Should the anime get rid of the 4-moveslots limit? Why and why not?

[Sakuraa]

I say no because there's no need to.

 

[Rath]

Just replace Electro Ball with Volt Tackle and I'll be fine with a four-slot limit.

Volt Tackle is just yellow Quick Attack, and we have Breakneck Blitz now.

Electro Ball gives Pikachu a balanced moveset. Two projectile attacks, and two melee attacks.

 

[ii kanji]

Electro Ball gives Pikachu a balanced moveset.

But it's so ugly!

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

Volt Tackle is just yellow Quick Attack, and we have Breakneck Blitz now.

Electro Ball gives Pikachu a balanced moveset. Two projectile attacks, and two melee attacks.

It's the line's signature move, and much more majestically shown than quick attack. It was like the Z Move of DP series (a slight exaggeration here...). I suggest you rewatch Ash vs Tobias to see how it has much more status as a move than quick attack. And Volt Tackle looks much more 'cool' for the target audience than electro ball.

And the anime probably dosen't give a damn about being balanced (iirc Ash's Greninja was full of contact moves and Goodra was just using beams of light)

EDIT: Ash's Pikachu's Volt Tackle looked so 'cool' when I was a kid so much that I plan that every 'starter' Raichu of mine will have Volt Tackle as a mandatory move.

 

[SinnohEevee]

It's the line's signature move, and much more majestically shown than quick attack. It was like the Z Move of DP series (a slight exaggeration here...). I suggest you rewatch Ash vs Tobias to see how it has much more status as a move than quick attack. And Volt Tackle looks much more 'cool' for the target audience than electro ball.

And the anime probably dosen't give a damn about being balanced (iirc Ash's Greninja was full of contact moves and Goodra was just using beams of light)

EDIT: Ash's Pikachu's Volt Tackle looked so 'cool' when I was a kid so much that I plan that every 'starter' Raichu of mine will have Volt Tackle as a mandatory move.

It's MT for Pikachu in SM. I hope they keep that in future games, even make it learnable by Pichu and Raichu.

 

[Harryghost]

I hope they keep that in future games, even make it learnable by Pichu and Raichu.

I could never/ still cannot comprehend why they did not let Volt Tackle be tutored to Raichu (at least). I mean, it's the signature move of the entire Pikachu evolution line, and not just Pikachu itself. If it can be tutored to Pikachu in SM, I don't see a reason why it couldn't be to Raichu (considering it can't learn the move by itself by any means in these games), or even Pichu, as well.

 

[Dogasu]

They should absolutely get rid of the four-move limit.

In the context of Red & Green, a pair of Game Boy games with limited memory and screen space, the four move limit made sense. But in the more "realistic" TV series, the limit is completely arbitrary. What is the in-universe reason for Pikachu to not be able to remember how to use more than four attacks, for example? Because it's too stupid to remember five? What?

 

[Rath]

They should absolutely get rid of the four-move limit.

In the context of Red & Green, a pair of Game Boy games with limited memory and screen space, the four move limit made sense. But in the more "realistic" TV series, the limit is completely arbitrary. What is the in-universe reason for Pikachu to not be able to remember how to use more than four attacks, for example? Because it's too stupid to remember five? What?

Space isn't an issue anymore, the limit is kept for the sake of balance so that players have to make choices and no one Pokemon can do everything.

Same with the anime, it keeps every Pokemon from being like Drake's Dragonite and pulling random moves out of their asses.

 

[Harryghost]

What is the in-universe reason for Pikachu to not be able to remember how to use more than four attacks, for example? Because it's too stupid to remember five? What?

I know there is no proper in-universe reason for this mechanic, but, hey, if it stops Pokémon from being OP (both in games and in the anime), then why not? Considered this way, I do not see any actual harm in the four moves mechanic.

 

[Shadao]

Perhaps a compromise that plays with the rules may be better. The anime could have Pokémon know more than four moves, but only a max of four moves can be shown per Pokémon in each episode. That way, Pikachu can retain Volt Tackle and Electro Ball just as long as Pikachu doesn't use all five moves at a time.

 

[SinnohEevee]

My issue is that seems to clash with the anime's realism. Granted, unlimited moveslots will be broken, and unrealistic too. So IDK. Can there be a realistic justification for the 4-moveslots limit?

 

[Cresselia92]

My issue is that seems to clash with the anime's realism. Granted, unlimited moveslots will be broken, and unrealistic too. So IDK. Can there be a realistic justification for the 4-moveslots limit?

I don't think there is a real justification for that, if we look through an in-universe point of view.

The only reason I can think of is that a Trainer tends to spam newly learned moves more and the Pokémon slowly "forgets" the previous move, in a similar way in which someone may "forget" how to ride a bike after not riding it for a long time. As long as the skill isn't used in some context, then said skill remains "forgotten", in a sense. This could explain why Pansage had a moveset with five moves, since through an in-universe point of view Cilan made sure to not let him forget his moves by swapping them once in a while. As such, Pansage never forgot his attacks.

Meanwhile, a Pokémon forgetting Thunder Shock after learning Thunderbolt makes sense, since Thunderbolt is just a stronger variant of Thunder Shock. And if there was never a moment in which a Pokémon with Thunderbolt was asked to use a weak one as a pseudo-Thunder Shock, well, there are very few circumstances in which you would use a nerfed attack on purpose. Hence why it's never shown.

However, this doesn't really answer why characters tend to spam only four moves with their Pokémon, does it? For that, I don't think there is a real reason, if we look past the in-game mechanics.

In my headcanon I theorized that the more moves a Pokémon knows, the harder it becomes for said Pokémon to remember how to perform every single attack in its arsenal and how to always keep them at full power, ending up becoming more a sort of jack-of-all-trades than a dedicated attacker. Perhaps the researchers and scientists realized that Pokémon manage to use only four moves at optimal power, and as such this knowledge was ensued to Trainers, in order to not strain their Pokémon unnecessarily. However, if a Pokémon is strong and capable enough, it may be able to use many moves without too many repercussions, which could explain why some Champions' and expert Trainers' Pokémon can use more than four attacks (Drake's Dragonite, Cynthia's Garchomp, Cilan's Pansage…).

 

[Harryghost]

Can there be a realistic justification for the 4-moveslots limit?

I say, forgetting moves in the anime does not have any literal meaning; it can be equated to how we tend to forget some techniques pertaining to such events like swimming or cycling, if we are long out-of-practice with them. Similar is the case with Pokémon and moves; they "forget" how to use a certain move, as they did not use it for quite some time.

 

[Johtohfiller]

I think Pokémon should get more than four moves, but have an unspoken rule of not being allowed to use more than four moves per battle, excluding in some rare circumstances.

Perhaps a compromise that plays with the rules may be better. The anime could have Pokémon know more than four moves, but only a max of four moves can be shown per Pokémon in each episode. That way, Pikachu can retain Volt Tackle and Electro Ball just as long as Pikachu doesn't use all five moves at a time.

I like this idea. It's actually how I wish the games worked - Pokemon having an inventory of moves from which you can select up to 4 at a time, instead of forgetting moves.

 

[FANG-TAN]

Arguing for "realism" in the bodily capabilities of mysterious fantasy creatures is a bit incongruous. You can easily handwave it as the creatures' bodies normally only being able to retain four particular skills at a given time because that's near the limit of what their bodies can handle, not because they're stupid. For example, Windy's trainer sets aside its special ability to move at faster speeds (ExtremeSpeed) for the special ability to engulf its enemies in a vortex of flames (Fire Spin). And when it runs out of juice to use its special skills (represented in the games as PP), it struggles. It's a good way of avoiding a Kuririn kienzan situation, for example, if a situation where Pikachu's Volt Tackle would have come in handy but it didn't use it because the writers conveniently forgot it had it among its 50 other moves. Otherwise having a large selection of techniques at your disposable is quite overpowered. A trait much better saved for "unique" exceptions, like Yuuji's Kairyuu for instance, to make the battle more intense and to portray that enemy as a unique kind of threat.

Alternatively, Pokemon retain all the moves they learn within their lifetime, but a league rule requires the trainer to limit four techniques per Pokemon during a battle to enforce a tighter sense of strategy and encourage extra brain power.

Balancing power isn't only important in a video game's battle system (not that Pocket Monsters is ever balanced by any means), it can be just as important to find a balance in power within the story of an anime television show. A character can be shitting out all of these moves and it can get hard to keep track of and too congested. But on the other hand, if you can use all of these techniques, why aren't you using them? An in-universe story reason to limit these moves is needed and it's not that fucking hard to come up with one.

 

[pokemon fan 132]

Yes, it should. I never understood people fixation from passionate gameplayers that anime must follow by heart pokemon games mechanics, levels, EV's, IV's etc, etc.

It only ads to unrealistic and contrived experience when watching pokemon battle.

And pokemon being allowed to use only 4 moves never made any sense to me.
Sure for ease of playing, too much hassle when programming battles and simplicity pokemon are classified as creatures who cannot have more than 4 moves in their move pool at once.

But in anime there's no sense to follow games so strictly. Pokemon have time after time been described as intelligent and sensible creatures, with many being intellectually on same level as humans. Some even more.
And what?

Were supposed to believe how their brain capacity and memory is so limited and poor that they cannot know more than 4 techniques at once without forgetting something in exchange? This only insults and degrades them as living beings honestly,.

Personally i would much rather prefer if they went back to times when writers and directors took brave moves and liberties in trying to differentiate anime world which is supposed to be mirror to real life in sense from games its trying to promote. Like it was case in Original Series and Hoenn series. Having more often than not situations of pokemon per battle using 5, 6, some even 10 moves in one battle.

Everyone remember champion Drake from Orange Islands Dragonite?
Alakazam from guy who challenged Gary and his Umbreon?
Tucker Swampert using 5 to 6 moves etc.?

And many other examples such as Misty Gyarados using 5 moves in chronicle episode, Ash Snorlax knowing more than 6 attacks in one match, Flannery Macargo using 5 moves etc.

Guess what despite large exchange of attacks per battle what this battles had in common?
They felt to me more realistic, intense and unpredictable. Because it gave both trainers and their pokemon higher versatility making heat of measuring each other strength all that more exciting for me.

Now don't get me wrong, im not saying how battles are boring and bad with smaller amount of movepools demonstrated through pokemon matches. After all DP or XYZ for example had many beautiful, well constructed and satisfying moments when trainers or coordinators for that matter eent vs each other.

However applying 4 move limit to just about every battle ever since AG generation sticking with it so rigidly makes whole excitement about battles restrictive and highly limiting. Not allowing for improvisation and more originality. With several battles coming across as lacking due to older moves pokemon used to know which could had turn things on its favor or make duel less one sided were conveniently forgotten ad forbidden from further use.

Moreover from psychological standpoint enforcing so rigorously 4 move rule also undermine pokemon themselves as creatures. Making them more similar to just a bunch of random sprites as they are in games. Instead of living up to message anime promotes of pokemon being complex creatures with emotions, ability to understand, remember and learn new things.

I think some happy middle should be established.

Having at times battles where we dont see more than 3 to 4 moves used due to not there existing need for it depending on match up and circumstances.

But also for plot purposes, pokemon match ups and assessing trainer skills leaving out room for having more options at your disposal both for trainer and their pokemon to use at times when needed. To make flow of battle feel more diverse, visually exciting and ultimately more gratifying.
At least that's how i see this.

 

[Matleo]

I like the limit in games and anime, like the logic and order.

 

[Mew2]

For me, it would depend on the circumstances. In official battles, I'd have the four move limit while outside of battle or against criminal organizations, I'd do away with it. I think Pokémon can learn and remember more than four moves, especially in the animé, where they are portrayed as being relatively smart. It would allow the animé to stay in line with the games for official battles, also adding another strategic element to said battles, while allowing for more realism outside of battles.

 

[Matleo]

make it 4 move slots to use during battle only and 6 in-between-battles , the extra 2 would be change moves after full battles not during them.

 

[SinnohEevee]

Cyrus (un Platinum at least) says that catching Pokémon on Poké Balls reduces their power. Maybe that could explain the 4-moves limit.