Pokemon Emerald
Pokemon Emerald

Move Sets & Learnsets

Optimize your team's capabilities with Pokemon Emerald's move sets and learnsets. Utilize level-up moves, TMs, HMs, and Move Tutors effectively.

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Move Sets & Learnsets

Understanding your Pokémon's move sets and how they learn new abilities is crucial for success in Pokémon Emerald. This section will guide you through optimizing your team's offensive and defensive capabilities, covering everything from natural level-up moves to the strategic use of TMs, HMs, and Move Tutors.

Natural Learnsets (Level Up)

Every Pokémon has a unique set of moves it learns as it gains experience and levels up. Pay close attention to these, as they often form the core of a Pokémon's battle strategy. For example:

  • Sceptile: Learns powerful Grass-type moves like Leaf Blade (Level 29) and Grass Pledge (Level 43), making it a formidable special attacker.
  • Swampert: Gains access to Water-type moves such as Muddy Water (Level 32) and Hydro Pump (Level 46), alongside Ground-type attacks like Earthquake (Level 52), offering excellent type coverage.
  • Blaziken: Specializes in Fire and Fighting-type moves, learning Blaze Kick (Level 36) and Sky Uppercut (Level 43), providing strong physical offense.

It's always a good idea to consult an in-game Pokédex or an online resource for the full level-up learnset of any Pokémon you plan to use extensively. Plan your training to ensure your Pokémon learns key moves before important Gym Leader battles or rival encounters.

Technical Machines (TMs)

TMs are single-use items that teach a specific move to a compatible Pokémon. They are invaluable for customizing your team's move sets, covering weaknesses, or boosting offensive power. Here are some essential TMs and their locations:

  • TM01 Focus Punch: Found in the Rustboro City Gym after defeating Roxanne. Excellent for powerful, but risky, Fighting-type damage.
  • TM13 Ice Beam: Located on the Abandoned Ship (requires Surf and Dive). A must-have for Water or Ice-type special attackers, or to give coverage against Dragon, Ground, Flying, and Grass types.
  • TM15 Hyper Beam: Purchased at the Lilycove Department Store for 7500 Pokedollars. A devastating Normal-type attack, though it requires a recharge turn.
  • TM24 Thunderbolt: Found in the Mauville City Gym after defeating Wattson. A powerful Electric-type special attack, great for many Pokémon.
  • TM26 Earthquake: Obtained in the Seafloor Cavern (requires Surf and Dive). One of the strongest Ground-type physical attacks, essential for many physical attackers.
  • TM35 Flamethrower: Located in the Fiery Path. A reliable Fire-type special attack.
  • TM50 Overheat: Received from Flannery after defeating her in the Lavaridge Town Gym. A very powerful Fire-type special attack, but lowers the user's Special Attack.

Consider the type matchups and your Pokémon's stats (Attack vs. Special Attack) when deciding which TMs to use. Don't waste a powerful TM on a Pokémon that won't benefit from it fully.

Hidden Machines (HMs)

HMs are multi-use items that teach essential field moves, but many also double as decent battle moves. Unlike TMs, HMs cannot be forgotten without the help of the Move Deleter.

  • HM01 Cut: Obtained from the Cut Master in Rustboro City. A weak Grass-type attack in battle, but necessary for clearing small trees.
  • HM02 Fly: Found on Route 119 after defeating your rival. A powerful Flying-type attack that also allows fast travel between towns.
  • HM03 Surf: Given by Wally's father in Petalburg City after defeating Norman. A strong Water-type special attack and crucial for traversing water.
  • HM04 Strength: Received from the Machoke in Rusturf Tunnel after clearing the path. A solid Normal-type physical attack and for moving large boulders.
  • HM05 Flash: Given by a hiker in Granite Cave. Lowers accuracy in battle, but illuminates dark caves.
  • HM06 Rock Smash: Obtained from the man in the house west of the Pokémon Center in Mauville City. A weak Fighting-type attack, but breaks cracked rocks.
  • HM07 Waterfall: Found in the Cave of Origin. A decent Water-type physical attack and for climbing waterfalls.
  • HM08 Dive: Received from Steven Stone in Mossdeep City. A Water-type special attack that also allows exploration of underwater areas.

It's often wise to teach HMs to "HM slaves" – Pokémon you don't intend to use in serious battles, but carry solely for their utility moves. This frees up valuable move slots on your main team members.

Move Tutors

Emerald introduces several Move Tutors who can teach specific moves to your Pokémon, often for a price (Battle Points at the Battle Frontier) or under certain conditions. These are excellent for obtaining powerful moves not available via TMs or level-up.

  • Battle Frontier Tutors: Located at the Battle Frontier, these tutors can teach a wide array of moves for Battle Points (BP). Examples include Counter, Seismic Toss, Swords Dance, Substitute, and many more. Grinding BP can be time-consuming, but the rewards are well worth it for competitive teams.
  • Pichu, Pikachu, Raichu Tutor: In the house north of the Pokémon Center in Mauville City, a man will teach "Volt Tackle" to a Pikachu or Raichu if it has max happiness.
  • Starter Ultimate Moves: In Sootopolis City, an old man will teach your fully evolved starter (Sceptile, Swampert, Blaziken) its ultimate move (Frenzy Plant, Hydro Cannon, Blast Burn respectively) if it has max happiness. These are incredibly powerful but require a recharge turn.

Always consider the long-term benefits of a Move Tutor's offering. Some moves, like Swords Dance or Substitute, can dramatically change a Pokémon's viability in battle.

Move Deleter & Move Relearner

  • Move Deleter: Found in Lilycove City, the Move Deleter can make a Pokémon forget any move, including HMs, for free. This is essential for removing unwanted HM moves from your main team or preparing a Pokémon for trade.
  • Move Relearner: Located in Fallarbor Town, the Move Relearner can teach a Pokémon any move it previously learned via level-up, in exchange for a Heart Scale. Heart Scales can be found by diving in various underwater routes (e.g., Route 124, Route 126) or as held items on wild Luvdisc (Route 128). This is invaluable for correcting mistakes, optimizing move sets, or recovering moves forgotten to make room for HMs.

Don't hesitate to use these services to fine-tune your Pokémon's move sets. A perfectly optimized set of four moves can make all the difference in challenging battles.