Riding Pokemon - the end for HMs?

[Caaethil]

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?"

 

[WingsofBliss]

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. :)

 

[blue]

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]

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.

 

[Sabrewulf238]

I was really hoping they would expand on the whistle that called the Latis. Service Pokemon sound exactly like what I was hoping for.

It will be pretty amazing if HMs really are gone. Good riddance.

 

[Ducolamia]

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 shitty 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.

 

[clbgolden]

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.

 

[smocks]

YESSS! I will be gladly be using these service Pokémon (but I'll still surf tho), they take up such a space in my movepools or just slots in my team if I'm using a HM slave. So grateful for this. ;-;

 

[Lunar]

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 :(

 

[EC]

This is a change to make the game "easier" that I can get behind. Easily.

 

[Sabedile]

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.

 

[Caaethil]

Updating OP with a little snippet from pokemon.com which potentially strengthens this theory a little.

 

[clbgolden]

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.

 

[Sabrewulf238]

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.

 

[skyburial]

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.

 

[Nah]

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

 

[Hikamaru]

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.

 

[Benermerut]

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.

 

[esperance]

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.

 

[clbgolden]

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...