Move mastery

Move mastery (Japanese: 技の皆伝 move mastery) is the signature mechanic of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, allowing a Pokémon to use a move in the agile style (Japanese: 早業 Swift Move) or strong style (Japanese: 力業 Force Move). Using the agile style reduces a move's power and effects, but increases the user's action speed, allowing it to execute a subsequent move sooner. Using the strong style increases a move's power, effects, and accuracy, but decreases the user's action speed, causing the user to move later in subsequent turns. Using either style also costs 2 PP; this works by deducting an additional PP from the move after it is selected, meaning that a move with 1 PP remaining can be used in either style.

If a Pokémon can learn a move by leveling up, then it can also master that move by leveling up. Zisu, at the Training Grounds, can also help a Pokémon master a move in exchange for a Seed of Mastery, including moves she serves as a Move Tutor for (which cannot be mastered any other way). In the wild, alpha Pokémon may come with one of these Move Tutor moves already in its moveset, in which case this move will already be mastered. Mastered moves are indicated by a icon on the summary and move selection screens.

The moves Teleport, Mimic, Splash, and Struggle can never be mastered. Rotom cannot master the special moves associated with its appliance forms.

Effects of mastered moves

Status moves and moves with secondary effects are also affected by the agile style and strong style in ways besides power and action speed.

For effects on power and accuracy, see list of moves (Legends: Arceus)

For effects on action speed, see list of moves by action speed modifier

Moves that affect battle status

Move Type Category Effect Chance Turns Regular Agile Strong Regular Agile Strong Acid Armor Poison Status User Guard Boost — — 5 4 7 Acid Spray Poison Special Target Guard Drop 50% 100% 3 2 4 Baby-Doll Eyes Fairy Status Target Power Drop — — 5 4 7 Barb Barrage Poison Physical Leaves the target poisoned 30% 50% 3 2 4 Bitter Malice Ghost Special Leaves the target with frostbite 30% 50% 3 2 4 Bleakwind Storm Flying Special Leaves the target with frostbite 30% 50% 3 2 4 Blizzard Ice Special Leaves the target with frostbite 30% 50% 3 2 4 Bug Buzz Bug Special Target Guard Drop 20% 40% 3 2 4 Bulk Up Fighting Status User Power Boost User Guard Boost — — 4 3 5 Calm Mind Psychic Status User Power Boost User Guard Boost — — 4 3 5 Ceaseless Edge Dark Physical Leaves splinters on the target 100% 100% 3 2 4 Charge Beam Electric Special User Power Boost 50% 100% 3 2 4 Cross Poison Poison Physical Leaves the target poisoned 20% 40% 3 2 4 Crunch Dark Physical Target Guard Drop 20% 40% 3 2 4 Dark Void Dark Status Leaves the target drowsy Target Guard Drop — — 3 2 4 Dire Claw Poison Physical Leaves the target poisoned, paralyzed, or drowsy 50% 80% 3 2 4 Double Hit Normal Status User becomes primed — — 5 4 7 Earth Power Ground Special Target Guard Drop 20% 40% 3 2 4 Ember Fire Special Leaves the target with a burn 30% 50% 3 2 4 Energy Ball Grass Special Target Guard Drop 20% 40% 3 2 4 Fire Blast Fire Special Leaves the target with a burn 20% 40% 3 2 4 Fire Fang Fire Physical Leaves the target with a burn 20% 40% 3 2 4 Fire Punch Fire Physical Leaves the target with a burn 30% 50% 3 2 4 Flame Wheel Fire Physical Leaves the target with a burn 30% 50% 3 2 4 Flamethrower Fire Special Leaves the target with a burn 20% 40% 3 2 4 Flare Blitz Fire Physical Leaves the target with a burn 20% 40% 3 2 4 Flash Cannon Steel Special Target Guard Drop 20% 40% 3 2 4 Focus Energy Normal Status User becomes pumped — — 5 4 7 Hypnosis Psychic Status Leaves the target drowsy — — 5 3 7 Ice Beam Ice Special Leaves the target with frostbite 20% 40% 3 2 4 Ice Fang Ice Physical Leaves the target with frostbite 20% 40% 3 2 4 Ice Punch Ice Physical Leaves the target with frostbite 30% 50% 3 2 4 Infernal Parade Ghost Special Leaves the target with a burn 30% 50% 3 2 4 Iron Defense Steel Status User Guard Boost — — 5 4 7 Iron Tail Steel Physical Target Guard Drop 20% 40% 3 2 4 Liquidation Water Physical Target Guard Drop 20% 40% 3 2 4 Lunar Blessing Psychic Status User becomes obscured — — 4 3 5 Magma Storm Fire Special Leaves the target with a burn 100% 100% 3 2 4 Moonblast Fairy Special Target Power Drop 20% 40% 3 2 4 Mud Bomb Ground Special User becomes obscured — — 3 2 4 Mud-Slap Ground Special User becomes obscured — — 3 2 4 Mystical Fire Fire Special Target Power Drop 100% 100% 3 2 4 Mystical Power Psychic Special User Power or Guard Boost 100% 100% 3 2 4 Nasty Plot Dark Status User Power Boost — — 5 4 7 Octazooka Water Special User becomes obscured — — 3 2 4 Pin Missile Bug Physical Leaves splinters on the target 100% 100% 3 2 4 Play Rough Fairy Physical Target Power Drop 20% 40% 3 2 4 Poison Gas Poison Status Leaves the target poisoned — — 5 3 7 Poison Jab Poison Physical Leaves the target poisoned 30% 50% 3 2 4 Poison Powder Poison Status Leaves the target poisoned — — 5 3 7 Poison Sting Poison Physical Leaves the target poisoned 50% 100% 5 3 7 Powder Snow Ice Special Leaves the target with frostbite 30% 50% 3 2 4 Power Shift Normal Status User's offensive stats are swapped with its defensive stats — — 5 4 7 Psychic Psychic Special Target Guard Drop 20% 40% 3 2 4 Psyshield Bash Psychic Physical User Guard Boost 100% 100% 3 2 4 Rock Smash Fighting Physical Target Guard Drop 50% 100% 3 2 4 Sandsear Storm Ground Special Leaves the target with a burn 30% 50% 3 2 4 Seed Flare Grass Special Target Guard Drop 20% 40% 3 2 4 Shadow Ball Ghost Special Target Guard Drop 20% 40% 3 2 4 Shadow Force Ghost Physical User becomes obscured — — 3 2 4 Shelter Steel Status User becomes obscured User Guard Boost — — 4 3 5 Sleep Powder Grass Status Leaves the target drowsy — — 5 3 7 Sludge Bomb Poison Special Leaves the target poisoned 30% 50% 3 2 4 Snarl Dark Special Target Power Drop 100% 100% 3 2 4 Spark Electric Physical Leaves the target paralyzed 30% 50% 3 2 4 Spikes Ground Physical Leaves splinters on the target 100% 100% 3 2 4 Spore Grass Status Leaves the target drowsy — — 5 3 7 Stealth Rock Rock Physical Leaves splinters on the target 100% 100% 3 2 4 Stone Axe Rock Physical Leaves splinters on the target 100% 100% 3 2 4 Struggle Bug Bug Special Target Power Drop 100% 100% 3 2 4 Stun Spore Grass Status Leaves the target paralyzed — — 5 3 7 Swords Dance Normal Status User Power Boost — — 5 4 7 Take Heart Psychic Status User Power Boost User Guard Boost — — 4 3 5 Thunder Fang Electric Physical Leaves the target paralyzed 20% 40% 3 2 4 Thunder Punch Electric Physical Leaves the target paralyzed 30% 50% 3 2 4 Thunder Shock Electric Special Leaves the target paralyzed 30% 50% 3 2 4 Thunder Wave Electric Status Leaves the target paralyzed — — 5 3 7 Thunder Electric Special Leaves the target paralyzed 30% 50% 3 2 4 Thunderbolt Electric Special Leaves the target paralyzed 20% 40% 3 2 4 Tri Attack Normal Special Leaves the target with a burn, frostbite, or paralysis 30% 50% 3 2 4 Triple Arrows Fighting Physical User becomes pumped Target Guard Drop 100% 100% 3 2 4 Victory Dance Fighting Status User becomes primed User Power Boost User Guard Boost — — 4 3 5 Volt Tackle Electric Physical Leaves the target paralyzed 30% 50% 3 2 4 Wild Charge Electric Physical Leaves the target paralyzed 20% 40% 3 2 4 Wildbolt Storm Electric Special Leaves the target paralyzed 30% 50% 3 2 4

Moves that cause recoil damage to the user

As a percentage of damage dealt

Move Type Category Recoil Regular Agile Strong Brave Bird Flying Physical 33% 50% Double-Edge Normal Physical 33% 50% Flare Blitz Fire Physical 33% 50% Head Smash Rock Physical 50% 75% Volt Tackle Electric Physical 33% 50% Wave Crash Water Physical 33% 50% Wild Charge Electric Physical 25% 50% Wood Hammer Grass Physical 33% 50%

As a percentage of the user's maximum HP

Move Type Category HP cost Regular Agile Strong Chloroblast Grass Special 50% 33% 66% Self-Destruct Normal Physical 80% 70% 90% Steel Beam Steel Special 50% 33% 66%

Moves that heal the user

As a percentage of damage dealt

Move Type Category HP drain Regular Agile Strong Absorb Grass Special 50% 75% Drain Punch Fighting Physical 50% 75% Draining Kiss Fairy Special 75% 100% Leech Life Bug Physical 50% 75%

As a percentage of the user's maximum HP

Move Type Category HP healed Regular Agile Strong Lunar Blessing Psychic Status 50% 30% 70% Recover Normal Status 50% 30% 70% Rest Psychic Status 75% 50% 100% Roost Flying Status 50% 30% 70% Soft-Boiled Normal Status 50% 30% 70%

Moves with heightened critical-hit ratios

Move Type Category Crit. stage Regular Agile Strong Air Cutter Flying Special +1 +2 Ceaseless Edge Dark Physical +1 +2 Cross Poison Poison Physical +1 +2 Dire Claw Poison Physical +1 +2 Dragon Claw Dragon Physical +1 +2 Esper Wing Psychic Special +1 +2 Leaf Blade Grass Physical +1 +2 Night Slash Dark Physical +1 +2 Psycho Cut Psychic Physical +1 +2 Shadow Claw Ghost Physical +1 +2 Slash Normal Physical +1 +2 Spacial Rend Dragon Special +1 +2 Stone Axe Rock Physical +1 +2 Stone Edge Rock Physical +1 +2 X-Scissor Bug Physical +1 +2

Moves that evolve the Pokémon

A couple of Pokémon evolve into another by using a certain style of its signature move 20 times. They are as follows:

Pokémon Move Style Evolved Form Stantler Psyshield Bash Agile Wyrdeer Hisuian Qwilfish Barb Barrage Strong Overqwil

Trivia

• Even though in-game text states that using agile style moves increases the user's action speed, only self-targeting moves actually do so. Agile style moves that target an opponent work by lowering the opponent's action speed. Therefore:
  • Knocking out an opposing Trainer's Pokémon with an agile style move will not affect the action order against the next Pokémon.
  • In battles against multiple Pokémon at once, using an agile style move against one target will not cause the user to move ahead of the other foes.
• Ingo uses Rotom that have mastered their respective appliance moves during the Path of Solitude, even though this should be impossible.

In other languages

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 精通招式 Jīngtūng Jīusīk Mandarin 精通招式 Jīngtōng Zhāoshì French Maîtrisé capacité German Attacke gemeistert Italian Padroneggiato mossa Korean 기술 숙달 Gisul Sukdal Spanish Dominado movimiento

Agile Style

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 迅疾 Seunjaht Mandarin 迅疾 Xùnjí French Style Rapide German Tempotechnik Italian Tecnica rapida Korean 속공 Soggong Spanish Estilo rápido

Strong Style

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 剛猛 Gōngmáahng Mandarin 剛猛 / 刚猛 Gāngměng French Style Puissant German Krafttechnik Italian Tecnica potente Korean 강공 Ganggong Spanish Estilo fuerte

This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.