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An HM slave, or sometimes HM mule, is a Pokémon which is in the party not to be used in battle, but to provide the use of HM moves or other moves usable outside of battle that typically are not suitable for a powerful team. An HM slave itself is usually considered to be a Pokémon that can have all four of its moves taken up by HMs, and occasionally by any move usable outside of battle.

Most HM slaves are incredibly common Pokémon, typically those which can be captured on the first routes of a given game. A majority of them are Template:Type2, which is fitting, considering that this type is shared with three of the eight current HMs, and Rock Smash, though it is Fighting, is also usually available to them as well. Template:Type2 Pokémon are also common, as they also have three HM moves which share their type, and many are also able to use at least one or two of the other five. Because of these two tendencies, as well as its typing, Bibarel is often regarded as the ideal HM slave.

Due to both Fly and Defog sharing the Template:Type2, Pokémon of this type are also considered to be good HM slaves in Generation IV, especially considering Defog's effect does nothing to harm the opponent directly at all (while Flash lowered the opponent's accuracy, causing moves to sometimes miss, Defog merely lowers their evasiveness). HM slaves like Tropius and Pelipper are ideal for these roles since they are capable of using other HM moves along with Fly and Defog.

Typically, legendary Pokémon like Lugia and most especially Mew can learn many, if not all, HM moves. Because their high stats mean they are incredibly useful for battle, most consider it a waste to put any HM moves, aside from Surf, Waterfall, or perhaps Generation IV's more powerful Fly, on a legendary, especially an event legendary like Mew, available only occasionally directly from Nintendo itself.

For Generation III, an example of two Pokémon learning all eight of the HMs and are available in the Hoenn region are Tropius (Cut, Fly, Strength and Rock Smash) and Psyduck (Surf, Flash, Waterfall and Dive).

Most compatible HM slaves for each generation

Generation I

#	Pokémon		HMs					Field
080		Slowbro			Surf	Strength	Flash	Dig	Teleport
083		Farfetch'd	Cut	Fly
113		Chansey				Strength	Flash		Teleport	Softboiled
151		Mew	Cut	Fly	Surf	Strength	Flash	Dig	Teleport	Softboiled

Generation II

#	Pokémon		HMs							Field
054		Psyduck			Surf	Strength	Flash	Whirlpool	Waterfall	Dig				Rock Smash
080		Slowbro			Surf	Strength	Flash			Dig				Rock Smash
113		Chansey				Strength	Flash					Softboiled		Rock Smash
130		Gyarados			Surf	Strength		Whirlpool	Waterfall					Rock Smash
151		Mew	Cut	Fly	Surf	Strength	Flash	Whirlpool	Waterfall	Dig	Teleport	Softboiled		Rock Smash
153		Bayleef	Cut			Strength	Flash							Rock Smash
160		Feraligatr	Cut		Surf	Strength		Whirlpool		Dig				Rock Smash

Generation III

#	Pokémon		HMs								Field
054		Psyduck			Surf	Strength	Flash	Rock Smash	Waterfall	DiveRSE	Dig		Secret Power
130		Gyarados			Surf	Strength		Rock Smash	Waterfall	DiveRSE			Secret Power
151		Mew	Cut	Fly	Surf	Strength	Flash	Rock Smash	Waterfall	DiveRSE	Dig	Teleport	Secret Power
227		Skarmory	Cut	Fly				Rock Smash					Secret Power
235		Smeargle	Cut	Fly	Surf	Strength	Flash	Rock Smash	Waterfall	DiveRSE	Dig	Teleport	Secret Power
264		Linoone	Cut		Surf	Strength		Rock Smash			Dig		Secret Power
272		Ludicolo			Surf	Strength	Flash	Rock Smash	Waterfall	DiveRSE			Secret Power
341		Corphish	Cut		Surf	Strength		Rock Smash	Waterfall	DiveRSE	Dig		Secret Power
357		Tropius	Cut	Fly		Strength	Flash	Rock Smash					Secret Power
365		Walrein			Surf	Strength		Rock Smash	Waterfall	DiveRSE			Secret Power

Generation IV

#	Pokémon		HMs									Field
054		Psyduck			Surf	Strength		WhirlpoolHGSS	Rock Smash	Waterfall		Flash	Dig
098		Krabby	Cut		Surf	Strength		WhirlpoolHGSS	Rock Smash				Dig
108		Lickitung	Cut		Surf	Strength			Rock Smash		Rock Climb		Dig		HeadbuttHGSS
130		Gyarados			Surf	Strength		WhirlpoolHGSS	Rock Smash	Waterfall
143		Snorlax			Surf	Strength		WhirlpoolHGSS	Rock Smash		Rock Climb				HeadbuttHGSS
151		Mew	Cut	Fly	Surf	Strength	DefogDPPt	WhirlpoolHGSS	Rock Smash	Waterfall	Rock Climb	Flash	Dig	Teleport	HeadbuttHGSS
162		Furret	Cut		Surf	Strength		WhirlpoolHGSS	Rock Smash				Dig		HeadbuttHGSS
227		Skarmory	Cut	Fly			DefogDPPt		Rock Smash			Flash
264		Linoone	Cut		Surf	Strength		WhirlpoolHGSS	Rock Smash				Dig		HeadbuttHGSS
357		Tropius	Cut	Fly		Strength	DefogDPPt		Rock Smash			Flash			HeadbuttHGSS
395		Empoleon	Cut		Surf	Strength	DefogDPPt	WhirlpoolHGSS	Rock Smash	Waterfall	Rock Climb		Dig		HeadbuttHGSS
400		Bibarel	Cut		Surf	Strength		WhirlpoolHGSS	Rock Smash	Waterfall	Rock Climb		Dig		HeadbuttHGSS
493		Arceus	Cut	Fly	Surf	Strength	DefogDPPt	WhirlpoolHGSS	Rock Smash	Waterfall	Rock Climb	Flash			HeadbuttHGSS

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