Weird moves certain Pokemon can or cannot learn

[Divine Retribution]

I presume the Tapus underwent some serious movepool changes due to balance concerns as they're all already prominent Pokemon in the VGC scene. When Pokemon Home was first released, it was datamined and revealed that the Tapus were all slated to receive Close Combat and Play Rough, and as it turns out only Tapi Fini and Lele ended up receiving Play Rough (neither of which can make fantastic use of it, having mediocre Attack stats) and only Tapu Bulu got Close Combat, which is admittedly nice, but it already had Superpower to begin with so it really isn't a huge buff. They would also be pretty scary with their respective tutor moves; Koko and Lele would gain insanely strong STAB attacks and Bulu would gain a powerful priority move. Fini would probably benefit the least, but Flip Turn is a very good move in Singles at least.

 

[Sceptile Leaf Blade]

Oh, that's definitely balance. Tapu Lele with Expanding Force in particular would be super broken in doubles. It was already dominating in gen 7 where it didn't have spread damage on its Psychic attacks (Charjabug + Tapu Lele can OHKO Mega Kangaskhan with Psychic for instance, just on Twisted Spoon), it would be absolutely insane if it could hit both foes at the same time.

 

[Mega Ampharos the Dragon]

I presume the Tapus underwent some serious movepool changes due to balance concerns as they're all already prominent Pokemon in the VGC scene. When Pokemon Home was first released, it was datamined and revealed that the Tapus were all slated to receive Close Combat and Play Rough, and as it turns out only Tapi Fini and Lele ended up receiving Play Rough (neither of which can make fantastic use of it, having mediocre Attack stats) and only Tapu Bulu got Close Combat, which is admittedly nice, but it already had Superpower to begin with so it really isn't a huge buff. They would also be pretty scary with their respective tutor moves; Koko and Lele would gain insanely strong STAB attacks and Bulu would gain a powerful priority move. Fini would probably benefit the least, but Flip Turn is a very good move in Singles at least.

Funny thing is, the Steel type IoA move removes terrain, and all the Tapus are Fairy type, tho, Koko and Fini aren't weak to it due to their other typing...

 

[Ignition]

The fact that Zamazenta, a Fighting Type Pokémon built around the concept of defense, doesn’t learn Body Press, a Fighting Type move based on the user’s Defense.

Dragapult can’t learn Shadow Claw but can learn Dragon Claw.

Eelektross gets Drain Punch & Giga Drain but not Leech Life.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

The fact that Zamazenta, a Fighting Type Pokémon built around the concept of defense, doesn’t learn Body Press, a Fighting Type move based on the user’s Defense.

Dragapult can’t learn Shadow Claw but can learn Dragon Claw.

Eelektross gets Drain Punch & Giga Drain but not Leech Life.

Zamazenta barely getting any damaging Fighting moves is also baffling. Especially Brick Break Which could work as shields can break stuff if they are thrown or used to strike something hard enough. Zamazenta’s Shield is metal and can’t be that much weaker in strength as a brick given it can learn Iron Head.

 

[MrJechgo]

Flapple and Appletun come to mind:

• Flapple learns Wing Attack upon evolving... but canNOT learn Steel Wing.
• Appletun learns Headbutt upon evolving... but canNOT learn Iron Head, although given its better Special Attack stat, Flash Cannon.
• Both Pokémon learn Heavy Slam... when Flapple weighs 2.2 lbs and Appletun weighs 28.7 lbs.

Cinderace doesn't learn Energy Ball... which might be a better option for it, considering that a Grass move takes out Water, Rock and Ground.
Speaking of Grass moves, it doesn't learn your typical Grass moves such as Solar Beam. Wasn't that a staple for Fire-type Pokémon at some point? Cinderace... also doesn't learn Rock moves. I mean, Pyro Ball has the user picking a small stone, igniting it (somehow ) and kicking it at the opponent. Pretty sure that Cinderace could pick a small stone, skip the ignition part and kick it, using Rock Throw or Smack Down.

Alolan Exeggutor, as goofy as it looks, should be the Physical counterpart of the [Special] Kantonian Exeggutor, but it wasn't the case, espeically going from a Grass/Psychic (mostly known to be Special) to a Grass/Dragon (mostly known to be Physical)... and yet it's the ONLY POKÉMON which learns Dragon Hammer, a Physical dragon move.

Flareon, beside being a false prophet, can use Flare Blitz... very late "in the game"... and has Flame Wheel and Fire Fang... but could use Blaze Kick and Fire Lash as a good, reliable and less risky move... especially when it's often considered the worst eeveelution. Seriously, buff its Defense and Special Defense, give it Power Whip (the bushy tail) and Solar Blade (it doesn't even learn Energy Ball).

 

[Mega Ampharos the Dragon]

Zamazenta barely getting any damaging Fighting moves is also baffling. Especially Brick Break Which could work as shields can break stuff if they are thrown or used to strike something hard enough. Zamazenta’s Shield is metal and can’t be that much weaker in strength as a brick given it can learn Iron Head.

It's the same with Zacian, just with Fairy moves. To make it worse, the only Fairy level up attacking move Zacian, a physical attacker, can learn is Moonblast, a special move

Alolan Exeggutor, as goofy as it looks, should be the Physical counterpart of the [Special] Kantonian Exeggutor, but it wasn't the case, espeically going from a Grass/Psychic (mostly known to be Special) to a Grass/Dragon (mostly known to be Physical)... and yet it's the ONLY POKÉMON which learns Dragon Hammer, a Physical dragon move.

Tropius: Am I a joke to you?

 

[MrJechgo]

Tropius: Am I a joke to you?

A Grass/Flying Pokémon... that looks like Grass/Dragon... and can only learn Dragon Hammer in Ultra Sun/Moon. I got all the material for a comedy skit here XD Point is that Tropius barely gains anything from a Dragon-type move, as opposed to Alolan Exeggutor ^^;

 

[Mega Ampharos the Dragon]

A Grass/Flying Pokémon... that looks like Grass/Dragon... and can only learn Dragon Hammer in Ultra Sun/Moon. I got all the material for a comedy skit here XD Point is that Tropius barely gains anything from a Dragon-type move, as opposed to Alolan Exeggutor ^^;

I'm just saying, Exeggutor is not the only pokemon who can learn Dragon Hammer

Also, I would think you can breed Dragon Hammer onto a Tropius in Sun & Moon cause remember, Tropius wasn't found in the wild in the vanilla games

 

[Ophie]

Don't know if it counts but Kecleon couldn't learn Camouflage until Generation 6 even though it's a chameleon Pokemon so you would think it'd be the most obvious attack choice for it to have. I always thought that was weird. Also Tauros being able to learn Surf is funny to me.

It's probably not the case with Kecleon because it is shown to explicitly be able to hide by changing color, but the majority of real-life chameleon species cannot change color, and most of the ones that CAN change color do it to express their emotions rather than to hide.

That being said, the jagged red stripe on its torso can never change color, so Kecleon not knowing Camouflage for a few generations might reflect the fact that it has a giveaway (despite games showing its whole body becoming effectively invisible, like in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, Pokémon Pinball R/S and Pokémon Sun and Moon).

Almost all Kaiju-like Pokemon can learn Surf and Flamethrower, likely being references to the fact that Kaiju are often depicted as coming from the sea and having fire (or atomic) breath. This includes Rhydon, Tyranitar, Aggron, and Haxorus. The one that gets me though is Diggersby. Why on earth does Diggersby learn Surf?

My best guess is it refers either to a rabbit's natural ability to swim (rabbits aren't fond of water, but they can traverse non-turbulent water in emergencies) or, since Diggersby is also based on an excavator, the use of running water in construction projects to drain away gravel, dirt, and sand.

Cinderace doesn't learn Energy Ball... which might be a better option for it, considering that a Grass move takes out Water, Rock and Ground.
Speaking of Grass moves, it doesn't learn your typical Grass moves such as Solar Beam. Wasn't that a staple for Fire-type Pokémon at some point? Cinderace... also doesn't learn Rock moves. I mean, Pyro Ball has the user picking a small stone, igniting it (somehow ) and kicking it at the opponent. Pretty sure that Cinderace could pick a small stone, skip the ignition part and kick it, using Rock Throw or Smack Down.

This is likely deliberate, as the only super-effective move Cinderace can do to a pure Water-type is Electro Ball, which makes for a comparatively weak Max Lightning (and, depending on the opposing Water Pokémon, might even be a power-down). Cinderace is powerful enough as it is; it feels like they intentionally made a lack of Grass-type moves as a limitation to not make it even worse.

 

[Leonhart]

Also Tauros being able to learn Surf is funny to me.

I once saw a fan-made comic strip that poked fun at the absurdity of Kentauros (Tauros) being able to Surf across water. It's almost as bizarre as Poppo (Pidgey) being able to carry people with Fly.

 

[TwilightBlade]

I was shocked when I found out that Gyarados could learn Flamethrower. I don't get the reasoning behind that since it's a sea serpent. :[

 

[MrJechgo]

Don't know if it counts but Kecleon couldn't learn Camouflage until Generation 6 even though it's a chameleon Pokemon so you would think it'd be the most obvious attack choice for it to have. I always thought that was weird. Also Tauros being able to learn Surf is funny to me.

Huh... a reference to water buffalos? Gen 1 Pokémon could have been designed with charateristics of several similar species, in this case, oxens, auroches, buffalos and cattle bulls.

 

[Divine Retribution]

I was shocked when I found out that Gyarados could learn Flamethrower. I don't get the reasoning behind that since it's a sea serpent. :[

Gyarados has a very strange movepool full of powerful special attacks he can't really make use of with his paltry base 60 Sp. Atk. Flamethrower kind of makes sense in that it's similar in concept to Hyper Beam, which most fully evolved Pokemon can learn but Gyarados is pretty much known for. Thunderbolt is an odd case though. I'm not really sure why it learns Thunderbolt.

Slowbro also has an interestingly expansive movepool, but it's also part Psychic-type, and Psychic-types in the first few generations usually had very diverse movepools with lots of special attacks of various types. It's also somewhat Kaiju-esque which might explain it getting Flamethrower and Fire Blast, and of course it learns Surf, being a Water-type.

 

[RedBlastoise]

Someone might have already said it but Beheeyem can learn Steel Wing thru TM even though it's got no wings and Primeape could learn Iron Tail thru TM even though it has no tail. I think Steel Wing on Beheeyem might be a UFO reference but who knows?

 

[Missingno.Fan]

Someone might have already said it but Beheeyem can learn Steel Wing thru TM even though it's got no wings and Primeape could learn Iron Tail thru TM even though it has no tail. I think Steel Wing on Beheeyem might be a UFO reference but who knows?

One theory about Beeheeyem learning Steel Wing is that it was a mistake. Another theory it was a joke because Steel Wing is TM 51. Or it could just be a UFO reference. Primeape gets a pass because Mankey has a tail.

 

[LucarioIsMegaEvolving]

A lot of Pokémon in Gen 1 get access to attacks like Surf, Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, and Ice Beam regardless of type. Some, like Gyarados, Starmie, and Slowbro have already been mentioned on this thread, but as an example of this take Rhydon, a Rock/Ground type with 45 base Special Attack, getting access to, among others:
Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Hydro Pump, Surf, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Dragon Pulse, Focus Blast, Icy Wind, and Whirlpool.

 

[Luthor]

I was shocked when I found out that Gyarados could learn Flamethrower. I don't get the reasoning behind that since it's a sea serpent. :[

Here's my speculation on that one. It is partially based on a sea serpent but I think it also takes inspiration from Dragons. Mainly Chinese Dragons for appearance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_dragon (I know its not a Dragon in game but its always been treated as a psuedo-Dragon and was owned by a Dragon master). While Most Chinese Dragons don't breath fire most are also less Malevolent than Gyarados which I could see as being a subtle nod to Western Dragons which do breath fire. Even its Pokedex entries do mention "Gyarados would appear and leave blazing ruins in its wake"

 

[Gamzee Makara]

Oh boy... hope you brought a long ladder, because we're gonna go deep in that rabbit hole

All four Tapus cannot learn the Ilse of Armor's Move Tutor moves related to terrains (Expanding Force, Misty Explosion, Grassy Slide and Rising Voltage)... although that was probably because of their initial abilities to create terrains upon entering battles, while other Pokémon either have to use a move that create a terrain OR have Hidden abilities to do so. They also can't learn Terrain Pulse.

Methinks it was for balance. Same reason Koko can't get Play Rough.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

Methinks it was for balance. Same reason Koko can't get Play Rough.

Koko can’t get Play Rough? I always thought it did and could have sworn I had one tha5 knew the move before.