The Defense cut is the tradeoff for 10% more Attack with Lonely. In Yellow, Dragonite is one of the most popular Lonely users, alongside Arcanine and Articuno. It's Lonely for mixed offense, Adamant for dedicated physical. Yellow has no nature system. Transfer your Pokemon forward and breed for Lonely in a modern title.

Lonely raises Attack by 10% and lowers Defense by 10%. Physical attackers willing to sacrifice physical bulk for more power. 9 Pokemon competitively run this nature.
#PokemonTierRoleAbility+Atk-DefSpe
1
Dragonite
Dragonite
DRAGONFLYING
SPhysical AttackerInnerfocus
134+18
95-12
80
2APhysical AttackerIntimidate
110+16
80-10
95
3
Articuno
Articuno
ICEFLYING
BBulky SupportPressure
85+13
100-12
85
4
Hitmonlee
Hitmonlee
FIGHTING
BPhysical AttackerUnburden
120+17
53-8
87
5
Gastly
Gastly
GHOSTPOISON
CPhysical AttackerLevitate
35+8
30-5
80
6CPhysical AttackerFlashfire
100+15
70-9
105
7
Beedrill
Beedrill
BUGPOISON
CUtilitySniper
90+14
40-6
75
8
Dragonair
Dragonair
DRAGON
CPhysical AttackerShedskin
84+13
65-9
70
9
Oddish
Oddish
GRASSPOISON
DPhysical AttackerChlorophyll
50+10
55-8
30
Dragonite
Dragonite
DRAGON FLYING
S
Role
Physical Attacker
Ability
Innerfocus
+Atk
134 +18
Spe
80
A
Role
Physical Attacker
Ability
Intimidate
+Atk
110 +16
Spe
95
Articuno
Articuno
ICE FLYING
B
Role
Bulky Support
Ability
Pressure
+Atk
85 +13
Spe
85
Hitmonlee
Hitmonlee
FIGHTING
B
Role
Physical Attacker
Ability
Unburden
+Atk
120 +17
Spe
87
Gastly
Gastly
GHOST POISON
C
Role
Physical Attacker
Ability
Levitate
+Atk
35 +8
Spe
80
C
Role
Physical Attacker
Ability
Flashfire
+Atk
100 +15
Spe
105
Beedrill
Beedrill
BUG POISON
C
Role
Utility
Ability
Sniper
+Atk
90 +14
Spe
75
Dragonair
Dragonair
DRAGON
C
Role
Physical Attacker
Ability
Shedskin
+Atk
84 +13
Spe
70
Oddish
Oddish
GRASS POISON
D
Role
Physical Attacker
Ability
Chlorophyll
+Atk
50 +10
Spe
30
+10%Attack
-10%Defense
Flavor Preference
Likes Spicy, dislikes Sour
Competitive Role
Physical attackers willing to sacrifice physical bulk for more power.
Lonely vs Adamant
Choose Lonely
+Attack / -Defense
  • Pokemon that benefit from maximizing Attack
  • Builds where the -Defense penalty is irrelevant
Choose Adamant
+Attack / -Sp. Attack
  • Pokemon that need Attack more than Attack
  • Builds where -Defense is too costly
How to Get
SynchronizeLead with a Lonely Pokemon that has the Synchronize ability. Wild Pokemon will match its nature. (Gen 3+)
BreedingGive the parent with Lonely nature an Everstone. The offspring will inherit it. (100% since Gen 5)
Nature MintUse a Lonely Mint to change stat effects to Lonely. The original nature name stays but stats change. (Gen 8+)
What does the Lonely nature do in Pokemon?
It's a +10% Attack, -10% Defense nature. The 10% multiplier applies after base stats and EVs, so the actual point difference grows as stats get higher. Pokemon with Lonely nature prefer Spicy flavor and dislike Sour.
What are the best Lonely nature Pokemon?
Dragonite, Arcanine, Articuno, and Hitmonlee are among the strongest Lonely picks. What they share is a reliance on Attack and little need for Defense. Check the tier list for current rankings.
Is Lonely a good nature for competitive Pokemon?
Yes. It's one of the most-used natures in competitive formats. You'll see Lonely on dedicated Attack-focused builds across most tiers and formats.
How do I get a Lonely nature Pokemon?
Three options: (1) Synchronize lead forces wild Pokemon to match your lead's nature. (2) Everstone breeding passes the nature 100% of the time since Gen 5. (3) a Lonely Mint changes the stat effects after the fact. Mints don't change the nature name, just the stat modifiers.
Should I use Lonely or Adamant?
It depends on what your team needs. Lonely is the mixed offense option. Adamant is the dedicated physical option. Most of the time, your Pokemon's moveset and role make the decision obvious.