I’m sure we're all familiar with TMs and HMs. They are where we get some of our best moves from. Some moves have stayed in their place since Red/Blue/Yellow. Others have been ousted and never to be seen as a TM again, whether it be for better or for worse. In addition to Location and History, commentary on each gen's TM/HM will be provided by me from GIGA_BOWSER01.
TMs and HMs are where we get most of our moves for making our Pokémon more versatile and fitting them to what strategies we intend on carrying out. Whether it be Ice Beam on a Water-type, Calm Mind to stat up for a better Special Attacker, or Earthquake just because it’s powerful and downright useful, They‘re quite valuable for making our Pokémon all they can be. {tab=RSEFRLG}
Descriptions/Locations: (Note that I am doing locations only for R/S/E and Fr/Lg.) * Means it can be obtained more than once in a certain version. TM01: Focus Punch R/S/E*: Route 115, Pick-Up in Emerald (Levels 71-90) Fr/Lg: Silph Co.
TM02: Dragon Claw R/S/E: Meteor Falls Fr/Lg: Victory Road
TM03: Water Pulse R/S/E: Sootopolis Gym Fr/Lg: Cerulean Gym
TM04: Calm Mind R/S/E: Mossdeep Gym Fr/Lg: Saffron gym
TM05: Roar R/S/E: Route 114 Fr*/Lg*: Route 4/Celadon Dept. Store (1,000)
TM06: Toxic R/S/E: Fiery Path Fr/Lg: Fuchsia gym
TM07: Hail R/S/E: Shoal Cave Fr/Lg: Victory Road
TM08: Bulk Up R/S/E: Dewford Gym Fr/Lg: Silph Co.
TM09: Bullet Seed R/S/E: Route 104 Fr/Lg: Mt. Moon
TM10: Hidden Power R*/S*/E*: Fortree City, Slateport Market (3,000) Fr*/Lg*: Pick-Up
TM11: Sunny Day R/S/E: Scorched Slab (Route 120) Fr/Lg: Safari Zone
TM12: Taunt R/S/E: Trick House Fr/Lg: Rocket Hideout
TM13: Ice Beam R*/S*/E*: Abandoned Ship, Mauville Game Corner (4,000 Game Coins) Fr*/Lg*: Celadon Game Corner (4,000 Game Coins)
TM14: Blizzard R*/S*/E*: Lilycove Dpt. Store (5,500) Fr/Lg: Pokemon Mansion
TM15: Hyper Beam R*/S*/E*: Lilycove Dpt. Store (7,500) Fr*/Lg*: Celadon Dpt. Store (7,500)
TM16: Light Screen R*/S*/E*: Lilycove Dpt. Store (3,000) Fr/Lg: Celadon Dpt. Store Roof
TM17: Protect R*/S*/E*: Lilycove Dpt. Store (3,000) Fr/Lg: Power Plant
TM18: Rain Dance R/S/E: Abandoned Ship Fr/Lg: Route 15
TM19: Giga Drain R/S/E: Route 123 Fr/Lg: Celadon Gym
TM20: Safeguard R*/S*/E*: Lilycove Dpt. Store (3,000) Fr/Lg: Celadon Dpt. Store Roof
TM21: Frustration R*/S*/E*: Pacifidlog Town Fr/Lg: Rocket Hideout
TM22: Solarbeam R/S/E: Safari Park Fr/Lg: Pokémon Mansion
TM23: Iron Tail R/S/E: Meteor Falls Fr*/Lg*: Celadon Game Corner (3,500 Game Coins)
TM24: Thunderbolt R*/S*/E*: Wattson (New Mauville Quest), Mauville Game Corner (4,000 Game Coins) Fr*/Lg*: Celadon Game Corner (4,000 Game Coins)
TM25: Thunder R*/S*/E*: Lilycove Dpt. Store (5,500) Fr/Lg: Power Plant
TM26: Earthquake R/S/E*: Seafloor Cavern, Emerald Pick-up (Levels 91-100) Fr/Lg: Viridian Gym
TM27: Return R*/S*/E*: Pacifidlog town Fr/Lg: Route 12
TM28: Dig R/S/E: Route 114 Fr*/Lg*: Cerulean City, Celadon Dpt. Store (2,000)
TM29: Psychic R*/S*/E*: Victory Road, Mauville Game Corner (3,500 Game Coins) Fr/Lg: Saffron City
TM30: Shadow Ball R/S/E: Mt. Pyre Fr*/Lg*: Celadon Game Corner (4,500 Game Coins)
TM31: Brick Break R/S/E: Sootopolis City Fr*/Lg*: Celadon Dpt. Store (3,000)
TM32: Double Team R*/S*/E*: Mauville City, Mauville Game Corner (1,500 Game Coins) Fr/Lg: Safari Zone
TM33: Reflect R*/S*/E*: Lilycove Dpt. Store (3,000) Fr/Lg: Celadon Dpt. Store Roof
TM34: Shock Wave R/S/E: Mauville Gym Fr/Lg: Vermillion Gym
TM35: Flamethrower R*/S*/E*: Mauville Game Corner (4,000 Game Coins) Fr*/Lg*: Celadon Game Corner (4,000 Game Coins)
TM36: Sludge Bomb R/S/E: Dewford town Fr/Lg: Five Island Rocket Warehouse
TM37: Sandstorm R/S/E: Desert/Route 111 Fr/Lg: Victory Road
TM38: Fire Blast R*/S*/E*: Lilycove Dpt. Store (5,500) Fr/Lg: Cinnabar Gym
TM39: Rock Tomb R/S/E: Rustboro Gym Fr/Lg: Pewter Gym
TM40: Aerial Ace R/S/E: Fortree Gym Fr/Lg: Route 9
TM41: Torment R/S/E: Slateport City Fr/Lg: Silph Co.
TM42: Facade R/S/E: Petalburg Gym Fr/Lg: Five Island Memorial Pillar (Leave a Lemonade as an Offering)
TM43: Secret Power R*/S*/E*: Route 111, Slateport City Fr*/Lg*: Celadon Dpt. Store (3,000)
TM44: Rest R/S/E*: Lilycove City, Emerald Pick Up (Levels 51-70) Fr/Lg: S.S. Anne
TM45: Attract R/S/E: Verdanturf Town Fr*/Lg*: Route 24, Celadon Dpt. Store (3,000)
TM46: Thief R/S/E: Slateport City Fr/Lg: Mt. Moon
TM47: Steel Wing R/S/E: Granite Cave Fr/Lg: Safari Zone
TM48: Skill Swap R/S/E: Mt. Pyre Fr/Lg: Route 12
TM49: Snatch R/S/E: S.S. Tidal Fr/Lg: Rocket Hideout
TM50: Overheat R/S/E: Lavaridge Gym Fr/Lg: Victory Road
HM1: Cut R/S/E: Cutter’s House in Rustboro Fr/Lg: S.S. Anne
HM2: Fly R/S/E: Route 119 Fr/Lg: Route 16
HM3: Surf R/S/E: Wally’s House in Petalburg Fr/Lg: End of Safari Zone
HM4: Strength R/S/E: Rusturf Tunnel Fr/Lg: Fuchsia Warden’s home (Give him his Gold Teeth from the Safari Zone)
HM5: Flash R/S/E: Granite Cave (The Hiker inside gives it to you) Fr/Lg: Route 2
HM6: Rock Smash R/S/E: Mauville City Fr/Lg: Ember Spa
HM7: Waterfall R/S/E: Cave of Origin Fr/Lg: Four Island Icefall Cave
HM8: Dive R/S/E: Mossdeep City Fr/Lg: N/A {tab=DP}
D/P TMs/HMs
TM 01 Focus Punch* - Oreburgh Gate/Pickup (Levels 71-90) TM 02 Dragon Claw - Mt. Coronet TM 03 Water Pulse - Ravaged Path TM 04 Calm Mind* - Battle Park (48 BP) TM 05 Roar - Route 213 TM 06 Toxic* - Route 212, Battle Park (32 BP) TM 07 Hail* - Route 217, Route 212 (10 Green Shards) TM 08 Bulk Up - Battle Park (48 BP) TM 09 Bullet Seed - Route 204 TM 10 Hidden Power* - Jubilife City, Veilstone Game Corner (10,000 coins) TM 11 Sunny Day* - Route 212 (10 Red Shards) TM 12 Taunt - Route 211 TM 13 Ice Beam* - Route 216, Veilstone Game Corner (10,000 coins) TM 14 Blizzard* - Veilstone Dept. Store (5,500), Lake Acuity TM 15 Hyper Beam* - Veilstone Dept. Store (7,500) TM 16 Light Screen* - Veilstone Dept. Store (2,000) TM 17 Protect* - Veilstone Dept. Store (2,000) TM 18 Rain Dance* - Route 223, Route 212 (10 Blue Shards) TM 19 Giga Drain - Route 209 TM 20 Safeguard* - Veilstone Dept. Store (2,000) TM 21 Frustation* - Galactic HQ, Veilstone Game Corner (8,000 coins) TM 22 Solarbeam* - Veilstone Dept. Store (3,000) TM 23 Iron Tail - Iron Island TM 24 Thunderbolt* - Valley Windworks, Veilstone Game Corner (10,000 coins) TM 25 Thunder* - Lake Valor, Veilstone Dept. Store (5,500) TM 26 Earthquake* - Wayward Cave, Battle Park (64 BP), Pickup (Levels 91-100) TM 27 Return* - Lost Tower, Veilstone Game Corner (8,000 coins) TM 28 Dig - Ruin Maniac Cave TM 29 Psychic* - Route 211, Veilstone Game Corner (10,000 coins) TM 30 Shadow Ball* - Route 210, Battle Park (40 BP) TM 31 Brick Break* - Oreburgh Gate, Battle Park (40 BP) TM 32 Double Team* - Wayward Cave, Veilstone Game Corner (4,000 coins) TM 33 Reflect* - Veilstone Dept. Store (2,000) TM 34 Shock Wave - Route 215 TM 35 Flamethrower* - Fuego Ironworks, Veilstone Game Corner (10,000 coins) TM 36 Sludge Bomb* - Galactic HQ, Battle Park (80 BP) TM 37 Sandstorm* - Route 228, Route 212 (10 Yellow Shards) TM 38 Fire Blast* - Lake Verity, Veilstone Dept. Store (5,500) TM 39 Rock Tomb - Ravaged Path TM 40 Aerial Ace* - Route 213, Battle Park (40 BP) TM 41 Torment - Victory Road TM 42 Facade - Survival Area TM 43 Secret Power - Amity Square TM 44 Rest* - Veilstone Game Corner (6,000 coins), Pickup (Levels 51-70) TM 45 Attract* - Amity Square, Battle Park (32 BP) TM 46 Thief - Eterna City TM 47 Steel Wing - Route 209 TM 48 Skill Swap - Canalave City TM 49 Snatch - Galactic HQ TM 50 Overheat - Stark Mountain TM 51 Roost - Route 210 TM 52 Focus Blast* - Veilstone Dept. Store (5,500) TM 53 Energy Ball* - Route 226, Battle Park (64 BP) TM 54 False Swipe* - Veilstone Dept. Store (2,000) TM 55 Brine - Pastoria Gym TM 56 Fling - Route 222 TM 57 Charge Beam - Sunyshore Gym TM 58 Endure* - Veilstone Game Corner (2,000 coins) TM 59 Dragon Pulse* - Victory Road, Battle Park (80 BP) TM 60 Drain Punch - Veilstone Gym TM 61 Will-O-Wisp - Battle Park (32 BP) TM 62 Silver Wind - Route 212 TM 63 Embargo - Veilstone City TM 64 Explosion - Game Corner (Complete 10+ consecutive Bonus Rounds on the slots) TM 65 Shadow Claw - Hearthome Gym TM 66 Payback - Route 215 TM 67 Recycle - Eterna City TM 68 Giga Impact* - Veilstone Game Corner (20,000 coins) TM 69 Rock Polish - Mt. Coronet TM 70 Flash* - Oreburgh Gate, Veilstone Dept. Store (1,000) TM 71 Stone Edge* - Victory Road, Battle Park (80 BP) TM 72 Avalanche - Snowpoint Gym TM 73 Thunder Wave* - Battle Park (32 BP) TM 74 Gyro Ball* - Veilstone Game Corner (15,000 coins) TM 75 Swords Dance* - Veilstone Game Corner (4,000 coins) TM 76 Stealth Rock - Oreburgh Gym TM 77 Psych Up - Route 211 TM 78 Captivate - Route 204 TM 79 Dark Pulse - Victory Road TM 80 Rock Slide - Mt. Coronet TM 81 X-Scissor - Route 221, Battle Park (64 BP) TM 82 Sleep Talk - Eterna Forest TM 83 Natural Gift* - Veilstone Game Corner (2,000 coins) TM 84 Poison Jab - Route 212 TM 85 Dream Eater - Valor Lakefront TM 86 Grass Knot - Eterna Gym TM 87 Swagger - Pokémon Mansion TM 88 Pluck - Floaroma Town TM 89 U-Turn* - Canalave City, Veilstone Game Corner (6,000 coins) TM 90 Substitute* - Old Chateau, Veilstone Game Corner (2,000 coins) TM 91 Flash Cannon - Canalave Gym TM 92 Trick Room - Valor Lakefront HM 01 Cut - Eterna City HM 02 Fly - Galactic Warehouse HM 03 Surf - Celestic Town HM 04 Strength - Lost Tower HM 05 Defog - Great Marsh HM 06 Rock Smash - Oreburgh Gate HM 07 Waterfall - Sunyshore City HM 08 Rock Climb - Route 217
{tab=Comparison Chart}
Here is a self-made chart of TMs and HMs through all three generations. ~ Means the move was the same as the last generation.
TM #| R/B/Y - G/S/C - R/S/Co/Fr/Lg/XD/E 1 | Mega Punch - Dynamic Punch - Focus Punch 2 | Razor Wind - Headbutt - Dragon Claw 3 | Swords Dance - Curse - Water Pulse 4 | Whirlwind - Rollout - Calm Mind 5 | Mega Kick - Roar - ~ 6 | Toxic - ~ - ~ 7 | Horn Drill - Zap Cannon - Hail 8 | Body Slam - Rock Smash - Bulk Up 9 | Take Down - Psych Up - Bullet Seed 10 | Double-Edge - Hidden Power - ~ 11 | Bubblebeam - Sunny Day - ~ 12 | Water Gun - Sweet Scent - Taunt 13 | Ice Beam - Snore - Ice Beam 14 | Blizzard - ~ - ~ 15 | Hyper beam - ~ - ~ 16 | Pay Day - Icy Wind - Light Screen 17 | Submission - Protect - ~ 18 | Counter - Rain Dance - ~ 19 | Seismic Toss - Giga Drain - ~ 20 | Rage - Endure - Safeguard 21 | Mega Drain - Frustration - ~ 22 | Solarbeam - ~ - ~ 23 | Dragon Rage - Iron Tail - ~ 24 | Thunderbolt - Dragonbreath - Thunderbolt 25 | Thunder - ~ - ~ 26 | Earthquake - ~ - ~ 27 | Fissure - Return - ~ 28 | Dig - ~ - ~ 29 | Psychic - ~ - ~ 30 | Teleport - Shadow Ball - ~ 31 | Mimic - Mud Slap - Brick Break 32 | Double Team - ~ - ~ 33 | Reflect - Ice Punch - Reflect 34 | Bide - Swagger - Shock Wave 35 | Metronome - Sleep Talk - Flamethrower 36 | Self destruct - Sludge Bomb - ~ 37 | Egg Bomb - Sandstorm - ~ 38 | Fire Blast - ~ - ~ 39 | Swift - ~ - Rock Tomb 40 | Skull Bash - Defense Curl - Aerial Ace 41 | Softboiled - Thunder Punch - Torment 42 | Dream Eater - ~ - Facade 43 | Sky Attack - Detect - Secret Power 44 | Rest - ~ - ~ 45 | Thunder Wave - Attract - ~ 46 | Psywave - Thief - ~ 47 | Explosion - Steel Wing - ~ 48 | Rock Slide - Fire Punch - Skill Swap 49 | Tri Attack - Fury Cutter - Snatch 50 | Substitute - Nightmare - Overheat H1 | Cut - ~ - ~ H2 | Fly - ~ - ~ H3 | Surf - ~ - ~ H4 | Strength - ~ - ~ H5 | Flash - ~ - ~ H6 | N/A - Whirlpool - Rock Smash H7 | N/A - Waterfall - ~ H8 | N/A - N/A - Dive {tab=RBYGSC} Here are the locations of the R/B/Y and G/S/C TMs:.
TM01: Mega Punch/Dynamic Punch
RBY: Mt. Moon/Celadon Dept. Store(2000) GSC: Cianwood Gym
TM02: Razor Wind/Headbutt
RBY: Rocket's Gamecorner Hideout GSC: Ilex Forest/Goldenrod Dept. Store(2000)
TM03: Swords Dance/Curse
RBY: Silph Co. GSC: Celadon city
TM04: Whilwind/Rollout
RBY: Route 4 GSC: Route 35
TM05: Mega Kick/Roar
RBY: Victory Road/Celadon Dept. Store(3000) GSC: Route 32
TM06: Toxic/---
RBY: Fuschia Gym GSC: Fuschia Gym
TM07: Horn Drill/Zap Cannon
RBY: Rocket's Gamecorner Hideout GSC: Power Plant
TM08: Body Slam/Rock Smash
RBY: S.S. Anne GSC: Route 36
TM09: Take Down/Psych Up
RBY: Saffron city/Celadon Dept. Store(3000) GSC: Traded Abra/Kadabras
TM10: Double Edge/Hidden Power
RBY: Rocket's Gamecorner Hideout GSC: Route 43/Celadon Dept. Store(3000)
TM11: Bubblebeam/Sunny Day
RBY: Cerulean Gym GSC: Goldenrod Radio Tower/Celadon Dept. Store(2000)
TM12: Water Gun/Sweet Scent
RBY: Mt. Moon GSC: Exit of Ilex Forest
TM13: Ice Beam/Snore
RBY: Roof of Celadon Dept. store GSC: Route 39
TM14: Blizzard/---
RBY: Cinnabar Island(Burned Mansion) GSC: Goldenrod Game corner exchange(5500 C)
TM15: Hyper Beam/---
RBY: Gamecorner exchange GSC: Celadon Gamecorner exchange(7500 C)
TM16: Pay Day/Icy Wind
RBY: Route 12 GSC: Mahogany Gym
TM17: Submission/Protect
RBY: Victory Road/Celadon Dept. Store(3000) GSC: Celadon Dept. Store(3000)
TM18: Counter/Rain Dance
RBY: Celadon Dept. Store GSC: Slowpoke Well/Celadon Dept. Store(2000)
TM19: Seismic Toss/Giga Drain
RBY: Route 25 GSC: Celadon Gym
TM20: Rage/Endure
RBY: Route 15 GSC: Burnt Tower
TM21: Mega Drain/Frustration
RBY: Celadon Gym GSC: Goldenrod Dept. Store on Sunday
TM22: Solarbeam/---
RBY: Cinnabar Island(Burnt Mansion) GSC: Route 27
TM23: Dragon Rage/Iron Tail
RBY: Gamecorner exchange GSC: Olivine Gym
TM24: Thunderbolt/Dragonbreath
RBY: Vermilion Gym GSC: Dragon's Den(After getting the Dragon Fang, or after doing the test in Crystal)
TM25: Thunder/---
RBY: Power Plant GSC: Goldenrod Gamecorner exchange(5500 C)
TM26: Earthquake/---
RBY: Silph Co. GSC: Victory Road
TM27: Fissure/Return
RBY: Viridian Gym GSC: Goldenrod Dept. store on Sunday
TM28: Dig/---
RBY: Cerulean city GSC: Outside of National Park
TM29: Psychic/---
RBY: Saffron city GSC: Safforn city
TM30: Teleport/Shadow Ball
RBY: Route 9 GSC: Ecruteak Gym
TM31: Mimic/Mud-Slap
RBY: Saffron city GSC: Violet Gym
TM32: Double Team/---
RBY: Celadon Dept. Store(1000) GSC: Celadon Gamecorner exchange(1500 C)
TM33: Reflect/Ice Punch
RBY: Power Plant/Celadon Dept. Store(1000) GSC: Goldenrod Dept. Store(3000)
TM34: Bide/Swagger
RBY: Pewter Gym GSC: Lighthouse
TM35: Metronome/Sleep Talk
RBY: Cinnibar Lab GSC: Goldenrod Dept. Store basement
TM36: Self-Destruct/Sludge Bomb
RBY: Silph Co. GSC: Route 43
TM37: Egg Bomb/Sandstorm
RBY: Safari Zone/Celadon Dept. Store(2000) GSC: House outside Tojho Falls
TM38: Fire Blast/---
RBY: Cinnibar Gym GSC: Goldenrod Gamecorner exchange(5500 C)
TM39: Swift/---
RBY: Route 12(Lookout) GSC: Union Cave
TM40: Skull Bash/Defense Curl
RBY: Safari Zone GSC: Mt. Mortar
TM41: Softboiled/Thunderpunch
RBY: Celadon city GSC: Goldenrod Dept. Store(3000)
TM42: Dream Eater/---
RBY: Viridian city GSC: Viridian city
TM43: Sky Attack/Detect
RBY: Victory Road GSC: Lake of Rage
TM44: Rest/---
RBY: S.S. Anne GSC: Ice Cave
TM45: Thunderwave/Attract
RBY: Route 24 GSC: Goldenrod Gym
TM46: Psywave/Thief
RBY: Saffron Gym GSC: Rocket's Mahogany Hideout
TM47: Explosion/Steel Wing
RBY: Victory Road GSC: Route 28/Rock Tunnel
TM48: Rock Slide/Fire Punch
RBY: Roof of Celadon Dept. Store GSC: Goldenrod Dept. Store(3000)
TM49: Tri Attack/Fury Cutter
RBY: Roof of Celadon Dept. Store GSC: Azalea Gym
TM50: Substitute/Nightmare
RBY: Gamecorner exchange GSC: Route 31 {tab=Commentary} Commentary 1-30 provided by GIGA_BOWSER1:
TM01:
Mega Punch: An alright move, I guess. Not that great, but not that bad either. Body Slam outclasses it in R/B/Y.
Dynamic Punch: 100 power and automatic confusion is awesome, but that 50% accuracy isn't. A pretty situational move.
Focus Punch: By far the best TM01. Its used on many physical sweepers, and is amazing if you have good prediction skills.
Winner: 3rd Gen.
TM02:
Razor Wind: Not a very good move. It had high a Crt ratio IIRC, but it takes two turns to set up, and isn't very powerful anyway.
Headbutt: A good move for flinch hax, but that's about it. More useful outside of battle than it was inside battle in my opinion.
Dragon Claw: 3rd Gen wins TM02. While not used on too many Pokemon, it outclasses Razor Wind and Headbutt as a move.
Winner: 3rd Gen.
TM03:
Swords Dance: R/B/Y TM03 is awesome. Having your Atk increased by two levels is a bit hard to resist.
Curse: Probably the most popular move of the 2nd Gen. Swords Dance outclasses it in my opinion, but Curse is still awesome for slower Pokemon.
Water Pulse: Its an alright TM, but Surf is obviously better. I prefer power over a slight chance of confusion.
Winner: 1st Gen.
TM04:
Whirlwind: A useful move, but you don't really need it in R/B/Y, were the most offensive win. Would be better in the 3rd Gen.
Rollout: Should only be used in tandem with Defense Curl. Even then, I probably still wouldn't use it. Rock Slide is better.
Calm Mind: An amazing move for special sweepers. It allows them to hit hard, and take hard special hits. Smells like a winner to me.
Winner: 3rd Gen.
TM05:
Mega Kick: Would be better if it weren't so darn innacurate. Its an alright move, I guess. Hyper Beam outclasses it in R/B/Y.
Roar: A great move for tanks. Very useful for when an opponent starts raising their stats. Just watch out for Soundproof in the 3rd Gen.
Winner: 2nd/3rd Gen.
TM06:
Toxic: Very few things used Toxic in R/B/Y, so it wasn't that useful there. Its best used in the 2nd and 3rd Gens, to go with more stallish tactics.
Winner: ---
TM07:
Horn Drill: Ugh, a OHKO move. Its cheap, looked down upon, and it makes the game more luck based. DONT USE IT.
Zap Cannon: The guy in the Power Plant in G/S/C sums up what I want to say here: "It doesn't always hit, but it sure packs a whallop!".
Hail: Probably the least used weather move. Its just like Sandstorm, but no Pokemon has any ability to go with it, nor does it activate automatically upon a Pokemon's entry.
Winner: 2nd Gen.
TM08:
Body Slam: A great move for inducing Paralasis on opposing Pokemon. Its pretty powerful, and has a 100% hit rate as well.
Rock Smash: It sometimes lowers opponent's Def, but that's it. Never use this move inside of battle.
Bulk Up: Just like Calm Mind, except for physical sweepers and instead. Outclasses Curse, as it doesn't lower Spd in the process.
Winner: 3rd Gen.
TM09:
Take Down: Its somewhat powerful, but it isn't that accurate and you take recoil damage. Not recommended.
Psych Up: A useful move for stopping Cursers in their tracks. That's all there really is to it.
Bullet Seed: Probably the worst TM in the 3rd Gen. Its incredibly weak, and there are better grass moves out there.
Winner: 2nd Gen.
TM10:
Double Edge: Outclasses Take Down by a good margin. It has 100% accuracy, and is more powerful than Take Down. If you do alot of damage though, you'll take more recoil damage.
Hidden Power: Very useful move in both the 2nd and 3rd Gens. It allowed Pokemon to have move types they couldn't normally have, and widened certain Pokemon's movepools.
Winner: 2nd/3rd Gen.
TM11:
Bubblebeam: With Surf around, I see no real reason to use this. The chance of lower the opponent's is Spd is nifty, though.
Sunny Day: Very useful for Solarbeamers and fire types in general. Even more useful in the 3rd Gen.
Winner: 2nd/3rd Gen.
TM12:
Water Gun: Lol, Water Gun. Honestly, there is no reason to use this. You're best off just tossing it and not letting it waste a spot in your inventory.
Sweet Scent: Not very useful in battle, nor do I find it to help that much outside of battle. I wouldn't use it.
Taunt: A great move for stopping things like Skarmory in their tracks. Its best used by a fast Pokemon.
Winner: 3rd Gen.
TM13:
Ice Beam: Outclassed by Blizzard in R/B/Y, but its the best Ice move in the 3rd gen. Can't believe they got rid of it in the 2nd Gen...
Snore: ...Don't use this. If you want to use a move while you're sleeping, go with Sleep Talk instead.
Winner: 1st/3rd Gen.
TM14:
Blizzard: A great move in the 1st Gen, but it lost its usefulness in the next two generations. It suffered from losing hit rate.
Winner: ---
TM15:
Hyper Beam: Like Blizzard, it was nerfed in the generations following the first. If you KOed a Pokemon with Hyper Beam in R/B/Y, you didn't have to recharge.
Winner: ---
TM16:
Pay Day: Somewhat useful if you needed some extra cash, but please don't use it in a serious battle.
Icy Wind: It lacked power, but it lowered the opponent's Spd every time it hit. I would still use Ice Beam over it.
Light Screen: A great move for Pokemon that lack Sp. Def, and protects the entire team from Sp. Atks.
Winner: 3rd Gen.
TM17:
Submission: R/B/Y lacked many fighting moves, so Submission had to do. It doesn't hit all the time, isn't extremely powerful, and you took recoil damage.
Protect: More useful in the 3rd Gen. with the inclusion of double battles. The only thing you can really do with this move in a single battle is stall.
Winner: 2nd/3rd Gen.
TM18:
Counter: Unfortunatly, Counter only worked on Normal and Fighting type moves in R/B/Y, so Counter wasn't as useful as it is now.
Rain Dance: Just like Sunny Day, except it benifets water types and Swift Swim Pokemon. Double STAB on water attacks is fun.
Winner: 2nd/3rd Gen.
TM19:
Seismic Toss: Seismic Toss and other set-damage moves come in handy when the opponent has high Def. Otherwise, I would probably use Submission or something over it.
Giga Drain: I don't like Giga Drain that much. Its not powerful, has horrible PP, and the healing benifets it brings don't make up for it.
Winner: 1st Gen.
TM20:
Rage: Its a basic move that I would ditch for something like Body Slam or Hyper Beam later on. I don't like how you have to keep using it for it to be useful.
Endure: The first part of the infamous "Endure+Reversal" combo. Endure down to 1 Hp, and Reversal away.
Safeguard: Its helpful for warding off status effects for a while, but I don't like using up a moveslot for it...
Winner: 2nd Gen.
TM21:
Mega Drain: Its basically, a weaker Giga Drain with more PP. In R/B/Y, I would just use Solarbeam or something.
Frustration: The most powerful attack that doesn't have any drawbacks when your Pokemon dislikes you alot. Its easier(and less expensive) to get Pokemon to like you though, so I would use Return in the long run.
Winner: 2nd/3rd Gen.
TM22:
Solarbeam: Welcome to the best Grass TM there is. It got better in the generations following the 1st with the addition of Sunny Day.
Winner: ---
TM23:
Dragon Rage: The best move for the Pika Cup in Stadium, but becomes worse when the opponent's level is higher.
Iron Tail: Its powerful, but inaccurate. Steel isn't a very good offensive type, as many things resist steel attacks.
Winner: 2nd/3rd Gen.
TM24:
Thunderbolt: An awesome electric type attack that can even paralyze. Like Ice Beam, it was removed in the 2nd Gen. for no apparant reason...
Dragonbreath: Dragonbreath isn't very powerful, but it can paralyze. Only use this on things like Kingdra, who get STAB on it.
Winner: 1st/3rd Gen.
TM25:
Thunder: Outclassed by Thunderbolt due to hit disadvantages. If you want a little bit more "umph", Thunder might be for you.
Winner: ---
TM26:
Earthquake: The 2nd most powerful move without any drawbacks(First being Return/Frustration). Its used on many Pokemon, and for good reasons.
Winner: ---
TM27:
Fissure: Just like Horn Drill, except it doesn't hit flying types. Its cheap, so don't use it.
Return: Its the same thing as Frustration, except its power is based off of how much your Pokemon likes you.
Winner: 2nd/3rd Gen.
TM28:
Dig: Useful for getting out of caves, but use Earthquake instead if you're a serious battler.
Winner: ---
TM29:
Psychic: Most powerful Psychic move without any drawbacks. It even has a chance of lowering the opponent's Sp. Def.
Winner: ---
TM30:
Teleport: If you absolutly have to get to a Pokemon Center quickly in R/B/Y, use Teleport. In battle, don't ever use it.
Shadow Ball: A great Ghost-type move that has a chance of lowering Sp. Def. Great for Pokemon that can't normally hit Ghost types.
Giga_Bowser01's commentary on TMs 31-50:
TM31:
Mimic: Surprisingly useful for Pokemon with poor movepools, or just to get one of your opponent’s you think is useful.
Mud-Slap: “It is both offensive and defensive”. What Falkner says is true, but Earthquake is much better in the long-run. Mud-Slap isn’t all that useful.
Brick Break: Brick Break is kinda meh. It has decent power, and destroys Reflect/Light Screen, but most Pokemon that learn Brick Break learn many more useful things.
Winner: 1st Gen.
TM32:
Double Team: Useful and fun to use ingame, but frowned upon in competitive battling. It makes the game more luck based, and there’s no way to stop it unless you Roar/Whirlwind/Snatch, etc.
Winner: ---
TM33:
Reflect: Reflect is nifty, but not as useful in R/B/Y due to the fact that it only affected that Pokemon that used it. Good for stalling, I guess.
Ice Punch: A pretty good alternative to Ice Beam, which was missing in G/S/C. Not as many Pokemon learn it IIRC, but still one of the better TMS of G/S/C.
Winner: 2nd Gen.
TM34:
Bide: Like Water Gun, Bide is so useless, it should be tossed to make room for items that are actually useful. Bide allows your opponent to set up/do whatever they want while you’re biding.
Swagger: Downright dangerous if used in tandem with Screech. I’d be careful using it on physical sweepers, as you’ll be hit hard if they’re able to attack.
Shock Wave: With things like Thunderbolt, there really is no reason for Shock Wave. Thunderbolt is so accurate anyway, so why do you need Shock Wave?
Winner: 2nd Gen.
TM35:
Metronome: Metronome is fun, but please don’t use it in serious match. Its too random for it to be of any use.
Sleep Talk: Rest+Sleep Talk was very popular in the G/S/C metagame. It allows you to use a random attack while you’re sleeping. Too cool.
Flamethrower: Not as powerful as Fire Blast, but more accurate. It is generally preferred over Fire Blast in some cases merely because of its accuracy.
Winner: 3rd Gen.
TM36:
Self-Destruct: Good, but overshadowed by Explosion. There are a few things that learn Self-Destruct, but not Explosion(Like Snorlax), so this is still useful.
Sludge Bomb: The most powerful no-drawback Poison attack there is. 30% of poisoning something on contact is just nasty. Watch out for Steels, though.
Winner: 2nd/3rd Gen. TM37:
Egg-Bomb: While R/B/Y did have some awesome TMs, it is also known for its myriad of useless TMs. Egg-Bomb is one of these. Only four Pokemon learn it IIRC, and is inferior to Body Slam/Hyper Beam.
Sandstorm: Most players use Tyranitar in the 3rd Gen. for Sandstorms, this TM is still somewhat useful on things like Shuckle, Steelix, etc.
Winner: 2nd/3rd Gen.
TM38:
Fire Blast: A super strong fire attack that has pretty decent accuracy as well. Used on many things to counter Skarmory, and other random things that don’t resist it.
Winner: ---
TM39:
Swift: Swift is kinda like Shock Wave. Made useless due to stronger attacks of its type running rampant.
Rock Tomb: This attack is rather inaccurate, and Rock Slide outclasses it. The lowering Spd factor is still cool, though.
Winner: 3rd Gen.
TM40:
Skull Bash: Another useless R/B/Y TM. Ok, maybe you can use it to boost your Def, but you’ll be swiftly met by Gengar before you launch this attack.
Defense Curl: Only use in tandem with Rollout. Otherwise, use Curse over it.
Aerial Ace: A great alternative for Hidden Power[Flying]. Not only that, but it never misses, and has more PP IIRC.
Winner: 3rd Gen.
TM41:
Softboiled: Ok, what was the point of making a TM only two Pokemon can learn? And one of those Pokemon is unobtainable. At least Softboiled itself is useful.
Thunder Punch: This attack is a good alternative for those who can’t learn Thunderbolt, such as Typhlosion. Again, one of the better G/S/C TMs.
Torment: Encore+Torment can be fun, and so is using it on Choice Banders. Not only that, but it can stop things from setting up as quickly.
Winner: 2nd Gen.
TM42:
Dream Eater: Useful if you’re opponent doesn’t see it coming, but once they know, its useless. Nobody is going to fall for it twice.
Facade: Façade is pretty useful on stuff with the Guts ability. The strategy is to get them burned/poisoned, and proceed to sweeping away.
Winner: 3rd Gen.
TM43:
Sky Attack: A charge attack with only 90% accuracy? Sounds like a loser to me. But with the lack of decent flying moves in R/B/Y, you’re left with no other choice.
Detect: It’s the exact same thing as Protect. Only it’s a fighting type move, and not as many Pokemon learn it.
Secret Power: I’m still confused over how this attack works. It seems to change depending on the location, though. Don’t use in battle.
Winner: 3rd Gen.
TM44:
Rest: Rest is awesome, especially in the 2nd and 3rd Gens, due to Mint/Chesto berries. Goes great with Sleep Talk too.
Winner: ---
TM45:
Thunder Wave: Thunder Wave is incredibly useful in R/B/Y, where the metagame revolved entirely around sweeping your opponent before they sweeped you. Paralysis destroys a Pokemon’s Spd.
Attract: Attract is kinda like confusion, except it lasts until the Pokemon switches out or is defeated, and only works on opposite Genders. Not very useful if you ask me.
Winner: 1st Gen.
TM46:
Psywave: Outclassed by the likes of Siesmic Toss and Night Shade. Its too random though, I’d use Psychic over it any day.
Thief: Great for stealing Leftovers and getting rare items from wild Pokemon. Other than that though, it doesn’t have a whole lot of use.
Winner: 2nd/3rd Gen.
TM47:
Explosion: Superior to Self-Destruct in terms of power. An excellent move for getting rid of something that annoys you, but at the cost of your own Pokemon.
Steel Wing: Steel is a pretty horrible attack type, but Steel Wing is one of the better steel attacks. It has a chance of raising Def, which is always nice.
Winner: 1st Gen.
TM48:
Rock Slide: Powerful, somewhat accurate, has a chance of flinching…yup, this move is pretty darn good.
Fire Punch: A fire type variation of Ice and Thunderpunch. Like its two counterparts, Fire Punch is a great TM in G/S/C.
Skill Swap: Useful in double battles for getting Traunt off of Slaking, but other than that, it doesn’t see a whole lot of use…
Winner: 1st Gen.
TM49:
Tri Attack: The only reason you would use this is for the slight chance of either a burn, paralysis, or a freeze. Body Slam and Hyper Beam outclass it in R/B/Y.
Fury Cutter: Its just like Rollout, except it doesn’t have a move that doubles its power before hand. It still gets props for being one of the only Bug attacks of the time.
Snatch: Heh heh, stealing Dragon Dances, Calm Minds, etc is so fun. If used right, you could really mess up you’re opponent’s team with this.
Winner: 3rd Gen.
TM50:
Substitute: If only this TM was in the 3rd Gen. In R/B/Y, Substitute did not block status effects(I think it did in Stadium, not sure), and Leftovers weren’t around to replenish lost health.
Nightmare: Just like Dream Eater, except worse. It drains your opponent’s Hp while they’re sleeping, but they can easily just switch out.
Overheat: Overheat is a wonderful move for physical sweeping fire types that can dispose of any Skarmory/other physical wall that trys to ruin their fun.
Winner: 3rd Gen. {/tabs}
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