For a complete list of moves, see List of moves.

Moves, also named attacks, are actions that can be both learned by a Pokémon and used during a Pokémon battle. In some cases, moves can be used in the field.

Description[]

Usage[]

A Pokémon Trainer often commands one of their Pokémon to use a move while trying to catch a wild Pokémon, because subtracting their HP increases the likelihood of the Pokémon being caught by a Poké Ball successfully. In Pokémon battles that involves competition between trainers, each side has a goal of commanding their Pokémon to use moves until every Pokémon on the opposing side has been defeated.

Wild Pokémon instinctively use moves to protect themselves from a trainer and their Pokémon. There have been cases where wild Pokémon have used moves to attack a trainer directly outside of battle.

A Pokémon can use only one move during each turn of a battle before the opposing Pokémon has their turn. Moves that inflict damage have a chance of being registered as a critical hit, dealing more damage to the targeted Pokémon than normal.

Certain moves learned from an HM can be used on the overworld to allow the player to overcome obstacles and therefore explore more areas. Such moves are defined as field moves, and the most common one of this type is Surf, allows the player to travel on a surface of water while sitting on a Pokémon. A TM can sometimes fulfill this purpose, such as Teleport, which takes the player to the entrance of the most recently visited Pokémon Center. This practice has been discontinued as of Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield.

Pokémon use moves in Pokémon Contests for judges to rank based on condition and the moves used. The five conditions include Cool, Beauty, Cute, Clever, and Tough.

Learning[]

The moves that a Pokémon can use and learn depends mainly on its type and its appearance. All Pokémon cannot learn and use every move matching their type, because its moveset corresponds mainly to its physiology, not its type. For example, a Flying-type Pokémon like Gyarados cannot learn Wing Attack because it lacks the limbs that enable it to do so. One of the only moves that the Water-type Pokémon Magikarp can use is Splash

A Pokémon can naturally learn moves by leveling up, because it learns a certain move upon reaching a certain level. Newborn Pokémon that hatch from an egg produced in a Pokémon Day Care by a male or female Pokémon inherit one move from the father; as of Generation VI, the move can be alternatively inherited from the mother. Some Pokémon can learn certain moves only when they evolve, regardless of level.

Certain items can teach a Pokémon a move, including TMs, HMs, and TRs, though the Pokémon has to be able to learn it. In the first four generations, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl, and since Generation IX, a move can be taught to only one Pokémon before disappearing. Meanwhile, a move from an HM can be taught to an unlimited number of Pokémon capable of using the move. From Generation V to lastly Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, a move can be taught from a TM to as many Pokémon as desired, giving TMs the same role as HMs. TRs have always been single-use items.

Moves are taught by certain Move Tutors, especially moves that a Pokémon cannot learn otherwise. Most Move Tutors each have a different set of moves that they can teach. In Generation III, there is the similar Move Reminder, which allow Pokémon to relearn moves that they had forgotten, more specifically ones learned from leveling up.

Forgetting[]

In the core series, a Pokémon can only know up to four moves. If the Pokémon wants to learn a new move atop the four they already know, the game prompts the player to select a move for their Pokémon to forget so that it can learn the new move in its place. The only exception to this is an HM, unless the player talks to a Move Deleter, who can make a Pokémon forget any move, unless the Pokémon knows how to use only one move.

At the Pokémon Day Care, any Pokémon knowing four moves automatically forgets the first existing move on their list upon leveling up.

Inaccessibility[]

Until Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon, all of the moves from previous generations were programmed into the video games, but this had been changed since the release of Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!. A standard had been established in the Nintendo Switch installments of the core series in that not every move from earlier generations is programmed into the games. If the player transfers a Pokémon from Pokémon HOME to Pokémon Sword or Pokémon Shield and that Pokémon knows at least unprogrammed move, attempting to use the move causes a message to display stating that it cannot be used. If such a Pokémon is transferred from Pokémon HOME into a game of the core series from Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Pokémon Shining Pearl onward, the unprogrammed moves are each replaced with moves that the Pokémon learns when leveling up.

Features[]

Type[]

All moves are of only one type, unlike Pokémon, which can have up to two. Each move has advantages and disadvantages, depending on its type and the type of the targeted Pokémon. As an example, the Psychic-type move Psybeam gives different damage outputs depending on the type of a Pokémon: slightly effective (×1/2) on a Steel-type Pokémon; very effective (×2) against a Fighting-type Pokémon, regular effective (×1) on a Rock-type Pokémon, and no effect (×0) on a Dark-type Pokémon. If a Pokémon is a dual type, both of its types influence the amount of damage the move inflicts upon them, so that Pokémon can receive up to ×4 damage if both of its types are vulnerable to the type of the move. This would mean that a move like Psybeam would inflict ×4 damage on a Poison/Fighting-type Pokémon, such as Croagunk or Toxicroak.

Some moves have had their type changed throughout the generations:

• Sand Attack: Normal to Ground
• Sweet Kiss: Normal to Fairy
• Charm: Normal to Fairy
• Karate Chop: Normal to Fighting
• Moonlight: Normal to Fairy
• Curse: ??? to Ghost
• Bite: Normal to Dark
• Gust: Normal to Flying

Category[]

There are three category of moves: Physical, Special, and Status. Physical moves inflict direct damage to the target, and the damage output is based on the user's Attack stat and the target's Defense stat. Special moves are similar, except they are based on the user's Special Attack stat and the target's Special Defense stat, though some of them are affected by the Defense stat. Status moves are usually focused on either inflicting a status condition or affecting either the user's or target's statistics during battle.

Power[]

Power is a numeric variable of physical and special moves. The power of a move cannot be changed, and the higher it is, the more damage the move inflicts upon a target.

Accuracy[]

Accuracy is the likelihood of a move hitting an opponent. Many moves have an accuracy rating of 100, meaning they always hit (unless the user's accuracy has been decreased from either certain status moves from an opponent or a sandstorm). Moves with higher power often have lower accuracy to compensate. Some moves such as Aura Sphere do not have accuracy, making them guaranteed to hit, nor do moves that a Pokémon uses on itself, such as Growth.

PP[]

PP is the number of times that a Pokémon can perform a certain move, averaging at either 20 or 25. Basic moves have a higher PP, which going as high as 40 for moves like Growl, and stronger moves have lower PP, going as low as 5 for moves like Hyper Beam. A move can have its PP increased by one via a PP Up or by 160% using a PP Max. Each move's PP can usually be recharged from a Pokémon Center, but some are done using Ethers and their stronger variations.

All Pokémon have an extra backup move called Struggle, which is only activated when the Pokémon either has no PP for any of its moves or is in a state of being unable to use its moves. The main drawback of using Struggle is that it reduces the HP of the Pokémon using it. Struggle is the only move that cannot be removed by a Move Deleter, because it is not in one of the four slots.

Target[]

The target of a move determines who it is used on. In single battles, moves target either the opponent or the user, but the player cannot choose their target. Because of this, selecting the target applies more to Double Battles and Triple Battles, which have more than one target. However, this means that a move can possibly damage an ally. The different targets are listed as follows:

Additional effect[]

Certain moves have a probability of 10% to 70% of causing an additional effect when used. Examples of additional effects include inflicting a status condition on the target, increasing the user's stats, reducing the target's stats, or frightening the target.

A few abilities affect moves with an additional effect. Sheer Force increases the power of moves with an additional effect by 30%, but without the additional ever working. Shield Dust protects the target from any move with an additional effect.

Contact[]

Certain moves have contact, which determines whether the user has to touch the opponent for the move to be effective. Most physical moves make contact, while most special moves do not, and none of the status moves can make contact.

Priority[]

The priority of a move determines which Pokémon goes first in a turn, regardless of their Speed statistic. If two moves have the same priority, the Pokémon with the higher gets to attack first.

Same-type attack bonus[]

STAB, as it is commonly abbreviated, is the ability for a move to inflict extra damage at ×1.5 if its type matches that of the Pokémon using it.

Evolutionary moves[]

As of Generation IV, certain Pokémon can evolve upon learning a certain move:

• Aipom into Ambipom from learning Double Hit
• Bonsly into Sudowoodo from learning Mimic
• Mime Jr. into Mr. Mime from learning Mimic
• Lickitung into Lickilicky from learning Rollout
• Piloswine into Mamoswine from learning Ancient Power
• Tangela into Tangrowth from learning Ancient Power
• Yanma into Yanmega from learning Ancient Power

Even though Ancient Power or Rollout could be used by certain Pokémon even before Generation IV, they could not evolve through this method because their evolved form had not been introduced yet.

As of Generation VI, Eevee has an evolution named Sylveon, which it can evolve into from learning any Fairy-type move, which also requires it to have two levels of affection. Since Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield, this was changed to requiring a high enough friendship level instead.

As of Generation VII, two species of Pokémon were introduced that can evolve from learning a certain move:

• Steenee into Tsareena from learning Stomp
• Poipole into Naganadel from learning Dragon Pulse

As of Generation VIII, two species of Pokémon were introduced that can evolve from learning a certain move:

• Clobbopus into Grapploct from learning Taunt
• Hisuian Qwilfish into Overqwil from learning Barb Barrage (and using it twenty times in Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet)

As of Generation IX, two species of Generation II Pokémon received an evolution from learning a specific move, a Generation I Pokémon from using a certain move twenty times, and another Pokémon introduced that generation:

• Dunsparce into Dudunsparce from learning Hyper Drill
• Girafarig into Farigiraf from learning Twin Beam
• Primeape into Annihilape from learning Rage Fist and using it twenty times nonsecutively
• Dipplin into Hydrapple from learning Dragon Cheer

Appearances[]

Core series[]

Pokémon Legends: Arceus[]

In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, moves can be used normally or from move mastery, which is divided into two categories: agile style and strong style. Agile style allows the user to have their turn sooner, but the drawback is that the move inflicts lower damage. Strong style increases the power, accuracy, and likelihood of a secondary effect, except it decreases the user's speed.

Two species of Pokémon have to use a certain move twenty times in either strong style or agile style before they can level up. Hisuian Qwilfish has to use Barb Barrage in strong style twenty times before it can evolve into Overqwil, and Stantler has to use Psyshield Bash twenty times in agile style to evolve into Wyrdeer.

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet[]

Moves no longer have an associated move mastery mechanic as of Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. Besides this, Hisuian Qwilfish and Stantler can still evolve by simply using Barb Barrage and Psyshield Bash twenty times, respectively.

Spinoffs[]

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series[]

In the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series, Pokémon take turns using moves in battle, a mechanic used by playable characters and enemies within the Mystery Dungeon games in general.

Moves in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series are specifically based on their appearances in the core series. Move retain their power, accuracy, and PP. They can also be learned by Pokémon at the same levels as in the core series; more specifically, moves in a game or paired games of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series can be learned at the same levels as in the most recent game or paired games of the core series at its time of release:

• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team reuses its learnset for leveling up from Pokémon Ruby Version, Pokémon Sapphire Version, and Pokémon Emerald Version
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness reuses its learnset for leveling up from Pokémon Diamond Version and Pokémon Pearl Version
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky reuses its learnset for leveling up from Pokémon Platinum Version
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity reuses its learnset for leveling up from Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2
• Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon reuses its learnset for leveling up from Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire
• Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX reuses its learnset for leveling up from Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon

Pokémon Ranger series[]

In the Pokémon Ranger games, the trainer can have a Pokémon use a field move to overcome an obstacle, much like in the core series.

Pokémon GO[]

More information about Move can be read on the Pokémon GO Wiki.

In Pokémon GO, each Pokémon has only two moves: a Fast Attack, which has low power but can be used at any time, and a Charged Attack, a move inflicting more damage though is usable only when the energy bar is full. Moves are usable in Gyms, Raids, and Trainer Battles against non-playable characters or other human players.

Crossover[]

Super Smash Bros. series[]

More information about Move can be read on Smashpedia.

In the Super Smash Bros. series, moves are used by fighters in a general context, but for the Pokémon fighters, nearly all of their moves originate from their home franchise, excluding Pokémon Trainer's Triple Finish. Pokémon spawned from Poké Balls and in the Saffron City stage each use only one move.

Anime[]

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Moves are used differently in the anime than in the games. Pokémon commonly improvise their attacks during a battle, and in most of the battles, they are shown to be capable of dodging attacks, which they are unable to do in the core series.

Moves are referred to as attacks in the 4Kids Entertainment dub of Pokémon the Series, but in the Pokémon USA dubbing of the series, they are referred to as moves.