HM slave

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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


080 080 Slowbro     Surf Strength Flash Dig Teleport  


083 083 Farfetch'd Cut Fly            


113 113 Chansey       Strength Flash   Teleport Softboiled


151 151 Mew Cut Fly Surf Strength Flash Dig Teleport Softboiled


Generation II

# Pokémon HMs Field


054 054 Psyduck     Surf Strength Flash Whirlpool Waterfall Dig       Rock Smash


080 080 Slowbro     Surf Strength Flash     Dig       Rock Smash


113 113 Chansey       Strength Flash         Softboiled   Rock Smash


130 130 Gyarados     Surf Strength   Whirlpool Waterfall         Rock Smash


151 151 Mew Cut Fly Surf Strength Flash Whirlpool Waterfall Dig Teleport Softboiled   Rock Smash


153 153 Bayleef Cut     Strength Flash             Rock Smash


160 160 Feraligatr Cut   Surf Strength   Whirlpool   Dig       Rock Smash


Generation III

# Pokémon HMs Field


054 054 Psyduck     Surf Strength Flash Rock Smash Waterfall DiveRSE Dig   Secret Power


151 151 Mew Cut Fly Surf Strength Flash Rock Smash Waterfall DiveRSE Dig Teleport Secret Power


227 227 Skarmory Cut Fly       Rock Smash         Secret Power


235 235 Smeargle Cut Fly Surf Strength Flash Rock Smash Waterfall DiveRSE Dig Teleport Secret Power


264 264 Linoone Cut   Surf Strength   Rock Smash     Dig   Secret Power


272 272 Ludicolo     Surf Strength Flash Rock Smash Waterfall DiveRSE     Secret Power


341 341 Corphish Cut   Surf Strength   Rock Smash Waterfall DiveRSE Dig   Secret Power


357 357 Tropius Cut Fly   Strength Flash Rock Smash         Secret Power


365 365 Walrein     Surf Strength   Rock Smash Waterfall DiveRSE     Secret Power


Generation IV

# Pokémon HMs Field


054 054 Psyduck     Surf Strength   WhirlpoolHGSS Rock Smash Waterfall   Flash Dig    


098 098 Krabby Cut   Surf Strength   WhirlpoolHGSS Rock Smash       Dig    


130 130 Gyarados     Surf Strength   WhirlpoolHGSS Rock Smash Waterfall          


143 143 Snorlax     Surf Strength   WhirlpoolHGSS Rock Smash   Rock Climb       HeadbuttHGSS


151 151 Mew Cut Fly Surf Strength DefogDPPt WhirlpoolHGSS Rock Smash Waterfall Rock Climb Flash Dig Teleport HeadbuttHGSS


162 162 Furret Cut   Surf Strength   WhirlpoolHGSS Rock Smash       Dig   HeadbuttHGSS


227 227 Skarmory Cut Fly     DefogDPPt   Rock Smash     Flash      


264 264 Linoone Cut   Surf Strength   WhirlpoolHGSS Rock Smash       Dig   HeadbuttHGSS


357 357 Tropius Cut Fly   Strength DefogDPPt   Rock Smash     Flash     HeadbuttHGSS


395 395 Empoleon Cut   Surf Strength DefogDPPt WhirlpoolHGSS Rock Smash Waterfall Rock Climb   Dig   HeadbuttHGSS


400 400 Bibarel Cut   Surf Strength   WhirlpoolHGSS Rock Smash Waterfall Rock Climb   Dig   HeadbuttHGSS


493 493 Arceus Cut Fly Surf Strength DefogDPPt WhirlpoolHGSS Rock Smash Waterfall Rock Climb Flash     HeadbuttHGSS


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