Anime Pokemon knowing Egg, TM, or Tutor Moves Inexplicably?

[TPrower]

I see a lot of Pokemon in the anime who use moves that they could have only learned via TM, tutoring, or even by breeding. They can even be self-taught, like Iris's Excadrill teaching himself Focus Blast. What is your own opinion about this? Do you find it cheap, especially if it has no explanation, or do you feel it adds a nice bit of variety for tough situations?

 

[Supreme Leader Palpitoad]

It adds variety. Keep it on writers!

 

[YamiiDenryuu]

I have no problem with it. Actually, I'd rather see Pokemon learn all their available moves freely than have an awkward implementation of game mechanics in the show.

 

[Ben 10]

I'm only annoyed when they have impossible egg move combinations like Brock's Ludicolo.

 

[CynthiaLover]

I'm fine with it. Most of that is just game mechanics, and by now we know that game mechanics are almost non-existent in the anime. However, like Ray Koya said, when they create impossible combinations like Ludicolo, then it's a bit ridiculous. But other than that, it's a-okay with me. Adds some spice to the show.

 

[garrison-san]

I don't think that TMs even exist in the anime any way. The concept of automatically teaching a pokemon a new move by sticking a compact disc in it (goodness knows where) somewhat undermines the idea that pokemon are living, organic creatures and makes them seem more akin to robots or computer programs. It doesn't exactly fit with the pokemon world in the anime - to be honest, I have a hard enough time envisioning how it's supposed to work in the games.

 

[Necrozma]

I don't find it cheap, I find it simple. If a Pokémon can learn a move in the game in any way possible, then it can learn it or already know it in the anime. For example, Pikachu's Volt Tackle. Isn't Pikachu learning Volt Tackle just like that MUCH easier than having to breed a Volt Tackle Pichu? That's just too complicated and makes even less sense. Or Dawn getting a Buneary that lacks any interesting moves. This way, she gets a wild Buneary who already knows how to use Ice Beam. It does add more variety and it makes things way more interesting.

 

[Coffee]

It's not a problem for me, since we can't exactly retire Ash's Pikachu back in Battle Frontier just to get a different Pikachu with Volt Tackle, or things like that.

I'd appreciate more side arcs where they show them getting better at the moves they're learning, though. Most of us know BW wasn't big on training arcs, but you did see stuff like Oshawott and Scraggy getting better at Aqua Jet and Focus Blast, respecively. Scraggy should have gotten a better move tbh.

Even so, it often becomes an excuse for the writers to become lazy about move variety. A lot of Pokémon get the "just slap Ice Beam on it and call it a day" treatment.

 

[Master Cyrus]

I think it would be cool to actually have an ep based on TMs where ash and co defend someone against TR stealing the TMs and at the end have someone be rewarded with a TM move.

 

[Magma Bomb]

Move tutors, TMs and breeding for moves are RPG mechanics that wouldn't make much sense outside of the context of the games.

Take move tutors for an example. Why a Pokémon needs an specific guy in a certain route to learn move X? If he is anatomically able to learn it, wouldn't make more sense for it to learn it out of sheer training instead of relying on an specific person to learn an specific move? I mean, what kind of natural barrier would prevent it to learn how to use its own skills in the wild other than a game mechanic that only exists to not give easy access to certain moves to the player?
Using the same logic, it would be wierd for Ash to buy a move in a store for his Pokémon to download and learn it at Matrix speed. There are some things you just can't adapt.
Heck, I don't see a reason to give a maximum limit of four moves for Pokémon outside of the games context either since it doesn't make sense for you to forget an ability to give room to another in real life.

I have no problems with a Pokémon being able to learn these moves because I consider them inherent natural abilities of theirs they just learned how to use.
I have a problem, however, with Pokémon suddenly pulling new moves out of nowhere without prior training or foreshadowing just for the coolz and/or because the plot calls for it. But move combinations? Definitenitely not a problem.

 

[Muur]

I have no problem with it in the Anime. If they're able to learn and use the move, well then they're able to use it. Would really limit things if they had to tm the moves. Guess it could have filler where they go look for tms, would be odd though how would a disc work on a Pokemon?

 

[TPrower]

Based on all the responses thus far, I can see it was kinda silly to ask this question. I have no real issues with it, either. The problem is in Pokemon pulling these moves completely out of their asses without any preliminary warning, like Cilan's Stunfisk learning Scald or Pansage learning Rock Tomb. What I feel is necessary is bits in the storyline hinting at them discovering and developing these moves instead of happening off-camera. I have no problems with rivals or recurring Trainers' Pokemon having these moves, since we haven't been following them as much, but that doesn't excuse Pokemon belonging to the characters we've been following since episode 1 of the saga.

 

[YamiiDenryuu]

The problem is in Pokemon pulling these moves completely out of their asses without any preliminary warning, like Cilan's Stunfisk learning Scald or Pansage learning Rock Tomb. What I feel is necessary is bits in the storyline hinting at them discovering and developing these moves instead of happening off-camera. I have no problems with rivals or recurring Trainers' Pokemon having these moves, since we haven't been following them as much, but that doesn't excuse Pokemon belonging to the characters we've been following since episode 1 of the saga.

Honestly, I'd say that applies to level-up moves as well, not just "obscure" moves like TM/egg/tutor ones.

 

[matt0044]

I always thought that since TMs are discs, I thought they could be like Teachy TV and show Trainers how a Pokemon uses a TM move so they can practice in real life. You could use a portable laptop to play them.

I have no problem with it. Actually, I'd rather see Pokemon learn all their available moves freely than have an awkward implementation of game mechanics in the show.

So humans found a way to change creatures into energy and store them in ball but them making a device that can transfer knowledge to said creatures is too far'fetched?

Huh?