Move-of-the-Week Discussion #1 - Quash

[winstein]

In Pokemon, there are a lot of different moves used by different Pokemon. However, there are certain moves we don't normally see, or used in a meaningful manner. In this type of discussion, we shall discuss the ins-and-outs of the move of the topic, and there will be some base questions that will help you. Every Saturday, a different move will be discussed.

For the first week, we shall discuss Quash, a Generation 5 move that is somehow a TM too. According to the in-game description, "The user suppresses the target and makes its move go last". This is however, a general description of the move, so use your imagination on this one! There are some of the questions that would aid discussion, but you don't have to answer them all in one piece. Remember that you are free to ask other (critical) questions beyond these too! Questions:

• How does certain Pokemon (who knows it) use this move?
• What kind of purpose would this move have for them (in the Pokemon World)?
• How could this move be used to aid a profession in the Pokemon World?
• Realistically, would there be any advantage or disadvantage associated with using this move? What kind of advantage/disadvantage would they have when they use it?
• Could this move realistically be used by any Pokemon who doesn't learn it normally? If yes, please explain your choices.

Here are the current learners of this move:

• Nidoking & Nidoqueen
• Kingler
• Mew
• Murkrow & Honchkrow
• Slowking
• Kingdra
• Raikou, Entei & Suicune
• Slaking
• Piplup, Prinplup & Empoleon
• Vespiquen
• Spiritomb
• Arceus

Thanks for reading, and happy discussing!

~ The Pokemon World Forum Staff

 

[Kira Akigari]

When was this introduced
Black & White or Black2 &white2

 

[winstein]

When was this introduced
Black & White or Black2 &white2

It is a Generation 5 move, meaning that it is already there on Black & White.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Synthesis]

It could have some promise in doubles and triples, forcing a troublesome opponent to attack last so your partner could knock it out before it can attack.

 

[Kira Akigari]

Is it even a tm ???

 

[winstein]

Is it even a tm ???

Yes it's a TM (TM60). I know I encourage questions in this thread, but not simple ones like this that could be found on the 'pedia. As such, I clarified the main post to encourage critical questions.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Zeb]

• How does certain Pokemon (who knows it) use this move?

I think they would just use their full weight to force the other to stay down. In some cases, like Murkrow and Honchkrow, I'm going to take a guess at them using their wings to hold them down. Some birds' wings are very powerful (swans, for example, can break a person's bones). Kingler will obviously use its massive claw to surpress them. I'm not sure about Kingdra or Spiritomb though. Spiritomb might just be being malicious, but I'm not sure how it would use it.

• What kind of purpose would this move have for them (in the Pokemon World)?

Possibly to defend young from predators? Say a Nidoran is being attacked, a Nidoqueen could Quash the attacker and allow the young to escape? I suppose the opposite to that could be suggested aswell: using Quash to hold down a defending pokemon down, while something else preys on their young. the pokemon world is a cruel world

Murkrow and Honchkrow could use it in a "gang" mentality, like their personality suggests they act - mobbing another pokemon/group and holding them down while the others attack.

• Realistically, would there be any advantage or disadvantage associated with using this move? What kind of advantage/disadvantage would they have when they use it?

Well an advantage would be that it disables the enemy for a short while. Disadvantage may be that it requires a lot of energy, as the pokemon that's being Quashed is likely going to be putting up a struggle to break free (unless it's really small and the Quasher is really big).

• Could this move realistically be used by any Pokemon who doesn't learn it normally? If yes, please explain your choices.

Anything heavy with the ability to hold something down imo. Also Dark-types, as a lot of them seem to be tricky and scheming enough to do something as unfair as this.

 

[Enzap]

This is a very appropriate move for the first move-of-the-week. It's one of the most forgettable ones out there.

Interesting how almost all of the users of this TM either have "king" in their name or have some other sort of authoritative or regal role. It's almost like they literally command the target to move last.

This move isn't really used by a lot of fast Pokemon, so without any kind of priority, Quash isn't a very useful move for suppressing fast Pokemon. This is what you'd want to use it for anyway.

 

[Zeb]

Interesting how almost all of the users of this TM either have "king" in their name or have some other sort of authoritative or regal role. It's almost like they literally command the target to move last.

You could be totally right on that! I never even realised... O_O

The definition of Quash in the dictionary has this:

verb (used with object)

1.to put down or suppress completely; quell; subdue: to quash a rebellion.

2.to make void, annul, or set aside (a law, indictment, decision, etc.).

So yeah, I'm going with the theory Enzap came up with.

 

[winstein]

One interesting thing is that Murkrow is the only one with priority on this move with Prankster, so it's the only one who could purposefully make the target move last reliably. I imagine that when Quash is used, the user smothers the target until it's time. If that's the case, Whimsicott makes a fine user of this move, because it is the fastest Prankster, and it could postpone the movement more reliably than Murkrow because it can postpone Infernape's Mach Punch or the Musketeers' Quick Attack.

@Enzap;, you have a good point about how the learners are usually regal-in-name or -nature. If that's the case, Jellicent should learn this move too due to their regal theme.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Almonds]

I had never known such a move had ever existed

 

[Bluelatios]

I feel like taking a crack at this question;
"How could this move be used to aid a profession in the Pokemon World?"

Hmmm.....I suppose it would be useful in a war? Imagine if you could use a Pokemon's mysterious power to hold down a powerful commander for a while. Or what if Pokemon played football and someone used this? Lol.

 

[Faye Scarlet]

Swift Swim Kingdra might see some use of this move, I'd imagine. Now I want to test it out at the Battle Subway...

 

[Fabled]

I think it falls into the same category as After You when it comes to use in battle. It's theoretically a nice move that could help turn the tide in Triple Battles, but it's generally not worth bothering with. And like it has been said, Murkrow w/ Prankster is the only one who can use it reliably, as other Pokemon are too slow, or really deserve a better move than Quash. I think it was a nice idea, but it doesn't really work as well as it was intended IMO. The only thing I could see it being used for is disabling a faster Pokemon, letting your teammates take it down before it can do anything, but most of the Pokemon that learn Quash aren't particularly fast, so there's little point.

The only other idea I could think of is using it when switching the positions of your Pokemon in a Triple Battle, letting you Quash a super effective move aimed at one of your Pokemon, switch your team around, and then let something else that resists the move take the attack you just Quashed. It would let you rotate your team around safer if you wanted to do that and didn't have access to Ally Switch.

 

[Lord Clowncrete]

I think it falls into the same category as After You when it comes to use in battle. It's theoretically a nice move that could help turn the tide in Triple Battles, but it's generally not worth bothering with. And like it has been said, Murkrow w/ Prankster is the only one who can use it reliably, as other Pokemon are too slow, or really deserve a better move than Quash. I think it was a nice idea, but it doesn't really work as well as it was intended IMO. The only thing I could see it being used for is disabling a faster Pokemon, letting your teammates take it down before it can do anything, but most of the Pokemon that learn Quash aren't particularly fast, so there's little point.

The only other idea I could think of is using it when switching the positions of your Pokemon in a Triple Battle, letting you Quash a super effective move aimed at one of your Pokemon, switch your team around, and then let something else that resists the move take the attack you just Quashed. It would let you rotate your team around safer if you wanted to do that and didn't have access to Ally Switch.

It can be useful to stop strategies like rain dance or tailwind. Just quash the mon who is trying to setup and kill him with your second slower Pokemon.

 

[Fabled]

I think it falls into the same category as After You when it comes to use in battle. It's theoretically a nice move that could help turn the tide in Triple Battles, but it's generally not worth bothering with. And like it has been said, Murkrow w/ Prankster is the only one who can use it reliably, as other Pokemon are too slow, or really deserve a better move than Quash. I think it was a nice idea, but it doesn't really work as well as it was intended IMO. The only thing I could see it being used for is disabling a faster Pokemon, letting your teammates take it down before it can do anything, but most of the Pokemon that learn Quash aren't particularly fast, so there's little point.

The only other idea I could think of is using it when switching the positions of your Pokemon in a Triple Battle, letting you Quash a super effective move aimed at one of your Pokemon, switch your team around, and then let something else that resists the move take the attack you just Quashed. It would let you rotate your team around safer if you wanted to do that and didn't have access to Ally Switch.

It can be useful to stop strategies like rain dance or tailwind. Just quash the mon who is trying to setup and kill him with your second slower Pokemon.

That's true, but that requires an awful lot of prediction, and still feels like it's very situational.

 

[Lord Clowncrete]

I think it falls into the same category as After You when it comes to use in battle. It's theoretically a nice move that could help turn the tide in Triple Battles, but it's generally not worth bothering with. And like it has been said, Murkrow w/ Prankster is the only one who can use it reliably, as other Pokemon are too slow, or really deserve a better move than Quash. I think it was a nice idea, but it doesn't really work as well as it was intended IMO. The only thing I could see it being used for is disabling a faster Pokemon, letting your teammates take it down before it can do anything, but most of the Pokemon that learn Quash aren't particularly fast, so there's little point.

The only other idea I could think of is using it when switching the positions of your Pokemon in a Triple Battle, letting you Quash a super effective move aimed at one of your Pokemon, switch your team around, and then let something else that resists the move take the attack you just Quashed. It would let you rotate your team around safer if you wanted to do that and didn't have access to Ally Switch.

It can be useful to stop strategies like rain dance or tailwind. Just quash the mon who is trying to setup and kill him with your second slower Pokemon.

That's true, but that requires an awful lot of prediction, and still feels like it's very situational.

I would agree with you over the situational part. This is because majority of the users of tailwind, etc have prankster and will likely go first anyway. Imo, fake out is a better strategy-stopper in doubles than quash.

 

[Bandit Keith]

What kind of purpose would this move have for them (in the Pokemon World)?
Maintaining the pecking order for apex predator Pokémon in the wild.

How could this move be used to aid a profession in the Pokemon World? To enforce the rule of Team PLASMAAAAAAA!!!(If they succeeded)

 

[Rainami]

Quash is awesome, if only better Pokemon knew it. Murkrow has Prankster, but even with Evolite, it's kinda frail and has a good amount of weaknesses. Some of the other Pokemon listed, like Spiritomb, are decently bulky but lack the speed/abilities to pull it off, unless they're under Trick Room.

Sableye and Whimsicott would like access to this move the most, I'd say. Sableye moreso due to that typing.