TM

If you were looking for the Trading Card Game Set that uses this abbreviation, see Triumphant (TCG).

If you were looking for the DLC with a similar abbreviation, see The Teal Mask.

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Using a TM in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

A Technical Machine, or TM for short (Japanese: わざマシン Move Machine), is an item that can be used to teach a Pokémon a move.

Appearance

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Missing TM sprites from the games of the core series.

TM artwork for Pokémon Red and Green

TMs are most commonly depicted as discs, but their appearance has varied over time.

In artwork for Pokémon Red and Green, TMs are depicted as a band that can be attached to a Pokémon.

Early art from the TCG (up until the Scarlet & Violet era) depicts Technical Machines as small boxes which a Pokémon's Poké Ball can be inserted into. This depiction was also used in The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, though in that manga, the box was actually a device that had to be separated and the two halves positioned around the Pokémon's head.

Starting in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, TMs are depicted as compact discs. This depiction was carried over to the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series.

In Pokémon Origins, TMs and HMs resemble floppy disks.

In Pokémon GO, TMs are depicted as digital paper that retracts into a tube.

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  TM in The Electric Tale of Pikachu

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  Technical Machine in the TCG

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  TM in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX

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  TM in Pokémon Origins

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  TM in Pokémon GO

In the core series games

From Generation I through Generation IV, TMs are single-use items that are consumed after use, with some TMs being available only once per game. From Generation V to Pokémon Sword and Shield, TMs can be used multiple times without being consumed (though single-use alternatives exist in TRs or Move Tutor moves). In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, as well as Generation IX, TMs return to being single-use, but can be obtained multiple times through shops, trading items, or other means.

Prior to Generation VI, TM moves will also be passed down through breeding if the baby Pokémon can learn that TM (such as passing Flamethrower from a father Typhlosion to a baby Torchic). Prior to Generation V, there were also several Pokémon that could not learn certain TM moves directly from a TM but could learn them via breeding, such as Vulpix with Energy Ball.

TMs are absent in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and replaced with a Move Tutor.

List of TMs

Main article: List of TMs

Locations

Main article: List of TM and HM locations

TMs can be found on the ground or bought at department stores or Game Corners. Some are also given away by Gym Leaders as prizes for defeating them in addition to a Badge.

Changes between generations

Generation I

Generation I includes 50 TMs, with an additional five HMs.

Generation II

Generation II includes 50 TMs, with an additional seven HMs. All TMs, except TM06, TM14, TM15, TM22, TM25, TM26, TM28, TM29, TM32, TM38, TM39, TM42, and TM44, teach different moves to Generation I, most of which were newly introduced moves.

Generation III

Generation III includes 50 TMs, with an additional eight HMs (although only seven are available in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen). Many of the TMs differ from previous generations, with some moves that were TMs in Generation I but not II once again being taught by TMs.

TM13, TM24 and TM33 all teach the same moves as in Generation I but different from Generation II. The following TMs that were changed in Generation II contain the same moves as then: TM05, TM10, TM11, TM17-19, TM21, TM23, TM27, TM30, TM36-37, and TM45-47. Moves taught by all other TMs now teach Generation III moves or existing moves that are completely new to being taught by TMs, such as Safeguard or Flamethrower.

In FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald, Move Tutors teach several moves that were TMs in Generation I. In Pokémon Emerald, Move Tutors also teach several moves that were TMs in Generation II.

Generation IV

Generation IV includes 92 TMs, with an additional eight HMs. Due to the fact that TMs can be held and transferred from the Generation III games, the first 50 TMs teach the same moves as in Generation III.

Out of the new TMs, TM54, TM58, TM61-62, TM64, TM67, TM70, TM73, TM75, TM77, TM80, TM82, TM85, and TM90 teach existing moves. All other new TMs teach new moves.

Generation V

Generation V includes 95 TMs, with an additional six HMs. Many of them teach different moves to their corresponding TMs in Generation IV. In Pokémon Black and White, TM95 was originally intended to be obtainable by using the Lock Capsule, an event item which was intended to be distributed to HeartGold and SoulSilver, and then transferred to Black and White via the Relocator. However, the Lock Capsule was never distributed, rendering it, and subsequently TM95, unobtainable in these games. It can be obtained in regular gameplay in Black 2 and White 2.

New moves are taught by TM01, TM03, TM09, TM19, TM23, TM43, TM47-49, TM51, TM55, TM58-60, TM62, TM67, TM72, TM76, TM78-79, TM82-83, TM93, and TM95. TM94 is the only new TM that teaches an existing move: Rock Smash.

TMs now have unlimited uses like HMs, rather than being single-use items. In this generation only, when a Pokémon learns a move from a TM or HM by overwriting an old one, the new move takes on the current PP of the forgotten move, preventing repeated usage of machines for PP restoration. The prices of the purchasable TMs are also much higher to reflect the fact they can be reused. TMs can no longer be held (indicating that they can't be traded) or sold.

Generation VI

Generation VI includes 100 TMs, with an additional 5 HMs in Pokémon X and Y and 7 HMs in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. One of the two additional HMs in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire—Rock Smash—was a TM in Pokémon X and Y; in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, TM94—the TM that teaches Rock Smash in Pokémon X and Y—instead teaches Secret Power. Most TMs contain the same moves that they did in Generation V, with the exceptions of TM19, TM51, TM83, TM88, and (in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire) TM94.

Generation VII

Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon include 100 TMs. HMs no longer exist, although the former HM moves Fly, Waterfall, and Surf became TMs instead. This is because the overworld uses of the HMs are replaced with the Poké Ride feature. The only TMs that were changed between Generation VI and Generation VII are TM01, TM28, TM59, TM67, TM70, TM76, TM94, and TM98.

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! include 60 TMs, with no HMs, as they are replaced with Secret Techniques. Every TM teaches a different move to what it taught in the Alola games.

Generation VIII

Sword and Shield

In Pokémon Sword and Shield, TMs remain virtually identical to how they work in the previous generation, with no HMs and 100 TMs in total. However, this generation prompted the inclusion of 100 new Technical Records (known as TRs for short), which function as single-use items similar to how TMs worked prior to Generation V. The moves contained in TRs are all different from TM moves. Unlike in previous generations, TMs and TRs are numbered starting from 00, not 01; to make up for this, TM100 has been removed.

Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, TMs are single-use again, but unlike in Diamond and Pearl, most TMs can beGym Leaders now give five of the same TM.

Unlike in previous games, TMs stayed the same as in Diamond and Pearl, except TM10, TM21, TM27, TM43, TM49, TM62, TM63, TM78, and TM83, which teach moves introduced in Generation V or VI due to the moves originally taught by those TMs being unusable, or in TM10's case, being Hidden Power, which is now Unown's signature move.

The eight HMs from Diamond and Pearl are now TM93 through TM100, in the same order.

Generation IX

TMs return to being single-use. Once a TM is obtained, they can be crafted at a Pokémon Center using the TM Machine, using League Points and TM Materials dropped by defeating or catching wild Pokémon. Like TRs, if a Pokémon forgets a move taught by a TM, it can now be relearned for free without using another TM. Unlike previous generations, TMs have a 3-digit number rather than a 2-digit number. There are 229 TMs in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: out of those, only the first 171 were present since the game's launch. The Teal Mask added 30 TMs, and The Indigo Disk added another 30 TMs.

TM016, TM017, TM026, TM031, TM173, TM174, TM185, TM206, TM216, and TM223 all teach existing moves that weren't available outside of leveling up, tutoring, or breeding. TM020, TM021, TM022, TM052, TM124, TM171, TM207, TM210, TM225, TM226, TM227, TM228, and TM229 teach new moves.

Moves that were previously only learnable via Move Tutors (the elemental Hyper Beam variations for fully evolved first partner Pokémon, pledge moves, Draco Meteor, and Steel Beam) have been repurposed as TMs.

Incompatible Pokémon

Although most Pokémon are able to learn a wide range of TM moves, there are 24 Pokémon that cannot learn any move through TM that isn't available to them through other means, with a few exceptions. Typically, these Pokémon are low in their evolutionary line or rely on a specific set of moves. Starting in Generation VI, several of these Pokémon that were able to learn TM moves by leveling up are now able to learn the moves through TM as well.

# Pokémon Type Exceptions VI VII VIII IX 0010 Caterpie Bug — — TM82SwSh: Electroweb N/A 0011 Metapod Bug — — TM82SwSh: Electroweb N/A 0013 Weedle Bug Poison — — — N/A 0014 Kakuna Bug Poison — — — N/A 0129 Magikarp Water — — TM52SwSh: Bounce — 0132 Ditto Normal — — — — 0201 Unown Psychic TM10: Hidden Power TM10: Hidden Power — N/A 0202 Wobbuffet Psychic TM20: Safeguard TM20: Safeguard TM19SwSh/TM20BDSP: Safeguard TM29SwSh: Charm N/A 0235 Smeargle Normal —* —* —* —* 0265 Wurmple Bug — — — N/A 0266 Silcoon Bug — — — N/A 0268 Cascoon Bug — — — N/A 0360 Wynaut Psychic TM20: Safeguard TM20: Safeguard TM19SwSh/TM20BDSP: Safeguard TM29SwSh: Charm N/A 0374 Beldum Steel Psychic — — — TM001: Take Down TM059: Zen Headbutt TM099: Iron Head TM104: Iron Defense TM170: Steel Beam TM171: Tera Blast 0401 Kricketot Bug TM76: Struggle Bug — — TM015: Struggle Bug TM171: Tera Blast TM182: Bug Bite TM185: Lunge TM205: Endeavor TM219: Skitter Smack 0412 Burmy Bug TM10: Hidden Power TM17: Protect TM10: Hidden Power TM17: Protect TM17BDSP: Protect N/A 0415 Combee Bug Flying — — TM24SwSh: Snore TM62BDSP: Bug Buzz TM015: Struggle Bug TM070: Sleep Talk TM162: Bug Buzz TM171: Tera Blast TM182: Bug Bite TM185: Lunge TM205: Endeavor TM219: Skitter Smack 0602 Tynamo Electric TM57: Charge Beam TM73: Thunder Wave TM57: Charge Beam TM73: Thunder Wave N/A TM023: Charge Beam TM082: Thunder Wave TM171: Tera Blast TM173: Charge TM181: Knock Off 0664 Scatterbug Bug — — N/A TM015: Struggle Bug TM021: Pounce TM171: Tera Blast TM182: Bug Bite 0665 Spewpa Bug TM17: Protect TM17: Protect N/A TM007: Protect TM015: Struggle Bug TM021: Pounce TM104: Iron Defense TM171: Tera Blast TM182: Bug Bite 0789 Cosmog Psychic N/A — — — 0790 Cosmoem Psychic N/A — — — 0824 Blipbug Bug N/A N/A — N/A 0840 Applin Grass Dragon N/A N/A TM31: Attract TM021: Pounce TM171: Tera Blast

Near-universal TMs

With few exceptions, all Pokémon who are compatible with TMs can learn the following moves:

Move Generation I II III IV V VI VII SMUSUM VII LGPE VIII SwSh VIII BDSP IX Attract — 45 45 45 45 45 45 — 31 45 — Bide 34 — — — — — — — — — — Captivate — — — 78 — — — — — — — Confide — — — — — 100 100 — — — — Curse — 03 — — — — — — — — —* Double Team 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 — — 32 — Double-Edge 10 — — — — — — — — — —* Endure — 20 — 58 — — — — — 58 047 Facade — — 42 42 42 42 42 12 39 42 025 Frustration — 21 21 21 21 21 21 — — — — Headbutt — —* — — — — — 01 — — — Helping Hand — — — — — — — —* —* — 130 Hidden Power — 10 10 10 10 10 10 — — — — Mimic 31 — — — — — — — — — — Natural Gift — — — 83 — — — — — — — Protect — 17 17 17 17 17 17 07 25 17 007 Rage 20 — — — — — — — — — — Rest 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 05 21 44 085 Return — 27 27 27 27 27 27 — — — — Round — — — — 48 48 48 — 76 — — Secret Power — — 43 43 — 94ORAS — — — — — Sleep Talk — 35 — 82 — 88 88 — — 82 070 Snore — 13 — — — — — — 24 — — Substitute 50 — — 90 90 90 90 08 — 90 103 Swagger — 34 — 87 87 87 87 — — 87 — Take Down 09 — — — — — — — — — 001 Tera Blast — — — — — — — — — — 171 Toxic 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 27 — —* —*

TM-exclusive moves

In every generation, there have been moves exclusively taught by TMs:

Generation I ThunderboltRB • BubbleBeam • Mega Drain • Fissure • Mimic • Bide Egg Bomb • Fire Blast • Softboiled • Psywave • Rock Slide • Razor Wind • Toxic Generation II Razor Wind* • Toxic • DynamicPunch • Icy Wind • Iron Tail • DragonBreath • Shadow Ball • Mud-Slap Sleep Talk • Attract • Thief • Nightmare • Fury Cutter • Rock Smash • Return • Frustration Generation III Return • Frustration • Shock Wave • Facade • Overheat • Secret Power • Skill Swap Generation IV OverheatDP • Secret Power • Skill Swap • Stealth Rock • Grass Knot • Drain Punch • Focus Blast Generation V Focus Blast • Snarl • Frost Breath Generation VI Frost BreathXY • Dazzling Gleam • Infestation Generation VII SMUSUM Smart Strike • Aurora Veil • Surf PE Foul Play • Scald Generation VIII BDSP Flash • Rock Climb • Focus Blast • Scald Generation IX Hydro Cannon • Blast Burn • Frenzy Plant • Draco Meteor • Focus Blast • Fire Pledge • Water Pledge Grass Pledge • Steel Beam • Tera Blast • Trailblaze • Pounce • Chilling Water • Grassy Glide Burning Jealousy • Poltergeist • Lash Out • Misty Explosion • Temper Flare • Supercell Slam Triple Axel • Coaching • Scorching Sands • Meteor Beam • Hard Press • Dragon Cheer Alluring Voice • Psychic Noise • Upper Hand

Returning moves

Several moves taught by TM in an earlier generation returned as TMs later on after being absent but assigned with a different TM number.

Move Generation I II III IV V VI VII SMUSUM VII LGPE VIII SwSh VIII BDSP IX SV Acrobatics — — — — 62 62 62 — 78 — 014 Aerial Ace — — 40 40 40 40 40 — — 40 027 Air Slash — — — — — — — — 95 — 065 Attract — 45 45 45 45 45 45 — 31 45 — Avalanche — — — 72 — — — — 64 72 046 Blizzard 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 51 — 14 143 Body Slam 08 — — — — — — — — — 066 Breaking Swipe — — — — — — — — 99 — 222 Brine — — — 55 — — — — 55 55 — Brutal Swing — — — — — — 59 — 97 — — Bulldoze — — — — 78 78 78 — 81 83 028 Bullet Seed — — 09 09 — — — — 50 09 056 Charge Beam — — — 57 57 57 57 — — 57 023 Curse — 03 — — — — — — — — 224 Dark Pulse — — — 79 — 97 97 20 — 79 094 Dazzling Gleam — — — — — 99 99 32 — 21 079 Dig 28 28 28 28 28 28 — 10 15 28 055 Double-Edge 10 — — — — — — — — — 204 Dragon Claw — — 02 02 02 02 02 — — 02 078 Dragon Pulse — — — 59 — — — 34 — 59 115 Dragon Tail — — — — 82 82 82 17 — — 044 Drain Punch — — — 60 — — — — 63 60 073 Draining Kiss — — — — — — — — 87 — 037 Dream Eater 42 42 — 85 85 85 85 59 — 85 — Drill Run — — — — — — — 58 — — 106 Endure — 20 — 58 — — — — — 58 047 Eerie Impulse — — — — — — — — 93 — 096 Electroweb — — — — — — — — 82 — 211 Explosion 47 — — 64 64 64 64 — — 64 — False Swipe — — — 54 54 54 54 — 94 54 057 Fire Punch — 48 — — — — — 31 03 — 067 Flame Charge — — — — 43 43 43 — — — 048 Fling — — — 56 56 56 56 — 59 56 043 Focus Punch — — 01 01 — — — — — 01 192 Giga Drain — 19 19 19 — — — — 28 19 111 Gyro Ball — — — 74 74 74 74 — — 74 180 Hail — — 07 07 07 07 07 — 35 07 — Headbutt — 02 — — — — — 01 — — — Ice Beam 13 — 13 13 13 13 13 55 — 13 135 Ice Punch — 33 — — — — — 35 04 — 069 Icy Wind — 16 — — — — — — 27 — 034 Iron Tail — 23 23 23 — — — 19 — 23 — Low Sweep — — — — 47 47 47 — 75 27 039 Mega Drain 21 — — — — — — 53 — — — Mega Kick 05 — — — — — — — 01 — — Mega Punch 01 — — — — — — — 00 — — Pay Day 16 — — — — — — 57 02 — — Payback — — — 66 66 66 66 — 57 66 — Psych Up — 09 — 77 77 77 77 — — 77 203 Rain Dance — 18 18 18 18 18 18 — 33 18 050 Reflect 33 — 33 33 33 33 33 09 18 33 074 Retaliate — — — — 67 67 — — 79 — — Roar — 05 05 05 05 05 05 — — 05 172 Rock Slide 48 — — 80 80 80 80 22 22 80 086 Rock Smash — 08 — — 94 94XY — — — 98 — Rock Tomb — — 39 39 39 39 39 — 48 39 036 Roost — — — 51 — 19 19 50 — 51 — Round — — — — 48 48 48 — 76 — — Sandstorm — 37 37 37 37 37 37 — 32 37 051 Scald — — — — 55 55 55 29 — 49 188 Secret Power — — 43 43 — 94ORAS — — — — — Seismic Toss 19 — — — — — — 15 — — — Self-Destruct 36 — — — — — — 42 20 — — Shadow Claw — — — 65 65 65 65 — 65 65 061 Sleep Talk — 35 — 82 — 88 88 — — 82 070 Sludge Wave — — — — 34 34 34 — — — 214 Smack Down — — — — 23 23 23 — — — 179 Smart Strike — — — — — — 67 — 96 — 053 Snarl — — — — 95 95 95 — 85 78 030 Snore — 13 — — — — — — 24 — — Solar Blade — — — — — — — — 12 — 190 Stealth Rock — — — 76 — — — 56 — 76 116 Steel Wing — 47 47 47 — 51 51 — 30 47 — Struggle Bug — — — — 76 76 — — — — 015 Substitute 50 — — 90 90 90 90 08 — 90 103 Sunny Day — 11 11 11 11 11 11 — 34 11 049 Surf — — — — — — 94 47 — 95 123 Swagger — 34 — 87 87 87 87 — — 87 — Swift 39 39 — — — — — — 40 — 032 Swords Dance 03 — — 75 75 75 75 — — 75 088 Take Down 09 — — — — — — — — — 001 Teleport 30 — — — — — — 04 — — — Thief — 46 46 46 46 46 46 — 23 46 018 Tri Attack 49 — — — — — — 28 — — — Trick Room — — — 92 92 92 92 — 70 92 161 Thunderbolt 24 — 24 24 24 24 24 36 — 24 126 Thunder Wave 45 — — 73 73 73 73 16 14 73 082 Toxic 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 27 — 06 175 Venoshock — — — — 09 09 09 — 74 — 045 Volt Switch — — — — 72 72 72 — 80 43 048 Waterfall — — — — — — 98 25 — 99 077 Weather Ball — — — — — — — — 46 — 193 Whirlpool — — — — — — — — 36 — 208 Work Up — — — — 83 — 01 — — 10 —

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky, the TMs for weather summoning moves, as well as Double Team, Rock Tomb and Snatch, do not exist, and instead have been replaced by appropriate Wonder Orbs. After use, a TM becomes a Used TM; a Used TM can be turned back into a usable TM by a Pokémon with the move Recycle, except for a Used TM of Recycle, which will remain a Used TM permanently. Pokémon can learn the same TMs they can learn in the corresponding core series games, but Pokémon that cannot learn TMs in the core series games can learn moves via TM if they can also learn those moves by level up.

In Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky, Dive is a TM, even though it is not a TM in Generation IV core series games. However, no Pokémon are specifically coded to learn it, and thus the only Pokémon compatible with it are those that already learn it by level-up.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, all TMs are infinite use. Special TMs for moves usually learned through a Move Tutor in the core series games are also present. Wide Slash and Vacuum-Cut are no longer available starting from this game.

In Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, there are two types of TMs: single-use regular TMs and reusable rainbow-colored TMs. Rainbow-colored TMs can be purchased from Kecleon shops from certain post-game dungeons, and can also be purchased from Kecleon shops in towns after Kecleon has been connected with the Expedition Society, which unlocks the "Treasures" section in the shop.

In Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, and in Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky, there are two moves that do not appear in the core series games that can only be learned by TM: Wide Slash and Vacuum-Cut. These moves do not appear in subsequent games.

In Explorers of Sky, TMs can be sold to Kecleon for 250 Poké.

Appearance

TM sprite from Red and Blue Rescue Team	TM sprite from Explorers series	TM sprite from Mystery Dungeon (WiiWare)	TM sprite from Gates to Infinity	TM sprite from Super Mystery Dungeon	Rainbow TM sprite from Super Mystery Dungeon
TM sprite from Rescue Team DX	Rainbow TM sprite (unused) from Rescue Team DX
Used TM sprite from Rescue Team series	Used TM sprite from Explorers series
TM sprite (for tutor moves) from Gates to Infinity	TM sprite (for tutor moves; unused) from Super Mystery Dungeon	Rainbow TM sprite (for tutor moves; unused) from Super Mystery Dungeon
TM icon from Rescue Team series	TM icon from Explorers series

Model of TM from Gates to Infinity	Model of TM (for tutor moves) from Gates to Infinity	Model of TM from Super Mystery Dungeon	Unused model of a used TM from Super Mystery Dungeon	Unused model of TM (for tutor moves) Super Mystery Dungeon	Unused model of used TM (for tutor moves) from Super Mystery Dungeon

Artwork

Explorers artwork	Super Mystery Dungeon artwork	Rescue Team DX artwork	Unused Rescue Team DX artwork for Used TM

Pokémon GO

In Pokémon GO, there are four kinds of TMs: Fast TMs, Charged TMs, Elite Fast TMs, and Elite Charged TMs. TMs were introduced to Pokémon GO on June 22, 2017, and Elite TMs were introduced on April 24, 2020. All TMs are consumed after one use.

Using a Fast or Charged TM on a Pokémon randomly changes its Fast or Charged Attack, respectively, to a different move in the Pokémon's current move pool.

Elite TMs allow players to select the new move that will be learned, even including legacy and event-exclusive moves, such as Community Day moves.

Appearance

Fast TM from Pokémon GO	Charged TM from Pokémon GO	Elite Fast TM from Pokémon GO	Elite Charged TM from Pokémon GO

In animation

TM34 in Pokémon Origins

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate!

TMs are mentioned once in the Japanese version of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate!. While talking with the Kecleon Brothers, Charmander of Team Go-Getters mentioned TMs among other things the Kecleon Shop was sold out on. This reference was not included in the dub.

Pokémon Origins

TM34 (Bide) appeared in File 1: Red. Much like in Pokémon Red and Blue, it was given to Red by Brock as a reward for defeating him in a Gym battle.

Another TM, TM28 (Dig), also made a brief appearance in File 2: Cubone, where Red retrieved it from a Team Rocket Grunt who had stolen it.

In the manga

Two early kinds of TMs in Pokémon Adventures

TM31 in The Electric Tale of Pikachu

The Electric Tale of Pikachu

In To Evolve or Not to Evolve, That Is the Question!, Ash used TM31 to teach Mikey's Eevee Mimic, allowing it to win a battle against Sparky's Jolteon and thus let Mikey join the Knights of the E Stone.

Pokémon Adventures

Red, Green & Blue arc

In Wartortle Wars, a fake TM was seen amongst the many fake items sold to Red by Green.

Gold, Silver & Crystal arc

In Elekid Incorporated, Silver mentioned that he had used TM21 to teach his Totodile Frustration in order to capitalize on the fact that he had only just stolen the Pokémon and it hadn't come to like him yet.

Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc

In Diancie Shines, it was explained that TMs are machines that contain the essence of the move they teach to a Pokémon. Before this technology existed, other items served the same purpose. Such items are the rings Ultima carries on her staff, which contain the ultimate moves Frenzy Plant, Blast Burn, and Hydro Cannon, and a scroll held by the Draconids, which contains the move Dragon Ascent.

Sword & Shield arc

In Toasty!! Battle Against Toxapex, Henry revealed he had used a TM for Sunny Day on his Thwackey in preparation for dealing with Nessa's Toxapex during their Gym battle.

Scarlet & Violet arc

In PASV06, Nemona received a TM for Aerial Ace as a prize for defeating five Trainers in South Province (Area Two) when visiting the Cortondo Pokémon Center.

In the TCG

Grass Cube 01, an example of a typical Technical Machine card with the Trainer subtype of "Technical Machine"

In the TCG, a Technical Machine is a Trainer card depicting a Technical Machine. Each one has an attack printed on it. They can be attached to a Pokémon, and doing so allows the Pokémon to use the attack printed on the Technical Machine card instead of one of the attacks on the Pokémon's card.

Technical Machines have two different mechanical representations across the TCG's history, though both adhere to the above definition.

Technical Machine (Trainer subtype)

Main article: List of Technical Machine cards

Starting from Pokémon VS in Japanese and Expedition in English, Technical Machine is a type of Trainer card. These cards can be attached to Pokémon in play. The majority of them can only be attached to Pokémon of a specific type or those that include a specific owner in their name, but other restrictions have been used and a few cards have no restriction at all. Each card provides an attack that can be used in addition to any attacks featured on the Pokémon it is attached to. In most cases, a player is required to discard a Technical Machine card at the end of the turn they played it. The final Technical Machine cards, the ones printed in Legends Awakened and Rising Rivals, are exceptions to this last clause.

A Pokémon can have multiple TMs attached to it at once. This functionality is fairly useless since most Pokémon can only attack one per turn and therefore can only use an attack from one Technical Machine per turn, while both used and unused Technical Machines will be discarded.

Some cards have numbers at the end of their name, normally starting from "01" and counting up with each card that otherwise has the same name. However, the only cards with an "02" card to follow them are Japan exclusive, only being printed in Pokémon VS. No cards have "03" or any third member to a numeric order. The two cards in Legends Awakened, Technical Machine TS-1 and Technical Machine TS-2, are the sole English examples of a numbering system with more than one entry in English. The final card to bear the card type, Team Galactic's Invention G-107 Technical Machine G, uses a "G" in place of a number.

After the Rising Rivals expansion, Technical Machine cards were seemingly retired in favor of Pokémon Tool cards that provide additional attacks.

A number of sets have variations on the Technical Machine concept, keeping the card type and mechanics but changing the name and appearance of the item. They do not use numbers like the normal TMs, being distinguished by symbols or additional words instead.

Miracle Sphere

Miracle Sphere γ, an example of a Miracle Sphere.

A Miracle Sphere is one of three cards from the Skyridge expansion. They are Miracle Sphere α, Miracle Sphere β, and Miracle Sphere γ. The ends of their names have a Greek letter. Each Miracle Sphere can only be attached to Evolved Pokémon of three specific Energy types. One of those types is used in the cost of the attack of the Miracle Sphere. If the Pokémon has a Basic Energy card attached to it of the type in the attack's cost and a Basic Energy card attached to it of one of the other two types, the attack becomes stronger in some way, either adding an additional effect or dealing increased damage and having an additional effect. If there are Basic Energy cards attached to the Pokémon that have all three types, then both effects happen. Also, the attack a Miracle Sphere provides always ends with the word "Force".

The art for these cards shows a sphere glowing in various colors. Writing of an indeterminate language runs across the sphere.

Mystery Plate

A Mystery Plate is one of four cards from the Skyridge expansion. They are Mystery Plate α, Mystery Plate β, Mystery Plate γ, and Mystery Plate δ. Again, the ends of their names have a Greek letter. The attacks on these cards exclusively cost Energy. They have an effect when the opponent has 5 or more Prize cards remaining, and a different effect when the opponent has a lower number of Prize cards remaining. Mystery Plate α and Mystery Plate β have an effect when the opponent has 1 Prize card remaining, while Mystery Plate γ and Mystery Plate δ have an effect when the opponent has 2 Prize cards remaining. These second effects are more powerful than the first effect. However, between either of the two points, and after the second point in the case of Mystery Plate γ and Mystery Plate δ, the attack has no effect.

The art for these cards shows a stone slab, with text of an indeterminate language written on it.

Ancient Technical Machine

Ancient Technical Machine [Steel], an example of an Ancient Technical Machine

An Ancient Technical Machine is one of three cards from the EX Hidden Legends expansion. They are Ancient Technical Machine [Ice], Ancient Technical Machine [Rock], and Ancient Technical Machine [Steel]. Their names all end in the name of a type encased in brackets. They use the name of a type from the video games and not the equivalent Energy type.

These cards can only be attached to an Evolved Pokémon, and that Pokémon cannot also be an Pokémon-ex or an Owner's Pokémon. The attack an Ancient Technical Machine provides exclusively costs Energy, and its name ends with the phrase "Generator".

The art for these cards shows a opened clam-shaped device with a shape floating in the distant half.

Technical Machine (Pokémon Tool)

Technical Machine: Turbo Energize, an example of a Technical Machine card that is a Pokémon Tool.

In Paradox Rift expansion in the Scarlet & Violet Series (in Japan the Raging Surf subset in the Scarlet & Violet Era), over 14 years since the last Technical Machine card, Technical Machines returned to the Trading Card Game. This set of cards are a group of Pokémon Tool cards which have an attack printed on them that the Pokémon the card is attached to can use. As they are Pokémon Tools, they carry the restriction of that card type where a Pokémon can only have a single Pokémon Tool attached to it. This further means that a Pokémon cannot have more than one of these Technical Machine cards attached to them at a time.

These cards have a new naming structure, starting with "Technical Machine:" followed by the name of the attack that they provide.

While no longer depicted as a distinct type of Trainer card, these cards are still discarded at the end of the turn.

These cards' artwork use the optical disk appearance of TMs from the video games, instead of the TCG's cube appearance.

In the magazines

Pokémon Power

In Pokémon Power (issue 3, page 3), there is a small ad about buying used TMs: "Save big on used TMs! Call Now! 555-POKE!"

Trivia

• 343 different moves have been available as a TM, adding together the TMs from every generation.
• Gym Leaders who give out a TM on their defeat typically give out one containing a move of their specialty type. However, in their respective first generation of an appearance each, Brock and Falkner do not, giving out TM34 (Bide) (a Normal-type move) and TM31 (Mud-Slap) (a Ground-type move), respectively. This is rectified in the remakes of their debut games, with Brock giving away TM39 (Rock Tomb) while Falkner's prize is TM51 (Roost). Likewise, Cilan, Chili, and Cress do not give out TMs matching their specialty type, instead giving out the Normal-type TM83 (Work Up), regardless of which of the three is battled.
  • Prior to Generation III, TMs given out by the starting region's Gym Leaders teach moves that no Pokémon learns naturally. There is one exception: in Pokémon Yellow, Pikachu learns Thunderbolt in place of Swift.
• Generation IV is the first generation in which there is at least one TM that teaches a move of each Pokémon type.
  • Generation I had no TMs for Bug- or Ghost-type moves, Generation II had none for Flying, and Generation III had none for Bug. Because of the last case, the Bug-type TM sprite goes unused in Generation III, while the sprite that would've been used for a Bug-type TM in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen's TM Case goes completely unused.
• Generation IX has the most TMs, with 229, and Generation I, II, and III are tied for the fewest TMs, with 50.
• The largest TM increase across generations was from VIII to IX, adding 129 TMs. The smallest increase was from IV to V, adding only three.

In other languages

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 招式學習器 Jīusīk Hohkjaahphei Mandarin 招式學習器 / 招式学习器 Zhāoshì Xuéxíqì Danish Teknisk maskin Teknologisk maskine* Dutch Technische machine* French Canada Machine technique* Europe Capsule Technique (CT) German Technische Maschine (TM) Indonesian Mesin Serangan (MS) Italian Macchina Tecnica (MT) Korean 기술머신 Gisul Machine Portuguese Brazil Máquina Técnica (MT) Portugal Máquina de Técnica* Máquina Técnica* Spanish Máquina Técnica (MT) Swedish Teknisk maskin Tekniskt fordon* Thai แมชชีนทักษะ Maetchin Thaksa (TM) Vietnamese Máy học chiêu thức

See also

• HM
• TR
• List of Technical Machine cards
• Move Tutor
• List of TM and HM locations in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Lists of TM, HM, and TR locations In the core series: Generation I • Generation II • Generation III • Generation IV • Generation V • Generation VI Generation VII • Generation VIII (SwSh • BDSP) • Generation IX (SV) In spin-off games: Mystery Dungeon series

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series items Consumables: Food • Gummis • Seeds • Berries • Health drinks Held items: Glasses • Scarves • Recruitment-affecting items Miracle and Wonder Chests • Seven Treasures Space Globe • IQ Booster • Flags • Looplets Objects: Wonder Orbs • Throwing items • HMs • Used TMs • TMs • Keys Link Box • Gabite Scale • Gracidea • Friend Gifts • Devices Emeras • Progress Devices • Wands • Djinn's Bottle Special: Rescue Team Starter Set • Toolbox • Exploration Team Kit Treasure Bag • Treasure Collection • Mystery Dungeon evolutionary items Teleport Gem • Colored Wings • Wishing Stone • Music Box • Vortex Stone Treasure Boxes • Mystery Part • Secret Slab • Exclusive items Relic Fragment • Wonder Egg • Lost Loot • Sky Gift Lookalike Items • Prize Tickets • Gates to Infinity exclusive items Manuals • Entercards • Lucha Token • Connection Orb

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.