Pokemon’s complex battle system has evolved over the last 25 years, with dozens of new moves added with each generation. As Pokemon get stronger, so do their moves — and some stand out among the rest. Notable moves like Close Combat, Draco Meteor, and Moonblast stand out as being some of the best moves Pokemon has to offer.
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Despite whatever drawbacks these moves may have, trainers return to them time and time again because they won’t settle for anything but the best. Now, withPokemon Scarlet and Violet, a new generation of moves has arrived. This list covers the best new additions to the game.
10Tera Blast
If the user has terastallized, it unleashes energy of its Tera Type. This move inflicts damage using the Attack or Sp. Attack stat - whichever is higher for the user.
Piggybacking off Scarlet and Violet’s new gimmick,Tera Blastis perhaps one of the most versatile moves added in this generation. When used normally, Tera Blast is a Normal-type Special Attack with a modest base power of 80. However, when the user terastallizes, this attackchanges its typeand category tomatch the user’s Tera Type and higher attacking stat.
Because of this, you may put Tera Blast onto any Pokemon, and they can use it just as well as any other. Tera Blast can even give the Pokemon more coverage than it has naturally if your Pokemon’s Tera Type matches a type that it learns few attacks from. Tera Blast’s animation changes based on what type it corresponds to. That means it has 18 different animations, one for each type.
9Population Bomb
The user’s fellows gather in droves to perform a combo attack that hits the target one to ten times in a row.
Population Bombis the signature move of Maushold. This move has a base power of 20, and hits up to ten times in a row. Unlike other multi-hit moves like Rock Blast, Population Bomb is accuracy based and will continue to hit until it misses. Giving your Maushold a Wide Lens removes the issue of Population Bomb’s 90 accuracy, ensuring that it will hit the full 10 times consistently.
And, if the 20 base power isn’t enough for you, Maushold’s Technician ability will power it up to a base power of 30. In essence, Maushold wields a move with an effective base power of 300. However, this move doesmake contact, so things likeRough Skin or Rocky Helmetcan quickly shut down Maushold.
8Revival Blessing
The user bestows a loving blessing, reviving a party Pokemon that has fainted and restoring half that Pokemon’s Max HP.
Revival Blessingis commonly called the “most broken move” introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. In a casual playthrough, it may not seem like much — after all, there’s aneasily purchasable itemthat does the same thing. However, in competitive play,where such items are not allowed, Revival Blessing’s true worth comes to light.
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Despite its meager 1 PP, certain strategies can bypass its use limit and spam it without worry, being able to revive an entire team that was previously knocked out.
7Last Respects
The user attacks to avenge its allies. The more defeated allies there are in the user’s party, the greater the move’s power.
Last Respectsis a physical Ghost-type attack learned by Houndstone with a base power of 50. Not very impressive, but here’s where it gets nutty; for every fainted Pokemon on your team,this move gains an additional 50 base power. If yousend out Houndstone last, this move gains a ridiculous power of300, 50 points higher than the previous strongest move in the game, Explosion.
Combined with Houndstone’s Sand Rush ability, Houndstone can easily steal victories away from your opponents. Basculegion, one of the Pokemon introduced inPokemon Legends: Arceus, can also learn this move. In combination with its Adaptability or Swift Swim abilities, Basculegion may dethrone Houndstone as the best user of Last Respects. Though difficult to achieve in-game, Last Respects' power caps after 100 KOs at an astounding 5050 base power. That’s enough to knock out a fully-defensive Eternamax Eternatus in one hit!
6Rage Fist
The user converts its rage into energy to attack. The more times the user has been hit by attacks, the greater the move’s power.
Rage Fist, Annihilape’s signature move, is quite similar to Last Respects, being a physical Ghost-type attack with a scaling base power of 50. However, Rage Fist’s power scaleswhenever Annihilape is hit by an attack, with a limit of350.
Combined with Annihilape’s fantastic bulk, Rage Fist can quickly reach disgusting levels of power after just a few hits. This makes Annihilapea great Pokemon to bring to raids, being able to take a hit and dish out punishment in return. Just make sure the Raid Pokemon isn’t a Normal type!
5Make It Rain
The user attacks by throwing out a mass of coins. This also lowers the user’s Sp. Attack stat. Money is earned after the battle.
Much like its user, Gholdengo,Make It Rainmakes gathering 999 Gimmighoul Coins absolutely worth it. Make It Rain is a special Steel-type attack with a good base power of 120 and the added effect of hitting multiple targets at once. Make It Rain does have one drawback, being that itlowers the user’s Special Attack by 1 stage after use.
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However,this isn’t actually much of a drawback, as Gholdengo learnsNasty Plot, which boostsSpecial Attack by 2 stages. Throwing money at your opponents seems to be quite the strategy, if Make It Rain is any indication.
4Torch Song
The user blows out raging flames as if singing a song, scorching the target. This also boosts the user’s Sp. Attack stat.
InPokemon Black and White, Volcarona was introduced. Volcarona’s signature move is Fiery Dance, an 80 base-power special Fire-type attack that has a 50% chance of raising the user’s Special Attack by 1 stage. If you were lucky, Volcarona’s damage output could snowball out of control and sweep your opponent’s team. In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Skeledirge learnsTorch Song, which is justFiery Dance but better in every way.
Torch Song has the same base power of 80, but it has a100% chance to raise the user’s Special Attack, meaning that Torch Song deals more and more damage with each use. On top of that, Torch Song is considered a “sound” move, giving it the ability tobypass Substitutes.
3Shed Tail
The user creates a substitute for itself using its own HP before switching places with a party Pokemon in waiting.
Shed Tailis a handy support move that creates a Substitute out of 50% of the user’s health before switching and bestowing that Substitute to a Pokemon of your choice. Shed Tail’s users,CyclizarandOrthworm, make fantastic use of Shed Tail in their own ways.
Cyclizar’s hidden ability,Regenerator, mitigates Shed Tail’s 50% HP cost byrestoring 33% of its HP every time it switches out, reducing the cost toa mere 17%. Orthworm, meanwhile, boasts better natural bulk and a lower speed stat, letting it switch to another Pokemon without having to worry about thesubstitute being immediately broken on the next turn.
2Gigaton Hammer
The user swings its whole body around to attack with its huge hammer. This move can’t be used twice in a row.
The signature move of Tinkaton is more than enough to propel it from mediocre to amazing.Gigaton Hammerpossesses awhopping 160 base power— that’s 10 points higher than Hyper Beam, for comparison — and it has the negligible caveat of beingunable to be used consecutively.
Unlike Hyper Beam, this movedoesn’t force you to waste a turn; you can use any other move you want with no drawbacks, then go back to crushing people with your hammer afterward. Without this move, Tinkaton may have been doomed to obscurity — thankfully, a good hammer goes a long way.
1Salt Cure
The user salt cures the target, inflicting damage every turn. Steel and Water types are more strongly affected by this move.
Salt Cureis the signature move of Garganacl. It may not look very impressive at first, having a base power of 40, but thedamage over timeit inflicts does most of the heavy lifting for this salty attack.
Every turn, Salt Cured opponents will take1/8th of their max HPin damage; and, if the target is aSteel or Water type, they take1/4 or their max HP. Steel and Water are two very potent defensive types, and Salt Cure can easily shut them down.
