What it does
Drain Punch is a Fighting-type physical move that instantly restores the user's HP by half the damage it deals. No item, no condition, no secondary trigger — every hit heals. For a Fighting-type attacker that would otherwise spend a move slot on a recovery item or rely on Sitrus Berry, this collapses 'deal damage' and 'recover HP' into a single action.
It's a contact move, so Iron Fist boosts its power. Conkeldurr with Iron Fist gets meaningfully higher damage output from Drain Punch than a Pokémon without that ability — and higher damage means more HP returned per hit.
In doubles, healing moves need a different frame than in singles. Two opponents act each turn, so chip accumulates fast. Drain Punch's recovery usually doesn't fully offset sustained hits from two Pokémon — but it slows the rate of HP loss, keeping a Pokémon in range longer and reducing the number of healing items you need to build around.
Who runs it
Conkeldurr runs it at 80% usage. Iron Fist boosts the power, high base Attack makes the heals count, and its low Speed makes it a natural Trick Room user where staying on the field through multiple turns is the whole gameplan. Drain Punch is central to that durability.
Toxicroak (Poison/Fighting) uses it alongside Dry Skin — which heals HP in rain. Two HP recovery sources means Toxicroak can sustain through a rain match in a way most Pokémon can't.
Crabominable also operates in Trick Room contexts, and Drain Punch provides the main Fighting-type output while extending how long it stays active.
Palafin occasionally carries it as Fighting-type coverage, especially against Rock and Steel targets that resist its Water moves.
Mimikyu uses Disguise to absorb the first hit safely, then can drain punch into favorable targets to recover HP while dealing Fighting-type damage.
How to use it
In doubles, Drain Punch shines when you need a Fighting-type hit AND you expect this Pokémon to stay on the field for several turns. If the plan is to hit once and switch, a higher-power Fighting move might be better. If you're going three or four turns deep with this Pokémon, the cumulative healing changes the math.
Under Trick Room, slow Fighting-types move first and accumulate the healing advantage. Opponents can't chip down a Pokémon that keeps healing unless they can outpace the recovery with high-damage hits.
Contact means exposure to Rocky Helmet and Rough Skin/Iron Barbs. Against Pokémon carrying these, Drain Punch's net HP gain shrinks. Know your target.
Tips & strategy
The healing scales with damage dealt — a high-Attack Conkeldurr with Iron Fist recovers a substantial amount per hit, making it genuinely hard to wear down when it's healthy. The recovery is less impactful when you're attacking into defensive walls, because they take less damage.
Without a held recovery item, Drain Punch is the closest Fighting-type Pokémon comes to sustainable longevity. Sitrus Berry procs once; Leftovers gives a small fixed amount per turn; Drain Punch scales with output, meaning it's most valuable in the mid-game when Pokémon are at or near full HP.