• 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

Weird moves certain Pokemon can or cannot learn

Luthor

Well-Known Member
Looking through its Level-up moveset right now and that is... slim. Only non-Normal or Water attacks are Sucker Punch and U-Turn, which, while good, really could use something to help. At least something to hit neutrally on Pokémon like Kommo-o and Primarina.

Yeah its level up moves are limited. Even if you extend out to TM, TR and egg moves it gets very little good non-special moves and a lot of its best movepool options are TR only moves. Some physical moves but not that many considering it has base 85 attack which is usable. It strangely gets Breaking swipe and Fell stinger but it would be a struggle to try it physically. Also regardless of physical/special it does surprise me Inteleon gets only 1 move with increased critical hit ratio (Snipe shot) to take advantage of sniper. I'd have assumed it would get moves like Air Cutter and Psycho cut to take advantage of it
 
Last edited:

Akashin

Well-Known Member
Zekrom is capable of learning Psychic which is completely bizarre and weird. Does it use its eyes to move and levitate objects?
A ton of Pokemon can learn Psychic; it's one of those moves where, at this point, there's very little rhyme or reason behind certain Pokemon getting it. That being said, Zekrom at least learns a Psychic move in Zen Headbutt, so it being capable of learning Psychic is less of a stretch than some others.
 

Yveltal91057

It’s Kalos season!
In addition to it already being able to learn Wild Charge and mostly being a physical attacker, Growlithe/Hisuian Growlithe and Arcanine should also be able to learn Volt Tackle, Bolt Strike and Volt Switch through either a Move Tutor or Heart Scale.
 
Last edited:

Akashin

Well-Known Member
Growlithe/Hisuian Growlithe and Arcanine should be able to learn Volt Tackle, Bolt Strike and Volt Switch through either a Move Tutor or Heart Scale.
...Why?

I wish I had a better response than that. I just have absolutely no idea why Growlithe (in either form, presumably) should be able to learn any of those moves, much less why it's weird that it doesn't.
 

Captain Jigglypuff

Leader of Jigglypuff Army
In addition to it already being able to learn Wild Charge and mostly being a physical attacker, Growlithe/Hisuian Growlithe and Arcanine should also be able to learn Volt Tackle, Bolt Strike and Volt Switch through either a Move Tutor or Heart Scale.
Bolt Strike is far too strong for any non-Legendary to learn. And Volt Tackle should stay exclusive to the Pikachu line given how special it is to get the move through the Requirements needed to breed it.
 

Luthor

Well-Known Member
In addition to it already being able to learn Wild Charge and mostly being a physical attacker, Growlithe/Hisuian Growlithe and Arcanine should also be able to learn Volt Tackle, Bolt Strike and Volt Switch through either a Move Tutor or Heart Scale.

I do want better physical Electric moves (especially for quadrupedal Pokemon that can't learn thunder punch) but Volt Tackle and Bolt strike are both Signature moves (of the mascot of Pokemon and a legendary). Sure they could give out to a wider group but I'm not expecting wider coverage for either (as they are such significant Pokemon) and even if they did I think it would be limited to events or at most to very similar electric pokemon. So I don't consider that to be weird. Volt Switch has very limited distribution as well and is mainly learned by Electric and Steel type and no fire types. So honestly I don't see any of those as weird.
 
Last edited:

TheWanderingMist

Paladin of the Snow Queen
Body Press for Zamazenta. It literally goes off Defense instead of Attack and is designed for the likes of Zamazenta.

This is more of a type thing, but Zamazenta should be the Fairy/Steel one. It makes no sense for the offensive one of the duo to be completely immune to both STAB types of Eternatus while the defensive one only gets 1 immunity that the other one shares anyway.
 

Luthor

Well-Known Member
Wormadam-Sandy cannot learn Rock Slide despite being able to learn other rock moves like Rock Blast. I get its a bug type but other bug types do get rock slide.
 

TheWanderingMist

Paladin of the Snow Queen
Wormadam-Sandy cannot learn Rock Slide despite being able to learn other rock moves like Rock Blast. I get its a bug type but other bug types do get rock slide.
Well, by level up, Grass Cloak only gets 2 Grass moves, while Trash Cloak is the best off with 4 natural Steel moves. Sandy is the worst off because despite being part-Ground, it gets a single Ground move by level up. If we includes TMs and other ways of learning, Grass Cloak gets 3 more by TM, 4 more by Tutor, and 1 by Transfer, Sandy gets 2 by TM, 1 by Tutor, and 2 by Transfer, while Trash Cloak gets 2 by TM, 2 by Tutor, and 0 from Transfer.

So (Gen VII):
Grass Cloak: 10 Grass moves total
Sandy Cloak: 6 Ground moves total
Trash Cloak: 8 Steel Moves total

Oh, and that Ground move Sandy Cloak learns? It's Fissure, so STAB doesn't even get to factor in.
 

Ophie

Salingerian Phony
Still a bit annoyed that, despite giving Auroral Veil to a lot of other Pokémon, they took away Aurora Veil from Alolan Sandslash. It's not like it's overpowered or anything...Alolan Sandshrew is even based partly on an igloo, associated with a place where auroras can be seen.
 

Auraninja

Eh, ragazzo!
Where the make igloos, you would see Aurora borealis in particular.

Aurora borealis is also located at this time of year, at this time of day, in my part of the country, localized within my kitchen.
 

Luthor

Well-Known Member
Well, by level up, Grass Cloak only gets 2 Grass moves, while Trash Cloak is the best off with 4 natural Steel moves. Sandy is the worst off because despite being part-Ground, it gets a single Ground move by level up. If we includes TMs and other ways of learning, Grass Cloak gets 3 more by TM, 4 more by Tutor, and 1 by Transfer, Sandy gets 2 by TM, 1 by Tutor, and 2 by Transfer, while Trash Cloak gets 2 by TM, 2 by Tutor, and 0 from Transfer.

So (Gen VII):
Grass Cloak: 10 Grass moves total
Sandy Cloak: 6 Ground moves total
Trash Cloak: 8 Steel Moves total

Oh, and that Ground move Sandy Cloak learns? It's Fissure, so STAB doesn't even get to factor in.

Very true. I hope they improve the movepools of all 3 because there are so many missing moves.
 

Pokefan_1987

Avid Pokemon TCG Card collector.
The entire Shinx/Luxio/Luxray line doesn't learn Thunderbolt in their learnset in all of the generations. I know its intended to be a physical electric attacker but any electric type including early route electric pokemon should have thunderbolt in their moveset.
 

Spider-Phoenix

#ChespinGang
At least Luxray line gets Ice Fang which is pretty good coverage for an eletric type since it hits both grass and ground types, the one types that are respectively resistant and immune to eletric.
 

Ophie

Salingerian Phony
The entire Shinx/Luxio/Luxray line doesn't learn Thunderbolt in their learnset in all of the generations. I know its intended to be a physical electric attacker but any electric type including early route electric pokemon should have thunderbolt in their moveset.
I'd beg to differ--Electric-types with low Sp. Attack, like Togedemaru (base 40) and Alolan Golem (base 55) wouldn't really need them. For that matter, it's for the best that they're only given physical Electric attacks in their level-up list because it could trap an unfamiliar player into using them instead. The Shinx line, I feel, is a case of this, with them having Wild Charge as their last level-up move to take full advantage of their superior physical Attack stat (though their Sp. Attack is not bad). They also learn Discharge somewhat earlier, which is weaker than Thunderbolt but hits all adjacent foes in double/triple battles and has a much higher chance of Paralysis.

The Shinx line can all learn Thunderbolt through TMs/TRs though.
 

Luthor

Well-Known Member
One thing that I was surprised is Perrserker doesn't get X-Scissor. A lot of Pokemon with obvious claws (such as Excadrill) get that by TR and Perrserker can use another bug type move in U-turn.
 

Pokefan_1987

Avid Pokemon TCG Card collector.
I'd beg to differ--Electric-types with low Sp. Attack, like Togedemaru (base 40) and Alolan Golem (base 55) wouldn't really need them. For that matter, it's for the best that they're only given physical Electric attacks in their level-up list because it could trap an unfamiliar player into using them instead. The Shinx line, I feel, is a case of this, with them having Wild Charge as their last level-up move to take full advantage of their superior physical Attack stat (though their Sp. Attack is not bad). They also learn Discharge somewhat earlier, which is weaker than Thunderbolt but hits all adjacent foes in double/triple battles and has a much higher chance of Paralysis.

The Shinx line can all learn Thunderbolt through TMs/TRs though.
Still the leveling up set for Luxray isn't stacked well. Wild Charge is unlocked at a disgustingly late at lvl 63 which is high for a lvl 30 pokemon.
That's in the late dragon evolution level range and you could already have a Garchomp and be really close to have Hydreigon shortly afterwards by comparison (lvl 64 for Hydreigon)

It can be circumvented if you find the Wild Charge TM early but i avoid recoil damage moves like Wild Charge Takedown and Heat Crash. However Super Power and Close Combat are good when used correctly.
 

KRSplat

Unevolved Mankey
Poliwag w/o Tailwhip, surprising but makes sense b/c IRL tadpoles tend to exclusively rely on their tails for movement,
cannot use its tail for a special attack until sacrificing the entirety of its movespeed.
 
Top