What it does
Overheat is a Fire-type special move with very high base power, 90% accuracy, and a two-stage Special Attack drop after every use. The damage is meaningfully higher than Fire Blast but the SpA drop means the second use without switching deals less than half of the first hit's damage.
The SpA drop triggers immediately in the same turn — if you somehow move twice in a turn, the second move calculates with the already-reduced SpA. Switching out resets stat changes, so 'Overheat → pivot out → come back → Overheat again' is the intended refresh cycle. Every time you switch back in, you have full SpA again.
In doubles, Overheat hits a single target at full power. The high base damage is designed to KO a specific threat — a one-shot role, not repeated spam.
Who runs it
Ninetales at 39% uses its respectable Special Attack and sun support to land clean KOs with Overheat. As a finishing blow, it lands at a damage level most defensive Pokémon don't expect.
Typhlosion at 22% and Infernape at 21% use it when they need peak single-hit damage. Infernape specifically can pivot to physical moves after the SpA drop, sidestepping the drawback.
Volcarona at 21% presents an interaction worth noting: Quiver Dance raises SpA, but Overheat's SpA drop cancels part of that. The net change depends on how many Quiver Dances you've had — one Quiver Dance plus Overheat drops you back to neutral SpA. Know the math before clicking it.
Charizard at 18% has two Mega Evolution forms. Both benefit from Overheat's raw power and use pivot moves to reset the SpA frequently.
Manectric at 27% uses Overheat as a coverage slot against Grass and Steel targets.
Torkoal at 5% sets Drought in sun. Fire moves under sun gain 50% extra damage — Overheat under sun hits extremely hard.
How to use it
The primary gameplan: use Overheat to KO one key target, then immediately switch out to reset SpA. Return and repeat. In doubles, your partner holds position while you cycle. The partner keeps threatening the surviving opposing Pokémon while you get the free reset.
Don't use Overheat a second time before switching. The reduced SpA makes it dramatically weaker — less than half power. Switching once is always better than clicking it twice in a row.
Under Drought sun, the 50% Fire boost stacks onto Overheat's already-high base power. Targets you wouldn't normally KO suddenly fall.
Tips & strategy
90% accuracy means a 10% miss rate. In tournament-critical moments that rely on this hit landing, the risk is real. Build a secondary plan for what happens on a miss.
Water, Rock, and certain abilities (like Flash Fire) resist or negate Fire damage. Confirm no relevant immunities before spending an Overheat use on a target that won't take the full hit.