Do you use HM Slaves?

[Räven Velish]

Do you? In the beginning of the game, I always catch one of those derpy Pokemon like Patrat or something for the early HMs like Cut and (before Gen V) Rock Smash. I also use a Flying Type solely for HM Fly, but since they are part of my team, I train them normally and they don't really count as HM Slaves anymore. You guys?

Just a side note: I know I'm going to be seeing tons of "BIBAREL!".

 

[Canada]

um yes, im not teaching something dumb like cut to a pokemon im planning to go through the game with

"BIBAREL!".

not this though

 

[ECM]

I always have at least one HM slave. Normally I have one for land HMs and one for water HMs (especially for Johto/Hoenn games). Sometimes I also get one for Fly, if I'm not already using a Pokémon that can learn Fly. The only move that I consistently have on all my teams that is an HM is Surf. They're useful, to me they're like honorary team members. As for Bibarel, I used one in Pearl, and I loved it.

 

[PKMNinja]

Birebel or however you spell it. I is the one used the most in dp. There realy isn't any in bw or rs or gs or rb

 

[Razor Leafeon]

I never use them. I want to have my dream team, and not a slave keeping a spot. Plus, that's kinda mean to do to a pokemon. It's like you're using them.

 

[The Musician]

Unfortunately I do use one most of the time. In my opinion HM's are outdated (especially with reusable TM's), but that's an entirely different discussion...

 

[Everlasting]

Yes, when I need some. You see, I usually keep Fly and Surf for my Pokémon, not because they are very used but because I love those moves. I don't know why.. Maybe the habitude gave me more interest for those two than before.
As for annoying moves like Rock Smash, Cut, Flash, Rock Climb, Strength, Waterfall and Whrilpool (HeartGold), I'm using one or two HM Slaves to have the overall. I naturally cover all of those HM with a Bibarel or two. So yes, I indeed use of them. HM, the best way to ruin a moveset.

 

[MegaSerperior]

I use them, but usually I have a full team as well so I rotate it in and out of the PC depending on if I need it or not. As strange as it is, I was using Kricketune in Diamond. Strength, Rock Smash, Cut and Flash.

 

[Enjolras]

i put Surf, Fly, and Sometimes Strength on my team, just for convenience. The rest of my HMs are spread out among random Pokemon that I only use for that purpose. So I guess you could say yes, I do, but they aren't all on the same Pokemon.

 

[zozo]

All the time. ^^ I get fed up with having to work around having a cruddy HM move on one of my team Pokemon, so I often catch 2 Pokemon to be pure HM slaves, allowing the rest of my team to have whatever moveset works best for them. But I was lucky for White 2, I just transferred a Wailord to my game that knew Surf, Dive, Waterfall, and Strength, leaving only Cut and Fly which were easily fitted onto my team with few ill effects.

Besides Wailord, Swanna was a pretty awesome HM slave to have. In spite of being an HM slave on my White game, it was a pretty awesome battler in a pinch if my team ran into something they couldn't quite handle alone.

 

[Toyosatomimi no Miko]

Well, the only HM I need is Fly. My Hydreigon takes care of that. I don't want to fill a party slot with an HM slave, but I do have a Surf one. I have this Octillery in my PC that I use for Surf, Waterfall, and whatever the third water HM is. Only if needed though.

 

[JohnLynch]

I don't have enough room in my team for a slave. As such my teams will always have a flying and water pokemon (sometimes it's the same pokemon!).

With four slots if you have dual-typed pokemon it gives you room for an offensive move of each type and then 1 defensive move or situationally useful move plus your HM. It's not too bad IMO.

 

[LiepardTrainer]

First off I hate the term "slave" I prefer to call them "friends" or "partners" or "companions". Certain HM's I use a lot (surf, rock smash, and cut) since I like them, and they are good moves at times, they have helped me out in battle before.

Fly is the only HM move I use on a Pokemon that is always on the PC, since none of my 6 team members can learn fly - so when I need to use fly, I'll just substitute one of my Pokemon, fly where ever I need to, and return back my substituted Pokemon.

My vote goes only to at times with my HM partner.

 

[Rayze Darr]

I never use HM slaves. I hate having to switch Pokemon out between boxes for the sake of using HMs, and the only other option with an HM slave would be to have one less Pokemon on your final team.

The main game is extremely easy anyway, so I don't mind splitting the HMs among my six party members. I refer to it as "sharing the burden," and by doing so, I can always have on me a team of six powerful Pokemon that can travel anywhere in the region unhindered. Oftentimes, I will load up one Pokemon with three or four HMs, but I don't consider them an "HM slave," because the HMs I choose to load on them are all useable, and I raise them up to be just as strong as the rest of my team.

Let me tell ya, that Linoone I had in Ruby who was weighed down by 3 HMS and Shadow Ball ended up being the star of my team.

 

[Excitable Boy]

Of course I enslave useless piece-of-crap monsters to do the dirty work that my main team won't do. It allows my main team to not suck, and the burden of forever having crappy moves is extra cruelty toward the poor performers I stick them on.

Golduck/Drifblim is a good HM slave combo for Gen V, I've found. Give Golduck Strength/Waterfall/Dive/Rock Smash and Drifblim Cut/Fly/Flash. They're both found fairly easily on Route 14, which is around when you'll start needing an HM slave in BW2, and if you have a separate Surf user, you cover all the Gen V HMs plus Flash.

 

[Mew The Gato]

Platinum was the first game I played and I trained only Infernape in it. All others used just HMs...
However, now, I keep a balanced team and take out some HM Pokemon from the PC whenever needed.

 

[RzK]

I hate wasting the sixth slot on an HM Slave...but i guess it is always needed.
The thing that bugs me most is that I always forget to raise a Flying pokemon at the start. I always capture Pidoves after getting Fly...
And I hate it when i am faced with a Cut tree in a loong route and my Cutting Pokémon is in the PC! Then I always have to disturb the delicate balance of my carefully thought out team's moves...

 

[Ditto B1tch]

Stupid polll...

And who doesn't use HM slaves? You need them to get across rivers, swim up waterfalls, walk through dark caverns and to obtain a lot of items blocked by little trees.

 

[Gergenator]

I use HM slaves.... but the only HM's i keep on my TEAM is Surf and FLY but rest of HM's are usally on an HM slave

 

[wobbanut]

You basically have to for getting many places. You always need slaves with surf and fly. Rock smash is awesome in battle, and more useful than during gameplay unless you're hunting geodudes or nosepass in gen 3. Strength, waterfall, defog, and dive depend on the circumstances, though I like strength in battle. Cut and rock climb are useless after you get items. Basically, you almost need one or two HM slaves in your party to help you in the game.