What does a TM look like?

moon

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    Me and a RP buddy were about to deal with TMs in our RP and realized that we don't know how to do it. It's a very game-y game construct, the anime doesn't even have them iirc. But if we were to picture Technical Machines realistically enough, what would they look like? How would they work?

    I never quite bought the CD-shape idea. But maybe someone here can explain it? Any creative, new suggestions on TM workings are also welcome, as we can basically do what we want in the RP :3
     
    Well, in FRLG there's an animation that has the disc being put on the Pokémon's head. That might explain a little, although if i'm not mistaken, the anime had an episode where a character taught Iron Tail to Ash's Pikachu. We never see TMs in the anime, so it does leave one questioning how they get certain moves there.
     
    TMs are indeed CDs. No you dont make your Pokemon eat them or anything of that sort lol.

    Basically, for Pokemon to learn the attack they need 2 things.

    1. They have to be physically ready to do the attack.
    (In real life it would require level, which it doesnt in the games)

    2. They have to know what the attack looks like.
    That is why you need that CD. The CD contains a footage of another Pokemon performing the attack. It probably has other info how to do it as successfully as possible. Anyway it's like a tutorial Pokemon has to see.

    That's how I see it.
     
    While TMs in the games appear to be CDs, I've always found the design from the TCG to make the most sense, especially when you consider the fact that they break after one use.

    Spoiler:

    Putting a Pokemon's Poke Ball into the machine, pressing the on button, then having the Pokemon know the move when they're next released from their ball doesn't seem unlikely. That's why I think they're so rare outside of the games though- they're not easy to carry around, so no one really uses them. Carrying around a bunch of CDs in a TM case makes a lot more sense in the games, as most players tend to hoard TMs and HMs, rather than using them as soon as they come across one (and in later games this is even more true, as TMs become reusable just like HMs).
     
    Brendino said:
    While TMs in the games appear to be CDs, I've always found the design from the TCG to make the most sense, especially when you consider the fact that they break after one use.

    Spoiler:

    Putting a Pokemon's Poke Ball into the machine, pressing the on button, then having the Pokemon know the move when they're next released from their ball doesn't seem unlikely. That's why I think they're so rare outside of the games though- they're not easy to carry around, so no one really uses them. Carrying around a bunch of CDs in a TM case makes a lot more sense in the games, as most players tend to hoard TMs and HMs, rather than using them as soon as they come across one (and in later games this is even more true, as TMs become reusable just like HMs).
    Click to expand...

    Given that Pokemon would actually work like that, Pokemon being transferred into energy which you could manipulate in different ways such as the one you described.

    In more realistic world, attacks would be something you'd have to learn. Spitting water might be a born-in instinct for a Pokemon. Water gun might be a naturally learned way of defending or attacking. But things like Hydro pump and other complex attacks require more thinking and calculating which cant be just put into Pokemon's head.

    Biologist in me always makes things complicated when transferring what seems to be fiction in what seems to be real. {XD}
     
    Sven said:
    Given that Pokemon would actually work like that, Pokemon being transferred into energy which you could manipulate in different ways such as the one you described.

    In more realistic world, attacks would be something you'd have to learn. Spitting water might be a born-in instinct for a Pokemon. Water gun might be a naturally learned way of defending or attacking. But things like Hydro pump and other complex attacks require more thinking and calculating which cant be just put into Pokemon's head.

    Biologist in me always makes things complicated when transferring what seems to be fiction in what seems to be real. {XD}
    Click to expand...
    Except you have Egg Moves, which allow the baby Pokemon to use high powered attacks like Fire Blast at lvl 1 without any training at all, and even know moves the original species can't learn. What gives? How does that work?

    Anyway, I think the tutorial thing makes more sense. People can learn moves just by watching others do it, and since TMs are no longer breakable... maybe before the Pokemon destroys the TM upon learning the move for the first time? They'd have to use the move to learn it...
     
    mew_nani said:
    Except you have Egg Moves, which allow the baby Pokemon to use high powered attacks like Fire Blast at lvl 1 without any training at all, and even know moves the original species can't learn. What gives? How does that work?

    Anyway, I think the tutorial thing makes more sense. People can learn moves just by watching others do it, and since TMs are no longer breakable... maybe before the Pokemon destroys the TM upon learning the move for the first time? They'd have to use the move to learn it...
    Click to expand...

    I don't know, maybe because Pokemon are using it over and over it becomes a part of DNA which baby Pokemon then inherits, so when a baby Pokemon is using an attack, it "feels" like the thing the should do, which is, in your case Fireblast, shouldn't be just a weak Ember, but one REALLY STRONG AND POWERED EMBER, which would turn into Fire Blast.

    If I wanted, I could implement entire Pokemon world into reality with some minor/major changes. Ofc, what we all think of as Pokemon is based on anime/games so there arent really the best ways to explain certain things.

    For all we know, they might think of TM as a CD which you throw at a Pokemon like a flying disc, and "knowledge" of the attack is somehow given to the Pokemon when it hits it, and because it hits it, disc breaks and can be used only once. there, the truth is unveiled lol.
     
    When I think of how TMs work, I like incorporate the pokedex. I remember back when I was reading the Yellow series, Yellow used the pokedex to prevent one of the pokemon involved at the time from evolving (at least that is how I remember it). Kind of how we hit the b button in the games I guess. Even though that seems off topic, it gives me reason to think that the pokedex has other features. One feature being that you could "connect" the disc of the TM to the pokedex to then wirelessly transfer the move data to the pokemon?

    That seems to be a more convenient way to me.
     
    i think the TM issue also fits in with the only for moves problem. why only four, if they technically are living creatures and have no reason not to remember the moves? learning a tm move means you forget another move, so maybe the pokeball is some sort of construct that modifies a pokemon's brain to hold moves in a special place, as they hold the pokemon in the ball as data, right? so then the CD is simply the data of the move that can be taught to the pokemon. i think this could be more sinister, like by catching pokemon, you modify their brains so that they remain obedient, and that they have no problem doing the tasks that the trainer wants, but that's besides the point.
     
    They are CDs. This is even more apparent in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire when you go to the floor of Lilycove Dpt Store that only sells TMs and the shelves are literally depicted as holding dozens of disks.

    Fun fact: Pokemon Origins shows that in Gen I they were Floppy Disks!
     
    To me, I always imagined this as like a workout video to us humans. Somehow, the disc teaches the Pokemon a new move, within their constraints, in a matter of seconds. Realistically, though, the trainer couldn't just use the TM on the spot, and the Pokemon in question couldn't learn the move that quickly, but that wouldn't really be much fun, would it be?
     
    Before FR/LG, the TCG depicted TMs as large boxes, sometimes with an elemental symbol on them, similar to a Companion Cube from Portal. Personally I find the discs to look far more appealing than the "companion cubes" do.

    MckinkyMcormic said:
    i think the TM issue also fits in with the only for moves problem. why only four, if they technically are living creatures and have no reason not to remember the moves? learning a tm move means you forget another move, so maybe the pokeball is some sort of construct that modifies a pokemon's brain to hold moves in a special place, as they hold the pokemon in the ball as data, right? so then the CD is simply the data of the move that can be taught to the pokemon. i think this could be more sinister, like by catching pokemon, you modify their brains so that they remain obedient, and that they have no problem doing the tasks that the trainer wants, but that's besides the point.
    Click to expand...

    No offense, but that's kind of disturbing if Pokeballs essentially brainwash Pokemon to being constantly obedient to their trainers upon capture, after all, I thought Pokemon were supposed to be friends to their trainers, not their mindless servants. If anything, I think TMs work more like a workout video rather than a brainwashing session.
     
    Last edited:
    According to Bulbapedia, they look like old timey floppy discs from the 90's in the anime.

    [PokeCommunity.com] What does a TM look like?


    ... which I think is cool for retro factor.
     
    As we seen in Origins, its a CD type deal. It raises an interesting debate though, how are they taught through that? OP saying a video of another Pokémon using the move but I can't see that. In the anime they're just learnt by chance, after something big happens in the story or some situation that requires a "big" move. Maybe they are just learnt that way as that's the animes way of "levelling up".
     
    Masterge77 said:
    No offense, but that's kind of disturbing if Pokeballs essentially brainwash Pokemon to being constantly obedient to their trainers upon capture, after all, I thought Pokemon were supposed to be friends to their trainers, not their mindless servants. If anything, I think TMs work more like a workout video rather than a brainwashing session.
    Click to expand...


    taking alot of this from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZCHepDi7M4 . there is a lot of evidence of suppression in the series, as well as a sort of "secret society" inbetween the members, not only the possible connection of the fire elite in kalos with team Flare. not only this but somehow storage of live animals with real personalites are willing to be stored in a PC/are legaly able to be forced into a PC. that seems extremely immoral. also in HGSS it's mentioned that pokemon once roamed outside of their pokeballs, and that nobody had done so for a long time. i'm not sure how long that is but it's suspicious enough that Prf. Elm has no idea what the effects are. (also note how your starters are inside pokebals when you get them, which means the pokemon are already brainwashed before you let them roam.) also there is many kinds of brianwashing. most of which means to reform the person's mind while they are in their infantile stage. when you recieve a pokemon from a trade that's above the level your badges will allow, you are often left with an unwilling pokemon. maybe this has more to do with the pokemon being linked to the trainer and not you, and the badges help you brainwash them (not to mention the boost they give you in battle meaning you are more linked to your own pokemon), but i think that's very unlikely, it's better as a mechanic in the game rather than an actual plot point.

    again this is my opinion.
     
    MckinkyMcormic said:
    taking alot of this from
    . there is a lot of evidence of suppression in the series, as well as a sort of "secret society" inbetween the members, not only the possible connection of the fire elite in kalos with team Flare. not only this but somehow storage of live animals with real personalites are willing to be stored in a PC/are legaly able to be forced into a PC. that seems extremely immoral. also in HGSS it's mentioned that pokemon once roamed outside of their pokeballs, and that nobody had done so for a long time. i'm not sure how long that is but it's suspicious enough that Prf. Elm has no idea what the effects are. (also note how your starters are inside pokebals when you get them, which means the pokemon are already brainwashed before you let them roam.) also there is many kinds of brianwashing. most of which means to reform the person's mind while they are in their infantile stage. when you recieve a pokemon from a trade that's above the level your badges will allow, you are often left with an unwilling pokemon. maybe this has more to do with the pokemon being linked to the trainer and not you, and the badges help you brainwash them (not to mention the boost they give you in battle meaning you are more linked to your own pokemon), but i think that's very unlikely, it's better as a mechanic in the game rather than an actual plot point.

    again this is my opinion.
    Click to expand...
    I'd be careful basing opinions around people on the internet so willingly. They can come up with some really crackpot theories, like Mario being communist because he has a mustache and wears red.

    But as for badges and Pokeballs being mind control devices... eh... no. Pokeballs themselves are a synthetic version of a hollowed out Apricorn with a special device inside allowing a Pokemon to fit in there. The reason Pokemon are stored in there is two fold; first, Pokemon come in a lot of sizes and not all of them can safely move around places with a lot of breakable things like buildings around, and second, the Pokeball itself muffles the Pokemon's power to a safe level. It's why Cyrus made the Red Chain to bind Dialga and Palkia; if he just used a Master Ball to catch them their powers would be too suppressed for him to use. It's a safety reason, not simply a brainwashing device. Also the brainwashing thing leaves a huge plot hole; namely how traded Pokemon don't obey you without the necessary badges. Canonically, they don't respect you as a trainer yet, and without that authority they don't feel you're important or powerful enough to obey, but according to the brainwashing theory... it doesn't make much sense. Why would the brainwashing stop working once they're away from the badges? And why wouldn't the badges be trainer specific? Also it should be noted if you have no badges but have a level 100 Pokemon in your possession, it will obey you without question if you captured it. You can test this in Pokemon Red and Blue, by exploiting a glitch where you summon forth a Pokemon. You can summon it at level 1, and due to how level exp is coded (or not coded in this case) it will go to level 100 if given less than around 54 experience points, and it will still obey your every command.
     
    mew_nani said:
    I'd be careful basing opinions around people on the internet so willingly. They can come up with some really crackpot theories, like Mario being communist because he has a mustache and wears red.

    But as for badges and Pokeballs being mind control devices... eh... no. Pokeballs themselves are a synthetic version of a hollowed out Apricorn with a special device inside allowing a Pokemon to fit in there. The reason Pokemon are stored in there is two fold; first, Pokemon come in a lot of sizes and not all of them can safely move around places with a lot of breakable things like buildings around, and second, the Pokeball itself muffles the Pokemon's power to a safe level. It's why Cyrus made the Red Chain to bind Dialga and Palkia; if he just used a Master Ball to catch them their powers would be too suppressed for him to use. It's a safety reason, not simply a brainwashing device. Also the brainwashing thing leaves a huge plot hole; namely how traded Pokemon don't obey you without the necessary badges. Canonically, they don't respect you as a trainer yet, and without that authority they don't feel you're important or powerful enough to obey, but according to the brainwashing theory... it doesn't make much sense. Why would the brainwashing stop working once they're away from the badges? And why wouldn't the badges be trainer specific? Also it should be noted if you have no badges but have a level 100 Pokemon in your possession, it will obey you without question if you captured it. You can test this in Pokemon Red and Blue, by exploiting a glitch where you summon forth a Pokemon. You can summon it at level 1, and due to how level exp is coded (or not coded in this case) it will go to level 100 if given less than around 54 experience points, and it will still obey your every command.
    Click to expand...

    i understand his logic though, and i get the point you're making.
    still would be the best plot twist ever if it was true.
     
    I think that Pokémon learn them by connecting a poké ball to a computer via a USB cord and installing the moves using a DVD drive.

    As for how they look, I think before gen 5 they'd probably be DVD's, but now with them being re-usable they're probably more akin to Blu-Ray discs.
     
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