Animated series move errors

Revision as of 19:25, 20 November 2021 by PKMNAdventurer (talk | contribs) (Learned that Piplup can now learn Water Gun in Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl)

In the anime, occasionally Pokémon know moves they cannot learn legitimately in any of the games. It is unknown whether these instances are actual mistakes, a writing policy of not having to stick to the games too closely, or merely the Pokémon using an attribute that shares the name of a move in the games. In Bulbasaur... the Ambassador!, Professor Oak states that in times of need, Pokémon can call upon power that had never been known to them previously, such as Ash's Bulbasaur learning Dig.

Pokémon with moves that they cannot learn in the games

Artwork Name Move First use Picture
Samurai's Pinsir Tackle Challenge of the Samurai
A Gentleman's Raticate Jump Kick Battle Aboard the St. Anne
Jeanette's Beedrill Tackle The Fourth Round Rumble
Ritchie's Zippo Tackle Friend and Foe Alike
James's Victreebel Tackle Pikachu Re-Volts
Jessie's Lickitung Tackle Pikachu Re-Volts
Jessie's Arbok Tackle A Shipful of Shivers
Ralph's Tony Fury Swipes Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?
Ash's Charizard Tackle Pokémon Double Trouble
Ash's Pikachu Tackle The Double Trouble Header
Olesia's Wooper Tackle No Big Woop!
Ash's Pikachu Leer Hour of the Houndour
Ash's Cyndaquil Agility Hot Matches!
Trixie's Pidgey Peck Love, Totodile Style
Malachi's Ken Peck Carrying On!
Denjirō's Pidgey Peck Carrying On!
Jessie's Wobbuffet Bide A Hot Water Battle
Duplica's Mini-Dit Tackle* Imitation Confrontation
Duplica's Ditto Tackle* Imitation Confrontation
Aya's Venonat Poison Sting Ariados, Amigos
Misty's Poliwhirl Tackle Wings 'N' Things
Tamao's Umbreon Agility Trouble's Brewing File:Tamao Umbreon Agility.png
Janina's Onix Wrap Fight for the Light!
Ash's Bulbasaur Dig Bulbasaur... the Ambassador!
Kiyo's Tyrogue Jump Kick A Tyrogue Full of Trouble
Lance's Dragonite Whirlwind Talkin' 'Bout an Evolution
Clair's Dragonair Flash Fangs for Nothin'
Clair's Dragonite Whirlwind Great Bowls of Fire! File:Dragonite Whirlwind.png
Brock's Crobat SonicBoom Lapras of Luxury
Larvitar Harden Hatch Me If You Can File:Ash Larvitar Harden.png
Ritchie's Rose Gust Oaknapped!
Loudred Dig Turning Over a Nuzleaf File:Dewford Island Loudred Dig.png
Sableye Lick Ready, Willing, and Sableye
Skitty Fury Swipes Big Meowth, Little Dreams (Part 2)
Jirachi Teleport Jirachi: Wish Maker
Aerodactyl Gust Putting the Air Back in Aerodactyl!
Harley's Ariados Shadow Ball New Plot, Odd Lot!
Jessie's Dustox Stun Spore Gymbaliar
Gengar of Team Meanies Confusion Pokémon Mystery Dungeon:
Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate!
Ash's Staravia Gust Getting the Pre-Contest Titters!
Cheryl's Mothim Supersonic An Angry Combeenation!
Spearow Gust Riding the Winds of Change!
Kylie's Munchlax Giga Impact A Full Course Tag Battle!
Roman's Girafarig Bite A Full Course Tag Battle!
Nidoran♂ Bite Leading a Stray!
Froslass Slash The Drifting Snorunt!
Dusknoir Rapid Spin Pokémon Mystery Dungeon:
Explorers of Sky - Beyond Time & Darkness
Bellsprout Absorb Promoting Healthy Tangrowth!
Damos's Baltoy Shock Wave Arceus and the Jewel of Life
Damos's Claydol Shock Wave Arceus and the Jewel of Life
Politoed Jump Kick A Faux Oak Finish!
Jupiter's Skuntank X-Scissor Unlocking the Red Chain of Events!
Uxie Teleport The Needs of the Three!
Mesprit Teleport The Needs of the Three!
Chingling Sing Yes in Dee Dee, It's Dawn!
Chimecho Sing Yes in Dee Dee, It's Dawn!
Nando's Kricketot Sing Last Call — First Round!
Kricketune Bullet Seed Zoroark: Master of Illusions

Unown Psychic PK21
Normajean's Teddiursa Pound The Brockster Is In!
Officer Jenny's Swanna Blizzard Crisis at Ferroseed Research!
Chester's Fletchling Feather Dance Breaking Titles at the Chateau!
Helioptile Discharge The Future Is Now, Thanks to Determination!
Gulpin Water Gun Defending the Homeland!
Fletchling Gust Flying in the Air
Skarmory Gust Flying in the Air
Swablu Gust Flying in the Air
Starly Gust Flying in the Air
Staravia Gust Flying in the Air
Swellow Gust Flying in the Air
Sawyer's Slurpuff Electro Ball Rivals: Today and Tomorrow!
Lotad Psybeam A Diamond in the Rough!
Lotad Hydro Pump A Diamond in the Rough!
Ash's Litten Slash They Might Not Be Giants!
Nebby Supersonic A Masked Warning!

Japanese version only

Artwork Name Move First use Notes Picture
Ash's Starly Gust Two Degrees of Separation! Changed to Whirlwind in the dub, a move that Starly can learn. However, after he evolved into Staravia, he began using Gust in the dub as well.
Ash's Tranquill Wing Attack An Amazing Aerial Battle! In the dub, Ash merely commanded Tranquill to "attack now", without specifying a move.
Celosia's Manectric Scratch Meeting at Terminus Cave! In the dub, Celosia tells Manectric to "Go after it!"

Mentioned only

Artwork Name Move First use Notes
Sawyer's Treecko Razor Leaf Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile! Clemont mentioned Treecko having used Razor Leaf during his Gym battle with Sawyer. In the dub, the move mentioned was changed to Mega Drain.

Dub only

Artwork Name Move First use Notes Picture
Ash's Bulbasaur Whirlwind The Ninja Poké-Showdown This was a dubbing error, as Whirlwind's Japanese name is ふきとばし Blow Away. Ash was telling Bulbasaur to simply "blow it away" in the Japanese version rather than commanding the actual move.
Marina's Starmie Bubble Bye Bye Psyduck Bubble Beam in the Japanese version, a move that Starmie can learn.
Gary's Umbreon Agility Power Play! In the Japanese version, Umbreon was just told to use its footwork, without being given an attack command.
Morty's Gastly Confusion From Ghost to Ghost No command given in the Japanese version, most likely a dubbing error.
Ash's Totodile Skull Bash Dueling Heroes Headbutt in the Japanese version, a move that Totodile can learn.
Ritchie's Cruise Take Down The Mystery is History Headbutt in the Japanese version, a move that Pupitar can learn.
Hun's Steelix Bite The Legend of Thunder! Crunch in the Japanese version, a move that Steelix can learn.
Ash's Heracross Fury Swipes The Ties That Bind! Fury Attack in the Japanese version, a move that Heracross can learn.
Harrison's Steelix Wrap Playing with Fire! Bind in the Japanese version, a move that Steelix can learn.

Closed captions only

Artwork Name Move First use Notes Picture
Surskit Tackle Dewpider Ascending! Being a wild Pokémon, this Surskit's attack was not identified out loud in either the original or dub version of Dewpider Ascending!. However, the English version's closed captions identified the move as Tackle. File:Surskit SM071 Tackle.png

Former errors

Artwork Name Move First use Notes Picture
A.J.'s Sandshrew Defense Curl The Path to the Pokémon League A.J.'s Sandshrew used Defense Curl. However, Sandshrew was unable to learn Defense Curl until Generation II.
James's Koffing Poison Gas The Ghost of Maiden's Peak James ordered his Koffing to use Poison Gas. However, Koffing was unable to learn Poison Gas until Generation II.
James's Weezing Poison Gas The Song of Jigglypuff James ordered his Weezing to use Poison Gas. However, Weezing was unable to learn Poison Gas until Generation II.
Gary's Arcanine Fire Spin The Battle of the Badge Gary's Arcanine uses Fire Spin in this episode. However, Arcanine was unable to learn Fire Spin until Generation II.
Mew Barrier Mewtwo Strikes Back Mew uses Barrier in this movie. However, Mew was unable to learn Barrier until Generation IV.
Ritchie's or Assunta's Tentacool Bubble Friends to the End A Tentacool belonging to either Ritchie or Assunta uses Bubble in this episode. However, Tentacool was unable to learn Bubble until Generation V.
Ponyta Flamethrower Pikachu Re-Volts A Ponyta used Flamethrower in the episode. However, Ponyta was unable to learn Flamethrower until Pokémon Crystal.
Teddiursa Charm UnBEARable A Teddiursa used Charm in the episode. However, Teddiursa was unable to learn Charm until Generation IV.
Ursaring Charm UnBEARable An Ursaring used Charm in the episode. However, Ursaring was unable to learn Charm until Generation IV.
Parasect Sleep Powder For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll! A Parasect used Sleep Powder in the episode. However, Parasect was unable to learn Sleep Powder until Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!.
Parasect Sleep Powder Hocus Pokémon A Parasect used Sleep Powder in the episode. However, Parasect was unable to learn Sleep Powder until Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!.
Shiftry Whirlwind Jump for Joy! A Shiftry used Whirlwind in the episode. However, Shiftry was unable to learn Whirlwind until Generation IV.
Vibrava Supersonic Beg, Burrow, and Steal! A Vibrava used Supersonic in the episode. However, Vibrava was unable to learn Supersonic until Generation IV.
Regigigas Hammer Arm Pillars of Friendship! A Regigigas used Hammer Arm in the episode. However, Regigigas was unable to learn Hammer Arm until Generation VIII.
Piplup Water Gun Meloetta's Moonlight Serenade A Piplup used Water Gun in this Pikachu short. However, Piplup was unable to learn Water Gun until Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.
Corsola Water Gun Going for the Gold! A Corsola used Water Gun in this episode. However, Corsola was unable to learn Water Gun until Generation VIII.
Rhyhorn Tackle A Race for Home! A Rhyhorn used Tackle in this episode. However, Rhyhorn was unable to learn Tackle until Generation VIII.
Wooper Hydro Pump A Diamond in the Rough! A Wooper used Hydro Pump in this episode. However, Wooper was unable to learn Hydro Pump until Generation VIII.
Quagsire Hydro Pump A Diamond in the Rough! A Quagsire used Hydro Pump in this episode. However, Quagsire was unable to learn Hydro Pump until Generation VIII.

Mentioned only

Artwork Name Move First use Notes
Nidorina Supersonic Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon? Ash's Pokédex mentioned Nidorina being able to use Supersonic. However, Nidorina was unable to learn Supersonic until Generation II.
Kim's Tentacruel Bind Cerulean Blues Kim commanded his Tentacruel to use Bind, but the move was disrupted by Misty's Gyarados before it could be executed. However, Tentacruel was unable to learn Bind until Pokémon Black 2 and White 2.

Dub only

Artwork Name Move First use Notes Picture
Brock's Vulpix Agility The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis Quick Attack in the Japanese version, a move that Vulpix can learn. Vulpix was unable to learn Agility prior to Generation VIII.

See also

Move errors in various Pokémon canons
Animated series • Manga • Game • TCG
This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.
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