There are tons of pokemon that shouldnt necessarily learn some of the moves they do. Like Beheeyem learns Steel Wing and Rock Slide and Corsola learning Sucker Punch I could go on and on
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Pokémon Movepool Oddities & Explanations
- Thread starter Kurona
- Start date
Beheeyem learning Steel Wing is either a mistake or a joke. It could be a mistake as TM51 was Ally Switch in Gen V which Beheeyem could understandably learn and when they changed it to Steel Wing in Gen VI they accidentally forgot to make it so Beheeyem didn't learn it. It could be a joke in reference to Area 51 which Beheeyem has some slight basis in (well, technically more the Roswell incident but the two are somewhat connected being both a US thing which Unova was based on).
Don't see why Beheeyem can't learn Rock Slide, infact a lot of Gen V's Psychic-types can learn Rock Slide probably because the designers reasoned they'd probably lift the stones up with their Psychic powers (yet previous gens Psychic-types didn't get access to it).
Also Sucker Punch's Japanese name is "Surprise Attack", it has no connection to punching which is why it's not powered up by Iron Fist. Thus why many Pokemon without arms can learn Sucker Punch.
While searching for a justification for Talonflame's family ability to learn Swords Dance (I already found a good enough reason for myself by this post), I rediscovered that they could not learn Feather Dance, but that seems fine. They don't need to form much down since the evolved forms already heat themselves up naturally.
It'd still be nice if the family learned it regardless, just for the sake of identity with the other bird Pokémon--then again, the Legendary Birds don't learn Feather Dance either.
It'd still be nice if the family learned it regardless, just for the sake of identity with the other bird Pokémon--then again, the Legendary Birds don't learn Feather Dance either.
Asking why a Pokemon can learn the moves it can is a fools errand, it's quite literally magic. Every Pokemon bar a dozen first stage and gimmick mons can learn Double Team for example. "By moving rapidly, the user makes illusory copies of itself to raise its evasiveness." That's the description. Literally 95% of Pokemon can move so fast they create speed mirages. And Double Team raises Evasion permanently for the rest of the battle. So not only can nigh every Pokemon move at the hypersonic speeds required for such a feat, but can also do so passively and keep up that speed for prolonged amounts of time! This just doesn't make sense. Slowpoke can use Double Team, Snorlax can too, even Shuckle can apparently move faster than eyesight.
Similar logic applies to Protect (in the Pokemon world, seems like everything can create energy force fields), Toxic, Substitute, Rest (a powernap that cures literally being on fire, or being paralysed and poisoned) and Mimic.
What makes more sense is to ask why some Pokemon can't learn things they should absolutely have access to. Often there is no satisfying watsonian answer and it comes down to metagame balance. Turtok having Shell Smash would make it a monster (and we can't have a starter which gets a more preferential status than Charizard after all), but GF just doesn't care how much sense it would make thematically.
But my pick for "why the fuck can't he learn that" would be Poison Gas on Gastly. He's literally made of poisonous gas and his dex entry refers to him using that very same gas to knock out indian elephants. But nope, can't learn Poison Gas.
Similar logic applies to Protect (in the Pokemon world, seems like everything can create energy force fields), Toxic, Substitute, Rest (a powernap that cures literally being on fire, or being paralysed and poisoned) and Mimic.
What makes more sense is to ask why some Pokemon can't learn things they should absolutely have access to. Often there is no satisfying watsonian answer and it comes down to metagame balance. Turtok having Shell Smash would make it a monster (and we can't have a starter which gets a more preferential status than Charizard after all), but GF just doesn't care how much sense it would make thematically.
But my pick for "why the fuck can't he learn that" would be Poison Gas on Gastly. He's literally made of poisonous gas and his dex entry refers to him using that very same gas to knock out indian elephants. But nope, can't learn Poison Gas.
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Toxic is literally explained as being a ninja technique by Koga, so you're just teaching your Pokemon a ninja trick with that move. Protect can be seen as either an energy shield or just by bracing yourself for the attack or using the environment to block an attack.
The others I got nothing for.
Aurorus can't learn Aurora Veil. The Pokémon with an aurora motif can't learn Aurora Veil.
Just... why?!
Just... why?!
Leech Life's distribution is just plain weird. This blood-sucking move is absent in the movepool of expected candidates like lampreys (Eelektros line) and the bat legendary (Lunala). Meanwhile, cats and igloo pangolins (Litten and Alolan Sandshrew lines) are able to learn it, why?
Maybe the cat I can get behind, it's a heel fighter and sucking blood from your opponent may count as fighting dirty. But Alolan Sandshrew/?!
Maybe the cat I can get behind, it's a heel fighter and sucking blood from your opponent may count as fighting dirty. But Alolan Sandshrew/?!
I guess sandshrew gets it because of Vampire Shrews(yes, these exist, and you can look them up).
They cater to the practically unknown vampire shrew, but neglect the much more popular vampire bat? Ahh, TrollFreak
Well, Zubat and co. do learn Leech Life too.
The Zubat and Noibat (to an extent) lines say hi. Besides, there are herbivore bats, which inspired the Swoobat line. Lunala could just be herbivore.
If all, I'm quite surprised that the Salandit line gets Leech Life. Is there some kind of salamander which may have given inspiration to it?
I was thinking of Gliscor, which takes traits from both vampires and bats, but it seems to be more based on scorpionflies. Imo it's surprising that Gliscor doesn't get it.
Edit: After researching a bit more, it turns out that scorpionflies are indeed predatory and are known to eat other insects and carrion.
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Crabominable, one of the new guys, has an Ice-type Hammer Arm as a signature move, but does not learn Hammer Arm itself despite potentially receiving STAB and Iron Fist boosts for it.
Somebody explain that one. Seriously.
Somebody explain that one. Seriously.
I decided to check the HM moves that weren't made into TMs to see if they still exist in some form (like if some Pokemon get them through level-up). The results may surprise you:
Cut: Only Kartana.
You'd think that for Pokemon with claws or blades it'll be given as an early level up move. Meowth family, Krabby family, Scyther, Kabutops, Gligar family, Sneasel family, Corphish family, Absol, Zangoose, Glameow family, Skorupi family, Oshawott family, Purrloin family, Drilbur family, Axew family, Pawniard family, Durant, Swords of Justice, Honedge family, Binacle family, Fomantis family, & Type: Null. But nope, only Kartana and even that's probably only because it got every cutting/slashing move ever because GF wants to remind us it's SHARP.
Strength: Only Machamp.
Once again, seems like an obvious level-up move for muscular or just very physically strong Pokemon, at least for the Normal-type ones who can get STAB from it. And I think the only reason that Machamp gets it is just to reference that Machamp Shove replaced it.
Flash: Volbeat and the Morelull family.
At the very least you'd think the Pokemon with the Illuminate Ability (Staryu family, Chinchou family, and Watchog) would now be given it naturally.
Rock Smash: Sawk, Pikipek famiy, Crabrawler family, Passimian, and Golisopod.
With all the Pokemon who had dex entries talking about their breaking power you'd think a lot more would learn it as an early level-up move, especially Fighting-types. Actually I'm surprised they didn't make it a TM, though then again Brick Break sort of outclasses it.
Defog: Known in Japanese as "Fog Wipe", the Pokemon who learned it previous had wings (or fan hands in the case of Shiftry) so it gave the idea they were blowing the fog away by flapping their wings. In Gen VII we have Kartana (a paper doll) and Kapu Fini (a fish/mermaid) learn it naturally and Fomantis (a not-mantis) from breeding. What?
Rock Climb: Nothing wrong with who learns it, but considering its use you'd think the Mudbray family would get it.
And one last thing from the ex-HMs now TMs:
Fly: Rowlet family, Vikavolt, Cutiefly family, and Minior don't learn it. But Drampa can. ~Turn around, look at what you see...~
Cut: Only Kartana.
You'd think that for Pokemon with claws or blades it'll be given as an early level up move. Meowth family, Krabby family, Scyther, Kabutops, Gligar family, Sneasel family, Corphish family, Absol, Zangoose, Glameow family, Skorupi family, Oshawott family, Purrloin family, Drilbur family, Axew family, Pawniard family, Durant, Swords of Justice, Honedge family, Binacle family, Fomantis family, & Type: Null. But nope, only Kartana and even that's probably only because it got every cutting/slashing move ever because GF wants to remind us it's SHARP.
Strength: Only Machamp.
Once again, seems like an obvious level-up move for muscular or just very physically strong Pokemon, at least for the Normal-type ones who can get STAB from it. And I think the only reason that Machamp gets it is just to reference that Machamp Shove replaced it.
Flash: Volbeat and the Morelull family.
At the very least you'd think the Pokemon with the Illuminate Ability (Staryu family, Chinchou family, and Watchog) would now be given it naturally.
Rock Smash: Sawk, Pikipek famiy, Crabrawler family, Passimian, and Golisopod.
With all the Pokemon who had dex entries talking about their breaking power you'd think a lot more would learn it as an early level-up move, especially Fighting-types. Actually I'm surprised they didn't make it a TM, though then again Brick Break sort of outclasses it.
Defog: Known in Japanese as "Fog Wipe", the Pokemon who learned it previous had wings (or fan hands in the case of Shiftry) so it gave the idea they were blowing the fog away by flapping their wings. In Gen VII we have Kartana (a paper doll) and Kapu Fini (a fish/mermaid) learn it naturally and Fomantis (a not-mantis) from breeding. What?
Rock Climb: Nothing wrong with who learns it, but considering its use you'd think the Mudbray family would get it.
And one last thing from the ex-HMs now TMs:
Fly: Rowlet family, Vikavolt, Cutiefly family, and Minior don't learn it. But Drampa can. ~Turn around, look at what you see...~
There's something I've been thinking about when considering breeding a Riolu to have a Mega Lucario as my first Mega Evolution in my Moon save...
Why does Meteor Mash have such horrendous distribution? It's just a mostly-generic Steel-type punching move, but there are not even 10 Pokemon that learn the move, all of them bar Metagross having some "star" or "space" theme.
Why does Meteor Mash have such horrendous distribution? It's just a mostly-generic Steel-type punching move, but there are not even 10 Pokemon that learn the move, all of them bar Metagross having some "star" or "space" theme.
Because steel types aren't allowed to use a strong STAB with more than 75 accuracy.
Rowlet and Dartrix do not learn Acrobatics by TM.
Decidueye, Litten, Torracat, Incineroar, Popplio, Brionne and Primarina do learn Acrobatics by TM.
The only members of the Alolan starter lines, which can not learn Acrobatics, are the Flying-types.
Decidueye, Litten, Torracat, Incineroar, Popplio, Brionne and Primarina do learn Acrobatics by TM.
The only members of the Alolan starter lines, which can not learn Acrobatics, are the Flying-types.
Something bizarre I found out today is the limited distribution among Gen 7 Pokémon... of Hyper Beam.
In most previous generations every fully-evolved pokemon (bar some obvious exceptions like Unown) could fire one off. Yet in this gen, among others... Lycanroc, Gumshoos, Primarina, Decidueye and HALF OF THE ULTRA BEASTS don't get to do that. It's not something I'd actually put on any of them but it's... it's very bizarre and a break in a trend that didn't need to be broken.
In most previous generations every fully-evolved pokemon (bar some obvious exceptions like Unown) could fire one off. Yet in this gen, among others... Lycanroc, Gumshoos, Primarina, Decidueye and HALF OF THE ULTRA BEASTS don't get to do that. It's not something I'd actually put on any of them but it's... it's very bizarre and a break in a trend that didn't need to be broken.
See...I can explain the Ultra Beasts because they're all weird ass Pokemon (it would have been funny if they didn't get other things like Return or Protect). But the rest...uhhh...Gen VIII post-generation evolutions confirmed?
Consider Golisopod.
Its lore and ability revolve around it attacking and thenrunning away making a tactical retreat. In addition, it's a Bug-type. So...
Why doesn't it get U-Turn?
(It also can't learn Air Slash despite its dex entry in Sun literally saying it cleaves air in two.)
Its lore and ability revolve around it attacking and then
Why doesn't it get U-Turn?
(It also can't learn Air Slash despite its dex entry in Sun literally saying it cleaves air in two.)
Gumshoos doesn't get trump card... after all the comparisons...how unfitting
It would have been funny, though.
That's a question that can be answered, but for the sake of common decency I elect not to.