Grass Knot is weird. A LOT of random Pokemon get it. Pikachu, Abra, Starmie, Empoleon, Espeon, Heliolisk. I just listed a small selection by quickly glancing at it.
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Pokémon Movepool Oddities & Explanations
- Thread starter Kurona
- Start date
Outrage has some interesting distribution.
Among the handful of mons who have it by level up: two Fairies, Granbull and Xerneas. (Granbull, being based off a pitbull, makes some sense, although such a connection is a troubling stereotype, but then, see Ludicolo.) Tutored, it's a much more common move, but most of the non-Dragons who receive it make thematic sense. One of the exceptions is Meganium, one of the chillest Pokemon in existence. Another? Good old Lapras, of course, also known for its docility (although one must certainly Beware the Nice Ones).
Among the handful of mons who have it by level up: two Fairies, Granbull and Xerneas. (Granbull, being based off a pitbull, makes some sense, although such a connection is a troubling stereotype, but then, see Ludicolo.) Tutored, it's a much more common move, but most of the non-Dragons who receive it make thematic sense. One of the exceptions is Meganium, one of the chillest Pokemon in existence. Another? Good old Lapras, of course, also known for its docility (although one must certainly Beware the Nice Ones).
Lapras also gets Dragon Dance, and as a Loch Ness monster has a similar mythical creature thing going on that I think justifies it. My question is Torrerra. I'm trying to imagine how that thing could move fast enough to hit something like that. I suppose that goes for Lapras too.
My only theory is it's something like the balls of fire flying out of their bodies like in the 3-5 gen games that some how do physical damage. Dragon magic?
I always like to explain The Dragon type as the element of mysticism. For example, the reason DragonBreath isn't just a firebreathing attack is because it's an expulsion of mystical dragon-energy. Every element in the Pokemon world is like a school of magic, almost, where creatures that have an affinity for a seemingly out-of-left-field move have access to it primarily because of the way they look. The same rule applies to moves that are of their natural type as well, which is why, e.g., not every Grass-type gets Power Whip, but it becomes more true for all the moves that seem like they're just there to round out the movepool.
So, Meganium is arguably draconian in appearance. Therefore, to some level, it can tap into the Dragon attack-type's knowledge pool and use attacks that amass Dragon-energy.
So, Meganium is arguably draconian in appearance. Therefore, to some level, it can tap into the Dragon attack-type's knowledge pool and use attacks that amass Dragon-energy.
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Also a bit of Dinosaurs Are Dragon logic also apply. Based on a reptile? Well the closer it had a body shape a stereotypical dragon has the more likely it'll learn Dragon-type moves.
You can see this in Dragon Pulse's distribution: Aerodactyl (a pterodactyl), Aggron, Ampharos, Archeops, Lapras again, Milotic, Rampardos, Rhyperior, Sceptile, Serperior, Steelix, and Tyranitar all fit that. Somebody explain Clawitzer (although that's probably to show off Mega Launcher) and Arcanine, though.
Heck, you can see that for some of the Dragon-type Pokemon themselves (Dialga, Axew family, and Tyrunt family most notably).
Clawitzer is just for Mega Launcher while Arcanine is probably due to its relation of being considered a "Legendary Pokemon".
Here's an interesting one: A bunch of Lugia's dex entries say that a light fluttering of its wings can blow apart a house, or that if it flaps its wings it can cause a 40-day storm.
It can't learn Hurricane.
It can't learn Hurricane.
That's Aeroblast, in which a vortex of air is shot at the target. (A shame they had to give a move only slightly less powerful than Hurricane and much more accurate to a wall...)
Cresselia~~
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Maybe they forgot.
Here's an oddity with an Ability I just learned. Ground-types are immune to anything electrical including status moves like Thunder Wave (infact in the Battle Arcade if the roulette lands on Pokemon start out paralyzed Ground-types will be immune since it paralyzes by shocking the Pokemon). Static is an Ability many Electric-types have which uses the stored electricity in their body to possibly paralyze their opponents if they make physical contact.
Static can paralyze Ground-types.
Static can paralyze Ground-types.
Cresselia~~
Junichi Masuda likes this!!
Speaking of ability, I find it weird how Rotom-fan (electric flying) has Levitate.
It already is a flying Pokemon, it doesn't need Levitate.
That's why I had a fun battle with a friend, and they had a Rotom-fan... with the item air balloon.
Was it on Showdown randbats? Because Rotom-Fan is programmed to always have an Air Balloon, as a reference to the double (now triple) Ground immunity. (Sometimes the RNG is nice to you and gives you Trick, to grab a more useful item.)
In-game-wise, all Rotom Formes have Levitate for their ability (in Diamond and Pearl, IIRC, the formes didn't even have different typings). Pokemon is very rarely retconned (save for the Mega Evolution timeline, and even that is merely forking canon, not writing anything out), so don't expect much to change.
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Well, it's not like Ground-types are immune to paralysis in general--Glare and Stun Spore still work. Static working on Grounds is definitely a bit odd, though.
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I think all the Rotom needs at least a Hidden Ability, maybe one that changes depending on what Form it is. That way it doesn't change having the Ability Levitate but there's a second option for Fan Rotom.
I always found odd that Tyranitar doesn't get Knock Off. You could argue it's because of its tiny arms, but the thing can learn Brick Breack which is a Karate Chop from what I get and the elemental punches, so he can use those arms. I guess it's because of gameplay balance or something. Dunno, maybe it would be too good.
Well I think if a Tyranitar used Knock Off on me it won't only be the item I was hold laying down flat on the floor. Might as well just go all in with the Crunch/Payback/Assurance if you're just going to do that is probably the logic it'll go by, otherwise you're just being a bully and jerk.
I think the arm thing is valid, at least for the elemental punches. Maybe Tyranitar just makes a fist of fire/Ice/Electricy, makes a punching motion and the fist flies off it's hand and towards the target, like how Shadow Punch is depicted in the Anime.
T-Tar uses a Rocket Punch to do the punching moves.
Also, Mew is the thing that learns absolutely everything, be it from TMs, HMs or Move Tutors. However, it is not able to learn Draco Meteor - while you could argue that it is only meant for Dragon-Types, Jirachi gets it.
Also, Mew is the thing that learns absolutely everything, be it from TMs, HMs or Move Tutors. However, it is not able to learn Draco Meteor - while you could argue that it is only meant for Dragon-Types, Jirachi gets it.
But that was as an Event Move.
Is there any thread to discuss potential "ability" oddities and such, or should those just go here? I don't know why, but something about Mew feels like it should have Protean flavorwise, since it's supposed to have the DNA of every Pokemon (regardless of what your theory on Pokemon ancestry is), which would entail usage of every type in some manner. Unlike Arceus, who anchors in the type using the plate, Mew would swap between them quickly and as needed.
Oh God, a bulky Greninja with a wider movepool that can hit from either side. (Slower, granted, but you're basically trading a glass cannon for a glacier.) That would be terrifying...and probably pretty fun, too, to be honest.
To be fair, Greninja's speed is arguably the thing that made it the most terrifying. Not the only thing, but one of the biggest factors. And since it was a glass cannon, there was no defensive consideration to be had with its typing changes,
Like, Mew is essentially a Wallbreaker in that hypothetical, but it has to be careful about, say, trying to smack Altaria with Gunk Shot, since, if it survives, Mew then risks getting smacked by Earthquake.
I guess I mainly want a Pokemon less linear about using the ability, because the prediction to be had would be interesting.
Speaking of Mew, I always wondered why it isn't Normal type. Since it is the original Pokemon, the generic, unspecialized Normal type honestly makes much more sense than the Psychic type, which is a specialized type.