• A new LGBTQ+ forum is now being trialed and there have been changes made to the Support and Advice forum. To read more about these updates, click here.
  • Hey Trainers! Be sure to check out Corsola Beach, our newest section on the forums, in partnership with our friends at Corsola Cove! At the Beach, you can discuss the competitive side of the games, post your favorite Pokemon memes, and connect with other Pokemon creators!
  • Due to the recent changes with Twitter's API, it is no longer possible for Bulbagarden forum users to login via their Twitter account. If you signed up to Bulbagarden via Twitter and do not have another way to login, please contact us here with your Twitter username so that we can get you sorted.

Moves that Pokemon should/should not be able to learn

Incineroar and Blaziken are probably handicapping themselves if they’re running a special move.
Well, I would think that some starters in less recent generations were meant to be easy to use in-game for beginners, who likely don't know the difference between physical and special. Thus, even if it would be sub-optimal, Incineroar and Blaziken were probably designed to be at least usable special-wise. But, you do have a point; I would definitely like to see a special attacking Fire starter that does its job better than Delphox does. (Although, Charizard says hi?)
 
Well, I would think that some starters in less recent generations were meant to be easy to use in-game for beginners, who likely don't know the difference between physical and special. Thus, even if it would be sub-optimal, Incineroar and Blaziken were probably designed to be at least usable special-wise. But, you do have a point; I would definitely like to see a special attacking Fire starter that does its job better than Delphox does. (Although, Charizard says hi?)
I was more geared towards competitive. They’re usable? Yes, but then, almost everything is. Literally any fully evolved Pokémon will be usable unless you stack it with 4 status moves. That really ain’t the point. But I daresay that if some person was made to look at these Pokémon and asked if they look to be physical or special, physical would be a major verdict. And their movesets and optimal configurations reflect that.

Charizard does a better job, true, but then, as GameFreak themselves like to point, it was 23 years ago. My entire point is that the overwhelming dominant mode is physical when it comes to a fire starter. It’s about time we got at least one good special fire starter in 20 years. Is it too much to ask?
 
Well, I would think that some starters in less recent generations were meant to be easy to use in-game for beginners, who likely don't know the difference between physical and special.
I mean, if we're talking as less recent as Gen 3, then that shouldn't have been a factor in movepools, because that's prior to the physical/special split.
 
Druddigon. Has a tail, can learn Iron tail. Breaking swipe. Explained to be an attack using a hard tail. Druddigon cannot learn Breaking swipe. WHY?
Okay, so I was looking at the Gen VIII move listings and apparently Electivire doesn't learn Close Combat when even things like Tauros and Bouffalant do. Whut.

I KNOW RIGHT? Quoting a previous post of mine: “As for the other side, every quadruped creature capable of learning Close combat. I got a Close combat TR in Shield, to teach it to my Gallade, and then found out my Tauros can learn it. HOW? How does a Tauros, something that is seemingly always on all fours, suddenly start punching the shit out of the opponent despite the lack of fists, how?”

According to a reply on this exact topic I posted on Reddit, Close combat isn’t just fists but fighting in general, and can therfore include claws and horns. But then, the pre 3D games had the Close combat animation be fists!
 
Vileplume shouldn't learn Aromatherapy. Why does it learn it, but Bellossom does not?

Edit: to add to this; I feel like Bellossom should be able to learn Heal Bell since it's pokedex entries say: " When it dances, its petals rub together and make a pleasant ringing sound." That and the fact that "bell" is in the name and it is bell-shaped.
 
Last edited:
Druddigon. Has a tail, can learn Iron tail. Breaking swipe. Explained to be an attack using a hard tail. Druddigon cannot learn Breaking swipe. WHY?


I KNOW RIGHT? Quoting a previous post of mine: “As for the other side, every quadruped creature capable of learning Close combat. I got a Close combat TR in Shield, to teach it to my Gallade, and then found out my Tauros can learn it. HOW? How does a Tauros, something that is seemingly always on all fours, suddenly start punching the shit out of the opponent despite the lack of fists, how?”

According to a reply on this exact topic I posted on Reddit, Close combat isn’t just fists but fighting in general, and can therfore include claws and horns. But then, the pre 3D games had the Close combat animation be fists!
Well, to be fair Staraptor has been able to learn Close Combat from day 1, so the explanation that the move represents "fighting in general" does make sense. That said, if we go by that logic, then there's no reason that any Pokemon with limbs shouldn't be able to learn Close Combat.
 
I just found out that Galarian Moltres doesn't get roost. It learns after you via level up instead, and roost is not even a TM/TR in Gen 8.

It doesn't make sense. This has to be fixed, perhaps with move tutors in the future or something?
 
Last edited:
That feeling when Hitmonchan can't learn Meteor Mash. Or Keldeo with Ice Beam. On that note, why can't Keldeo learn Mega Horn. That horn is huge.

Then there's Ampharos with Tail Glow too. Kyurem-Black with Icicle Crash (Granted, it got Icicle Spear now which already is pretty damn scary but still).

Gallade and Samurott with Sacred Sword. (The latter gets Secret Sword now but for some reason not the physical variant? What's up with this.) Maybe even Shell Smash for the latter. Even if it doesn't have much shells to smash anymore. (But that never stopped Barbaracle.)

Pokémon with Bulldoze should be able to learn Earthquake like Entei and Arcanine. Snorlax and Slack Off, Tapu Koko should at least get PLay Rough if they insist on no Close Combat.

No Poison Jab for Venusaur and Greninja either. (For Venusaur I could potentially understand it but stuff like Rapidash get it too. Meanwhile, Greninja is literally a frog and there are plenty poisonous frogs out there.

And the list just goes on and on like Pokémon that learn Charge Beam but not Thunderbolt.
 
Last edited:
Sirfetch'd cannot learn Sacred Sword despite literally holding a sword.
Gallade and Samurott with Sacred Sword. (The latter gets Secret Sword now but for some reason not the physical variant? What's up with this.)
Er, Samurott can already learn Sacred Sword through breeding and Secret Sword is exclusive to Keldeo.

Edit: As it turns out, Sacred Sword is only an egg move in USUM. Nevermind.
Edit 2: As it turns out, USUM is the last game the Samurott line is in, as swiftgallade46 pointed out. I thought the gen 5 starters made it to gen 8 and GameFreak dropped Sacred Sword from Oshawott's gen 8 egg moves for whatever reason--turns out this isn't true.
 
Last edited:
Sirfetch'd cannot learn Sacred Sword despite literally holding a sword.

Er, Samurott can already learn Sacred Sword through breeding and Secret Sword is exclusive to Keldeo.

Edit: As it turns out, Sacred Sword is only an egg move in USUM. Nevermind.

I constantly mix them up. Woops. My bad.
 
Sirfetch'd cannot learn Sacred Sword despite literally holding a sword.

Er, Samurott can already learn Sacred Sword through breeding and Secret Sword is exclusive to Keldeo.

Edit: As it turns out, Sacred Sword is only an egg move in USUM. Nevermind.
Well considering that’s the last game the Oshawott line was present in, I’d say it still counts.
 
Okay so I since I really really really want Physical Electric-types to have more tools to use and not be forced to always go Specially Offensive cause the physical Electric movepool sucks, I went and checked who got Wild Charge. A trimmed down version of Volt Tackle. The list of physical attackers/Pokemon that could make use of it are:

Pikachu
Luxray
Zebstrika
Eelektross
Togdemaru
Tapu Koko
Solgaleo
Zeraora
Boltund
Raticate
Arcanine
Alola-Golem
Rapidash
Galar-Rapidash
Electabuzz
Tauros
Snorlax
Granbull
Delcatty
Electivire
Victini
Emboar
Stoutland
Sawsbuck
Klinklang
Bouffalant
Thunderus
Zekrom
Diggersby
Gogoat
Dedenne
Dubwool
Morpeko
Dracozolt
Arctozolt
Zacian
Zamazenta
Regieleki

Now, that's quite a list still. But now let's take out the Pokémon that on their own might not be able to generate that much electricity that they can access Volt Tackle. (For which Wild Charge is fine cause they can generate some electricity, just not as much as needed for Volt Tackle.)

but who would that leave?

Pikachu
Luxray
Zebstrika
Eelektross
Togdemaru
Tapu Koko
Zeraora
Boltund
Alola-Golem
Electabuzz
Electivire
Victini
Klinklang
Thunderus
Zekrom
Dedenne
Morpeko
Dracozolt
Arctozolt
Regieleki

Now, as you can see, that leaves mostly Electric-types with the exception of Victini and Klinklang. However, when we can go and lookw hat else they get and usually run in terms of sets, the list narrows down even less.

Eelektross, from what I know, usually prefers to make use of its Special movepool. Volt Tackle might make it go mixed, but other than Giga Drain, it can't heal of the recoil as easy. Tapu Koko doesn't have a physical Fairy-type move or Close Combat. This might ensure it might go mixed, at which point it won't make full use of it's attack stat anyways. Zeraora already has PLasma Fists which also comes with an added effect. Might still use it.

Alola-Golem with Galvanize has a better option in DOuble-Edge since that makes it a stronger Volt Tackle. Electivire usually goes mixed due to its movepool. It might trade Thunderbolt for Volt Tackle.

Victini's get access to Bolt Strike. No point in Volt Tackle. Thundurus-Incarnate might switch to a full Physical using Bulk Up as it currently goes special. Zekrom has Bolt Strike so no use in Volt Tackle here either. Morpeko has its own sig move too which ties in to its gimmick, so it might forego it too.

Dracozolt and Arctozolt can use it just fine. Regieleki is too frail to use it. Literally dies after it gets hit after.

So what does this leave? Realistically only a handful of Pokémon that would really benefit off of it so it's not like there's a huge rampage of shit going wild if Volt Tackle becomes widely available.

Tl;Dr. For the love of God, just distribute Volt Tackle widely already. It's literally the Electric-type equivalent of Double-Edge.
 
Back
Top Bottom