Riding Pokemon - the end for HMs?

Started by Caaethil August 1st, 2016 6:02 AM
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England
Seen June 2nd, 2022
Posted September 11th, 2018
501 posts
7 Years


The trailer released on August 1st highlights that players can enlist the services of 'ride Pokemon':
  • Tauros smashes rocks.
  • Mudsdale crosses rocky terrain.
  • Sharpedo smashes rocks while surfing.
  • Charizard flies.

In previous trailers, it has also been shown that Stoutland can be ridden on land, and Lapras can be ridden on water. Is this the end for HMs? Riding seems like a much more prominent feature than in X and Y - the way the trainer calls the Charizard seems similar to how Latios and Latias were called for in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. Will we be able to summon these Pokemon whenever there is an obstacle?:

"The water is a deep blue. Would you like to call Lapras?"
"There is a rock here, but a Pokemon may be able to break it. Would you like to call Tauros?"
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Please let this be so. Even though I like Fly, Surf, and Waterfall as useful in battle, it sucked giving up a slot that I could have used for any useful status moves.

And riding Pokemon for different environments seems like so much fun, especially in the exploration aspect of these games. :)

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gucci

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Hopefully so.

Riding Charizard reminds me of the soar feature from ORAS, I much preferred that to using Fly. HMs in general seem like a bit more redundant now and I'm more than happy for them to be substituted for more practical and interactive methods of transport with Pokemon.

BubbleBeams

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I hope this is the case. It would reduce the need to fill a slot for a particular move and also removes the need to use HM slaves - which I've always hated because it forces me to rotate my team to make sure they all get trained evenly.
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Posted February 26th, 2021
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YES! YES! YES! Please let this be the end HM moves. I hate HMs! In my opinion, since generation 3, HMs have always been a mukty mechanic. Having to dedicate one slot to an HM slave is such a pain in the ass. Not only that, but having it so in the beginning of the game, ONLY YOUR STARTER( with very few exceptions) can learn Cut is an annoying hassle. I understand they are to help prevent you from going to places your not supposed to, but ever since gen 6 they are completely useless. In generation 6 we were able to climb rocks without Rock Climb and when you use Strength the boulder stays in the same place no matter what. So really, what's the point? If I don't have to constantly use them, why do I need them? Things like Surfing, Flying, and maybe Waterfall are important, but it's clear the rest aren't needed as much. We have reusable TMs too, so why make it that HMs can't be removed? I'm getting real sick and tired of having to go to the Move Deleter to get rid of Rock Climb off my Empoleon for the 33rd time.

But on other things, that gear looks pretty sick. I can't wait to ride a Mudsdale or surf with Sharpedo. I hope this is a free-lance type of service in which you can call anytime you want. I've been waiting 20 years to ride a Charizard.
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Lunar

Age 24
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Seen September 16th, 2020
Posted September 15th, 2020
With the way this Generation is going, I wouldn't be surprised if Game Freak removed HMs and personally I really hope they do. But even with riding in previous games the likes of Surf, Fly etc still remained even though we could ride the Pokemon, also I can't see cut or strength going which is a shame cause those moves are just a waste of a move slot :(
Male
Seen November 20th, 2016
Posted October 18th, 2016
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6.8 Years
I think it'll get rid of Surf, Waterfall, Dive, and Fly, but I think Cut, Strength, and Rock Smash will still remain, since those don't really have to with riding.

But hey, getting rid of three more HMs is good in my book.
Wasn't Tauros smashing rocks in the video? Maybe they'll find a way to get rid of all HMs. I really hope so, at least.
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Seen September 22nd, 2019
Posted July 9th, 2019
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Wasn't Tauros smashing rocks in the video? Maybe they'll find a way to get rid of all HMs. I really hope so, at least.
It was, but that was because you were riding it, like Rhyhorn in XY. Whether they can just come and smash a rock and leave isn't known.
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I think it'll get rid of Surf, Waterfall, Dive, and Fly, but I think Cut, Strength, and Rock Smash will still remain, since those don't really have to with riding.

But hey, getting rid of three more HMs is good in my book.
We just saw Sharpedo breaking rocks while surfing, so I think it's safe to say certain riding Pokemon will be able to take out rocks.

and it seems pretty obvious to me that certain riding Pokemon would be able to push boulders for you. Why not? If they can break them then they should be able to push them. I mean it would be strange for them to remove the need for all HMs except two of them.
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It looks like PITA's presence in Alola is strong. These Pokemon aren't HM Slaves, but rather seem to earn an honest wage, enough so to afford proper gear and auch. I wonder if they are independent contractors or civil servants.
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Nah

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I would hope that this means no more HMs. What I really wanna know though is how many different Pokemon can we ride, and how freely? I remember that in one of the past reveals there was a screenshot of one of the player characters riding a Stoutland. Just riding it though, it didn't seem to be taking any sort of HM-related action. So are we able to choose from multiple Pokemon to use for a Poke Ride action (like, you can choose between say Charizard and Dragonite to Fly on)? Can a single Pokemon be used for more than one purpose?

please for the love of arceus let me ride Zekrom
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Hikamaru

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I did read that you can call these riding Pokemon up at any time in the overworld, like how you could call upon Latias/Latios with the Eon Flute in OR/AS. The soaring in OR/AS already made it so that you don't need a Fly user all the time if you want to travel to different locations easily so this seems to take the convenience and make it better.
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I definitely like that HMs seem to be getting replaced, but it would be nice if you could use your own Pokémon instead of a "rental" one.
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esperance

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I really hope so... I just hope we don't have to have a few specific Pokémon to access the riding. Like any major flying type could be used like that Charizard, or a number of 'tough' Pokémon could be used to cross muddy terrain and such.

At the very least please please please let us delete HMs like any other move.
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We just saw Sharpedo breaking rocks while surfing, so I think it's safe to say certain riding Pokemon will be able to take out rocks.

and it seems pretty obvious to me that certain riding Pokemon would be able to push boulders for you. Why not? If they can break them then they should be able to push them. I mean it would be strange for them to remove the need for all HMs except two of them.
Mmm, good point.

I REALLY want to believe, but I still feel like GF is still gonna leave us some HMs...
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From the official website. It seems like you have a special pokeball in a device which can be used to summon the various poke ride pokemon. It also clearly states that they won't join you in battle which makes it sound like you carry them around and so they had to clarify that they won't battle.

I think the main device has a touch screen that is used to select the pokemon and then the pokeball can be popped out of the device and the pokemon will be released.
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gucci

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Posted August 7th, 2019
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If rocks can be taken out, oceans can be crossed and Pokemon can be used to move from point A to Point B, then it is looking like this is what will be replacing HMs. The only real restrictions for transport are large boulders (strength), smashable rocks (rock smash), and water (surf). Since all of these were shown in that trailer to be passed by Pokemon, it makes having HMs seem even more pointless.

Rivvon

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Great idea, awful execution. Why would you ever want to ride a Charizard when you could call for a hot-air Drifblim ride?

Now aside from my desire to go on a hot-air Drifblim ride, I'm not getting my hopes too high on this just yet. Every gen, people wish for the removal of HMs. And while it's certainly a possibility, this just screams "XY Pokémon-riding" with its limited Pokémon to choose from; Rhyhorn could break rocks and Mamoswine could plow through snow. This could very well be the same--I just hope the controls are better this time around.

Similarly, when I think of things like HM removal, I think about stuff like gen 5 introducing the concept of rocks that, once pushed into holes, remain there forever. I would rather HMs remain but they are "streamlined" in a similar manner, as opposed to having HMs removed in favor of riding some Pokémon but I'm still going to have to do the Strength puzzle each and every time because it resets--yeah the HMs are removed but it takes more time overall, and is therefore more frustrating. So if this Pokémon-riding does turn out to be our new "HM method," I hope it doesn't result in that kind of repetitiveness.
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As someone said, these pokemon cannot battle. I am not sure that was the best idea, but it works. So of the HM moves are pretty useful in battle.

To me, it sounds like the Eon Flute. Didn't have to have Latis in your party, but they could still fly you around.

I do like the idea of being able to utilize more than 6 pokemon at a time. Even if a number of them can't battle. But I really hope we have more of a choice. I would rather ride a Braviary or something than a Charizard. Maybe we will have a few choices per ability.