(Little) Things that annoy you in Pokémon

QuentinQuonce

formerly green_typhlosion
Metal Claw is a FRLG exclusive level up move for Charmander. I don't understand why they removed it only to keep it as a move to pass down through parents.
It was given it in FRLG specifically to have a decent option against Brock (not that I think it needed it, but it was neat).

There hasn't been a game since where Charmander has been a starter (LGPE doesn't count before anyone corrects me), so it hasn't "needed" the move the same way the developers thought it did then.
 
It was given it in FRLG specifically to have a decent option against Brock (not that I think it needed it, but it was neat).

There hasn't been a game since where Charmander has been a starter (LGPE doesn't count before anyone corrects me), so it hasn't "needed" the move the same way the developers thought it did then.
Which is also the first generation Brock has actual Rock STAB to work with, and also Sturdy is a thing (EDIT: Not yet it's not, h/t Ironmage ), so while it works in a pinch, you're still better off nabbing a Mankey or Nidoran to deal with it. Also, Ember burns actually work now since Brock no longer has nigh-infinite Full Heals.
 
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QuentinQuonce

formerly green_typhlosion
Which is also the first generation Brock has actual Rock STAB to work with, and also Sturdy is a thing (EDIT: Not yet it's not, h/t Ironmage ), so while it works in a pinch, you're still better off nabbing a Mankey or Nidoran to deal with it. Also, Ember burns actually work now since Brock no longer has nigh-infinite Full Heals.
Which is why, as I said, I think the change was largely pointless. As Kurona said, Ember is still generally the better option.

I guess it's nice to give one of the starters a Steel-type move, though, since those are incredibly rare in Kanto for obvious reasons.
 
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Celever

i am town
is a Community Contributor
Though actually, maybe Game Freak were onto something with giving Charmander Metal Claw which they should've kept going with.

If I were to say what type is most closely related to Steel-Type and thus should get the most Steel-Type coverage, what would you say? It's Fire-Type, right? But a lot of Fire-Type Pokémon don't learn any Steel-Type moves, even though magma is kind of a mix between Fire- and Steel-Type attributes. And when you look at what type does receive a lot of Steel-Type coverage -- Ice-Type because I guess shiny -- it becomes even more confusing because Fire-Type is also luminescent. <--- I decided to double check this, and believe it or not Dragon-Type is actually the type with the most Flash Cannon coverage. Kyurem is a big reason for this, though, and discounting it and its forms, Dragon- and Ice-Type tie.

Basically, I'd argue that most Fire-Type Pokémon should almost learn Flash Cannon by default, and it's a pretty small minority that actually do (Camerupt, Volcanion, and Turtonator if you were wondering, Heatran excluded since it's not coverage for it). If Pokémon like Vanilluxe learn Flash Cannon, Pokémon like Magmortar definitely should be able to too.

The current conversations in OI have basically just made me realise that Game Freak has no idea what Steel-Type moves should be or who should be able to learn them. Perhaps Copperajah's cool Steel-Type Stealth Rock will be introduced next gen as a regular move and distributed widely (preferably with a caveat that you can only have one of Stealth Rock and the Steel-Type variant on your opponent's field at a time) to actually give Steel-Type a meaningful status move. Because right now, the best tanky Steel-Type Pokémon only use Gyro Ball for a Steel-Type move, and even then not always, which is weird for the "tanky" type.

I was thinking mainly of special Steel-Type moves because it's the more underutilised side of the type, but FTR the type with the most Iron Head coverage is actually Ground-Type, not Rock-Type like some may assume. Ground- and Steel-Type do also have a lot in common, so seeing unlikely contenders like Hippowdon, Mamoswine, and Garchomp get Iron Head despite not having a hugely apparent connection to the move is pretty cool.

Also TIL Aromatisse learns Flash Cannon for... some reason. Go figure.
 
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Celever

i am town
is a Community Contributor
Rock.

Rock, Ground, and Steel are all basically "Earth" type, and many Pokemon with one of those types learn moves of all three types.
As I said, that post mainly concerns the special side of Steel-Type moves. Certainly on the physical side, a plethora of Rock- and Ground-Type Pokémon learn specifically Iron Head. But Mirror Shot or Flash Cannon don't make sense for most Rock- and Ground-Type Pokémon, since they're not reflective or really possess the properties that those moves ask for, so Fire-Type is the closest relative "elementally".
 

Pikachu315111

Ranting & Raving!
is a Community Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributor
But Mirror Shot or Flash Cannon don't make sense for most Rock- and Ground-Type Pokémon, since they're not reflective or really possess the properties that those moves ask for
Mirror Shot: "The user lets loose a flash of energy at the target from its polished body."
Flash Cannon: "The user gathers all its light energy and releases it all at once."

Crystals are rocks and can be polished to be shiny?


Also Flash Cannon's description doesn't make it sound like a Steel-type move at all, not to mention a lot of other Types can learn it (though not Fire, and if I were to guess why it's probably cause they don't want them having access to a move that handles one of their weaknesses: Rock. It's a reason not a lot of Fire-types learn Energy Ball easily get Electric attacks).
 
I can't really say I get the premise myself -- I don't understand how fire is supposed to be related to steel. In terms of using it to smelt steel and change its shape and Do Blacksmith Things etc, sure; but in terms of actual properties? I'm not seeing it.
 

ScraftyIsTheBest

On to new Horizons!
is a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
Notably, the move's Japanese name is "Luster Cannon," with luster being a specific property of minerals.

Now, as to what makes Flash Cannon and its light attack different than, say, Dazzling Gleam, aside from its source, you've got me.
Luster can be described as "metallic" in nature. Metals tend to be distinctly shiny and reflect light off of them so they often appear to be very shiny and reflective, and many Steel-type Pokemon have bodies comprised of metals of some sort, which means they can use the light-reflective surfaces of their bodies to their advantage to gather the light that bounces off of their bodies and concentrate it into an attack.
 
The Steel type’s a bit of a mess thematically (which I actually kinda love). Most of its moves are either ‘hit the opponent with a body part, except METAL’ or something to do with light. The words ‘iron’, ‘steel’, and ‘metal’ are used completely interchangeably in the names of moves, Pokémon, and items related to the Steel-type (which is totally understandable but I still find it jarring occasionally). Some Steel-type Pokémon’s Pokédex entries talk about them being made of some unknown, super strong/light/resilient metal (so not steel???). Steel-types also seem to be magnetic by default, which makes sense if they’re literally made of iron or steel but not if they’re made of most other metals. It’s all over the place tbh.

What makes Steel-type moves a little weird compared to other vaguely ‘elemental’ types is that Steel-type Pokémon don’t usually seem to generate or pick up steel to attack with in the same way that, say, Water-types or Rock-types seem to. Magnet Bomb, Steel Beam, and the Steel-type Dmax and Gmax moves are the only Steel-type attacks that really seem to involve creating metal rather than making a body part metallic or hitting the opponent with light energy.

I imagine this is because, unlike Ground and Rock, Steel isn’t plausibly accessible to wild Pokémon in nature, plus it’s sorta weird to imagine a Pokémon creating what feels like such a manmade, adulterated thing out of nothing, like if Water-types produced soda to use in attacks.
 
I imagine this is because, unlike Ground and Rock, Steel isn’t plausibly accessible to wild Pokémon in nature, plus it’s sorta weird to imagine a Pokémon creating what feels like such a manmade, adulterated thing out of nothing, like if Water-types produced soda to use in attacks.
No?

In addition to some metals (such as Gold) being found normally in their base form, some types of bacteria feed by reducing metals (that is, taking the oxide/rust and making the base metal from it). Heck, this is being investigated as a way to get heavy metals out of groundwater (since ions dissolve but the pure metal doesn't). We also have plenty of examples of other organisms keeping bacteria around to supply food for them (corals, the evolution of chloroplasts and mitochondria as a whole). Sure, it's not the most rigidly-attached to reality, but metal armour on a living organism is more plausible than the entire Psychic and Ghost types.

Sorry, but metals being labeled "unnatural" in fantasy contexts is a large pet peeve of mine.
 
Rock type should have just been buffed instead of steel type existing. I dont know any characteristics of the type that couldnt be handled by rock (then again im that bitch that still thinks rock and ground should have been the same thing so lol)
 
Rock type should have just been buffed instead of steel type existing. I dont know any characteristics of the type that couldnt be handled by rock (then again im that bitch that still thinks rock and ground should have been the same thing so lol)
Conceptually? Possible if Electric picked up the slack for magnets and something did it for light, but only before gen 6. Fairy really needs its weakness to cold iron, and I don't think having them weak to Rock would fill that out enough. Mechanically? Looking at one of the best offensive types and going "what if we made it one of the best defensive types?" seems like it would produce a lot of problems.
 
Conceptually? Possible if Electric picked up the slack for magnets and something did it for light, but only before gen 6. Fairy really needs its weakness to cold iron, and I don't think having them weak to Rock would fill that out enough. Mechanically? Looking at one of the best offensive types and going "what if we made it one of the best defensive types?" seems like it would produce a lot of problems.
Itd be a buff on rock type sorta deal, not fusing the two types together. I just feel like steel was made to be a better rock type instead of... Idk making rock type better. The fairy type complicates things, but im not a fan of "creature" types either for other reasons
 

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