Moves that Pokémon Should Learn... But They Don't.

[Missingno. Master]

We have one for Pokémon that know moves they shouldn't, why not one for Pokémon that don't know moves that they ought to?

• Weezing eats garbage. Gunk Shot involves the user spewing garbage at the opponent. You would think, given these facts, that Weezing would be able to learn Gunk Shot. You would think.
• Weezing and Gengar can only have Sludge Wave from the Dream World (and that one Shiny Gengar event)- they cannot learn it from a TM.
• Snorlax can't learn Slack Off, despite how lazy it is.
• Ampharos's tail gives off light, so does it learn Tail Glow or Dazzling Gleam? Of course not!
• Weedle's Hoenn Pokédex entry praises its sense of smell, and yet no Odor Sleuth for it.
• Wobbuffet doesn't get Bide.
• The Pokédex confirms Yanmega can support an adult in flight. With that in mind, you would think it would learn Fly. You would think. Meanwhile we got tiny stuff like Spearow and Fletchling carrying their Trainers across the sky...
• Electrode is heavily implied to be basically a sentient Poké Ball, so... wouldn't it make sense for it to learn Growth and Minimize?
• Samurott ought to get Sacred Sword.
• Dedenne's only attacking Fairy move is also the only physical Fairy move, despite its superior Special Attack. Give it Moonblast, or Dazzling Gleam, or Draining Kiss, or something!
  
• No Glare for Onix or Steelix.
• I was truly stunned to learn that Helioptile, despite getting its energy from the sun, cannot learn Solar Beam.

And those are just the ones off the top of my head!

 

[Their Goominess]

In Japanese, Tail Glow is known as Firefly Light, and going from that it's not very fitting for Ampharos.
But the translation does make it seem like an obvious choice for Ampharos, I will say that. (I was confused before I knew about the Japanese name)

I don't quite understand by what you mean about Electrode getting Growth? That move is about plant growth rather than actual growing in size.
(also I don't understand why Growth isn't made a Grass type move, considering its basis and the fact all but 2 Pokemon that can learn it are Grass)

One that bugs me: Kyurem - Black Kyurem specifically - should get either Ice Punch or Icicle Crash. No one tell me that it can't throw a punch with either of its arms. Icicle Crash is more from a competitive standpoint and my wish for it to have some kind of decent Ice stab move which doesn't take a turn to charge.

 

[Missingno. Master]

In Japanese, Tail Glow is known as Firefly Light, and going from that it's not very fitting for Ampharos.
But the translation does make it seem like an obvious choice for Ampharos, I will say that. (I was confused before I knew about the Japanese name)

Fair enough, though how does that explain Manaphy getting it?

I don't quite understand by what you mean about Electrode getting Growth? That move is about plant growth rather than actual growing in size.
(also I don't understand why Growth isn't made a Grass type move, considering its basis and the fact all but 2 Pokemon that can learn it are Grass)

The move description states that the user forces its body to grow, so I'd argue that it is about actual growing in size, and that it's a popular move among Grass-types considering the fact that plants grow. As for Electrode getting Growth and Minimize, it'd reference the fact that Poké Balls can be shrunk down to the size of a ping pong ball for easy storage, and enlarged back to its normal size in order to be used (at least in the anime). I actually have a bit of headcanon that helps to explain why it's so easy to mistake Voltorb for a Poké Ball, despite the size difference- basically, Voltorb retains the ability to shrink down, though can only shrink down to the size of a full-size Poké Ball. It does that, turns its back to oncoming people, they pick it up, it turns around, grows to full size and either zaps the person or explodes.

 

[CF1994]

Why hasn't Game Freak given Diancie, a mon capable of controlling stones, Power Gem?

To me, it's kind of a little disrespectful that it can't learn the move, yet Carbink can.

 

[professorlight]

Fair enough, though how does that explain Manaphy getting it?

Manaphy is based off a marine creature that uses bioluminescence, whose name eludes me at the moment, and both bulbapedia and wikidex are absolutely useless.
It was the "sea-something", tiny, translucent and glowing creatures.

Also, we had this thread before, it still might be around.

The move description states that the user forces its body to grow, so I'd argue that it is about actual growing in size, and that it's a popular move among Grass-types considering the fact that plants grow. As for Electrode getting Growth and Minimize, it'd reference the fact that Poké Balls can be shrunk down to the size of a ping pong ball for easy storage, and enlarged back to its normal size in order to be used (at least in the anime). I actually have a bit of headcanon that helps to explain why it's so easy to mistake Voltorb for a Poké Ball, despite the size difference- basically, Voltorb retains the ability to shrink down, though can only shrink down to the size of a full-size Poké Ball. It does that, turns its back to oncoming people, they pick it up, it turns around, grows to full size and either zaps the person or explodes.

Pokeballs don't explode, so it stands to reason to think that voltorb and electrode may not shrink, nor grow. And... I'm not sure "headcanon" counts as a legitimate reason for a pokemon to learn a move.

 

[DragonFlames]

Okay, here goes... *deep breath*

- Black Kyurem not getting Ice Punch, despite having arms and hands big enough to crush the backbone of every Pokémon smaller than itself.
- Machamp and Blaziken not getting Drain Punch, while Slurpuff, a freaking Ice Cream dessert, gets it... why, GF? Why?
- Palkia, Dialga and Giratina not getting Dragon Pulse by level up
- Lapras and Palkia not getting Scald, despite being water types
- every Psychic type ever not learning Mind Reader, despite having psychic powers that should enable them to do so
- Entei and Flareon not getting Fire Punch, despite being based on cats, who can punch with their paws. Flareon's animation for physical moves in Battle Revolution and Colosseum/XD even involve it punching its opponents with its paws.
- Absol not getting Leaf Blade despite having a sword growing out of its head.
- Lucario not getting Iron Head despite being a steel type.
- Zapdos not getting Hurricane despite the other two members of its trio getting it.
- Articuno and Zapdos not getting Air Slash despite being flying types (Moltres gets it)
- most rock types not learning Rock Slide through level up
- most electric types not learning Thunder Bolt through level up
- Cresselia not learning Dazzling Gleam, even though it is said in its Pokédex entry that its wings shine brightly during moonlight
- Espeon not learning Solar Beam, despite being the Sun Pokémon.
- every dog-like Pokémon not learning Lick also makes no sense.

That's all I can think of atm.

 

[Their Goominess]

Okay, here goes... *deep breath*
- Lapras and Palkia not getting Scald, despite being water types
- Entei and Flareon not getting Fire Punch, despite being based on cats, who can punch with their paws. Flareon's animation for physical moves in Battle Revolution and Colosseum/XD even involve it punching its opponents with its paws.
- Espeon not learning Solar Beam, despite being the Sun Pokémon.
That's all I can think of atm.

1 - It's theorised that all the Water/Ice types are unable to learn Scald because of their Ice type; it makes sense that an Ice type would probably be less able to shoot boiling water. Palkia... that's pretty odd, especially considering it's able to learn both Flamethrower and Fire Blast.

2 - The description for Fire Punch specifically says fist, and all but one (Gastly) Pokemon that learn it all have some form of hands (and Gastly's evolutions have hands which they can use the move with). (does this point also mean that Raikou & Jolteon should be able to learn Thunder Punch, and Glaceon be able to learn Ice Punch?)

3 - Most Eeveelutions can't learn high powered moves from other Eeveelution types (minus Vaporeon and Ice Beam/Blizzard which pretty much all water types learn anyway). It's probably due to this 'rule' that Umbreon can't learn Moonblast, even though it arguably has more association with the moon/nighttime than Sylveon.

 

[Scattered mind]

- Black Kyurem not getting Ice Punch, despite having arms and hands big enough to crush the backbone of every Pokémon smaller than itself.
.

And despite having a fist covered with.. ice.

 

[MegaBeedrill]

Bisharp, a knight, learns Stealth Rocks.
Dunsparce, a weak snake, learns Stealth Rocks.
Chansey, a fat pink blob, learns Stealth Rocks.
Infernape, a monkey, learns Stealth Rocks.
Empoleon, a Penguin, learns Stealth Rocks.

Zygarde, a legendary massive ground type snake pokemon that controls the environment and restores order to the ecosystem, can't learn Stealth Rocks....

and don't even get me started on fly's distribution..

 

[crystal_pidgeot]

Pidgeot doesn't get Focus Blast
Pidgeot doesn't get Boomburst, despite being able to fly twice the speed of sound
Pidgeot, being a bird should get Sing but doesn't, but the eeveelutions do
Zapdos and Moltres dont get Hurricane
Zapdos and Articuno dont get Air Slash
Why doesn't Zapdos have any flying type special moves worth using? At least give it Gust.
Birds normally have very detailed mating displays, so why not give them Quiver Dance. What, People dont want to see Mega Pidgeot or Articuno with Quiver Dance? I do.

 

[Their Goominess]

Pidgeot doesn't get Focus Blast
Birds normally have very detailed mating displays, so why not give them Quiver Dance. What, People dont want to see Mega Pidgeot or Articuno with Quiver Dance? I do.

Quiver Dance's Japanese name is Butterfly Dance, which is why the move is a) Bug type and b) given to all the butterfly/moth Pokemon (plus Lilligant). Although I would like to see it get a bit more distribution (even if just to other Bug types), Gardevoir getting it being one of my personal wants.

Also, super agreed on Pidgeot + Focus Blast/Boomburst/Sing, particularly for Mega Pidgeot being able to abuse 100% accurate Focus Blasts and Sings.

 

[crystal_pidgeot]

Quiver Dance's Japanese name is Butterfly Dance, which is why the move is a) Bug type and b) given to all the butterfly/moth Pokemon (plus Lilligant). Although I would like to see it get a bit more distribution (even if just to other Bug types), Gardevoir getting it being one of my personal wants.

Also, super agreed on Pidgeot + Focus Blast/Boomburst/Sing, particularly for Mega Pidgeot being able to abuse 100% accurate Focus Blasts and Sings.

Yeah, I know but also remember that Crawdaunt, Whicash, and Tropius learn Dragon Dance, despite being dragon. Also, a lot of insects mimic smaller birds in the wild and or live along side them in terms of defense, so Quiver Dance isn't so far out there.

I for one would love to have sing on Pidgeot. It would be very helpful in VGC to put threats to sleep. Im all too tired of spore and its 100% hit chance.

 

[CF1994]

-Barbaracle cannot learn Waterfall.
-Tornadus cannot learn Brave Bird, even though his Therian Form resembles one..
-Malamar does not learn Sucker Punch, X-Scissor or Poison Jab.
-Pangoro also cannot learn Sucker Punch. Yes, I am aware it is not technically a punching move, but it fits.
-Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist can't learn Flare Blitz.
-Aerodactyl, Archen and Archeops don't learn Brave Bird.

 

[alex020295]

Swords dance distribution is also dumb Hoopip can learn SD but a pokemon like Ariados can't...
Also why can't all birds defog?(they have wings duhh..)
Also GF bring back sucker punch move tutor.

 

[Missingno. Master]

-Barbaracle cannot learn Waterfall.

Absolutely stupid. It's like they didn't think anyone would actually want to use one in-game. Like I did in X.

-Pumpkaboo and Gourgeist can't learn Flare Blitz.

With those two, I think the bigger issue is the fact that they don't have the good Special Attack to take advantage of Flamethrower.

-Aerodactyl, Archen and Archeops don't learn Brave Bird.

Sucks for Aerodactyl, but probably not a bad thing for the latter two- considering what their Ability is, are recoil moves- with STAB, no less!- really the best things for them?

 

[thegrovylekid]

Weedle doesn't learn Horn attack, despite having pretty noticable horn on its head.

 

[GarbodorLover]

- Regigigas can't learn Rest or Protect, even though every other Pokemon that can learn TMs can learn them!

- Darmanitan can't learn V-Create. Have you seen its eyebrows?! They literally make a V out of fire!

 

[Missingno. Master]

Weedle doesn't learn Horn attack, despite having pretty noticable horn on its head.

I would say something about Beedrill not having a horn on its head, but then, that really wouldn't be fair, considering Karrablast can learn Horn Attack and Megahorn. Honestly, Weedle should get Megahorn either as a level-up move beyond level 10 or as an Egg move.

- Regigigas can't learn Rest or Protect, even though every other Pokemon that can learn TMs can learn them!

That one makes sense in a way, actually- they didn't want to make it easy for it to stall out the five turns of Slow Start. Don't really agree with that, personally, but that's why they do it nonetheless.

- Darmanitan can't learn V-Create. Have you seen its eyebrows?! They literally make a V out of fire!

This one I absolutely agree with, even moreso after seeing TyranitarTube's Alpha Sapphire Extreme Randomizer Nuzlocke. And it wouldn't be the first legendary-only signature move to lose said status, either. *looks at the Honedge line getting Sacred Sword* Now imagine if that happened, AND if Sheer Force was altered so that negative side effects of moves made them count towards activating the Ability.

 

[Metalizard]

I think there was a similar thread before but wtv... I'm still annoyed by the fact that the Tao Trio can't learn Earthquake despite other similar legendary and a lot of airbone pokémon being able to learn it...
Yeah, and that Black Kyurem thing also gets on my nerves...

 

[TheWicky]

I would say something about Beedrill not having a horn on its head, but then, that really wouldn't be fair, considering Karrablast can learn Horn Attack and Megahorn. Honestly, Weedle should get Megahorn either as a level-up move beyond level 10 or as an Egg move.

But...Karrablast HAS a horn...

This one I absolutely agree with, even moreso after seeing TyranitarTube's Alpha Sapphire Extreme Randomizer Nuzlocke. And it wouldn't be the first legendary-only signature move to lose said status, either. *looks at the Honedge line getting Sacred Sword* Now imagine if that happened, AND if Sheer Force was altered so that negative side effects of moves made them count towards activating the Ability.

So I really wouldn't be surprised if they distributed an event Darma with V-Create, but it is a legendary signature move first and foremost, so it has its reasons for the limited distribution between just two Pokemon. I think the theme there is that it can only be used by Pokemon capable of quickly generating the energy for the attack. It's kind of like arguing that Porygon should be able to learn Techno Blast...which would actually be kinda fun...