Why weren't Dig and Teleport HMs?

[WaterTypeStarter]

They were moves you used outside battle. You can argue they were not nessasary to progress but Fly and Flash also are optional but still HMs. Why were Dig and Teleport ordinary TM moves in Gen 1 despite functioning like HMs?

 

[NovaBrunswick]

Maybe because they already had enough HMs, and in Gen 1, there was no Move Deleter to make a Pokémon forget a HM.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

HMs were essentially moves that could be used outside of battle to solve overworld puzzles or to traverse obstacles such as water. Fly was an HM because it allowed you to go to any town or city or Pokémon Center that you wished at free will. Dig only took you back to the entrance of caves and Teleport only took you back to the last Pokémon Center you had visited. Those two didn’t give you any control. Wanting them to be HMs is like wanting Softboiled to be one.

 

[WaterTypeStarter]

HMs were essentially moves that could be used outside of battle to solve overworld puzzles or to traverse obstacles such as water. Fly was an HM because it allowed you to go to any town or city or Pokémon Center that you wished at free will. Dig only took you back to the entrance of caves and Teleport only took you back to the last Pokémon Center you had visited. Those two didn’t give you any control. Wanting them to be HMs is like wanting Softboiled to be one.

Actually I think Dig took you back to the last Center rather than the cave entrance like Teleport in Gen 1. Why was Flash an HM though? Unlike Fly it does not traverse an obstacle. And you can technically get through through Rock Tunnel without it.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

Actually I think Dig took you back to the last Center rather than the cave entrance like Teleport in Gen 1. Why was Flash an HM though? Unlike Fly it does not traverse an obstacle. And you can technically get through through Rock Tunnel without it.

Using Flash to light up certain areas is most likely why it was a HM. It’s a bit like how Defog was an HM except not using Defog to clear fog from the area made Battle difficult as accuracy was lowered.

 

[NovaBrunswick]

Using Flash to light up certain areas is most likely why it was a HM. It’s a bit like how Defog was an HM except not using Defog to clear fog from the area made Battle difficult as accuracy was lowered.

In the newer games however, Flash just makes your field of vision bigger, so it's pretty much optional, and I don't remember ever having to use it in the Gen 7 games at all. (I haven't played Sword/Shield.)

 

[Leonhart]

Dig and Teleport weren't really necessary for exploring the overworld, so I figure that Game Freak didn't think they were worthy of being HM moves for that reason.

 

[pacman000]

HMs were essentially moves that could be used outside of battle to solve overworld puzzles or to traverse obstacles such as water. Fly was an HM because it allowed you to go to any town or city or Pokémon Center that you wished at free will. Dig only took you back to the entrance of caves and Teleport only took you back to the last Pokémon Center you had visited. Those two didn’t give you any control. Wanting them to be HMs is like wanting Softboiled to be one.

Could you use Softboiled outside of battle? I never looked to see if you could.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

Could you use Softboiled outside of battle? I never looked to see if you could.

Softboiled was always usable outside of battle with the main drawback that Chansey/Blissey used up a quarter of their HP to restore another Pokémon’s HP. Chansey/Blissey couldn’t KO themselves by doing this and at full health, you could only use Softboiled on your other Pokémon three times. It also couldn’t be used to Revive fainted Pokémon and did nothing on a Pokémon with full health.

 

[raichu27]

Maybe because they already had enough HMs, and in Gen 1, there was no Move Deleter to make a Pokémon forget a HM.

In Pokemon Stadium 2, you can delete HM moves for your RBY and GSC games in their Pokemon Center. I've done it before.

 

[NovaBrunswick]

In Pokemon Stadium 2, you can delete HM moves for your RBY and GSC games in their Pokemon Center. I've done it before.

I think there was something like that in the original Stadium too, which was actually the only way to delete HMs back in Gen 1.

 

[Chaos Emperor]

Dig and teleport were just the escape rope in move form. Neither are needed to solve puzzles like cut or strength, nor are they the same kind of fast travel as fly since it only takes u to the last Pokemon center u visited unlike fly which takes u to any town you’ve been to.