Outside of battle Whirlpool may be used to destroy whirlpools.
Whirlpool is a partial trapping move.
It is classified that way because for a duration of 2-5 turns (starting on the turn in which the attack hits), which is determined randomly, the pokemon which is successfully hit by Whirlpool will be unable to switch and takes a fixed amount of damage at the end of the turn. The fixed damage is equal to 1/16th (by integer division) of the maximum HP of the affected pokemon. The duration of these secondary effects is not extended by subsequent hits from Whirlpool. The partial trapping effects can not be inflicted on a pokemon that is currently caught by those secondary effects until the duration for the secondary effects run out (this is visibly demonstrated by a pokemon being released from the partial trapping effect even on a turn in which the pokemon is again being hit by a partial trapping move).
The name partial trapping is primarily applied due to the lesser trapping effect of the move. This trapping effect is of the limited duration noted previously, after which time the opponent may switch. The trapping effect also interacts differently with the moves Baton Pass and Substitute than the trapping effect of full trapping moves (Mean Look and Spider Web).
Whirlpool is affected by Brightpowder when the opposing pokémon is equipped with it.
Partial trapping moves include: Bind, Clamp, Fire Spin, Whirlpool, Wrap.
