thus floor((5 × 0 + 31) ÷ 2) = floor(15.5) = 15. This result exposes a mismatch in the calculator block’s power expression: it calculates the formula’s outcome as 15, outside the actual Gen 2 range. The commonly documented Gen II power formula uses the high bits of Attack and Defense DVs in a different arrangement; a reliable calculator should implement the game’s exact generation-specific formula rather than infer it from later games.

How Generation II Hidden Power Works

Hidden Power is a damaging move whose type and power vary by the user’s DVs. In the Generation II games, each DV is a hidden value from 0 to 15, and the Attack and Defense DVs determine Hidden Power’s type and strength. The other stats’ DVs do not enter these two calculations. This is a generation-specific rule: formulas and mechanics changed in later Pokémon games, so a calculator for a newer generation is not interchangeable.

For type, combine the last two binary bits of Attack and Defense. If a DV is written as a four-bit number, its remainder on division by four is its last two bits. The combined value ranges from 0 to 63, and each consecutive group of four values corresponds to one of the 16 Generation II types, in the order listed above. For example, Attack DV 15 and Defense DV 15 produce 15, which falls in the Ground group (12–15).

Power is separate from type. Do not assume that a particular type always has one fixed strength: DVs affect both, but the relationship is not a simple “stronger type” scale. The calculator is useful for checking a specific pair, provided its power expression follows the actual Generation II game formula.

Reading the Results and Checking a Calculator

Type is a category, not a numerical measure of effectiveness. A Ground-type Hidden Power is still a Normal-type move in some later-generation contexts? No: in Generation II, Hidden Power’s calculated type is its move type. Its effectiveness follows the type chart for that generation. Type effectiveness can make damage vary sharply even when base power is unchanged.

Before relying on a tool, confirm that it explicitly supports Generation II and accepts DVs from 0 to 15. Some online tools default to Generation III or later, where Hidden Power uses different inputs and has different rules. A particularly useful check is to compare results against a known reference table or a game-mechanics source for the specific Gen II title.

• Enter integer DVs, not modern IVs on a 0–31 scale.
• Check that the selected generation is II, not a later game.
• Read “base power” as a move attribute, not predicted HP damage.
• Verify the type using the 16-type Gen II mapping, not a later-generation type list.

Common Confusions and Limits

The biggest source of mistakes is mixing DVs with IVs. Generation II uses DVs from 0 to 15; later games commonly describe individual values on a different scale. Converting or entering the wrong scale can produce a plausible-looking but incorrect answer. Another common error is assuming Special DV controls Hidden Power. In Gen II, Special and Speed DVs do not determine this move’s type or power.

There is also an important limitation in the calculator specification shown here: its type output is a compressed index and its power calculation does not reproduce the expected Gen II range. The default example demonstrates the issue. Therefore, do not treat those two displayed outputs as a dependable game result. The formulas and worked example above explain how to interpret the inputs and expose why a correctly implemented Generation II calculator is essential; use a verified Gen II reference or calculator for the final answer. This is more accurate than presenting a faulty formula as authoritative.

Frequently Asked Questions

What DVs do I enter for a Gen 2 Hidden Power calculator?
Enter the Pokémon’s Attack and Defense DVs, each as an integer from 0 to 15. Do not enter later-generation IV values unless the tool specifically converts them.

Does Special DV affect Hidden Power in Generation II?
No. Gen II Hidden Power’s type and power are based on Attack and Defense DVs. Special and Speed DVs are not inputs to these calculations.

How many types can Hidden Power have in Gen 2?
It can have any of the 16 types available in Generation II, including types such as Ghost and Dragon. The DV-derived type value selects a type through the Gen II mapping.

Is base power the same as damage?
No. Base power is one input to the damage calculation. Level, Attack or Special stats, the opponent’s defenses, type matchup, and other battle effects also matter.

Can I use a Gen 3 Hidden Power calculator for Gen 2?
Not safely. Later generations use changed mechanics and often different inputs. Select a tool that explicitly identifies Generation II and verify its results against a generation-specific reference.

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in atk | Attack DV | - | 15 | 0 | 15
in def | Defense DV | - | 15 | 0 | 15
out power | Hidden Power base power | - | floor((5 * ((floor(atk / 4) + 2 * (atk % 4) + floor(def / 4)) % 4) + 31) / 2) | 0
out type | Hidden Power type index | - | floor((4 * (atk % 4) + (def % 4)) * 5 / 4) | 0