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Move-of-the-Week Discussion #36: Metronome

winstein

winstein

Mari-yo Puyo
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In Pokémon, there are lots of different moves used by different Pokémon. Every week, we shall focus the discussion on a different move, and there will be some base questions that would help you start this off. This week, Metronome is chosen based on the votes found in the previous thread.


(Click picture to go to the Bulbapedia page)​

In-game Description (BW) said:
Type: Normal (Status)
Base Power: --
Accuracy: --%
PP: 10

The user waggles a finger and stimulates its brain into randomly using nearly any move.
Click to expand...

Ah Metronome, the definition of an unreliable yet fun move. When it is used, there's no telling in what would happen next, so it's a risky move to use. While it generates a random move, it is actually a very exciting move to use because when you get a great move, you feel great, but if you get a move that is not appropriate for the situation, you might get a laugh out of it. Even though Metronome as a name implies that anything with an appendage could use it (by wagging it), this move is called Finger Wag, which is why those with actual hands are only eligible to use it. This move may have access to the other hundreds of moves, but it doesn't select certain moves, such as Struggle and Protect. Check out the page on the 'pedia for the list if you are curious.

Here are the usual possible questions about this move:
  • How does certain Pokémon (who knows it) use this move?
  • What kind of purpose would this move have for them (in the Pokémon World)?
  • How could this move be used to aid a profession in the Pokémon World?
  • Could this move realistically be used by any Pokémon who doesn't learn it normally? If yes, please explain your choices.
  • How would this move be used in battling, realistically or video game-wise?

Other questions (You could ask other critical questions beyond the listed):
  • What are some of the best or hilarious moves used when you used Metronome in a game?
  • Usage of Metronome is able to allow a Pokémon to use a move they couldn't use otherwise. How are they able to execute moves they can't normally use after randomly calling it?
  • As mentioned, certain moves cannot be used. What characteristics do those move have to be inaccessible?
  • Is it possible that this move would realistically (as in, in the Pokémon World) use a move that is needed the most in adverse situations?

Here are the current users of this move (put in Spoiler tag due to the large list):
(Level-up)​
  • Clefairy & Clefable
  • Mew
  • Togepi, Togetic & Togekiss
  • Munchlax & Snorlax

    (Breeding only)
  • Happiny, Chansey & Blissey
  • Cleffa
  • Snubbull & Granbull

    (Move Tutor) [Gen 3]
  • Mankey & Primeape
  • Poliwhirl, Poliwrath & Politoed
  • Abra, Kadabra & Alakazam
  • Machop, Machoke & Machamp
  • Geodude, Graveler & Golem
  • Gengar
  • Drowzee & Hypno
  • Hitmonlee & Hitmonchan
  • Mr. Mime
  • Smoochum & Jynx
  • Mewtwo
  • Aipom & Ambipom
  • Teddiursa & Ursaring
  • Miltank
  • Celebi
  • Ludicolo
  • Makuhita & Hariyama
  • Sableye
  • Meditite & Medicham
  • Plusle & Minun
  • Volbeat & Illumise
  • Spinda
  • Kecleon
  • Banette
  • Dusclops & Dusknoir
  • Jirachi

    (Technical Machine only) [Gen 1]
  • Jigglypuff & Wigglytuff
  • Electabuzz
  • Magmar

Thanks for reading, and happy discussing!

~ The Pokémon World Forum Staff


Previous Move-of-the-Weeks:
 
It can be actually a good move to use because there's a very small chance you'd end up with an utterly useless move like Splash. The majority of times, you'd be using something useful - stat raising, attacking, setting up entry hazards... that epic moment when a Togepi used a move like Draco Meteor... XDD

So there are moves they can't use - I'm guessing it's most likely because some moves will do more harm to a user than good. For example... you can only get one Eviolite throughout the game (saying you can't trade or anything). Your Togepi was holding the Eviolite, and used Metronome. What if it used Trick? Or Switcheroo? That one Eviolite will be gone forever...Same as Exp. Share. And also - though I doubt anyone would do that - if your Pokemon ended up using Trick while holding a Masterball... okay, that's really something we don't want to imagine.

And also - Signature Moves like Relic Song? They have distinctive effects that can only apply to the said Pokemon. Meloetta changes form after the song because that's what the song does. And besides, Meloetta had to remember that song via event - she doesn't know it from the start, so it's impossible for a Metronome user to use Relic Song. That, and Ice Burn and Freeze Shock - those moves don't exist naturally. Ghetsis supposedly created the moves, so no other pokemon can know about it.
 
I always thought the chosen move is done by unrelated events to the battle that by pure coincidence happen, causing the move. (Random rocks fall from the sky, spontaneous combustion, stray curses or blessings, etc)

Essentially, what the user of metronome does is control causality, in an unpredictable way. How? Uh... magic? The move does seem to have "stage magician" implications, I think, specially in some of its animations where its a waving finger with sparkles.
So I'm going to guess it is some kind of "random magic that does whatever", or more accurately, attracting improbavility to happen in the battlefield. As such, I'd think any pokémon that'd be able to do this sort of "magician-style" magic could realistically learn this move.


However... all this directly contradicts the actual flavor text of the move, which explicitally says the user at some level learns how to use a technique in that instant. This has the implication that they also learn some unknown method to using a move they can't normally, making it similar to "special moves"... and ultimately apparently meaning that any pokémon that learn this could actually learn potentially any technique through one method or another.


I'm going to say that in-universe, every user of this move has been just not lucky enough to cast moves coded as unusable. It's a boring handwave, but it works due to the nature of it.
 
I saw the list of the moves, and I saw Assist. I can give one scene why it was never possible to get it from the move Metronome:

Let's say all of your Pokemon knows Metronome and Assist. Then you used Metronome. Metronome uses Assist. Assist uses Metronome. Metronome uses Assist. And so on... (assuming one can get Assist or Metronome via Metronome)

That said above is rare, but it could happen. And your only escape is to wait or ragequit.
 
to be honest, metronome is one hell of a fun move. while it obviously isn't meritorious competitively, it's pretty good for matches with your friends. i usually use teams with something like mew / togekiss / hariyama / celebi / snorlax / poliwrath with one of my friends, who'll run something like dusknoir / mewtwo / golem / jirachi / kecleon / ludicolo (sometimes we'll even use six clefairy lol), and we'll generally see what moves we end up getting throughout the match. i usually hax him to death too so that's pretty amusing. using it seriously is a veritable gamble, more often than not one that won't pay off, especially since with most pokemon every move is important and the ones that can handle using like three moves (think terrakion or landorus) don't learn metronome anyway.

i'm very grateful it was included in the games.
 
Please note: The thread is from 13 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
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