Pokémon Movepool Oddities & Explanations

:swinub: -- I didn't include Cyndaquil because it's based on a burrower irl, but Swinub isn't so what gives? Piloswine can burrow with its tusks if it really wants to, but Swinub has nothing to dig with at all. This is the only Pokémon on the list to use the move in the anime too, and it for real just jumps into the ground head-first and disappears beneath it somehow. Like Wooper, it's Ground-Type for mud-based attacks and general terra magic, I don't see the digging here.
Swinub, much like real-life pigs, can use its firm snout to dig.

As for aquatic ones like Poliwag, Wooper, Gastrodon, and Stunfisk, they're likely very good at burrowing into soft wet earth like a riverbed. Remember that you don't need any appendages to dig if you can wiggle enough. Example A: worms.
 
As for aquatic ones like Poliwag, Wooper, Gastrodon, and Stunfisk, they're likely very good at burrowing into soft wet earth like a riverbed. Remember that you don't need any appendages to dig if you can wiggle enough. Example A: worms.

Or snakes, for that matter.

Which, by the way, led me to check and realize that the Snivy line is the only one that is based on snakes but can't learn Dig.
 
Psychic-type Pokémon and Electric-type moves have really weird interactions. Like Reuniclus being able to learn Thunder, Thunder Wave and Thunder Punch, but not Thunderbolt. An incredibly powerful, but uncontrolled and inaccurate electric discharge (Thunder) is okay, but a weaker, controlled and accurate discharge (Thunderbolt) is not.

Could there be some sort of underlying explanation behind the low amount of overlap between them? I mean, in eight generations we only have one Electric/Psychic-type Pokémon (not counting the UFO from Pokéstar).

Interestingly Gothitelle has the exact opposite situation regarding Electric-type moves. It learns Thunderbolt and Charge Beam (which is interesting) but it also does not learn Thunder. It can unleash a weaker, more controlled discharge but not the incredibly strong, uncontrolled one, unlike Reuniclus.

A similar case also applies to a lot of Ghost-type Pokemon. Several of them, namely Gengar, Dragapult, Mismagius, Froslass, and Banette can use Thunderbolt and Thunder, while some Ghosts like Dusclops/Dusknoir can use Thunder Punch but no special Electric moves (interestingly Dusclops and Dusknoir can learn Ice Beam and Blizzard, which is also strange). Some of them also just cannot learn any Electric moves whatsoever (none of Gen 5 or Gen 7's non-legendary Ghost-types can to my knowledge). The distribution of Electric-type moves amongst Ghost-types is just as odd as it is with Psychic-types.
 
Perhaps the reason Alakazam dosen't get thunderbolt is due to its spoons being very good conductors, and thus harm Alakazam when it uses it?

In cases like this it's usually better to figure out why these Pokemon learn the odd moves they do than the move they don't. All these Pokemon are non-Electric-types so it makes sense they normally don't learn Electric moves because they can't generate electricity. So with that said:

Abra family: Should be noted Abra can learn Charge Beam (and Shockwave in Gen III & IV) too, so it has nothing to do with the spoons. For Charge Beam its description is "The user fires a concentrated bundle of electricity", so could be that the Abra family has to use its psychic powers to "physically" gather up the ions in the air until it has gathered enough to unleash it. Shockwave, also a weak Electric-type move, could be the same way but instead just a different way of unleashing it. This explanation can also go for Thunder Wave. Finally it knows Thunder Punch by gathering the ions around its fist.
Espeon: Um, Espeon can't learn Charge Beam. It could learn Zap Cannon in Gen II (as well as the Abra family). As for how, Espeon uses its tail to sense movement in the air, so it can probably also sense charges ions in the air and, like the Abra family, use its psychic powers to physically gather the ions together. Now while Zap Cannon is powerful, it's a 50/50 change it'll hit so it (and the Abra family) can gather a lot more electricity but aren't able to properly aim it.
Delphox: Delphox is the one that honestly surprises me as it's a mage! *Sigh* So why only Shockwave? Well it's obviously better in controlling fire with its wand and maybe the only way it can capture ions is twirling its wand around, having no control where the electricity will exactly shoot out as a bundle so instead sends it out all around it.
Hatterene: It getting Nuzzle makes sense with its lore not liking strong emotions: if you try to hug it it'll paralyze you. Also G-Hatterene's Dex describes G-Max Smite as "Beams like lightning shoot down from its tentacles"; it looks like lightning but that's just how the form the energy from the move is released, it's not actual electricity.

Psychic-type Pokémon and Electric-type moves have really weird interactions. Like Reuniclus being able to learn Thunder, Thunder Wave and Thunder Punch, but not Thunderbolt. An incredibly powerful, but uncontrolled and inaccurate electric discharge (Thunder) is okay, but a weaker, controlled and accurate discharge (Thunderbolt) is not.

Could there be some sort of underlying explanation behind the low amount of overlap between them? I mean, in eight generations we only have one Electric/Psychic-type Pokémon (not counting the UFO from Pokéstar).

Not an Electric-type so can't focus a lightning bolt. Being the cell division Pokemon, it probably can generate electricity via nerve cells communicating with each other thus able to use the stronger Thunder but once it leaves its body the electricity isn't controlled.

My guess the reason there hasn't been Psychic/Electric is because there is a bit of a conflict between the aesthetics: Psychic has been presented as a more "focused/concentrating" Type while Electric is a Type which sends out electrical bolts quickly. While it's certainly a cool Type combination and you can probably create a cool concept from it (like I'm thinking psychic bound lightning whips), it would possibly be a far-out design.

  • :grimer: / :muk: -- Isn't the entire point of these two that they're water pollution / sludge? That seems far too soft to dig a hole with, even though it has hands. Perhaps it's a reference to how sludge slowly seeps into the ground, but to my knowledge it doesn't really resurface by itself.
  • :ledyba: / :ledian: -- They're both Flying-Type and have boxing gloves-like hands. I feel like digging a hole with boxing gloves would be hard.
  • :swinub: -- I didn't include Cyndaquil because it's based on a burrower irl, but Swinub isn't so what gives? Piloswine can burrow with its tusks if it really wants to, but Swinub has nothing to dig with at all. This is the only Pokémon on the list to use the move in the anime too, and it for real just jumps into the ground head-first and disappears beneath it somehow. Like Wooper, it's Ground-Type for mud-based attacks and general terra magic, I don't see the digging here.
  • :corsola: :corsola-galar: / :cursola: -- Not levitating or Flying-Type, but what can it dig with? Coral often lays on the ocean floor, but not beneath it.
  • :makuhita: -- I feel like digging a hole with boxing gloves would be hard v.2.0. Hariyama also looks like it struggles to touch its toes, but I guess if it lay on the ground and used only one arm it could manage it so it only gets an honourable mention, but then I question why mons like Snorlax don't learn it.
  • :ninjask: / :shedinja: -- I said that I wouldn't include Pokémon whose prevos can use it just fine while they can't, but these two are a special case because as of Gen VIII only they learn it at Level 1. Similarly to Gligar, Ninjask at least has digging utensils, but Shedinja has no way to do so and constantly levitates. I guess it fits into the ninja motif of disappearing and reappearing, but they had a great opportunity here to give each stage of the family a unique semi-invulnerable turn move to fit with their differences. Nincada learns Dig at level 1, while Ninjask learns Fly and Shedinja learns Phantom Force. That would've been cool. BTW, Nincada only learns Dig at level 40 unless you use a TM, meaning Shedinja and Ninjask can learn it 20 levels earlier than it.
  • :numel: / :camerupt: -- Another Ground-Type to make the list, but really what could it dig with? Its snout? These two are more terra magic / volcano dudes than burrowers. Though I'd like to see a camel try and dig a hole. If "magma lies underground so it counts" worked, then Magcargo and Slugma would also be able to learn Dig.
  • :vibrava: / :flygon: -- These two are actually in the same boat where as of Gen VIII only they also learn Dig at level 1. Why? Vibrava especially has nothing to dig with, and while I suppose Flygon believably can, it's through using its stubby little arms only.
  • :baltoy: / :claydol: -- I don't really understand this for either of them. I suppose the bottom of Baltoy could be used as a drill?
  • :regirock: -- I feel like digging a hole with boxing gloves would be hard v.3.0. Technically they're as hard as rock so it's more forgivable, but scraping a totally round rock into the ground to dig a hole wears the rock away more than the ground. Notably, Registeel can't learn the move even though it could probably perform it easier.
  • :piplup: / :prinplup: -- Digging a hole with a beak would probably take 5 turns. Those flippers don't offer much assistance. Empoleon has a trident it can use to dig with, though.
  • :cranidos: / :rampardos: -- These two I'm a little less sure about because they probably could burrow with their feet as they're clawed, but I'm including them because for a biped that seems insanely impractical. Also they're T-Rexes with cute lil stubby arms that definitely can't reach the ground unless they faceplant while digging.
  • :hippopotas: / :hippowdon: -- I'm surprised at their inclusion, but these two learning it via level up is odd considering they really have nothing to dig with either. Their whole shtick is more so being the ground rather than digging beneath it. They also only got the move in HGSS, so when they were first introduced it seems the devs agreed.
  • :bonsly: / :sudowoodo: -- Poor guy, it has no hands haha v.6.0. Bonsly would definitely also cry when asked to dig. I feel like digging a hole with boxing gloves would be hard v.4.0. Sudowoodo has ball-hands that seem hard to dig with, but they're at least as hard as rock so like Regirock it's feasible, just really impractical, and would likely result in more damage to Sudowoodo than the ground itself.
  • :wormadam-sandy: -- Poor guy, it has no hands haha v.7.0. Notably, the other two Wormadam formes (nor Burmy) learn the move, only Wormadam-Sandy. It is Ground-Type, but there's still nothing for it to dig with. The rocks right on the top of it? They're not even limbs.
  • :gastrodon: -- Poor guy, it has no hands haha v.8.0. Like Wooper and Swinub, this is Ground-Type because of mud-based attacks and other general terra magic, as opposed to being a burrower. There's really no way it can dig.
  • :stunfisk: :stunfisk-galar: -- The entire purpose of these Pokémon is to lay in wait of prey on the ground, not beneath it. Stunfisk has nothing to dig with at all since every edge seems rounded, while Stunfisk-Galar probably can dig with its sharp metal parts but it would require exposing its underbelly as it does so, which is a weak spot. When you're already flat, going underground doesn't seem to offer much utility.
  • :rolycoly: / :carkol: -- Poor guy, it has no hands haha v.8.0 and v.9.0. These two are based on coal, which obviously is mined underground. But I don't think the coal's underground because it dug down there itself, right? As a reach, when you drive your car off-road in somewhere like mud, it can dig a couple of cms underground and get stuck. But that really is a reach.

Grimer/Muk: It's body is probably just as acidic as it is poisonous so makes the ground mush so it can sort of just ooze into the ground.
Ledyba/Ledian: It delivers lightnign quick punches so just punches a hole, like a jackhammer.
Swinub/Piloswine/Mamoswine: You know, just because it's tiny doesn't mean it's not made for digging. It species probably adapted to digging really quickly with the feet you don't see underneath its thick fur. I bet Piloswine and Mamoswine don't dig with their tusks but use their feet too.
Corsola: Coral is pretty rigid, it can probably easily rapidly shake to dig itself into the ground.
Makuhita: How hard do you think it is to dig into the ground? Anyway Makuhita gets it probably more because Hariyama gets the move because it has BIG hands to dig with, so Makuhita gets it too (and Snorlax doesn't get it cause digging does take energy and Snorlax rather sleep & eat.
Shedinja: It's a ghost, could just phase into the ground.
Numel/Camerupt: It digs with their feet like most other quadruped?
Vibrava/Flygon: Well it's not really ground/dirt that is the reason they get Dig, it's sand. They're sand diggers and as long as the ground isn't rock hard (and even then...) they likely still have the body adaptations for digging.
Baltoy/Claydol: I guess they spin like a drill. Let's also remember something else: Pokemon are elementals. If a Pokemon wants the ground to open up, the ground will open up. Honestly this whole exercise can be shrugged away with saying "they use their land powers to create a hole they can hide in".
Regirock: Well Regirock doesn't need to worry about wearing out its rock hands as it'll just replace them, it's body is made from rocks all over the world cause its constantly repairing itself.
Piplup/Prinplup/Empoelon: Empoleon and Prinplup's wings are hard as steel, they're not going to flail around trying to dig with their head. Piplup gets it cause its evos do, but being its evos use their wings Piplup does do.
Cranidos/Rampardos: Now these two could probably just use their heads, moving dirt aside like a backhoe.
Hippopotas/Hiddowdon: They not only unleash sand but can also inhale it into their body. They also probably use the sand they spill out to help it get a start to digging.
Bonsly/Sudowoodo: Actually, since they disguise themselves as plants, I wouldn't be surprised if they dug with their foot so it looks like it's planted in the ground. This goes with Sudowoodo oddly having a few kick moves, meaning it has strong legs.
Wormadam: Once again it's probably a sand digger more than a dirt digger. Still, it's cloak could be hard enough that it can use it as a drill.
Gastrodon & Stunfisk: Makes the ground muddy and then digs in it. Gastrodon only needs to make a hole big enough for its shell, the rest of its body is soft so can squeeze in. For Stunfisk, this is how the fish it's based on, the flounder/flatfish, digs.
Rolycoly/Carkol: Yeah digging for them is a bit of a mystery. Maybe spinning out their wheels? Could work for Rolycoly, though maybe not as well for Carkol.
 
My guess the reason there hasn't been Psychic/Electric is because there is a bit of a conflict between the aesthetics: Psychic has been presented as a more "focused/concentrating" Type while Electric is a Type which sends out electrical bolts quickly. While it's certainly a cool Type combination and you can probably create a cool concept from it (like I'm thinking psychic bound lightning whips), it would possibly be a far-out design.
Or you know, just a giant brain.
 
There IS an Electric/Psychic type: Raichu (Alola)

For Dig; Dig wasn't "an attack" like Earthquake, Earth Power or Bulldoze.

Between 1996/1998/1999 and 2016 Dig distribution was massive because its main role wasn't giving a move of 80 BP as a STAB or Ground coverage during the main game. That was a bonus.

TM28 (the TM that contained Dig in those years) was meant to use as an infinite Escape Rope. In some cases (and not only in speedruns) was even used by HM Slaves/Mules.

TM28 distribution was so high because it was mainly a tool to help during the story with the bonus of having a decent attack. In that regard, it was similar to Fly and Strength (Surf is a different story; it was the best in-game* attack due to both being the most important HM move, being strong and accurate with many PP, being available earlier than similar moves.

*In Competitive, Surf wasn't used much in the latest generation, because its nerf to 90 BP but specially because the presence of Scald, a move that has 80 BP with a 30% burn chance (also its a single target move and also will thaw both the user and the target). In recent games, the main Pokemon who has used Surf in higher tiers was Ash Greninja and mainly in teams that don't want to have "Hydro Miss'", specially if they combine with Focus Miss, Stone Miss, Fire Blasmiss, Play Miss, Gunk Miss, Misshorn...

In competitive, among moves that have decent distribution, the best move was Knock Off (and historically Earthquake).
 
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In competitive, among moves that have decent distribution, the best move was Knock Off (and historically Earthquake).
And if you think of it, with the coming of two new Phisical ground moves (on top of Bulu/Rilla being a thing), even Earthquake is falling off in favour of Stomping Tantrum and the new relatively high distribution High Horsepower
 
So because I'm bored and/or procrastinating, I've assembled a list of all Psychic-types* special coverage. It's only special moves because a lot of physical moves are more dependent on anaotmy than element, and I focused only on powerful attacks that can be run without external setup to keep the list smaller. This does mean that Grass is likely underrepresented, since I put Energy Ball in its own subcategory and did not accept Solarbeam. I also skip by STAB here, under the logic that we already know that mon is associated with that type in addition to Psychic.

*Except for Darmanitan-zen, Arceus, silvally, and oricorio-Pa'u since none of their default formes are psychic-type, and mew because it provides no useful information.

Fire
mewtwo (flamethrower, fire blast), azelf (fire blast, flamethrower), necrozma (heat wave), Rapidash-G (mystical fire), xatu (heat wave), gardevoir (mystical fire), swoobat (heat wave), solgaleo (mystical fire, flamethrower, fire blast), lunala (heat wave), hattrene (mystical fire), indeedee (mystical fire), slowbro (flamethrower, fire blast), slowking (flamethrower, fire blast), solrock (flamethrower, fire blast, heat wave, overheat), malamar (flamethrower)

Ice
mewtwo (Ice Beam, blizzard), deoxys (ice beam), mesprit (ice beam, blizzard), cresselia (ice beam), lugia (ice beam, blizzard), sigilyph (ice beam), lunala (ice beam, blizzard), slowbro (ice beam, blizzard), starmie (ice beam, blizzard), slowking (ice beam, blizzard), lunatone (ice beam, blizzard), claydol (ice beam), lati@s (ice beam), bruxish (ice beam, blizzard)

Electric
mewtwo (thunderbolt, thunder), deoxys (thunderbolt, thunder, zap cannon), uxie (thunderbolt, thunder), mesprit (thunderbolt, thunder), azelf (thunderbolt, thunder), gothitelle (thunderbolt), reuniclus (thunder), beheeyem (thunderbolt), meowstic (thunderbolt), lugia (ice beam, blizzard), gardevoir (thunderbolt), Mr Mime (thunderbolt, thunder), gallade (thunderbolt), victini (thunderbolt, thunder), hoopa (thunderbolt), tapu lele (thunderbolt, thunder), solgaleo (thunderbolt, thunder), lunala (thunderbolt, thunder), starmie (thunderbolt, thunder), girafarig (thunderbolt, thunder), lati@s (thunderbolt, thunder), jirachi (thunderbolt, thunder), meloetta (thunderbolt, thunder), malamar (thunderbolt), oranguru (thunderbolt, thunder) Mr. Rime (thunderbolt, thunder)

Ghost:
list of psychic types that *don't* get shadow ball:
Raichu-A, starmie, solgaleo, necrozma (does get shadow claw though), wobbuffet, unown

Fighting:
Alakazam (focus blast), Hypno (focus blast), mewtwo (aura sphere, focus blast), grumpig (focus blast), deoxys (focus blast), reuniclus (focus blast), celebi (aura sphere), gardevoir (focus blast), Mr mime (focus blast), hoopa (focus blast), tapu lele (focus blast), solgaleo (foucs blast), lunala (focus blast), raichu-A (focus blast), Jynx(focus blast), jirachi (aura sphere), meloetta (focus blast), oranguru (focus blast), Mr. Rime (focus blast)

Fairy:
Alakazam (dazzling gleam), Hypno (dazzling gleam), espeon (dazzling gleam), chimecho (dazzling gleam), uxie (dazzling gleam), mesprit (dazzling gleam), azelf (dazzling gleam), cresselia (moonblast), musharna (dazzling gleam, misty explosion), xatu (dazzling gleam), celebi (dazzling gleam), Mr. Rime (dazzling gleam), gallade (dazzling gleam), victini (dazzling gleam), sigilyph (dazzling gleam), lunala (moonblast, dazzling gleam), indeedee (dazzling gleam), starmie (dazzling gleam), girafarig (dazzling gleam), lunatone (moonblast), claydol (dazzling gleam), jirachi (dazzling gleam), meloetta (dazzling gleam), delphox (dazzling gleam)

Energy Ball:alakazam, mewtwo, grumpig, chimecho, deoxys, uxie, mesprit, azelf, cresselia, musharna, gothitelle, reuniclus, beheeyem, meowstic, Gardevoir, Mr Mime, gallade, victini, swoobat, sigilyph, hoopa, tapu lele, indeedee, Jynx, girafarig, medicham, lati@s, jirachi, meloetta, oranguru, orbeetle, Mr. Rime

Psychic types that *don't* learn Signal Beam: (all gen 8 mons, since it doesn't exist), Solgaleo, meloetta, tapu lele, wobbuffet, unown

alakazam (normal-tri attack), hypno (normal-tri attack) mewtwo (flying-hurricane, normal-tri attack) grumpig (rock-power gem), deoxys (steel-flash cannon, dark-dark pulse), reuniclus(steel-flash cannon), beheeyem (steel-flash cannon, rock-meteor beam, normal-tri attack), necrozma (rock-power gem and meteor beam, steel-flash cannon, dragon-dragon pulse), Xatu (grass-giga drain), lugia (water-several, dragon-dragon pulse, ground-earth power, normal-hyper voice, grass-giga drain), celebi (bug-pollen puff, ground-earth power), gardevoir (normal-hyper voice), swoobat (grass-giga drain), sigilyph (steel-flash cannon, dark-dark pulse), solgaleo (rock-meteor beam), lunala (flying-air slash, rock-meteor beam), hattrene (dark-dark pulse, grass-giga drain), raichu-A (water-surf), slowbro-G (water-several), exeggutor (poison-sludge bomb), starmie (rock-power gem and meteor beam, steel-flach cannon), slowking (rock-power gem), lunatone (ground-earth power), solrock (ground-earth power), metagross (poison-sludge bomb), lati@s (surf), jirachi (rock-meteor beam), bronzong (rock-meteor beam), orbeetle (grass-giga drain)

Interesting points:
  • All three lake guardians get Thunderbolt and Thunder, but only Azelf gets flamethrower and fire blast and only mesprit gets ice beam and blizzard. This lines up with neither their found locations nor their colouration
  • Of the legendaires with light-based signature moves (the light trio, the latis, and jirachi), only jirachi and lunala can learn dazzling gleam, while necrozma is the only non-steel to learn flash cannon.
  • Heat wave is only learned by winged mons (flying-types and lunala, who also carries flying coverage), necrozma, and solrock. Solrock is the only one to learn it in combination with another Fire move.
  • Dragon, Poison, flying, and Dark are the rarest coverage types with 1.5 (necrozma as 0.5), 2, 2, and 3 users respectively.
  • No wholly gen 8 psychic type learns electric coverage
  • Despite other variant forms having noticable overlap with their previous types, Rapidash-G only learns one fire move: mystical fire
  • Speaking of Mystical fire, the only non-fairies to get it as coverage are Solgaleo and Indeedee.
  • sigilyph and claydol, despite being found entirely in warm desert areas, both learn ice beam
 
Interesting points:
  • All three lake guardians get Thunderbolt and Thunder, but only Azelf gets flamethrower and fire blast and only mesprit gets ice beam and blizzard. This lines up with neither their found locations nor their colouration
  • sigilyph and claydol, despite being found entirely in warm desert areas, both learn ice beam

It's worth noting that Claydol and Sigilyph are both known to be mysterious Pokemon associated with ancient civilizations: a lot of the deserts they live in are ancient ruins. Golurk, despite being a Ghost-type, is conceptually similar to them (especially Claydol) in terms of being an ancient civilization Pokemon, and also learns Ice Beam despite being a Ground-type. I don't think there's necessarily a connection between that aspect and Ice Beam specifically, but it is a commonality. Ironically all three are weak to Ice-type as well.

Also Uxie uniquely learns Solar Beam, while Mesprit and Azelf don't. I'm not sure what went into the movepool decisions with the lake trio for this (although Azelf got the best end of the deal tbqh).
 
With those three Pokemon, some kind of symbolism is a possibility. Off the top of my head:
  • The sun (Solar Beam) represents wisdom/enlightenment/knowledge?
  • Ice attacks represent "cold" emotions? (this one is a reach)
  • Fire attacks represent "burning" willpower?
I'm not exactly convinced by what I've spitballed here, but their movepools sometimes do that kind of thing. Notably, each of the three gets a self-sacrificing move that fits its theme somehow (Memento, Healing Wish, Explosion).
 
Oh yeah can we talk about how ludicrous Solar Beam's distribution is? It's mainly Grass and Fire types, those make sense, but then you got stuff like the aforementioned Beedrill as well as:

-Lapras
-Forretress
-Mawile
-Aggron
-Swalot

And before you say "eh it's just early-gen movepool jank they probably reigned it in for later mons"...

-Bronzong
-Crustle
-Emolga (this was a gen 8 addition!!!!!)
-Noivern
-Melmetal
-Duraludon
-Dragapult
-Zamazenta
-Eternatus
all learn it as well.

It seems to be a thing for Normal types and I'm just like... Ok, what?! It's not a "default JRPG type" like the Fire/Ice/Electric trio, and it's not like Energy Ball or Giga Drain is a nearly universal move for them.
 
Lapras learning it was only Gen 1 until Gen 8 I believe, and Bronzong at least has the "weather bringer" aspect to it.

Emolga is definitely one of the weirder ones there, up with Mawile.

Anyway, weighing in on Beedrill not getting Bug Buzz, there's really no reason for it not to get it when Accelgor gets it, and it has nothing to buzz with! No, I do not care that there isn't another good special Bug option for it. Either make one or actually give it a move it can actually use. While we're at it, give stuff like Pinsir and Heracross (moreso Heracross, since it has visible wings when not in Mega form) Bug Buzz too. There was a time when Game Freak actually cared about flavor moves, and I frankly miss that time.
 
While we're at it, give stuff like Pinsir and Heracross (moreso Heracross, since it has visible wings when not in Mega form) Bug Buzz too.
You know, speaking of which...

214Heracross_Dream.png
290Nincada_Dream.png
292Shedinja_Dream.png
682Spritzee_Dream.png
780Drampa_Dream.png
875Eiscue_Dream.png


These six Pokemon are the only* Pokemon to unambiguously have wings and yet not learn Dual Wingbeat. Even Clefairy, Celebi, and Dunsparce learn Dual Wingbeat. WTF.

*I scanned through /ds !dual wingbeat to get these guys. It's possible that my eyes passed over others.
 
Bug Buzz definitely feels like one of those moves that was introduced to fill a hole (no good special bug move) without caring too much about flavour beyond who needs it. Why is a bug buzzing THAT powerful, anyway?
If nothing else, bugs buzzing generally does pretty good psychological damage to people who hear them. Bees? Mosquitos (or flies)? Cicadas? All are, at the very least, annoying, or possibly indicative of a sting or other sort of threat. :mehowth:

That's a fair point of a lack of good special Bug moves going into Gen 4, though physical was honestly lacking more if you took Megahorn out of the equation (and it didn't really get much Bug rep aside from Heracross). Special at least had Silver Wind and Signal Beam; though weaker, they were stronger than the other physical Bug moves.

You know, speaking of which...

View attachment 273470View attachment 273471View attachment 273472View attachment 273473View attachment 273474View attachment 273496

These six Pokemon are the only* Pokemon to unambiguously have wings and yet not learn Dual Wingbeat. Even Clefairy, Celebi, and Dunsparce learn Dual Wingbeat. WTF.

*I scanned through /ds !dual wingbeat to get these guys. It's possible that my eyes passed over others.
I don't have a good answer for Nincada/Shedinja, especially since Ninjask gets it. A pengun's flippers are fairly adapted wings, but if the Piplup line gets it then there's really no excuse for Eiscue. I wouldn't be surprised if people forget that Heracross has wings. Not sure with Spritzee, if stuff like Celebi gets it; maybe they're taking into account its evolution? Of all of these Drampa is easily the most baffling, since it seems rather analogous to Dunsparce in learning Roost, Glare, and being a fairly fanciful Normal Pokémon that nonetheless has wings. It's not like they're trying to restrict Drampa's moves, either.
 
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