Pokémon Movepool Oddities & Explanations

Karxrida

Death to the Undying Savage
is a Community Contributor Alumnus
Muk is able to learn Attract. Imagine you encounter this lad:
Everything with a gender gets Attract because that's how it works. Besides, there's probably somebody out there that likes that look. The real question is why does Cyrogonal get it and Ferroseed, Ferrothorn, Nincada, Larvesta, and Volcarona don't?

Paras and Parasect can learn Sunny Day. Which boosts fire attacks. And they both get Dry Skin as an ability..
Tons of shit get Sunny Day and Rain Dance regardless of logic (which is probably worth it's own mention, but I digress). Besides, they could learn it since Gen II and they didn't get Dry Skin until Gen IV.
 

Cresselia~~

Junichi Masuda likes this!!
Are those actually her feet though?
Or are they generic feet for Pokemon that doesn't seem to have them?

It is also hilarious that Salamence can learn Hydropump but not Dragonite or Goodra.
Goodra learns muddy water though
And Hydreigon learns surf.
Seems like most dragons will have a water type move at random.

I said this in another thread also, but Hawlucha should be able to learn Brave Bird. Isn't its whole gimmick being a brave warrior/wrestler? I mean, I'd even take Drill Peck for Hawlucha since it clearly has a beak. It would also give it a usable option over Acrobatics (Life Orb Drill Peck is about as strong as itemless Acrobatics).
I'm still unhappy about how Mienshao doesn't get Close Combat.
 
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Speaking about Attract, Cryogonal can learn it despite being genderless (Mew doesn't count because it learns every TM lol).
And even gendered Legendaries like Heatran, Latias and Latios can learn it despite there being only one of them
 

Karxrida

Death to the Undying Savage
is a Community Contributor Alumnus
Speaking about Attract, Cryogonal can learn it despite being genderless (Mew doesn't count because it learns every TM lol).
And even gendered Legendaries like Heatran, Latias and Latios can learn it despite there being only one of them
The Pokedex entries for Latias imply that entire herds exist, plus I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Latis can breed together (but not for the player because THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE).

No idea what the fuck is up with Heatran though bar GF trolling.
 

Cresselia~~

Junichi Masuda likes this!!
PBR just uses a select few generic animations then shows the generic move animation. It wouldn't have anything specific for a Pokémon kicking.
But then, the Pokemon Stadium Jynx feet could have been generic move animation?
 

Pikachu315111

Ranting & Raving!
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More obvious ones are things like Iron Tail Primeape (Mankey has a tail so can learn the move) and Aerial Ace going to a huge amount of Pokemon. Hariyama learning Brine is a really interesting take on Sumo as well. Salt is a huge part of proper ceremonial Sumo wrestling, and getting Brine into the moveset is a nice nod to that.
Just a reminder about Aerial Ace, its Japanese name, Swallow Return, is referencing a sword technique. Though many bird Pokemon learn it for the pun, its why Pokemon who scratch/cut/slash are able to learn it as well.

The mental image this inspires reminds me, according to Bulbapedia, Emboar looks like it's wearing a wrestling singlet, so ... maybe it's spitting out the water it drinks in between rounds? That'd actually be such a cool touch on its design.
I JUST MADE A DISCOVERY! Emboar probably shoots Scald out of its mouth, right? Well one could say that Emboar, a pig, would be spitting. Get it? Pig on a spit!

Gastly and Wooper can learn Punching moves while Kyurem-Black isn't able to learn Ice Punch.
Maybe Wooper uses its gills like fist? Though Kyurem-Black should be allowed to learn Ice Punch... just like Emboar should be allowed to learn Fire Punch naturally.

Paras and Parasect can learn Sunny Day. Which boosts fire attacks. And they both get Dry Skin as an ability..
Similarly, Slugma can learn Harden, even though its Pokedex entry says it's body hardening is possibly the worst thing that can happen to it.

Everything with a gender gets Attract because that's how it works. Besides, there's probably somebody out there that likes that look. The real question is why does Cyrogonal get it and Ferroseed, Ferrothorn, Nincada, Larvesta, and Volcarona don't?
Because Cryogonal is a special snowflake, Ferroseed family are mostly immobile nut covered in steel that its a miracle it can reproduce in the first place, and for many bug species the last thing they want to do is reproduce because, well, it would be the last thing they'll do. Of course these are exceptions to the rule, all other genderless Pokemon don't learn attract (Mew only gets it on a technicality), there are many plant Pokemon that don't move a lot that get attract and Bug-types that get Attract. Honestly many of these are either oversight or just the decision maker not thinking the Pokemon would ever use the move.

Sort of reminds me how Regigigas doesn't get Rest. Most every other Pokemon gets it but not Regigigas despite you finding it while its asleep and possibly wake it up (though maybe that's why it doesn't need to? Then again there are other Pokemon who slept just as long or longer and they still get Rest).

I just remembered that Larvesta and Volcarona get Magnet Rise as an egg move. Um, what?
Yeah, that sounds like the creators trying to give a winged Pokemon the immunity to Ground that they deserve (though that doesn't explain how Larvesta gets it). Always thought they should have a Magnet Rise clone for winged Pokemon, they could call it something like Flutter.
 
I'm honestly surprised Flame Wheel hasn't been given to more normal types, actually. A lot of them such as Furret and Zangoose look like they could easily curl into a ball to attack, and of course we all know about the incredibly elaborate large pool of elemental abilities normal-types always seem to have.
 
Perhaps Rattata spins around at such high speed that friction on its fur caused by air resistance creates a fire? \_(:D)_/

Uproar is an interesting move, as it causes the user to scream and shout and let it all out for several turns in a row, not letting anyone fall asleep during that time. It's therefore pretty appropriate that almost all Baby Pokémon learn it, barring Wynaut, Riolu and Mantyke.

I think this has been covered already at some point, but the reason why Freeze Dry is super effective against Water types because it's literally a method of DEHYDRATION.
 

Pikachu315111

Ranting & Raving!
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Okay here's how it works.

There's a Rattata that belongs to a Youngster named Joey.
Joey is the name of a character in Yu-Gi-Oh that uses a Dragon card.
Dragons breath fire.
Thus, Rattata gets Flame Wheel as an egg move.

My logic is totally sound. Also 2.7k woot.
Even better, Joey's Signature Monster for a while was Flame Swordsman (it later became Red Eyes Black Dragon, though during the Noah Arc the Flame Swordsman was Joey's Deck Master).

Perhaps Rattata spins around at such high speed that friction on its fur caused by air resistance creates a fire? \_(:D)_/
Or it does what every other Pokemon does and just control the element of fire to circle around it like a wheel. Normal-type have access to a ton of types isn't new. Rattata can learn Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, and Grass Knot among others.
 
Or it does what every other Pokemon does and just control the element of fire to circle around it like a wheel. Normal-type have access to a ton of types isn't new. Rattata can learn Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, Shadow Ball, and Grass Knot among others.
That and a whole load of Pokemon learn the elemental punches and fangs, regardless of type. They just need to have hands or jaws to get it. So, Flame Wheel Rattata is not too far-fetched.

I think this has been covered already at some point, but the reason why Freeze Dry is super effective against Water types because it's literally a method of DEHYDRATION.
While I get Freeze Dry was created years after Rotom, it would be appropriate if Rotom-Frost learned it. As it would if Rotom-Wash learned Scald. And Rotom-Cut learned Cut, for that matter (although lawnmowers can't really cut down trees).
 

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