Pokémon Movepool Oddities & Explanations

[Pikachu315111]

Has anyone gone through Tauros' movepool and just been amazed at what weird stuff has been in there?

First, that it learns Zen Headbutt naturally, but not normal Headbutt, despite Dex entries that it slams into trees to calm itself down (a literal headbutt for Zen I guess?). It also doesn't even get Body Slam normally. Maybe it's just me, but these seem like obvious moves Tauros should have.

It also has a wild movepool, consisting of odd things like Incinerate, Water Pulse, Icy Wind, Outrage, Iron Tail, Whirlpool, and Shockwave, Ice Beam, Rain Dance, Solar Beam, Flamethrower, Sandstorm, and the rare Smart Strike.

I guess it's normal type love, because, while neat, a fire-breathing water-controlling bull makes little sense.

Also it gets Take Down but not Double-Edge. Other moves you'd think it would get is Skull Bash, Flail, Fury Attack, and Tail Slap (sadly it has no afro thus no Afro Break Head Charge).

As for TMs, its a Normal-type so it gets TMs a plenty. I'd say out of the ones you mentioned that Outrage, Iron Tail, Rain Dance, and Smart Strike are reasonable for it to learn.

BTW, Smart Strike's distribution makes sense if you read its description or know its Japanese name: Smart Horn. The Pokemon needs horns to learn it. Though with that name I don't know what its a Steel-type instead of a Psychic-type, I would have called it something like Precise Horn/Strike since I relate precision more to machines than level of intelligence.

 

[Siggu]

BTW, Smart Strike's distribution makes sense if you read its description or know its Japanese name: Smart Horn. The Pokemon needs horns to learn it. Though with that name I don't know what its a Steel-type instead of a Psychic-type, I would have called it something like Precise Horn/Strike since I relate precision more to machines than level of intelligence.

That's how it's called in Spanish - Cuerno Certero (Accurate Horn).

Which is funny as the other two moves with 'Certero' in their name have nothing to do with having particularly good accuracy (Focus Punch and lol Focus Blast).

Maybe the 'smart' part comes from the fact they are smart enough to always hit with it.

(By the way, did you notice that Togetic can learn Smart Strike, but neither Togepi or Togekiss can?)

 

[Master nicfer]

Something odd I found is that there are mons that get Feint Attack but don't get Sucker Punch (for instance, Weavile). It's description mentions:

The user approaches the target disarmingly, then throws a sucker punch. This attack never misses.

In Japan it seems to refer to Surprise Attack. So, how's that possible?

 

[Xen]

With the advent of the Bank update and its connectivity to S/M, I've noticed a strange movepool quirk.

Bulbasaur no longer learns Leech Seed.

Seems really weird to suddenly drop perhaps one of the most iconic moves from one of the most iconic Pokemon, especially when it still gets Worry Seed.

Edit: Apparently Ivysaur and Venusaur still get the move via the Move Relearner, it just Bulbasaur who's missing the move for some reason or another.

 

[Billy the Uncle]

I always surprises me that Alolan Exeggutor gets Flamethrower. I think it's the only Grass type to get it.

Lost many Bugs, Grasses, and Ices to it.

 

[R_N]

BTW, Smart Strike's distribution makes sense if you read its description or know its Japanese name: Smart Horn. The Pokemon needs horns to learn it. Though with that name I don't know what its a Steel-type instead of a Psychic-type, I would have called it something like Precise Horn/Strike since I relate precision more to machines than level of intelligence.

smart strike is still dumb
togetic (SPECIFICALLY togetic, togepi & togekiss can not get it) and ariados (with its tiny baby horn) get it, but pokemon like sawsbuck, heracross & togedemaru do not
and if togetic's head spikes & escavaliers lances can count as horns then togedemaru absolutely should. And Ferrothorn, for that matter.

ACTUALLY togedemaru should get a lot of things that it just doesn't. The only steel type move togedemaru gets, period, is Gyro Ball
Despite being almost entirely head, it doesn't get Iron Head.
Even though that stupid signature spike is a "spike" and not a "tail" there is no reason it can't pull double duty
Fellow spiky ball pokemon Ferroseed/thorn gets Metal Claw, but togedemaru doesn't
While it has no business using it, it doesn't even get Flash Cannon even though things that also have no business using it such as but not limited to: Alolan Dugtrio, Vanilluxe, Aromatisse Druddigon

It doesn't even get any of the usual go to status moves, like Iron Defense.
And on top of all that it doesnt even get it naturally, it has to learn gyro ball through tm.

And then for some reason it gets an amazing signature move that every other physical electric type would kill for???

Dedenne's limited move pool was arbitrary, but this is just nonsense.

 

[michaeloche]

I always surprises me that Alolan Exeggutor gets Flamethrower. I think it's the only Grass type to get it.

Lost many Bugs, Grasses, and Ices to it.

Probably because it's a Dragon type. I have no idea why it is (the dex entry in Moon kinda explains it), but I digress.

Speaking of Flamethrower, Ponyta and Rapidash didn't get it until Crystal, even though they are Fire types.

 

[Kurona]

Lunge is a rather perplexing move. It's presented primarily as an exclusive move of the two bug-type Ultra Beasts; which I can take, especially as they have the Fighting-type to justify how they and only they could do it... but then rather haphazardly it's given to Mothim and the Surskit and Dewpider families. This for me muddies exactly what the qualifications for 'lunging' is, especially when it sounds like such a simple motion not tied to being a characteristic of an insect. This isn't even a case like Sucker Punch where the original Japanese name shines light on it; Lunge has the same name in either English or Japanese.
If it was kept the signature of Pherosoma and Buzzwole it'd make some sort of sense, but since it's not it's confusing what exactly is so special about the five families that get it.

 

[pika pal]

Lunge is a rather perplexing move. It's presented primarily as an exclusive move of the two bug-type Ultra Beasts; which I can take, especially as they have the Fighting-type to justify how they and only they could do it... but then rather haphazardly it's given to Mothim and the Surskit and Dewpider families. This for me muddies exactly what the qualifications for 'lunging' is, especially when it sounds like such a simple motion not tied to being a characteristic of an insect. This isn't even a case like Sucker Punch where the original Japanese name shines light on it; Lunge has the same name in either English or Japanese.
If it was kept the signature of Pherosoma and Buzzwole it'd make some sort of sense, but since it's not it's confusing what exactly is so special about the five families that get it.

No clue about Mothim, but Surskit and Dewpider are nimble spider like creatures that skate on water. If you've ever seen a spider that doesn't just skitter, but jumps at you, that shit's scary. While I don't know if the water skater's they're based on would do so, I could see them doing so with the thing springy legs.

 

[Kurona]

No clue about Mothim, but Surskit and Dewpider are nimble spider like creatures that skate on water. If you've ever seen a spider that doesn't just skitter, but jumps at you, that shit's scary. While I don't know if the water skater's they're based on would do so, I could see them doing so with the thing springy legs.

Oh I'm not debating why the Pokémon that get it do get it; it's easy to see why they would. I'm just wondering why it's only them that qualify; why Lunge is such an exclusive move that only those specific 5 have the privilege of having.

 

[R_N]

Oh I'm not debating why the Pokémon that get it do get it; it's easy to see why they would. I'm just wondering why it's only them that qualify; why Lunge is such an exclusive move that only those specific 5 have the privilege of having.

stranger than moves only exclusive to one pokemon to me are moves like these.

Lunge & the earlier Psychic Fangs are good examples. At the very least, any predatory bug pokemon could get Lunge and the fang moves are super wide spread as they are.
But how about Liquidation? None of the 5 families that learn it, aside from Araquanid/Dewpider really feels exclusive to them. At the very least, it could be a fun thing to give very weak water pokemon.

Throat chop only goes to Incineroar and Sneasel/Weavile. Why not Drapion or Scrafty? How about the more violent fighting types like Bewear

Why does highhorse power only go to one horse family, a robot and snorlax

Parting Shot absolutely feels like a move that should go in most dark type's tool kits.

 

[Siggu]

Also, there's a matter with Drampa and Gyarados.

They both kind of look like chinese dragons, which are stated to be able to fly. Gyarados even has a Flying-type.

Drampa learns Fly by level up.
Gyarados cannot learn Fly under any circumnstance. The closest thing it has is Bounce... by event.

 

[hypno28]

Also, there's a matter with Drampa and Gyarados.

They both kind of look like chinese dragons, which are stated to be able to fly. Gyarados even has a Flying-type.

Drampa learns Fly by level up.
Gyarados cannot learn Fly under any circumnstance. The closest thing it has is Bounce... by event.

It learns Bounce by move tutor too.

 

[Siggu]

The distribution of Huge Power is a little odd for an ability.

Excluding Mega-Mawile and the Pokestar Studios opponents, all its users are rodents, more specifically rabbits (or have a rabbit in their evolutionary line).

I wonder why. Nothing seems to hint that.

 

[Pikachu315111]

The distribution of Huge Power is a little odd for an ability.

Excluding Mega-Mawile and the Pokestar Studios opponents, all its users are rodents, more specifically rabbits (or have a rabbit in their evolutionary line).

I wonder why. Nothing seems to hint that.

Hm, not sure how true this is, but I found a GameFAQ thread discussing this very thing and they may have come up why.

It might be a pun that didn't translate well. Huge Power's Japanese name is "Chikaramochi". This can be loosely translated into "Muscleman", "Chikara" meaning "strength/force/power" and "mochi" is a verb modifier that means whatever it is attached to is something a person has. So a more accurate translation might be "someone with strength".

However "mochi" has a second meaning. "Mochi" is also a food item in Japan and it's connected to a popular Asian myth: the moon rabbits. Asian folklore says there are rabbits who live on the moon that make mochi via a mortar and pestle due to markings on the moon looking as such (apparently the Aztec also saw a rabbit, minus the mortar and pestle). It's a phenomenon called "pareidolia" where people see something familiar in random formations.

But yeah, might be a pun the translators didn't catch/understand.

 

[R_N]

Hm, not sure how true this is, but I found a GameFAQ thread discussing this very thing and they may have come up why.

It might be a pun that didn't translate well. Huge Power's Japanese name is "Chikaramochi". This can be loosely translated into "Muscleman", "Chikara" meaning "strength/force/power" and "mochi" is a verb modifier that means whatever it is attached to is something a person has. So a more accurate translation might be "someone with strength".

However "mochi" has a second meaning. "Mochi" is also a food item in Japan and it's connected to a popular Asian myth: the moon rabbits. Asian folklore says there are rabbits who live on the moon that make mochi via a mortar and pestle due to markings on the moon looking as such (apparently the Aztec also saw a rabbit, minus the mortar and pestle). It's a phenomenon called "pareidolia" where people see something familiar in random formations.

But yeah, might be a pun the translators didn't catch/understand.

I honestly kind of doubt this simply because you have to go beyond the pun and bring in an association that's not immediately obvious.

If it was intentional than calling it Huge Power was probably done to avoid the issue that the pun doesn't really translate properly at all. There's probably some sort of word play available but I bet it has to really go through some loops to work properly. The association isn't there in most places outside japan and Azumarill isn't moon themed enough to draw the connection closer. Calling it Muscleman just immediately brings questions as to why the literal musclemen pokemon don't get it; huge power can also bring that question to mind but it's at least vague enough on the same level as something like Gluttony or Guts.

Incidentally, I kind of guess "Yoga Power" became "Pure Power" as a precautionary measure too. First game with abilities, probably best to play it safe. I kind of suspect that had those abilities been created NOW, they probably would have been more clear cut on both ends. Yoga Power in all regions, Huge Power would probably have a more direct pun in its name in Japan that would carry over here.

 

[Pikachu315111]

Something I noticed on Payback's Bulbapedia page:

EFFECT:
Generation IV
Payback inflicts damage. Its power doubles to 100 if the user moves after the target, if the target switches out, or if the opponent uses an item.

Generation V
Payback no longer deals double damage if the target switches out.

Generation VI
Payback inflicts double damage if the target switches out for a maximum of 100.

Generation VII
Payback no longer deals double damage if the target switches out.

Looks like someone can't decide on something. :P

 

[The Squash]

Something strange about Alolan Muk I found is that it can learn Flamethrower. While this might seem normal because regular Muk gets it, I still had a question troubling me. Since Alolan Muk is based around oil, then how can it used Flamethrower without lighting itself on fire?

 

[CTNC]

Something strange about Alolan Muk I found is that it can learn Flamethrower. While this might seem normal because regular Muk gets it, I still had a question troubling me. Since Alolan Muk is based around oil, then how can it used Flamethrower without lighting itself on fire?

Lighting itself on fire isn't that bad. According to the Pokedex, Koffing's gasses are explosive! How does Koffing use Flamethrower without exploding?

Speaking of Flamethrower, it's great for cooking things, like Slowpoke Tails or Eggs. Guess what Slowpoke and Togepi can learn.

 

[Siggu]

Or for that matter... how can Wailord learn (and use!) Dive when it's less dense than water? I could understand it if Dive were a single-turn move, but it isn't.

 

[CTNC]

Or for that matter... how can Wailord learn (and use!) Dive when it's less dense than water? I could understand it if Dive were a single-turn move, but it isn't.

I don't know what's funnier, that you're questioning how a Pokemon that lives underwater can go underwater or that you have a good point about it.

By the way, how do Pokemon use Dive on dry land or Dig in the ocean?

 

[Pikachu315111]

So I was looking through Yo-Kai Watch's list of creatures to see if they had any based on creatures/myths/concepts that Pokemon hasn't done yet (and wow, from a glance I'm seeing a lot of similarities with Pokemon than I was suspecting, mainly them having evolutions and the set-up of the wiki almost mirroring Bulbapedia's). I then came across Mochismo. Why do I bring them up? Because it's based on the same pun for the original Japanese name for Huge Power.

I honestly kind of doubt this simply because you have to go beyond the pun and bring in an association that's not immediately obvious.

So I think this adds credibility to the theory. Now Yo-Kai Watch doesn't make the rabbit connection, though with them making the food mochi connection it is one step away which is a step Pokemon might have subtlety made.

 

[R_N]

So I was looking through Yo-Kai Watch's list of creatures to see if they had any based on creatures/myths/concepts that Pokemon hasn't done yet (and wow, from a glance I'm seeing a lot of similarities with Pokemon than I was suspecting, mainly them having evolutions and the set-up of the wiki almost mirroring Bulbapedia's). I then came across Mochismo. Why do I bring them up? Because it's based on the same pun for the original Japanese name for Huge Power.



So I think this adds credibility to the theory. Now Yo-Kai Watch doesn't make the rabbit connection, though with them making the food mochi connection it is one step away which is a step Pokemon might have subtlety made.

these...aren't comparable? Like at all?
The yokai's pun is using mochi but it is literally based entirely around the concept of the food, and nothing to do with the rabbit on the moon connection.

If azumarill had some direct basis or connection to mochi &/or the moon, sure. But it doesn't, beyond "being a rabbit" in which case Let Loppunny Have Huge Power. The closest it gets is post gen-6, where it got fairy typing which is sort of connected except even then azumarill doesnt even get things like Moonlight or Moonblast. And if it was the intended pun they would absolutely do more with it moving forward. Goofy moon/mochi based filler, some weird move, etc.

Consider the same generation had Rough Skin. The japanese name can literally be translated as such, but also read as sharkskin. This is not a subtle pun because the ony pokemon that had that ability evolved into (or was) a Shark. The ability & pokemon were clearly designed to complement each other. I also believe "sharkskin is rough" is a common-ish pun in japanese.
Same generation also gave the yoga pokemon Yoga Power. That's not even a pun!
What I'm saying is pokemon's puns are rarely this subtle that there's still doubt about it.

Yeah Diggersby got it but the pun still doesn't work as much as its a joke about the out of shape construction worker rabbit being considered a muscleman. Mega Mawile gets it but is not a rabbit, has even less connection to mochi, and even less tangental connection to the moon. Our other rabbits (side note: do people consider the nidos rabbits? They're kind)are also powerless.

 

[Tasellus]

Also, there's a matter with Drampa and Gyarados.

They both kind of look like chinese dragons, which are stated to be able to fly. Gyarados even has a Flying-type.

Drampa learns Fly by level up.
Gyarados cannot learn Fly under any circumnstance. The closest thing it has is Bounce... by event.

This has bugged me for a long time too. I read somewhere that its Flying type is probably a reference to 'koinobori', a Chinese carp-shaped wind sock.

I think this is an example of where GF draws upon the Flying type to cover both Pokemon in the 'Bird' category, as well as an answer for the traditional elemental typing of 'Wind/Air'. And I think the distribution of the move Fly is more tied to the former rather than the latter. In my head, it made more sense to me when I started to think of Gyarados as a 'Water/Air' type, as to opposed to a 'Water/Bird' Type like Swanna - conceptually anyway.

What's more, in virtually every rendering I've ever seen of it, Gyarados is never actually airborne - it's a sea serpent, so even in-game, where it is shown to 'float' in battle, it's only doing so in the same sense that Goldeen or Tentacool 'float', because conceptually they are designed to be suspended in water.

Perhaps another example could be the Hoppip family - it strikes me as belonging more to the 'Air' subtype of the Flying type, which might explain why they can't learn Fly but can learn Acrobatics/Aerial Ace?

 

[breh]

I legit can't think of any reason why azumarill is meant to have huge power (and, by pure chance, was actually thinking about it earlier today). Google searching it yields no real answers - even google image searching for stuff like "azumarill mochi" or "azumarill rabbit on the moon" in japanese doesn't net a single piece of fan art, which gives me the feeling that it's not meant to be that.