Move Tutors & Important NPCs

Move Tutors & Important NPCs

Beyond the challenges of Gym Leaders and the machinations of Team Aqua/Magma, the Hoenn region is teeming with helpful individuals who can teach your Pokémon powerful moves or provide essential services. Knowing where to find these Move Tutors and key NPCs can significantly bolster your team's strength and open up new strategies.

Move Tutors

Move Tutors are special NPCs who can teach your Pokémon specific moves, often for a price or under certain conditions. These moves are typically not learned through leveling up or TMs, making them invaluable for optimizing your Pokémon's moveset.

• Mega Kick & Mega Punch:
  • Location: Head to Mauville City. Look for the house directly to the right of the Pokémon Center. Inside, you'll find an old man.
  • Cost: These powerful Normal-type moves can be taught for free, but only once per game.
  • Strategy: Consider teaching these to a strong physical attacker that lacks a good Normal-type STAB (Same-Type Attack Bonus) move, or one that benefits from a high base power attack early in the game.
• Rollout:
  • Location: Travel to Verdanturf Town. The Move Tutor for Rollout is located in the house to the right of the Pokémon Center.
  • Cost: Free, but only once.
  • Strategy: Rollout is a Rock-type move that increases in power with each consecutive hit. It's particularly effective on Pokémon with high Defense and HP, or those with abilities that prevent flinching. Pokémon like Geodude or Nosepass can make good use of this early on.
• Fury Cutter:
  • Location: In Verdanturf Town, find the house in the lower-right corner. The woman inside will teach Fury Cutter.
  • Cost: Free, once.
  • Strategy: Fury Cutter is a Bug-type move that also increases in power with consecutive hits. It can be a surprisingly strong early-game option for Bug-type Pokémon or those that can learn it to cover weaknesses.
• Mimic:
  • Location: Visit Lavaridge Town. The Mimic tutor is an old woman found in the house to the right of the Pokémon Center.
  • Cost: Free, once.
  • Strategy: Mimic allows your Pokémon to copy the last move used by the opponent. This can be a fun and strategic move for double battles or for temporarily gaining access to a powerful or useful move from an opponent.
• Metronome:
  • Location: In Fallarbor Town, locate the house in the top-left corner. The man inside will teach Metronome.
  • Cost: Free, once.
  • Strategy: Metronome is a highly unpredictable move that randomly selects almost any move in the game to use. While not reliable for competitive play, it can be entertaining and occasionally game-changing in casual playthroughs.

Important NPCs

These NPCs offer crucial services, provide valuable items, or unlock new areas and gameplay mechanics. Don't overlook them!

• Name Rater:
  • Location: In Slateport City, the Name Rater resides in the house directly to the left of the Pokémon Fan Club.
  • Service: Allows you to change the nicknames of any Pokémon you caught yourself.
  • Tip: If you've grown tired of a nickname or want to personalize a newly evolved Pokémon, the Name Rater is your go-to.
• Move Deleter:
  • Location: Head to Lilycove City. The Move Deleter is found in the house to the right of the Department Store.
  • Service: This kind old man can make your Pokémon forget any move, including HMs (Hidden Machines). This is essential if you need to replace an HM move with a more powerful or strategic one.
  • Tip: You'll frequently use the Move Deleter once you've obtained all the HMs and no longer need them for traversal, allowing you to optimize your Pokémon's battle movesets.
• Move Relearner:
  • Location: The Move Relearner is located in Fallarbor Town, in the house next to the Pokémon Center.
  • Service: For the cost of one Heart Scale, this NPC can teach your Pokémon any move it previously learned at an earlier level, or any move it learns upon evolving.
  • Item: Heart Scales are rare items found by diving in certain underwater routes (e.g., Route 124, Route 126) or as hidden items on land. Stock up on these!
  • Strategy: This is incredibly useful for re-teaching powerful moves that you might have skipped or forgotten, or for accessing moves that a Pokémon learns immediately upon evolution.
• Berry Master:
  • Location: On Route 123, you'll find the Berry Master's house.
  • Service: The Berry Master and his wife will give you two different rare berries daily.
  • Tip: Make it a habit to visit them daily to collect a wide variety of berries for contests, healing, or breeding.
• Secret Base Guru (A.K.A. Aarune):
  • Location: He first appears on Route 111, then later in Fortree City.
  • Service: He introduces you to the concept of Secret Bases and gives you the TM43 (Secret Power), which is required to establish a Secret Base.
  • Tip: Secret Bases are a fun way to customize your own space in the Hoenn region and can be linked with other players for special battles.