Physical moves normally use the attacker’s Attack stat against the target’s Defense stat. Special moves normally use Special Attack against Special Defense. In modern games, each move has its own physical or special category, shown by an icon in its details. This is different from older generations, where a move’s category was determined by its type. Choose attacks that match the Pokémon’s stronger offensive stat. A Pokémon with high Attack generally wants physical moves, while one with high Special Attack generally wants special moves. Some Pokémon can use mixed sets, but that usually needs a specific reason and suitable stats.
