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Pokémon Movepool Oddities & Explanations

Samurott and Gallade also don't have wings (there's a lot of pokemon without wings that can use it)

That's fair.
I suppose they get an exception because they do have weapons that when striked with enough force, it can create wind (Seamitars and Swords respectively).

Still confused on why Vivillon can't learn Air Slash, especially since it is powerful enough to use Hurricane.
 
How come Vivillon doesn't learn Air Slash? The animation for the move shows the pokemon dealing wind damage from its wings.

I would get it if its wings are small and therefore wouldn't be able to deal damage similar to a blade of air, except other similar bug or size creatures like Ledian, Beautifly and Masquerain can learn it. Plus, both of them can learn Hurricane naturally, and they definitely would deal more damage than a blade of the wind.

Could they throw a bone to Vivillon; its only other stab Flying moves are Gust and Hurricane (which it gets really late in an XY playthrough).

Butterfree also only gained Air Slash in Gen 6, but then it lost it again in Gen 9.

Also Rayquaza can learn Air Slash for some reason, even though it doesn't have wings.
Vivillon does learn Air Slash in Gen 9, by TM. Air Cutter, too.
Still, I agree it would have fit in just fine in Gen 6 & 7, as a natural move to learn between Gust & Hurricane. But better late than never I suppose.

And several Pokemon can learn Air Slash without wings, even though must of then do. It's just a sharp burst of wind.


Also Butterfree didn't lose it in Gen 9. It's not in Gen 9.
 
Vivillon does learn Air Slash in Gen 9, by TM. Air Cutter, too.
Still, I agree it would have fit in just fine in Gen 6 & 7, as a natural move to learn between Gust & Hurricane. But better late than never I suppose.

And several Pokemon can learn Air Slash without wings, even though must of then do. It's just a sharp burst of wind.


Also Butterfree didn't lose it in Gen 9. It's not in Gen 9.

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Remind me to not trust AI again. Or at least research more extensively next time.

But at least Vivillion can learn Air Cutter, even though it's better late than never.

Thank you all for your help.

Edit: I guess a nitpick would be that Butterfree couldn't learn Air Slash in Gens 4-5, but that's really minor.
 
Randomly got interested in cosmic power. It mostly stays on line with space stuff, I can see rabsca even, the seeing orb, but but hazy on chimecho line. Def can't say cause psychic, this move seems to require space ties. So pretty weird. Unless serebii lies, palkia doesn't get it. Which is.lol. cause if balance is issue, Arceus should lack it.
 
Krookodile and its evolution line losing Assurance in Gen 8 (though it can learn via TM) and hasn't got in back in Gen 9. This sounds minor, but hear me out.

Assurance is a move that deals double the damage if the opponent has already taken damage beforehand, and I do think it fits well with Krookodile's lore.
Krookodile's pokedex entires mentions it takes down prey through sandstorms (which deals damage to non-immune Steel, Ground or Rock). or sandstorms that have been created by Flygon. Considering that both of them can deal damage to the opponent, it's not too farfetch'd to think that it can learn it.

Plus, Krokorok's pokedex states that it does work in a group where they do have a coordinated plan on how they gather food and survive. It would be reasonable that they would have to work together to find and eat their prey.

And they are the only mons to lose access to the move via Level-Up.
 
I guess a nitpick would be that Butterfree couldn't learn Air Slash in Gens 4-5, but that's really minor.
lot of strange movepool decisions in gen 4 specifically not even just with Air Slash.

but on the topic of Air Slash, Xatu also couldn't learn it until Gen 6 for some reason, and it learned it upon evolving in Gen 7 lol
 
Randomly got interested in cosmic power. It mostly stays on line with space stuff, I can see rabsca even, the seeing orb, but but hazy on chimecho line. Def can't say cause psychic, this move seems to require space ties. So pretty weird. Unless serebii lies, palkia doesn't get it. Which is.lol. cause if balance is issue, Arceus should lack it.
I think Palkia (& Dialga) could probably get the move just because it's such a big mover & shaker kind of diety-esque legend, and especially when it became a TR, but it probably wasn't on immediate deck because they didn't see it as that kind of Space pokemon.

personally I'd say the only brow raising learner of the move (Chimecho's at least at the top of mt pyre so i can kinda see the leap) is Lopunny. I guess it does get some weird moves naturally even in its debut generation (Healing Wish, magic Coat, Mirror coat) but, I dunno, still doesn't really fit the vibe at all. Not very mystical or cosmic in nature; even Skitty can kind of lean on evolving by Moon Stone and having a vague moon motif.
 
I think Palkia (& Dialga) could probably get the move just because it's such a big mover & shaker kind of diety-esque legend, and especially when it became a TR, but it probably wasn't on immediate deck because they didn't see it as that kind of Space pokemon.

personally I'd say the only brow raising learner of the move (Chimecho's at least at the top of mt pyre so i can kinda see the leap) is Lopunny. I guess it does get some weird moves naturally even in its debut generation (Healing Wish, magic Coat, Mirror coat) but, I dunno, still doesn't really fit the vibe at all. Not very mystical or cosmic in nature; even Skitty can kind of lean on evolving by Moon Stone and having a vague moon motif.

Yes I thought of skitty, seemed sensible to me too. Lopunny huh. Tbh tbh that IS weirder than chime, I just forgot it gets cause dexit removed her. Well I guess if the bunny can shoot you with ice it can just do what it wants.
Edit: but no, big special hits are for many normals. Not so with CP.
 
personally I'd say the only brow raising learner of the move (Chimecho's at least at the top of mt pyre so i can kinda see the leap) is Lopunny. I guess it does get some weird moves naturally even in its debut generation (Healing Wish, magic Coat, Mirror coat) but, I dunno, still doesn't really fit the vibe at all. Not very mystical or cosmic in nature; even Skitty can kind of lean on evolving by Moon Stone and having a vague moon motif.
I believe rabbits are associated with the moon in Japan. But even by that metric it still seems like a stretch, especially since other rabbit Pokémon don't have access to Cosmic Power.

The only explanation I can think of is the Buneary line is vaguely defensive and also has Baton Pass. afaik they were the only Pokémon with that move combo for a time and maybe Game Freak wanted them to have a niche with some perceived value.
 
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The Pawniard line losing Psycho Cut out of a technicallity (was an egg move forever, then it got removed from the egg move pool due to it becoming a TM, then it lost TM status) is asinine. If we got egg move revamps, and TM revamps, and per-game approaches to movesets, please be consistent.

Then again, we lost Signal Beam as if it was a random Volbeat move rather than a widespread coverage option for Electrics, Psychics and Waters since Platinum, because GameFreak A team doesn't pay attention to games beyond initial releases I guess.

Meanwhile, it got a proper ES-EU localization this gen, visible in HOME.
 
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