What it does
Symbiosis triggers when an ally on the same side of the field consumes or loses their held item. The moment that happens, the Symbiosis holder's item transfers automatically to the ally.
What counts as consuming an item:
- Eating a Berry (Sitrus Berry, Lum Berry, etc.)
- Using up a one-time item like Booster Energy
- Throwing an item via Fling
What does not trigger Symbiosis: having an item knocked off by Knock Off or stolen by Thief. Those are external removals, not internal consumption.
The doubles setup this is built around: your ally carries a consumable item, you carry a better long-term item. When the ally's item triggers, Symbiosis immediately hands over your item. The ally gets the effect from their original item, then immediately benefits from the transferred item — two items, one slot, same partner.
Who runs it
Florges at 6% usage is the primary competitive carrier in Champions. Its role is special defense anchor — high SpDef, reliable support. The Symbiosis play on Florges is to hold Leftovers, let the ally run Sitrus Berry, and transfer the Leftovers over when the berry fires. The ally gets the berry heal and then starts recovering HP every turn. Florges ends up empty-handed, but its bulk carries it without an item in the support role.
One important note: Florges has no Mega Evolution. There is no Mega Florges.
Oranguru has Symbiosis as an option but sits at 0% in Champions data — it almost always runs its other ability.
Floette at 1% shows up in Champions but at negligible rates, with no real competitive impact.
How to use it
The whole game with Symbiosis is item timing.
The cleanest version: Symbiosis holder carries Leftovers, ally carries Sitrus Berry. Opponent knocks the ally down to half HP, berry activates for the big heal, Symbiosis fires simultaneously and passes Leftovers. From that point on, the ally is recovering HP every turn — a sustained drain on the opponent's resources.
The offensive version: ally carries Booster Energy for a burst activation, uses it up, Symbiosis passes over Choice Specs or another damage item. The ally goes from a one-turn burst to a sustained attacker — two phases of effectiveness from what looks like one item.
Timing note: Symbiosis is instantaneous within the turn. The item transfers happen in the same turn the berry or consumable activates, so if the transferred item would also trigger on that turn, it can stack.
Tips & strategy
Empty-handed is fine if the role is support. After Symbiosis fires, the holder has no item. On Florges, that's usually acceptable — support moves don't need an item, and the bulk is real. If you need the item back, Recycle exists but rarely fits in a competitive moveset.
Knock Off is the hard counter. If your opponent is running Knock Off, they can strip your ally's item without triggering Symbiosis, then strip yours too. Check whether opposing teams have this move before committing to the strategy.
Symbiosis with non-consumable partners doesn't work. If your ally runs Choice Band or Assault Vest, nothing ever triggers Symbiosis. The ability only pays off when you design your ally's item slot around a consumable.