• Hi all. We have had reports of member's signatures being edited to include malicious content. You can rest assured this wasn't done by staff and we can find no indication that the forums themselves have been compromised.

    However, remember to keep your passwords secure. If you use similar logins on multiple sites, people and even bots may be able to access your account.

    We always recommend using unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication if possible. Make sure you are secure.
  • Be sure to join the discussion on our discord at: Discord.gg/serebii
  • If you're still waiting for the e-mail, be sure to check your junk/spam e-mail folders

Things in the Pokémon world which just don't make sense (by pokémon standards)

Blaze The Movie Fan

Reviewer and PokéFan
Here's a good one: Why can't Rayquaza learn Sky Attack? I mean it is basically made for the attack and it lives in the ozone layer and has been known to fly into space as demonstrated in ORAS. So Game Freak is saying it can penetrate the Eath's atmosphere and survive the harsh conditions of space and for Dragon Ascent but not high enough for a simple Sky Attack?

Sky Attack isn't a very good move anyway. It's basically a reverse hyper beam.
 

Creyk

Well-Known Member
Here's a good one: Why can't Rayquaza learn Sky Attack? I mean it is basically made for the attack and it lives in the ozone layer and has been known to fly into space as demonstrated in ORAS. So Game Freak is saying it can penetrate the Eath's atmosphere and survive the harsh conditions of space and for Dragon Ascent but not high enough for a simple Sky Attack?

it's arms are way too small, it cant just grab something to take it with itself up in the air
 

Captain Jigglypuff

Leader of Jigglypuff Army
Sky Attack doesn't grab opponents. Sky Drop does. Dragon Ascent sort of does what Sky Attack does except it involves stat drops.
 

SlowPokeBroKing

Future Gym Leader
Being unable to do anything one turn isn't much better.

Being a reverse hyper beam doesn't make it any more useful than hyper beam.

Besides, Rayquaza is an attacker, therefore lower defense and special defense doesn't affect it much. And it only lowers by one stage unlike something like overheat.

You already said that move is similar, so what's the problem?

The problem is that you aren't seeing it in the right perspective. Forget stats and niches and usability, as a Pokémon, Rayquaza should be able to learn an attack that fits its background and lore.
 

Blaze The Movie Fan

Reviewer and PokéFan
Sky Attack doesn't grab opponents. Sky Drop does. Dragon Ascent sort of does what Sky Attack does except it involves stat drops.

Being unable to do anything one turn isn't much better.

Being a reverse hyper beam doesn't make it any more useful than hyper beam.

Besides, Rayquaza is an attacker, therefore lower defense and special defense doesn't affect it much. And it only lowers by one stage unlike something like overheat.

You already said that move is similar, so what's the problem?

----------------------------------------------------------

Here's one, how can Skuntank learn flamethrower by level up? Nothing about its PokéDex entry implies anything about heat, so it makes no sense.

At the top of that it can't do much with it because of its terrible special attack stat.

Many Pokémon can learn that move by TM, the fact that Skuntank learns it by level is is what the thing that makes no sense to me. I don't mind that it can learn it by TM.

The problem is that you aren't seeing it in the right perspective. Forget stats and niches and usability, as a Pokémon, Rayquaza should be able to learn an attack that fits its background and lore.

Even then wouldn't dragon ascent make more sense? And sorry for deleting the above post, you hadn't posted yet by the time I deleted it, you just posted about a minute after that and I didn't wanna double post.
 
Last edited:

SlowPokeBroKing

Future Gym Leader
Even then wouldn't dragon ascent make more sense? And sorry for deleting the above post, you hadn't posted yet by the time I deleted it, you just posted about a minute after that and I didn't wanna double post.

Dragon Ascent didn't exist then. Even so, that's like saying Charizard should only learn Fire Blast and not Flamethrower. Attacks might be similar, but that does not mean they can't or shouldn't learn both.
 

Blaze The Movie Fan

Reviewer and PokéFan
Dragon Ascent didn't exist then. Even so, that's like saying Charizard should only learn Fire Blast and not Flamethrower. Attacks might be similar, but that does not mean they can't or shouldn't learn both.

But the problem is with an exception of Sigilyph, ALL Pokémon capable of learning sky attack by level up are supposed to be birds. Rayquaza is not, it's a dragon, huge difference.
 

Akashin

Well-Known Member
But the problem is with an exception of Sigilyph, ALL Pokémon capable of learning sky attack by level up are supposed to be birds. Rayquaza is not, it's a dragon, huge difference.

Seeing as the Japanese name for Sky Attack is God Bird, you've probably hit the nail on the head here.

As an aside, Sigilyph's inclusion is probably on account of it being based upon the hummingbird Nazca Line. So it's close enough, I suppose.
 

SlowPokeBroKing

Future Gym Leader
Yes, it does leveling up means a Pokémon can learn a move naturally.

If a Pokémon learns a move by breeding, TM or a move tutor, it's not natural.

Naturally or unnaturally, several Pokemon, including dragons and bats and dinosaurs, can learn the move. Therefore, there is no reason a Pokemon such as Rayquaza, a sky guardian, shouldn't be able to learn the move in some manner. Regardless of how its stats are distributed or if it now knows an attack that is considered better for it, Rayquaza's not being able to learn Sky Attack does not make sense by Pokemon standards.
 

Akashin

Well-Known Member
Naturally or unnaturally, several Pokemon, including dragons and bats and dinosaurs, can learn the move. Therefore, there is no reason a Pokemon such as Rayquaza, a sky guardian, shouldn't be able to learn the move in some manner. Regardless of how its stats are distributed or if it now knows an attack that is considered better for it, Rayquaza's not being able to learn Sky Attack does not make sense by Pokemon standards.

There are only two (three if one counts both Noibat and Noivern, but to what point?) Dragons that can learn it, and both at least have wings; as does every non-Mew Pokémon that can learn the attack. Coupled with the attack's name, I fail to see how Rayquaza not being able to use it (when its English name is the only real reason I'm seeing why it should) is some great logical inconsistency.
 

Bguy7

The Dragon Lord
Naturally or unnaturally, several Pokemon, including dragons and bats and dinosaurs, can learn the move. Therefore, there is no reason a Pokemon such as Rayquaza, a sky guardian, shouldn't be able to learn the move in some manner. Regardless of how its stats are distributed or if it now knows an attack that is considered better for it, Rayquaza's not being able to learn Sky Attack does not make sense by Pokemon standards.

Normally when it comes to level up moves, there the moves that that Pokemon would naturally learn. TMs, Egg Moves, and Move Tutor moves, especially the latter two, are all designed more for the competitive trainer who cares more about a Pokemon learning a good move, rather than how much sense it makes. Because of this, it doesn't matter to these people as much if a non-bird Pokemon is learning it via one of those methods. Also, as there is no TM or Move Tutor for Sky Attack, and Rayquaza cannot breed, the only option would be to make him learn it through level up, which is different. If Sky Attack was also the Japanese name, I would agree with you.
 

Cradily17

Well-Known Member
If Heliolisk acquires its energy by absorbing sunlight, then why can't it learn Solarbeam?
 

Akashin

Well-Known Member
If Heliolisk acquires its energy by absorbing sunlight, then why can't it learn Solarbeam?

Solarbeam involves taking in light energy from the sun and then firing it; what Heliolisk does is take that energy in and convert it to electricity. It doesn't seem to be capable of doing anything with that energy save for making electricity.

Heliolisk is, rather aptly, a living solar panel.

Normally when it comes to level up moves, there the moves that that Pokemon would naturally learn. TMs, Egg Moves, and Move Tutor moves, especially the latter two, are all designed more for the competitive trainer who cares more about a Pokemon learning a good move, rather than how much sense it makes. Because of this, it doesn't matter to these people as much if a non-bird Pokemon is learning it via one of those methods. Also, as there is no TM or Move Tutor for Sky Attack, and Rayquaza cannot breed, the only option would be to make him learn it through level up, which is different. If Sky Attack was also the Japanese name, I would agree with you.

Really late noticing this, but Sky Attack was available via Tutor in XD, HGSS, B2W2 and ORAS.
 
Last edited:

RedJirachi

Veteran member
You can send out Pokemon out in the outer space fight against Deoxys that clearly need to breath, like Swampert. This wouldn't be so bad if it weren't established in-game you needed a space suit. Also, if you were holding onto Rayquaza, wouldn't you risk floating into the abyss/falling to Earth by sending Rayquaza out/back in a Pokeball?
 

Mega Altaria

☆~Shiny hunter▢~
You can send out Pokemon out in the outer space fight against Deoxys that clearly need to breath, like Swampert. This wouldn't be so bad if it weren't established in-game you needed a space suit. Also, if you were holding onto Rayquaza, wouldn't you risk floating into the abyss/falling to Earth by sending Rayquaza out/back in a Pokeball?

I know what you mean but wondered what happens if you send out a terrestrial (neither airborne nor aquatic) Pokémon. Probably it will drift in space or fall back to Earth.
 
Last edited:

VampirateMace

Internet Overlord
Maybe they're still loosely attached to their pokeballs? Like in Doctor Who, when people go outside the ship, and the life support is extended outside to keep them from dying without a spacesuit.
 

SlowPokeBroKing

Future Gym Leader
You can send out Pokemon out in the outer space fight against Deoxys that clearly need to breath, like Swampert. This wouldn't be so bad if it weren't established in-game you needed a space suit. Also, if you were holding onto Rayquaza, wouldn't you risk floating into the abyss/falling to Earth by sending Rayquaza out/back in a Pokeball?

The same way some Pokémon can breathe underwater when they shouldn't be able to. It's just a mechanic they want us to accept for cool storytelling.
 

Thepokehustler

PokeHustler
The evolution line of Caterpie > Metapod > butterfree vs venonant > venomoth

the last of each evolution line should be swapped
 
Top