What it does
Cheek Pouch adds a flat 1/3 max HP heal on top of any Berry the holder eats. The Berry still does what it normally does — Cheek Pouch is purely additive.
Concrete example: Dedenne holds Sitrus Berry. When HP drops below half, the Berry triggers: Sitrus Berry restores 1/4 max HP, and Cheek Pouch adds another 1/3 max HP simultaneously. Combined, that is roughly 58% max HP restored in one event. That is a substantial swing from a single Berry proc.
The same logic applies to resist Berries — if Occa Berry triggers to halve Fire damage, Cheek Pouch still fires the HP bonus on top of the damage reduction.
Any Berry consumption triggers it, including Berries recovered and re-eaten via Recycle. Loop setups benefit repeatedly.
Who runs it
Dedenne at 35% is the only competitive user worth discussing. It runs a support-leaning kit, and the Berry heal is a meaningful survival tool given its otherwise modest bulk. Paired with Sitrus Berry, the combined proc is enough to yank it back from danger thresholds in a single turn.
Maushold and Diggersby sit at 0% — they can have the ability, but they are not competitive fixtures in this format.
How to use it
Sitrus Berry is the default pairing. Below-50% HP triggers the Berry automatically, and you get nearly 60% max HP back in one shot. That is enough to take Dedenne from nearly knocked out to safely above half, with no additional investment required.
If Recycle is available from a teammate or on the moveset, the Berry can be recovered and consumed again, creating a rolling heal loop that outperforms Dedenne's raw stats in prolonged games.
Tips & strategy
Berry choice matters for squeezing value from Cheek Pouch. Sitrus Berry at 50% HP threshold gives a 1/4 heal plus the 1/3 bonus — roughly 58% combined. Oran Berry gives a fixed 20 HP at Lv50, which is typically less efficient unless you need guaranteed early-game healing. Sitrus Berry is almost always the better choice at standard Lv50 play.
One subtle note: the Cheek Pouch bonus and the Berry effect happen simultaneously in the same event, not sequentially. You get both pieces of recovery in one moment.