attacks should not animate if miss or fail

src/battle/BattleState.lua

@@ -1556,6 +1556,25 @@ function BattleState:animationsOn()
   return not o or o.animations ~= false
 end
 
+-- Drop the announcement-time move-anim row.  Gen 1 queues PlayMoveAnimation
+-- only after MoveHitTest / the effect lands (HandleIfPlayerMoveMissed skips
+-- it on a miss unless EXPLODE_EFFECT); we insert early for blink attachment
+-- and peel it back on miss/fail paths.
+function BattleState:cancelMoveAnim()
+  local row = self.moveAnimRow
+  if not row then return end
+  self.moveAnimRow = nil
+  for i, item in ipairs(self.queue) do
+    if item == row then
+      table.remove(self.queue, i)
+      if self.nextInsert and i <= self.nextInsert then
+        self.nextInsert = self.nextInsert - 1
+      end
+      return
+    end
+  end
+end
+
 -- ------------------------------------------------------------------
 -- special-effect (SE_*) implementations.  Palette effects are BGP
 -- shade maps ({[i] = shade color index i displays as}); on the SGB the
@@ -2160,6 +2179,20 @@ end
 -- Decomposed into a staged pipeline over the merged move_effects record:
 -- announcement -> callsMove -> charge -> perform -> primary run -> the
 -- damaging pipeline (EffectRegistry.runDamaging).
+
+-- Gen 1 status/stat primary effects call PlayCurrentMoveAnimation only
+-- after they land; these failure texts print with no animation.
+local function primaryEffectFailed(msgs)
+  if not msgs or #msgs == 0 then return true end
+  local m = msgs[1]
+  if m == "But, it failed!" or m == "Nothing happened!" then return true end
+  if m:find("didn't affect", 1, true) then return true end
+  if m:find("is unaffected", 1, true) then return true end
+  if m:find("protected by MIST", 1, true) then return true end
+  if m:find("Already", 1, true) then return true end
+  return false
+end
+
 function BattleState:performMove(user, target, moveInst, isCalled)
   local move = self:moveDef(moveInst)
   if not move then
@@ -2207,6 +2240,11 @@ function BattleState:performMove(user, target, moveInst, isCalled)
   -- already said its failure text
   if record and record.callsMove then
     local pick = record.callsMove(ctx)
+    -- Mirror Move never plays its own anim (MetronomePickMove does;
+    -- MirrorMoveCopyMove only reloads the copied move or prints fail)
+    if move.id == "MIRROR_MOVE" or not pick then
+      self:cancelMoveAnim()
+    end
     if pick then
       self:performMove(user, target, { id = pick, pp = 1 }, true)
     end
@@ -2249,10 +2287,19 @@ function BattleState:performMove(user, target, moveInst, isCalled)
     if record.accuracyChecked
        and (target.invulnerable
             or not self:accuracyRoll(move, user, target)) then
+      -- SleepEffect/PoisonEffect/... call PlayCurrentMoveAnimation only
+      -- after the effect lands; a miss skips it
+      self:cancelMoveAnim()
       self:sayNext(("%s's\nattack missed!"):format(displayName(user)))
       return
     end
-    for _, m in ipairs(record.run(ctx)) do
+    local msgs = record.run(ctx)
+    -- Gen 1 status/stat effects animate only when they take effect
+    -- (AlreadyAsleep / NothingHappened / ButItFailed print with no anim)
+    if primaryEffectFailed(msgs) then
+      self:cancelMoveAnim()
+    end
+    for _, m in ipairs(msgs) do
       self:sayNext(m)
     end
     self:drainNext() -- REST/RECOVER/SOFTBOILED move the user's bar
@@ -2260,6 +2307,7 @@ function BattleState:performMove(user, target, moveInst, isCalled)
   end
   if move.power == 0 and not (record and record.kind == "full") then
     MoveEffects.warnUnknown(move.effect)
+    self:cancelMoveAnim()
     self:sayNext("But, it failed!")
     return
   end
@@ -2299,6 +2347,7 @@ function BattleState:continueBide(user, target)
   local dmg = (user.bideDamage or 0) * 2
   user.bideTurns, user.bideDamage = nil, nil
   if dmg <= 0 then
+    self:cancelMoveAnim()
     self:sayNext("But, it failed!")
     return
   end

src/battle/EffectRegistry.lua

@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ function EffectRegistry.runDamaging(battle, ctx, record)
   -- Swift ignores semi-invulnerability (MoveHitTest returns hit for
   -- SWIFT_EFFECT before the INVULNERABLE check)
   if target.invulnerable and not neverMiss then
+    -- Explosion/Selfdestruct still animate on a miss (HandleIfPlayerMoveMissed)
+    if not (record and record.explode) then battle:cancelMoveAnim() end
     battle:sayNext(("%s's\nattack missed!"):format(displayName(user)))
     return
   end
@@ -97,6 +99,7 @@ function EffectRegistry.runDamaging(battle, ctx, record)
   if record and record.gate then
     local ok, failMsg = record.gate(ctx)
     if not ok then
+      battle:cancelMoveAnim()
       if failMsg then battle:sayNext(failMsg) end
       return
     end
@@ -108,6 +111,8 @@ function EffectRegistry.runDamaging(battle, ctx, record)
 
   if not neverMiss then
     if not battle:accuracyRoll(move, user, target) then
+      -- Explosion/Selfdestruct still animate on a miss (HandleIfPlayerMoveMissed)
+      if not (record and record.explode) then battle:cancelMoveAnim() end
       battle:sayNext(("%s's\nattack missed!"):format(displayName(user)))
       -- Jump Kick crash, Explode self-destruct
       if record and record.onMiss then record.onMiss(ctx, "accuracy") end
@@ -134,6 +139,7 @@ function EffectRegistry.runDamaging(battle, ctx, record)
       end
     end
     if not counterable or (battle.lastDamage or 0) == 0 then
+      battle:cancelMoveAnim()
       battle:sayNext(("%s's\nattack missed!"):format(displayName(user)))
       return
     end
@@ -144,6 +150,7 @@ function EffectRegistry.runDamaging(battle, ctx, record)
     -- failed with that text already chosen
     local chosen, extra = record.chooseDamage(ctx)
     if not chosen then
+      battle:cancelMoveAnim()
       if extra then battle:sayNext(extra) end
       return
     end
@@ -154,12 +161,15 @@ function EffectRegistry.runDamaging(battle, ctx, record)
   end
 
   if info.typeMult == 0 then
+    -- type immunity zeros damage and sets wMoveMissed in Gen 1, so no anim
+    if not (record and record.explode) then battle:cancelMoveAnim() end
     battle:sayNext(("It doesn't affect\n%s!"):format(displayName(target)))
     if record and record.onMiss then record.onMiss(ctx, "immune") end
     return
   end
   if info.missed then
     -- 0.25x floored the damage to zero: the original registers a miss
+    if not (record and record.explode) then battle:cancelMoveAnim() end
     battle:sayNext(("%s's\nattack missed!"):format(displayName(user)))
     if record and record.onMiss then record.onMiss(ctx, "floored") end
     return

src/battle/MoveEffects.lua

@@ -616,6 +616,7 @@ MoveEffects.full = {
     -- roll is below opponentLevel/4.  Teleport's failure text is "But
     -- it failed!", Roar/Whirlwind's is DidntAffectText; in trainer
     -- battles Teleport fails and Roar/Whirlwind are "unaffected".
+    -- Fail paths DelayFrames then print -- no PlayCurrentMoveAnimation.
     perform = function(ctx)
       local battle, user, target, move = ctx.battle, ctx.user, ctx.target, ctx.move
       if battle.kind == "wild" then
@@ -635,13 +636,17 @@ MoveEffects.full = {
           battle.result = "run"
           battle.afterQueue = "finish"
         elseif move.id == "TELEPORT" then
+          battle:cancelMoveAnim()
           ctx.say("But, it failed!")
         else
+          battle:cancelMoveAnim()
           ctx.say(("It didn't affect\n%s!"):format(displayName(target)))
         end
       elseif move.id == "TELEPORT" then
+        battle:cancelMoveAnim()
         ctx.say("But, it failed!")
       else
+        battle:cancelMoveAnim()
         ctx.say(("%s\nis unaffected!"):format(displayName(target)))
       end
     end,

tests/run_tests.lua

@@ -854,6 +854,11 @@ do
     ab.rng = mkseq({ 255 }) -- the 1/256 miss
     ab:performMove(ab.player, ab.enemy, { id = "THUNDER_WAVE", pp = 10 })
     eq(ab.enemy.mon.status, nil, "THUNDER WAVE misses on the 255 roll")
+    local function hasAnim(b)
+      for _, r in ipairs(b.queue) do if r.anim then return true end end
+      return false
+    end
+    check(not hasAnim(ab), "a missed THUNDER WAVE plays no move animation")
     ab.rng = mkseq({ 254 })
     ab:performMove(ab.player, ab.enemy, { id = "THUNDER_WAVE", pp = 10 })
     eq(ab.enemy.mon.status, "PAR", "THUNDER WAVE lands on the 254 roll")
@@ -864,6 +869,33 @@ do
     eq(sbst.player.stages.attack, 1, "SHARPEN skips the accuracy roll")
   end
 
+  -- HandleIfPlayerMoveMissed: skip PlayMoveAnimation on a miss
+  -- (unless EXPLODE_EFFECT)
+  do
+    Game.save.party = { Pokemon.new(Data, "BULBASAUR", 20) }
+    local function hasAnim(b)
+      for _, r in ipairs(b.queue) do if r.anim then return true end end
+      return false
+    end
+    local function sawMiss(b)
+      for _, r in ipairs(b.queue) do
+        if r.text and r.text:find("attack missed!", 1, true) then return true end
+      end
+      return false
+    end
+    local mb = BattleState.newWild(Game, "RATTATA", 5)
+    mb.rng = function(a, b) return b end -- accuracy 255: miss
+    mb:performMove(mb.player, mb.enemy, { id = "TACKLE", pp = 10 })
+    check(sawMiss(mb), "TACKLE miss prints AttackMissedText")
+    check(not hasAnim(mb), "a missed TACKLE plays no move animation")
+    eq(mb.enemy.mon.hp, mb.enemy.mon.stats.hp, "a missed TACKLE deals no damage")
+
+    local hb = BattleState.newWild(Game, "RATTATA", 5)
+    hb.rng = function(a, b) return a end -- hit
+    hb:performMove(hb.player, hb.enemy, { id = "TACKLE", pp = 10 })
+    check(hasAnim(hb), "a landing TACKLE still queues its move animation")
+  end
+
   -- #14: EXP.ALL second pass inherits the participant divisor and skips
   -- fainted mons
   do