The item that lets a Pokémon survive with 1 HP is the Focus Sash. If the holder is at full HP and a move would otherwise knock it out, the Focus Sash lets it stay alive with 1 HP remaining. The item’s condition is what matters most: it only works when the holder starts the hit at full HP.
How Focus Sash keeps a Pokémon alive at 1 HP
Focus Sash is a held item. A Pokémon carrying it must be at full HP before the fatal hit lands. If it is, the item prevents the knockout and leaves the Pokémon with 1 HP. The Pokémon Company International’s official strategy article on Pokémon.com uses this exact effect in its example, describing how the item “ensure[s] that Lycanroc will survive with 1 HP remaining” and allows the Pokémon to return double the damage it received using Counter.
The item’s description is the rule to check against any battle situation:
- Holder must be at full HP. A Pokémon already damaged, even slightly, does not get the effect from the item.
- The hit must be potentially fatal. The item matters only when the attack would otherwise cause a knockout.
- Result is 1 HP. The holder survives the hit with exactly 1 HP left.
- The item is used up in several versions. In those games the Focus Sash disappears after it activates, so it cannot protect the same Pokémon twice unless it is given another one.
Because the item’s description and its handling differ across generations, check the item text in the game you are playing before planning a team around it.
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Focus Band: a related but conditional item
Focus Band is the other held item often linked to surviving at 1 HP. Its wording is conditional: the holder may endure a knockout hit. That is a different promise from Focus Sash’s full-HP requirement. Do not treat Focus Band as a guaranteed substitute, because it does not guarantee survival on every fatal hit.
Endure: a move that works the same way for one turn
If you meant a battle action rather than an item, the answer is Endure. It is a move, not a held item. When the user uses it, the Pokémon can survive attacks during that turn with at least 1 HP. Endure protects only for that turn, so it is a turn-based choice rather than something the Pokémon carries into battle.
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Comparing the three options
| Option | Type | When it keeps the Pokémon at 1 HP | Key limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus Sash | Held item | Holder is at full HP and would be knocked out by a move | Requires full HP; often used up after one activation |
| Focus Band | Held item | Holder may endure a knockout hit | Conditional; not guaranteed |
| Endure | Move | User survives attacks during the turn with at least 1 HP | Lasts only for that turn; not an item |
Which game are you playing?
The sources behind this answer do not establish which Pokémon title or version you have in mind, so this article stays at the level of general item mechanics. Acquisition locations, exact behavior in a given generation, and edge cases depend on the specific game. Check the item description in your own game’s menu, or identify the title and version first if you need where to find the Focus Sash or whether it is consumed on use.
The official strategy article cited above is a Pokémon.com feature by The Pokémon Company International. The quoted example refers to Lycanroc and Counter, and it does not name a specific game edition.
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In short: use Focus Sash when the holder is at full HP and you need guaranteed survival of a single fatal hit; use Focus Band only as a conditional backup; and use Endure when you need a battle action that protects for one turn.
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