Bulbapedia talk:Speculation policy/List of moves with unique animations

Is there a reason Volt Tackle isn't on the list? ¿¡Unowninator?! (talk) 15:46, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

I think Wild Charge is too similar, but I thought Hyper Beam always looked unique.--Rocket Grunt (Report To Me) 15:58, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

Too similar to what? ¿¡Unowninator?! (talk) 18:31, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

This page is probably supposed to serve as a help when move's name isn't used in the anime, but we still can recognise it by its animation as long as it is unique. Volt Tackle and Wild Charge are too similar to each other for that.--Rocket Grunt (Report To Me) 19:02, 15 July 2020 (UTC)

Contents

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• (Return to top)
• Sweet Scent
• Mind Blown
• Rock Slide and Dragon Breath
• Rollout
• Transform
• Thunder Punch
• Mewtwo using Shadow Ball
• Torracat using Fire Blast
• Transform Journeys
• Other generation with unique move animations
• New Images
• Huntail's moves
• Rock Slide (Diamond & Pearl series)
• Ice Punch
• Suggestions
• Moonblast & Energy Ball

Contents

Sweet Scent

To continue what Rahl brought up for discussion recently... The animation for Sweet Scent has remained consistent throughout the anime's run. From Casey's Chikorita in Johto to as recent as Sun & Moon, it looks almost identical. Therefore, there is no doubt that the non-verbal move used by Mallow's Tsareena in SM082 was Sweet Scent. The entire scene is clearly an excuse to show off Tsareena's moveset (Sweet Scent that attracted Rowlet, followed by Double Slap and Stomp to get rid off it, and then in the end Sweet Scene again after Mallow complements it). Even if ignoring the obvious visual clues, if it was a new move, Mallow'd have definitely addressed it when she was admiring it. Considering all this, the staff has come to the conclusion that Sweet Scent can be visually identified in all future instances from this point onward, unless there's a verbally confirmed contradiction in a future episode. Also, the move has now been added to this page for reference and on Tsareena's moveset as a recently used move. Adil — Talk page 13:31, 26 August 2020 (UTC)

Mind Blown

After a careful assessment, the staff has come to a conclusion that Blacephalon's frequently used move in SM078 is indeed Mind Blown. While we usually don't compare the game animation of a move with its anime version, it is just way too identical to ignore. It also does not help that we don't have a prior example for it in the anime for comparison, so the game animation helps. The fireworks-esque effects, tiny circles in the middle, the blue and pink/purple stars. Furthermore, Blacephalon's dex entry in the anime as well as games refer to it exploding its head, which lines up pretty well with Mind Blown's description provided in the games, not to mention that Mind Blown is its signature move. Considering all this, it leaves less to no ambiguity that the move used in the anime is Mind Blown. From this point onward, its animation can be considered unique and therefore, it can be identified in the anime in all future instances until given a reason to believe otherwise. Adil — Talk page 08:38, 18 September 2020 (UTC)

Rock Slide and Dragon Breath

In JN038, Aerodactyl uses moves that I strongly suspect to be Rock Slide and Dragon Breath. Rock Slide because its depiction is pretty much identical to how it was depicted as in JN002, as seen here (a ring of rocks forming in the user's immediate vicinity and then being hurled at the opponent), and Dragon Breath because its animation has remained unchanged since XY, as seen in this comparison (the user becomes surrounded by swirling blue energy, and a light blue energy breath is released from the user's mouth). --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 15:35, 20 September 2020 (UTC)

Those do seem pretty distinct. We'll see what kind of input the rest of staff can give and let you know what the verdict is. Tiddlywinks (talk) 19:55, 20 September 2020 (UTC)

Thank you. I'll be waiting. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 21:54, 20 September 2020 (UTC)

I agree about Dragon Breath, but the first move seemed to me as it was something like Ancient Power (the rocks shone for a moment before they were hurled forward unlike with Rock Slide). --Jedi Wolverine (talk) 21:47, 21 September 2020 (UTC)

That's just the flash indicating them being fired. IIRC, the same occurred with Sudowoodo. And the ring structure of the attack still remains the same. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 22:11, 21 September 2020 (UTC)

Just want to quickly note that it is still being discussed. Will let you know when there's an update. Adil — Talk page 06:22, 22 September 2020 (UTC)

Today's episode featured Dragon Breath with it being called out and looking identical to Aerodactyl's move. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 12:13, 9 October 2020 (UTC)

It does indeed. We are just ironing out the unique moves policy. Sorry it is taking this long, but it'll hopefully be up in the coming days. Adil — Talk page 12:19, 10 October 2020 (UTC)

Good to hear. Thank you. Can Aerodactyl's Dragon Breath be counted as confirmed based on this evidence? --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 13:18, 10 October 2020 (UTC)

To be honest, there is no denying the move, but I want us to wait until everything is finalized in writing before we make any changes so that it's clear what our approach is. Adil — Talk page 13:51, 10 October 2020 (UTC)

Understandable. I hope the finalization will come soon. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 13:54, 10 October 2020 (UTC)

Apologies, everyone's been a bit busy, but Dragon Breath and Rock Slide are approved. Tiddlywinks (talk) 17:09, 31 October 2020 (UTC)

Better late than never. Thank you very much. --FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 17:18, 31 October 2020 (UTC)

Rollout

I think the animation for Team Rocket's Graveler using Rollout should be added to the Journeys section. YoungMan16 (talk) 18:09, 21 November 2020 (UTC)

Transform

I think Mew using Transform in Journeys should be added. YoungMan16 (talk) 07:12, 22 November 2020 (UTC)

Thunder Punch

Someone should add Leon's Charizard using Thunder Punch in the Journeys section . YoungMan16 (talk) 21:33, 22 November 2020 (UTC)

Mewtwo using Shadow Ball

Since Mewtwo's picture for Shadow Ball is from Journeys, it should be put in the JN section and the OS should be replaced by Harrison's Sneasel using the technique. YoungMan16 (talk) 17:57, 23 November 2020 (UTC)

Torracat using Fire Blast

Someone should put Ash's Torracat using Fire Blast on here. --YoungMan16 (talk) 20:05, 3 January 2021 (UTC)

Transform Journeys

Have uploaded an image of Transform being used in Journeys. Kublock Ditto Transform.png--BigDocFan (talk) 21:52, 3 January 2021 (UTC)

Sleep Powder Journeys== With Sleep Powder being a move with unique animation, thought we could use Goh Oddish Sleep Powder.png for the journeys image.--BigDocFan (talk) 09:56, 4 January 2021 (UTC)

Other generation with unique move animations

Someone should add moves from other generations here, like the elemental Fangs, Dark Pulse, stuff like that. --YoungMan16 (talk) 07:28, 19 January 2021 (UTC)

New Images

Team Rocket Dusclops Fire Punch.png Journeys

Team Rocket Dusclops Ice Punch.png Journeys

Goh Butterfree Stun Spore.png Journeys--BigDocFan (talk) 08:08, 14 May 2021 (UTC)

Huntail's moves

I have some evidence for the identities of the moves that were used by a wild Huntail in JN063.
1) Rock Tomb is the only Rock move Huntail can learn, and it's identical to how Leon's Charizard used it: rocks with white energy outlines are sent flying at the opponent.
2) Crunch's animation is also identical to the previous uses of the move from Journeys: the user creates yellow jaws of energy and uses them to bite the opponent. I even compared it to the one use of Bite that Journeys has had, and it was different from that. With Bite, the user releases the biting jaws of energy at the opponent. With Crunch, the energy jaws are not fired off.
--FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 16:49, 4 July 2021 (UTC)

1)Sounds like your argument for Rock Slide for Aerodactyl (a ring of rocks forming in the user's immediate vicinity and then being hurled at the opponent). Could've also been Rock Throw or Stone Edge. If that isn't evident enough for you that it's not a very distinct animation, then I don;t know what will.

2)... no explanation needed. It's a basic biting move. Could've been either one of them.--ForceFire 16:55, 4 July 2021 (UTC)

1) And that argument for Aerodactyl was approved. Huntail can't learn Rock Throw, and Stone Edge has been portrayed as stone pillars coming out of the ground since the XY series, including in Journeys.

2) I said that I compared Bite and Crunch's animations, and there are some key differences. Even "generic biting moves" have telltale differences if you look hard enough.

--FinnishPokéFan92 (talk) 20:52, 4 July 2021 (UTC)

1) The point was, you used the very exact argument for Rock Slide as you are for Rock Tomb. You can't tell me your description for two separate moves being exactly the same makes it unique. Both argument basically boil down to "user summon rocks and throws them at the opponent". Aerodactly being approved has no bearings on whether this will be approved. And the animators can make it use Rock throw or Stone Edge if they wanted to, they don't have to follow the games. And as much as you don't like me using it, anime move errors are a thing. There has been plenty of precedence to not take moves at face value.

2) It's still a generic biting move, regardless of how many fancy effects the animators give it. It's still a set of teeth biting the opponent. It could still be Bite. As for the fancy animation, well maybe the animator wanted to showcase Huntail's strength so made Bite's animation fancier or was told by the director to make it look stronger because it was used by a stronger Pokemon. We just don't know and you can't assume you know what the animators intentions were.--ForceFire 07:20, 5 July 2021 (UTC)

Rock Slide (Diamond & Pearl series)

I think that for Rock Slide's DP section, you should use File:Alan Nosepass Rock Slide 3. --YoungMan16 (talk) 23:55, 16 October 2021 (UTC)

Ice Punch

Does Ice Punch always leave some sort of ice on the opponent, even if the opponent doesn't fully freeze? If so, the description should add that to make it more clear what makes the animation unique. Otherwise, the description of a blue energy punch paired with images of a blue energy punch looks too similar to some depictions of other glowing punches such as Focus Punch and Mach Punch. Landfish7 08:28, 18 May 2022 (UTC)

Suggestions

I think this page is underutilized here on Bulbapedia and should be expanded further, especially considering the number of moves not included here. As of recently, there has been a great deal of instances in the animated series where a move is used, but not explicitly called out, and yet is listed on the move's page (for instance, Great Tusk's Throat Chop and Sandy Shocks's Heavy Slam in Total-lie Awesome Pokémon in Area Zero?!, or Slaking's Hammer Arm in Eyes to the Skies Once Again, Part 1). I understand and agree with the reasoning behind these assumptions (such as Throat Chop's sound-blocking effect or Heavy Slam resembling in-game animation in that instance), but this page does not list those among the criteria. And while these instances have been accepted with little to no skepticism, there has been times where fairly safe assumptions have created discussions, such as Liko's Hattrem's Brutal Swing. In this case, my suggestions are to update this page more frequently to include newer moves and also to include a note in cases where the move is not explicitly called out (something along the lines of "Identified by unique animation", maybe even with a link to this page). Shinka (talk) 23:57, 5 February 2026 (UTC)

Moonblast & Energy Ball

I'd like to submit Moonblast and Energy Ball for inclusion. Based on descriptions in the listed instances on their articles and the provided screenshots, it seems as though depictions within animation have been fairly consistent, and seem to be largely consistent with depictions in core series games as well.

In the interest of transparency, I will say my interest is chiefly inspired by a nonverbal command of what I believe to be uses of Moonblast and Energy Ball in the music video for Glorious Day. Thank you for your consideration. – Driftin Soul (talk) 23:16, 20 June 2026 (UTC)

I agree with this and would like to suggest Electro Ball as well, all we have the same animation, just different colour--BigDocFan, Junior Admin Bulbapedia (talk) 23:18, 20 June 2026 (UTC)