TM

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If you were looking for either of the Pokémon Trading Card Game expansions sometimes abbreviated as TM, see EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua (TCG) or Triumphant (TCG).


A Technical Machine, or TM for short (Japanese: わざマシン Move Machine), is a machine used by Pokémon Trainers to teach a Pokémon a new move that it might not otherwise learn. Up until Generation V, TMs were good for only one use, unlike Hidden Machines, which can be used over and over again on many different Pokémon. TMs can be found on the ground or bought at department stores. Some are also given away by Gym Leaders as prizes for defeating them in addition to a Badge. Silph Co. has distributed a pamphlet containing information on TMs and HMs, indicating they are, at least partially, developed or produced by the company.

Mutually-compatible TMs (such as Flamethrower from a father Typhlosion to a baby Torchic) will also be passed down through breeding, though prior to Generation V there were several Pokémon that could only learn certain moves contained in TMs via breeding, such as Vulpix with Energy Ball.

The depiction of TMs has changed over time. In the TCG, they are shown as small boxes that the Poké Ball would be inserted into, but from FireRed and LeafGreen onwards, they have been depicted as discs that are inserted into the TM Case and the case itself teaches the Pokémon the move. Thus, the one-use nature of the TMs prior to Generation V can be seen as analogous to DVDs that destroy themselves after use.

For the in-game locations of TMs, see List of TM and HM locations.

TM through generations

Generation I

Generation I featured 50 TMs with an additional five HMs. Move Tutors in FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald teach several of the moves that were removed from the TM list between Generation I and Generation III.

Generation II

Generation II introduced several new TMs, a majority of which were new moves introduced in this generation. There remained 50 TMs, as some Generation I TMs were removed. Several moves that were contained in TMs in Generation II but were no longer contained within TMs during Generation III can be taught by a Move Tutor in Pokémon Emerald.

Generation III

In Generation III, more moves were introduced, and the TM list was again adjusted. The 50-TM limit remained, and several older moves became TMs—including some that lost their TM status between Generations I and II.

Generation IV

Due to the connectivity with the Generation III games, the 50-TM list was not redone in Generation IV. To include new moves and incorporate older moves as TMs, the TM list was expanded from 50 to 92, leaving the first 50 TMs intact. With the eight HMs, the number of machine-learnable moves in Generation IV was at an even 100.

Generation V

In Generation V, TMs have changed from being single-use items to having infinite uses, making them akin to HMs. But unlike HMs, TMs can be forgotten without the help of a Move Deleter. In addition, when a Pokémon forgets a move in order to learn from a TM, the move learned with a TM takes on the current PP of the move replaced by the new move. This is to prevent repeated usage of TMs for the purpose of PP restoration. The prices of the buyable TMs are also much higher, and they can no longer be held. The number of TMs was expanded once again from 92 to 95. However, many of the 92 TMs found in Generation IV contain different moves. As there are only six HMs, there are 101 machine-learnable moves normally available in Generation V.

List of TMs

Move Tutor moves

Main article: Move Tutor

Though technically not TMs, some moves can only be obtained via a Move Tutor: a non-player character who teaches the desired move to a single Pokémon. Often, these moves are moves which were formerly contained in TMs. They first appeared in Crystal, where outside of the Goldenrod City Game Corner a man would teach a compatible Pokémon Flamethrower, Ice Beam, or Thunderbolt for 4000 coins on certain days of the week.

This was continued in FireRed and LeafGreen, where Trainers could encounter NPCs who would offer to teach a Pokémon a move that was not otherwise available to it. All but three of these moves (the elemental Hyper Beam variations) were available as TMs in Red, Blue, and Yellow; FireRed and LeafGreen use the updated TM list of Generation III.

In Emerald, the same moves were able to be learned via Move Tutors, with the addition of some outdated Generation II TMs as well.

Incompatible Pokémon

Although most Pokémon are able to learn a wide range of TM moves, there are 18 Pokémon who cannot learn any. Typically, these Pokémon are low in their evolutionary line or rely on a set moveset.

# Pokémon Type
010 Caterpie Caterpie Bug Poison
Caterpie
Caterpie
Caterpie
Caterpie
Caterpie
011 Metapod Metapod Bug Poison
Metapod
Metapod
Metapod
Metapod
Metapod
013 Weedle Weedle Bug Poison
Weedle
Weedle
Weedle
Weedle
Weedle
014 Kakuna Kakuna Bug Poison
Kakuna
Kakuna
Kakuna
Kakuna
Kakuna
129 Magikarp Magikarp Water Poison
Magikarp
Magikarp
Magikarp
Magikarp
Magikarp
132 Ditto Ditto Normal Poison
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
201 Unown Unown Psychic Poison
Unown
Unown
Unown
Unown
Unown
202 Wobbuffet Wobbuffet Psychic Poison
Wobbuffet
Wobbuffet
Wobbuffet
Wobbuffet
Wobbuffet
235 Smeargle Smeargle Normal Poison
Smeargle
Smeargle
Smeargle
Smeargle
Smeargle
265 Wurmple Wurmple Bug Poison
Wurmple
Wurmple
Wurmple
Wurmple
Wurmple
266 Silcoon Silcoon Bug Poison
Silcoon
Silcoon
Silcoon
Silcoon
Silcoon
268 Cascoon Cascoon Bug Poison
Cascoon
Cascoon
Cascoon
Cascoon
Cascoon
360 Wynaut Wynaut Psychic Poison
Wynaut
Wynaut
Wynaut
Wynaut
Wynaut
374 Beldum Beldum Steel Psychic
Beldum
Beldum
Beldum
Beldum
Beldum
401 Kricketot Kricketot Bug Poison
Kricketot
Kricketot
Kricketot
Kricketot
Kricketot
412 Burmy Burmy Bug Poison
Burmy
Burmy
Burmy
Burmy
Burmy
415 Combee Combee Bug Flying
Combee
Combee
Combee
Combee
Combee
602 Tynamo Tynamo Electric Poison
Tynamo
Tynamo
Tynamo
Tynamo
Tynamo


TM-exclusive moves

In all five Generations, there have been moves exclusively taught by TMs:

Returning moves

Several moves taught by TM in Generations I and/or II returned as TMs in Generation IV, but assigned with a different TM number. In Generation V, all but Endure and Sleep Talk maintained their TM status.

Changed TMs
Move Gen I Gen II Gen IV
Endure 20 58
Explosion 47 64
Thunder Wave 45 73
Swords Dance 03 75
Psych Up 09 77
Rock Slide 48 80
Sleep Talk 35 82
Dream Eater 42 42 85
Swagger 34 87
Substitute 50 90

Trivia

In other languages

Language Title
France Flag.png European French Capsule Technique (CT)
Germany Flag.png German Technische Maschine (TM)
Italy Flag.png Italian Macchine Tecniche (MT)
Spain Flag.png European Spanish Máquina Técnica (MT)

See also


Consumables: FoodGummisSeedsBerriesHealth drinks
Held items: GlassesScarvesRecruitment-affecting items
Miracle and Wonder ChestsSeven Treasures
Space GlobeIQ BoosterFlagsLooplets
Objects: Wonder OrbsThrowing itemsHMsUsed TMsTMsKeys
Link BoxGabite ScaleGracideaFriend GiftsDevices
EmerasProgress DevicesWandsDjinn's Bottle
Special: Rescue Team Starter SetToolboxExploration Team Kit
Treasure BagTreasure CollectionMystery Dungeon evolutionary items
Teleport GemColored WingsWishing StoneMusic BoxVortex Stone
Treasure BoxesMystery PartSecret SlabExclusive items
Relic FragmentWonder EggLost LootSky Gift
Lookalike ItemsPrize TicketsGates to Infinity exclusive items
ManualsEntercardsLucha TokenConnection Orb


Project Moves and Abilities logo.png This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games.