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Pokémon Movepool Oddities & Explanations
- Thread starter Kurona
- Start date
If we really want to over think it, maybe the seaweed (which is the "real" body) just can't stand the spooky ghost flames.
CTNC
Doesn't know how to attack
3 out of 6 of Audino's first Level Up moves are Play Nice, Baby-Doll Eyes, and Growl. In ORAS and Gen 7, they were all learned by Level 5. Even though Audino can learn every move that just lowers Attack 1 Stage, Audino can't learn Charm.
I'm not complain about this because Buzzwole is an Ultra Beast, which is supposed to be weird, but it's a mosquito Pokemon and it can't learn Bug Buzz. If anything, I complaining that it can learn Snore, Round, and Hidden Power even though almost everyone can learn them because it means Buzzowle learns any Special Attacks. Then again, is it weirder that it can only learn those Special Attacks than if it couldn't learn any?
I'm not complain about this because Buzzwole is an Ultra Beast, which is supposed to be weird, but it's a mosquito Pokemon and it can't learn Bug Buzz. If anything, I complaining that it can learn Snore, Round, and Hidden Power even though almost everyone can learn them because it means Buzzowle learns any Special Attacks. Then again, is it weirder that it can only learn those Special Attacks than if it couldn't learn any?
I find Delphox's moveset to be fairly conservative in a couple of odd ways.
Looking at its level up moveset, despite being "witch-like" it doesn't get a ton of moves that play into that. Its most unique move is probably Magic Room, which even then quite a few Psychic types have had. Lucky Chant is an odd all-purpose move that it gets. It gets Shock Wave and Signal Beam by tutor, but Shock Wave is notoriously an all-purpose move and Signal Beam is also fairly common for Psychic types.
Basically, give Delphox some more variety.
... seriously, it doesn't even learn Energy Ball.
Looking at its level up moveset, despite being "witch-like" it doesn't get a ton of moves that play into that. Its most unique move is probably Magic Room, which even then quite a few Psychic types have had. Lucky Chant is an odd all-purpose move that it gets. It gets Shock Wave and Signal Beam by tutor, but Shock Wave is notoriously an all-purpose move and Signal Beam is also fairly common for Psychic types.
Basically, give Delphox some more variety.
... seriously, it doesn't even learn Energy Ball.
Take me to the timeline were Delphox gets a Black Mage moveset with Scald, Earth Power, Hurricane, Aura Sphere, Thunderbolt...
Sticky web was brought up in another thread, so I figured I might touch on some of its users here:
It's interesting that Kricketune gets it while it's pre-evolution does not, since it's the only instance of this occurring for this move.* The main thing that changes on evolution is which instrument it draws the most inspiration from. Kricketune is based more on a violin (or one of its differently-sized relatives), while Kricketot is noted to sound like a xylophone. So Kricketune has better string-based moves to reflect being closer to a stringed instrument.
Vikavolt is notable for being one of only two lines to learn Electroweb by breeding, at least in gen 7. It lost that distinction when Electroweb became a regular TM. It receiving Sticky Web in the same generation may be an attempt to preserve it being better at this style of move than most other bug and electric types. As for why that distinction exists, my best guess is that since Vikavolt is based on electric-powered weapons, it's a reference to tasers having wires to connect the electricity despite being a projectile weapon.
Blipbug, yeah I have nothing.
*only Slurpuff learns it by level in gen 8, but Swirlix still has it as an egg move.
It's interesting that Kricketune gets it while it's pre-evolution does not, since it's the only instance of this occurring for this move.* The main thing that changes on evolution is which instrument it draws the most inspiration from. Kricketune is based more on a violin (or one of its differently-sized relatives), while Kricketot is noted to sound like a xylophone. So Kricketune has better string-based moves to reflect being closer to a stringed instrument.
Vikavolt is notable for being one of only two lines to learn Electroweb by breeding, at least in gen 7. It lost that distinction when Electroweb became a regular TM. It receiving Sticky Web in the same generation may be an attempt to preserve it being better at this style of move than most other bug and electric types. As for why that distinction exists, my best guess is that since Vikavolt is based on electric-powered weapons, it's a reference to tasers having wires to connect the electricity despite being a projectile weapon.
Blipbug, yeah I have nothing.
*only Slurpuff learns it by level in gen 8, but Swirlix still has it as an egg move.
While the tradition of cover legendaries getting signature moves has existed since Gen 2, oddly Gen 3 gave signature moves to all its legendaries except the covers. Latias has Mist Ball, Latios has Luster Purge, the Regis share Superpower, Jirachi has Doom Desire, and Deoxys has Psycho Boost, but the weather trio wouldn't get anything until ORAS. I suppose they thought signature abilities were enough?
QuentinQuonce
formerly green_typhlosion
Huh, TIL Superpower was the Regi's signature in RS. Nidoqueen gets it in Gen III (but obviously isn't around till FRLG, and in fact only learns the move in those games) as does Deoxys-A (likewise). I totally thought more Pokemon than that got Superpower in Gen III.
Hm, maybe Corrosion doesn't affect the poison itself but rather is sort of like a "coating" to bypass the natural Steel & Poison immunity to the Poison status ailment. To do so Corrosion's "coating" would need to have two effects as each Type would require a different method:
- For Steel, it's immune cause the majority of their body is made of metal which just normally can't absorb toxins, so Corrosion would have to make metallic structure unstable for the poison to affect the more organic parts.
- For Poison, it's immune cause Pokemon goes on the logic that a poisonous creature would be immune to its poison, and since seemingly all poison is very similar in the Pokemon world that means its immune to all poisons. So Corrosion would have to jeopardize the Poison-type's immune system so that it can't recognize the poison and filter it through.
Well Ralts certainly won't be getting it from Breeding. Not only is the Ralts family not in the Field Egg Group, but Oshawott uses its Scalchop as a blade so it has something to work with. But Ralts doesn't, if Gallade was to get Sacred Sword it would have to be added into its movepool.
BTW if they give it to Gallade then they should also give it to Sirfetch'd (or maybe Farfetch'd as an Egg Move since it is in the Field Egg Group).
Could have to do with some wackiness they had to do due to the change they did with the Gen 8 Relearner (and possibly introducing the TRs). Because now Pokemon can learn any move they learn via Level-up and for free (and how easy it is to get TRs), basic and even mid/1st stage Pokemon had their movepools stripped down so the player doesn't become overpowered early on. Egg Moves were the only exception as that was something more involved and likely only something players would do post game. So we get instances like the Sobble family where Sobble and Drizzile only get an Ice-type move via Breeding, cause its the only way for that family to get Ice Shard as its not a TR, but when you reach Inteleon they toss the restriction as its at its final stage.
Kind of strange with all the Water-type frog Pokemon we have they haven't made a Water-type licking move (Launch Lick, a Water-type Knock Off).
"Why Knock Off"? Cause upon thinking of a move I realized maybe why there isn't any: any licking move would likely be Physical and many of these frog Pokemon are Special leaning. Hence GF probably shrugged their shoulder and just let it be they don't learn any licking moves unless the flavor text REALLY calls for it. Since I'm just doing this for as a fun thought experiment, I think if one was to be made it would be more utility based than a move relied on to get through the battle.
Hey, if Mawile is using its cuteness to deceive, that tells me it'll use any luring method it feels it could get away with. So if some Pokemon get attracted to it via Sweet Scent, and it has a method of releasing said Sweet Scent, why not? Course, that now leads to the question "what sweet scent is it creating"? The only thing I can think of is that there are some metals which have a "sweet" taste, so could be whatever metal that Mawile is made of just so happens is able to release a sweet smell. Or, if you prefer a simpler explanation, maybe it douses its horns in fruit juice and/or flowers and stores it in them like a perfume bottle.
No, that's it, Moon Dex entry: "Filled with pheromones, its poisonous gas can be diluted to use in the production of luscious perfumes".
There's also a guy I think in the Hano Grand Hotel trying to figure out how to purify Salazzle's pheromones to make into said perfume (since the dex implies it can be done, sounds like it must be a secret method achieved by one company and others are scrambling to figure out how).
Could just have to do with flavor.
Decidueye is a sniper, its trying to pin down its opponent and deliver precision strikes. Setting the opponent on fire may reveal its location, force the target to flee cause its now on fire, and since its in hiding the decreased Attack doesn't really factor in.
Golurk is VERY odd considering it does produce fire in order to fly.
Then again, that's actual fire and not ghostly fire (and, though it can't learn any special Fire moves, it does learn Fire Punch and notably Heat Crash). Golurk is essentially a robot programmed to do tasks, usually heavy labor or being guards. Burning something with ghostly energy likely doesn't come up when it's lifting/carrying stuff while its guarding program probably just tells it to smash the intruder with its giant fists until its either destroyed or goes away. Sure, fire usually deters things, but not all things; but what does is a giant robot lumbering toward you whose lifting its fists into the air that is the same size as you.
While Jelliscent is a sea creature like Dhelmise, it does come to the surface for the sole purpose of sinking ships and feeding on life energy. Ships do not respond well to being on fire, and Pokemon has done the thing which they relate life energy to being like some spectral flame so Will-O-Wisp is just making that life energy flame more accessible.
Trevenant is either trying to chase you out of its forest OR wants to punish you for harming its forest. (Ghostly) Fire is very useful for both.
Aegislash is implied to sort of being a mastermind. Its either making others do its bidding or its going all-in itself. The former it's not using any moves, the latter its likely thinking like a sword so just wants to stick you with the pointy end to make the red stuff come out. Little room in-between the two thought processes for "throwing out some fire could help me out".
Charm's Japanese name is Spoiled Pout which I feel isn't something Audino would do as its meant to be a caring nurse.
Since Snore, Round, and Hidden Power are those TMs which is given to every Pokemon that can learn TMs there's really not much else to think on the subject. Its there due to a gimmick of the move's distribution and not because of anything pertaining to Buzzwole.
Well Blipbug is based on three things: Ladybug larva, a stereotypical "nerd", and the idiom "bookworm" which connects them together. So, we gotta relate that to Sticky Web, or specifically its Japanese name "Sticky Net". Well, Blipbug can produce silk being a larva so that's not an issue. As for forming it into a net, well being a nerd its inventive so those bred with the genetic blueprints can rig together its silk into a net shape.
Especially with Abilities being the new major mechanic, having the Mascot Legendaries having Signature Abilities instead of Moves really put a spotlight on Abilities being a game changer.
It's easy to forget as it's not really a move you want on them. It's not STAB, the Regi aren't offense-focused Pokemon (which made the Attack drop really unfavorable), and of the three only Regirock could really use it as Regice was Special focused and Registeel was designed as a mixed attacker thus had even lower Attack than Regirock. I don't know what GF was thinking giving them it as a Signature Move, though they quickly learned their mistake and spread Superpower starting Platinum.
Oh gosh, this gave me a vivid mental image of an in-universe perfume brand whose bottles are shaped like Mawile.
Would the horns be the spray nozzle and the head the the squeeze pump?
Blipbbug is a bookworm and nerd, and nerds get a bunch of their information online, on the Web or Net as they have been nicknamed.
Why in Ruby and Sapphire was Icicle Spear introduced, but was given to no Pokemon? Later in FRLG, Shellder got it by levelup though. Why didn't they just give it to Shellder in RS?
The answer is because they made the move, assigned it to Pokémon where it felt appropriate, and then none of those Pokémon made it into the Hoenn dex. Corsola made it in, and in Gen III Corsola does learn Icicle Spear as an egg move, but that relationship is the sort of thing that only fits an egg move as Corsola is naturally a tropical Pokémon, so it needs the trait of a northern Pokémon to allow it to unleash that power.
It's also possible it was only ever intended for FRLG, but of course FRLG and RS need to be able to trade with each other and if there were a move in FRLG that wasn't in RS that would cause a crash if a Pokémon who knew that move were traded to RS. Both are fairly likely.
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These possibilities make sense. I thought maybe they would have a Pokemon in mind before making the move. I thought they might have Shellder in mind to use the move, so you think they could possibly have stuck it on Shellder in RS. But who knows forsure. Maybe they wanted another ice type move but then decided it didn't fit anywhere at that time.
I'm gonna be honest I think it was purely an oversight.
Corsola, Seel, Swinub and Shellder all have it as an egg move starting in RS (contrast with Volt Tackle, which was likely with the elemental hyper beams in terms of "we're saving this for something more special later).
Legitimately I think they just forgot to give it to someone so they could, like, learn the move.
When FRLG happened they realized the mistake and gave Shellder the move naturally. Probably thought it fit well with Cloyster's Spike Cannon & Ice typing rather than Seel. But then forgot to port that change over to Emerald
At least this move got a happy ending. Pour one out for Head Smash Nosepass, an egg move added in HGSS that Nosepass was completely unable to get due to incompatible egg groupings and then just removed from it entirely moving forward.
incidentally I think the move would have fit fine on Glalie, though then the issue would be "Corsola still cannot learn the move" because Glalie is Fairy/Mineral and Corsola is Water1/3, but such is life.
e: Also the idea that they made the move and just couldn't find anyone to give it to in the RS dex so they just left it alone doesn't track with some of these move pools. Most new moves wound up on older pokemon's level up move pools in additino to RS pokemon.
For a more direct example in terms of "new move, not in RS dex, on old mons in RS) there's Follow Me. Only available to the Clefairy, Sentret & Togepi lines.
Corsola, Seel, Swinub and Shellder all have it as an egg move starting in RS (contrast with Volt Tackle, which was likely with the elemental hyper beams in terms of "we're saving this for something more special later).
Legitimately I think they just forgot to give it to someone so they could, like, learn the move.
When FRLG happened they realized the mistake and gave Shellder the move naturally. Probably thought it fit well with Cloyster's Spike Cannon & Ice typing rather than Seel. But then forgot to port that change over to Emerald
At least this move got a happy ending. Pour one out for Head Smash Nosepass, an egg move added in HGSS that Nosepass was completely unable to get due to incompatible egg groupings and then just removed from it entirely moving forward.
incidentally I think the move would have fit fine on Glalie, though then the issue would be "Corsola still cannot learn the move" because Glalie is Fairy/Mineral and Corsola is Water1/3, but such is life.
e: Also the idea that they made the move and just couldn't find anyone to give it to in the RS dex so they just left it alone doesn't track with some of these move pools. Most new moves wound up on older pokemon's level up move pools in additino to RS pokemon.
For a more direct example in terms of "new move, not in RS dex, on old mons in RS) there's Follow Me. Only available to the Clefairy, Sentret & Togepi lines.
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And Sudowoodo would work too, but for whatever reason they decided to just never bring it back in gen 7 (nor just like...let it learn it naturally, or give it to a different mineral pokemon in gens 5 & 6)
While many already gave a pretty good answer, I quickly thought of one and wanted to throw it out there: maybe it was originally a Signature Move for the Spheal family before deciding on Ice Ball? Like, Sealeo and Walrein have tusks which could be the inspiration, and would also go along with why Seal and Swinub learn it via breeding (Corsola and Shellder getting cause it just so happen to match their style, Shellder who would originally need it to be chained bred on).
Speaking of Ice Ball, while less of a movepool quirk as much as it is just plain move quirk, I find the selection of moves they brought back for Legends Arceus that were absent in both Sword/Shield and BDSP interesting:
-Bubble
-Ice Ball
-Mud Bomb
-Ominous Wind
-Silver Wind
With the exception of Ice Ball, all of them are low-to-middling-power special moves with a secondary effect. Ice Ball is the only exception.
Ice Ball is not only a Tutor Move, but the only tutor move in Legends besides Baby-doll Eyes to have never been a TM/HM/TR/Tutor move before(I'm not counting Power Shift because Legends is its debut game)
-Bubble
-Ice Ball
-Mud Bomb
-Ominous Wind
-Silver Wind
With the exception of Ice Ball, all of them are low-to-middling-power special moves with a secondary effect. Ice Ball is the only exception.
Ice Ball is not only a Tutor Move, but the only tutor move in Legends besides Baby-doll Eyes to have never been a TM/HM/TR/Tutor move before(I'm not counting Power Shift because Legends is its debut game)
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In Gen 3, extrasensory was an odd signature levelup move for Nuzleaf to have. Why does a part Dark type pokemon get a Psychic signature move? It learns no other Psychic damaging moves. And why does it have 30 pp as an 80 base power move?
QuentinQuonce
formerly green_typhlosion
I only just learned that Regigigas finally got Protect and Rest in Gen VIII. That's nice for it but (based on a quick online search) doesn't seem to have actually improved it that much.
Reminds me of how everyone was crying out for Flareon to get Flare Blitz for years, and then it finally got it and it turned out that even with Flare Blitz Flareon still sucks.
Are there any other instances of Pokemon taking ages to get moves they should have had and it not doing much to improve their viability? I'm sure they're must be but I'm not familiar enough with competitive play to know.
Reminds me of how everyone was crying out for Flareon to get Flare Blitz for years, and then it finally got it and it turned out that even with Flare Blitz Flareon still sucks.
Are there any other instances of Pokemon taking ages to get moves they should have had and it not doing much to improve their viability? I'm sure they're must be but I'm not familiar enough with competitive play to know.