Reuniclus learns thunder but not thunderbolt. It (and its pre-evos) is the only pokemon to do this.
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Pokémon Movepool Oddities & Explanations
- Thread starter Kurona
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Similarly, its counterpart Gothitelle is one of the only Pokemon to learn Thunderbolt without Thunder, though it is not alone in this trait.
Always wondered why Last Resort is so heavily associated with Eevee specifically. The English name suggests that it's an attack of desperation, to be used at the end of need, while the original Japanese name is "The Best" - as in, saving the best for last. So it's pretty well suited to a Pokemon which unleashes extreme power under stress (Kangaskhan, Stoutland, Munchlax), or has extraordinary hidden depths (Togepi, Plusle/Minun, Indeedee, Audino, Chansey, Eevee). But in my opinion it doesn't feel any more specifically suited to Eevee than it does to any of those others.
There are some oddities: I don't see what makes Aipom more suited to learn it by levelling up than, say, Rattata, which can only get it via breeding. But it gets a lot of access through breeding and tutoring (rightfully imo) though there's one notable exception: Tyrogue feels like a Pokemon which should learn it bearing in mind one of its Pokedex entries: It is always bursting with energy. To make itself stronger, it keeps on fighting even if it loses.
Really the kind of signature move I'd expect Eevee to have would be... well, exactly what Extreme Evoboost is, a move which boosts all of its stats at once by pooling the energy of its evolutionary relatives. That'd be broken on any of its actual Eeveelutions, though, so perhaps instead it should just work like the Starf Berry: sharply boosting a random stat.
There are some oddities: I don't see what makes Aipom more suited to learn it by levelling up than, say, Rattata, which can only get it via breeding. But it gets a lot of access through breeding and tutoring (rightfully imo) though there's one notable exception: Tyrogue feels like a Pokemon which should learn it bearing in mind one of its Pokedex entries: It is always bursting with energy. To make itself stronger, it keeps on fighting even if it loses.
Really the kind of signature move I'd expect Eevee to have would be... well, exactly what Extreme Evoboost is, a move which boosts all of its stats at once by pooling the energy of its evolutionary relatives. That'd be broken on any of its actual Eeveelutions, though, so perhaps instead it should just work like the Starf Berry: sharply boosting a random stat.
I think it's just less the move is linked to Eevee but more sort of a commentary on what the Z-Move does for Eevee. When you think Eeveelution, oddly enough Eevee itself (at least at that point) was sometimes not even included in the conversation: it was simply the base form that let you get the Eeveelution you wanted. While I'm sure itself had fans, when people would rank their favorite Eeveelutions it would probably place last (or at least low) on average. But with what Evoboost does it gives Eevee a HUGE power boost, conceptually all the other Eeveelutions are giving it their power, thus going from last to best. At least, that's what I think they were trying to say linking it to Last Resort (while I can come up with an excuse linking it to its English name we perfectly know it has nothing to do with GF's decision so I'm not even going to bother).
Honestly, Helping Hand probably would have been a better choice considering the context that all the other Eeveelutions are helping powering-up Eevee. Maybe they didn't want to bog down Eevee with a move only useful in Double Battles though also not attach it to a move which is immediately good both for symbolism but also since it gives such a huge stat boost (as if you aren't going to try and Baton Pass with it afterwards).
Makes sense and is as likely as anything else I guess. Helping Hand is again not a move that's hugely associated with Eevee (most people would point to doubles-oriented Pokemon, like Plusle and Minun) so Last Resort was probably as good as any.
Regieleki and Regidrago's limited movepools make complete sense if you think of them as prototypes of the Electric and Dragon type.
Like most Electric types, Regieleki is very fast and frail. It has a great supportive movepool but no offensive coverage to use its heavily offensively focused stats, leaving it completely walled by Ground types. While Electric types usually have shallow offensive movepools, they have some coverage normally to get around Ground types. They aren't usually quite as fast as Regieleki though. They normally have good supportive options like screens, Electroweb, and Volt Switch for pivoting, but more often than not stick to offensive roles due to their frailty.
Regidrago doesn't match Dragon types in its stats like the other four Regis match their types, but its main focus is power like most Dragon types. However it struggles to use its signature move properly as it has no coverage for Fairy types at all and its options to hit Steels are limited to the weak Fire Fang and the generally bad Hammer Arm. Most Dragons don't hit as hard as Regidrago's Dragon Energy or are as bulky as it, but they're usually a bit faster, they get better Steel coverage like Earthquake, Flamethrower and Superpower, and they have actual ways to hit Fairy types. They do, however, like Regidrago, rely on strong but inconsistent STAB moves like Draco Meteor, Outrage and Scale Shot, and their biggest draw is their strong offensive stats.
A similar argument could be made for Regirock, Regice and Registeel, as they all have more extreme versions of the stats a lot of the Pokemon of their types have. Most Rock, Ice and Steel types are slow and bulky, and they lack the amazing offensive coverage of the Regi trio, but they have better defensive options and in many cases they're a lot stronger.
Like most Electric types, Regieleki is very fast and frail. It has a great supportive movepool but no offensive coverage to use its heavily offensively focused stats, leaving it completely walled by Ground types. While Electric types usually have shallow offensive movepools, they have some coverage normally to get around Ground types. They aren't usually quite as fast as Regieleki though. They normally have good supportive options like screens, Electroweb, and Volt Switch for pivoting, but more often than not stick to offensive roles due to their frailty.
Regidrago doesn't match Dragon types in its stats like the other four Regis match their types, but its main focus is power like most Dragon types. However it struggles to use its signature move properly as it has no coverage for Fairy types at all and its options to hit Steels are limited to the weak Fire Fang and the generally bad Hammer Arm. Most Dragons don't hit as hard as Regidrago's Dragon Energy or are as bulky as it, but they're usually a bit faster, they get better Steel coverage like Earthquake, Flamethrower and Superpower, and they have actual ways to hit Fairy types. They do, however, like Regidrago, rely on strong but inconsistent STAB moves like Draco Meteor, Outrage and Scale Shot, and their biggest draw is their strong offensive stats.
A similar argument could be made for Regirock, Regice and Registeel, as they all have more extreme versions of the stats a lot of the Pokemon of their types have. Most Rock, Ice and Steel types are slow and bulky, and they lack the amazing offensive coverage of the Regi trio, but they have better defensive options and in many cases they're a lot stronger.
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Never really saw the Regis as "prototypes" of their respective Type.
The roles of the original trio seem to be as servents/guards/back-up plan to Regigigas, similar to the mythical golem that serves as their basis. After Regigigas is done with its land moving duty, it probably enters hibernation until it's needed again. So the original trio watch over it as it rests and likely have a way to wake it up if needed (hence why we need to gather all of them before waking Regigigas in the games). Also they may help Regigigas with its land moving, I could see Regigigas able to create a whole batch of temporary ones (maybe having the ones used to guard it as a "manager unit") who then breaks rocks, metal, & ice to make the moving more easier (probably reason there's no Ground-type is because soil is loose enough to pull apart (at least with Regigigas's strength)).
Regieleki and Regidrago though are new pieces to the puzzle.
Regieleki having mostly Electric-type moves, plus its dex entries & Ability, could indicate it was made to be a power source (though not sure what would need electrical power at the time Regieleki was made). Another possibility, going off my "servents to help break apart the land" theory, is Regieleki was made to both power these temporary Regi and maybe even keep them in line via its Thunder Cage.
Regidrago though is a harder one to figure out. Well for one thing it's incomplete, Regigigas wanted to build an entire dragon but only had enough of the dragon crystals to build the head. Any grander plans Regigigas had likely ceased when that happened leaving Regidrago without a purpose. Now I'm getting an image in my head that, with Regieleki having such a limited use and Regidrago considered unfinished, when it was ready to rest Regigigas put both of them to the side next to each other to on "later", thus why they share a temple.
I never understood why Clefairy can learn Meteor Mash but not anything with Iron Fist
It seems weird to me how a rare punching move is given to a random fairy that has never been known to run Physical moves, but not a pokemon better suited for punching,
It also always bugged me how Toxicroak can't learn Close Combat and it can't even learn it by TR
It seems weird to me how a rare punching move is given to a random fairy that has never been known to run Physical moves, but not a pokemon better suited for punching,
It also always bugged me how Toxicroak can't learn Close Combat and it can't even learn it by TR
meteor mash went to Clefairy because its a space pokemon and meteor mash is a space-y move
If anything more space-ish pokemon should learn it. Like Beheeyem, they should probably get it.
Meteor Mash is Comet Punch in Japanese, so Clefairy and Clefable get it due to them supposedly coming from space.
The question is why Rock Star Pikachu, Metang, Metagross, and Lucario get it, why Deoxys only got it in an event, and why the likes of the Elgyem line cannot get it.
Metagross is pretty space-based, arguably being based on a UFO, having the Psychic type like most other space-themed mons, and until SwSh only being found normally in space-themed areas (Giant Chasm is a crater, Mount Hokulani is an observatory. There is also the meta explanation that otherwise it would only have metal claw in gen 3. Deoxys is excusable due to not really having hands in most forms. Don't really get why the Elgyem line doesn't get when they have Steel Wing for some reason though.
Probably because it's a Cool move that also looks very contest-ish.
Could have sworn Meteor Mash started out as a signature move of Metang & Metagross. Turns out Clefairy learned it all along as well.
My guess why the Elgyem family doesn't get it is because it wouldn't get much use out of it. Clefairy got it mostly out of early installment weirdness, it and the Beldum family the only space-theme Pokemon at the time so both got it (well, Beldum had to wait to evolve but you get my point). Also you could argue that Clefairy COULD run mixed as it's Attack and Special Attack are only 15 points apart (70 Atk, 85 SpA) which is a much bigger gap for Beheeyem (75 Atk, 125 SpA; 50 point difference).
As Ironmage said, Deoxys doesn't get it normally because only its Normal form has hands, all its other forms have tentacle arms (I guess the Event one learned how to quick change its tentacle temporarily into a hand in its other forms).
Rock Star Pikachu it's all in the name: Rock STAR. Plus it looks like a METAL rocker.
Not sure about Lucario though, maybe they relate its aura sensing abilities to being otherworldly?
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It's a Steel/Fighting Type who already has Bullet Punch as an Egg Move, so one more Steel punching move fits it well. The bigger question is why it was introduced as an USUM Egg Move for Riolu that can only be obtain by breeding a Smeargle that sketched it? SwSh would make it part of Lucario's level-up move pool, so they either realized Lucario should learn it easier, or Smeargle wouldn't be in the game so they made it obtainable without transfer.
Steel Wing is presumably a joke and/or error, since it only learned it starting in Gen 6 when it became TM51 (TM51 was Ally Switch in Gen 5, which Elgyem probably would have learned with or without the Area 51 reference).
The trend didn't continue in Gen 8 with Icicle Spear (the new TM51) and Dragon Dance (TR51) but that's just standard fare for Gen 8.
In that case I think some other Pokemon that could get Meteor Mash:
- Hitmonchan (it's the punching Pokemon so I think that overrides any secondary requirement)
Ledian (okay, done laughing? Ledian does have some space themes to it... oddly doesn't learn Cosmic Power though) - Lopunny (YET the Buneary family does learn Cosmic Power because moon rabbit. And hey, while it prefers kicking it knows how to throw a punch too (or uses its ears))
- Nidoqueen, Nidoking, Wigglytuff, & Azumarill (so with the moon rabbit idea in mind, maybe they can squeeze in the Nidoroyals, Wigglytuff, and Azumarill since they're also based (paritally) on rabbits hence why they either evolve with Moon Stones and/or are Fairy-type which has moon-related themes)
- Meditite family (one aspect of meditation is making you sense the flow of the cosmos, and so Meditite family can use that to gain the space power to mash like a meteor)
- Dialga & Palkia (they're the gods of time and space)
- Golett family (while more supernatural than extraterrestrial, it's mecha theme makes it feel more space-y; plus it can fly by turning itself into a rocket)
- Melmetal (probably doesn't need it cause it gets Double Iron Bash, but never hurts to have options. Melmetal seem to possible be based on the concept of Grey Goo which is a very scifi topic)
- Regigigas (like Golett family and Melmetal, it's pretty robotic and lore-wise has the required strength to punch as hard as a comet impact)
- Buzzwole (Ultra Beasts are alien enough)
- Marshadow (based on the Nightmarchers so could fit)
Probably been pointed out before, but I'd rather not read through all 90 pages. Why does Pinsir not get Megahorn? It fits Pinsir perfectly, with it being a powerful bug that has 2 spiky "horns".
Well Pinsir doesn’t have horns it has... uh... pincers.
If Pinsir could use Megahorn, so should other Pokémon with pincers like Kingler and Drapion. It doesn’t get Megahorn rights just because it’s a bug.
But the difference between these is that Pinsirs horns/pincers are directly on its head, with your examples both having them on their hands. Also, look at the inspiration. While not technically horns, they sure seem to be somewhat implied to be something of the sort. While not the best example, they gave Yveltal Sucker Punch, while it obviously does not have hands. The wings do seem to imply hands though they appear to be feathers. Correct me if I'm wrong on the feathers though.
You're not wrong on the wings, but you are wrong on Sucker Punch. Sucker Punch is a saying in english which means "surprise attack" and, guess what, that's the move's name in Japanese. So it's just given to Pokémon who have a knack for cheap hits regardless of anatomy (the much better example is Electrode learning it).
You're right that my examples have pincers on their limbs. I think there's only one other Pokémon that has a pincer on its head, and I wasn't sure about including it because people usually don't consider it to have pincers, which is Mawile. It learns Vise Grip, which exclusively is learned by Pokémon with pincers (and the Klink family), so its mouth was at least considered a set of pincers when it was introduced.
And looking at the mons that learn Vise Grip, the Grubbin family is another example of mons with pincers on their head. Most wouldn't consider what any of them have a horn either.
Edit: Oh I missed Durant too. There's a couple of Bug-Type Pokémon with pincers who don't learn Megahorn. People just think Pinsir should because of misinterpretation owing to it being bipedal, which makes them think of Heracross more than Durant or Charjabug.
Edit 2: Looking at this list more closely, Vise Grip in its own right is handled really strangely in SwSh. Every Pokémon that could learn it before is in SwSh, but the only Pokémon introduced before Gen V that can still learn Vise Grip is Pinsir itself. Mawile, and the Krabby and Corphish lines, have all lost access to the move. Meanwhile the Clauncher (so they didn't just remove it from all crustaceans), Grubbin, Klink, and Durant lines still have access to Vise Grip, and they even gave it somewhat inexplicably as a level 1 move to Regidrago who seems tangentially related to Vise Grip at best, unless the huge dragon skull it has as limbs are considered pincers. Why suddenly remove it from 3 Pokémon families? This isn't a hole being left by breeding chains being broken either -- Vise Grip has never actually been accessible only via breeding on anything, every Pokémon that learns it just does so at a low level.
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The difference there again is that the pincers of Durant and Vikavolt are mouths, while Pinsir's pincers are on the top of its head like horns. If you showed Pinsir to a random person without any context and asked them what the things on its head were, they would say horns almost every time.
I am still waiting the day where Belly Drum clefable is not a meme anymore... it even got Play Rough now :(
Sucker Punch doesn't even count as a Punching move for stuff like Iron Fist, because its Japanese name is "Ambush", which is why many things without hands can learn it, and why there are things like Hitmonlee and Hitmontop being able to learn it, but not Hitmonchan who is all about punching.
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Not wanting to pile on you for the bad example, though I'm helping here as well. A better example to have pulled up would have been other users of Megahorn who have head attachments that aren't traditionally considered horns:
(Now Escavalier might be an exception as its prevo has a horn so it's sort of a "Primeape learns Iron Tail because Mankey had a tail" deal; still Absol had a blade more than a horn and while the dex does call Scolipede's antenna's horns they're still also antenna)
Plus, look what thread we're on, or rather the past 90 pages filled with plenty of examples of Pokemon getting an odd move here and there and trying to figure out why.
Pinsir getting Megahorn wouldn't be that odd in my book. Heck, looking at some other Bug-types, I wouldn't be against giving it to Buzzwole either.