Your least favourite moves in the series?

[PageEmp]

Completely inspired by the recent 'Worst abilities' thread, we now have a thread for moves that we all don't like.

Please note this is a least favourite moves thread and not a weakest moves thread, the sole purpose of this thread is to highlight any attacks in the game that you all just don't like for any reason, whether it be it screwed you over a few times or you just feel like that move specifically is kinda pointless. But if you don't like a move because you find it to be too weak, then that is completely valid to mention.

So if there is any move in the games that you are bothered by for any reason, feel free to share here.

As for some moves that I can't stand:

Double team: Yes. I really wanted the battle to last an entire hour just because the opponent had this move.

Everytime there is a major boss with anything that knows Double team off a somewhat threatening mon, I immediately plan ahead a way to rectify it, or pack anyone that knows Taunt or Faint attack.

Water and Mud sport: My person choices for 'useless' moves. I can't imagine any situation that these moves would help, because the big issue here is that the effects of these moves are too redundant. Water sport weakens Fire attacks which isn't good because most mons who learn the move are Water mons who already resist it, and Mud sport weakens Electric attacks which is worse because the Ground mons who learn it are immune to Electric. It's just better to send out someone who actually resists Fire or Electric attacks.

Razor wind: Apparently this had only 70 accuracy back when it was introduced? Even then, this might be an attack that I have literally never used. Not even in any of the many times I played the games. A two turn attack that can't even be super effective?

Kowtow cleave: My only 'personal' choice. I mean, why not just make False surrender a non exclusive move while also slightly changing the definition of it? Instead of making it only using the hair to attack, maybe we can make it that large rabbit like ears can also be used to surprise the opponent? Or maybe include horns too? Or even appendages on the head?

Instead of Kowtow cleave's existance, we make it that Flase surrender can also count blades on the helmet? Sorry, I can smell this being a controversial choice to mention here, but I just find this move in particular to be quite pointless.

Destiny bond: While I have made it work a few times outside of nuzlockes, I just find this an abhorrent move to come in contact with otherwise. Overall, I find there to be better ways to knock out opponents.

 

[Devalue]

Counter/Mirror Coat/Metal Burst: Considers this a tough move to use. Requires taking a lot of damage. Typically switches in a more suitable Pokemon, rather than do that. Becomes more worrisome on random Pokemon. Usually deals a lot more damage to them, but not necessarily one-shot. Leads to a lot of damage. (Does not mind Bide as much. Warns you far enough in advance.)

One-hit knockout moves (Horn Drill, Sheer Cold, ...): Rarely makes sense for you to learn, given the number of Pokemon you need to beat throughout the game (versus the number of Pokemon the AI wants to beat). Never feels good to lose the 30% chance.

Self-Destruct / Explosion: Oh look, a shiny Po--. Benefits the AI more too, in terms of taking out your Pokemon. (Speaks like a Nuzlocke player. Does not like playing those. Simply dislikes Pokemon fainting.)

Poison Powder / Toxic: More annoying than anything. Pesters you to deal with it in earlier generations.

 

[Explorer of Time]

My least favorite move in the series is, easily, Focus Blast. Mostly out of annoyance that this 70 Accuracy 5 PP move is usually the only Special Fighting move available via TM, while the much better Aura Sphere wasn't a TM move until Gen 8 and still doesn't have nearly as many Pokemon that can learn it.

 

[giradialkia]

Took me a LONG time to come around to moves like Flip Turn, U-Turn and Volt Switch.

Like, if I want or need to switch, I'll usually just switch. Dealing a little chip damage is whatever. In the story mode I'll usually be trying to sweep, and it just rarely occurs that I'll need to utilise a damaging switch.

It honestly doesn't occur much in competitive, either, though I know I'm in a minority there. It outright bugs me that people will slap a Scarf or Band on a busted mon like Landorus or Urshifu and then use U-Turn for massive damage.
Like, no. You're locked into a move now, stay put your jerk. (I am petulant).

 

[Sweet Serenity]

My least favorite moves are quite challenging to think about, mainly because I barely have any strong feelings on general Pokémon moves. While some moves are definitely better than others, some are just very annoying, extremely broken, and/or require no skill to use. Here is my list:

Encore – A move that locks the target Pokémon into using the move it last used consecutively for up to 3 turns. Encore is extremely annoying because it can ruin your setups by locking you into a status move, often forcing you to switch out. Encore can potentially be even worse when paired with a trapping Ability such as Arena Trap or Shadow Tag, as you are unable to switch out. Encore becomes a much more dangerous move when paired with the Ability Prankster, which ensures that Encore always goes first, making its trapping effects even more likely.

Evasion moves – Includes moves that increase a Pokémon's evasiveness, such as, for example, Minimize, Double Team, and Acupressure. When used consecutively, the user can become almost impossible to hit. Your best bet is to use moves that bypass accuracy checks such as Aura Sphere, Sacred Sword, Feint Attack, and so on, but you might not always have access to such moves. Moves that increase evasion require no skill whatsoever and only makes battling annoying.

Perish Song – A move where the user sings a song that causes every Pokémon in play that heard the song to faint in three turns. While this might be another move that sounds passable and respectable on paper, it also has potential to be extremely annoying. When paired with Pokémon with the Ability that prevents switching such as Shadow Tag, it can be extremely hard to escape the effect of Perish Song, pretty much guaranteeing that your Pokémon faints. I believe that such a strategy takes no skill whatsoever.

Population Bomb – The signature move of Maushold that has the ability to hit up to 10 times. While most multi-attack moves can hit up to five times, Population Bomb hitting up to 10 times is utterly ridiculous and an example of power creep in Pokémon. I enjoy switching in my physically defensive Pokémon equipped with a Rocky Helmet on Maushold simply to watch it knock itself out, and it makes me laugh every time.

Pursuit – A Dark-type move with 40 base power, with the unique effect of inflicting double damage before the Pokémon switches out. While I am very aware that Dark-type moves are supposed to represent Pokémon "cheating" or "fighting dirty," Pursuit definitely feels that way, as the move seems to punish players for using a basic, essential gameplay feature of Pokémon battling. At its worst, the move pretty much ensures that every type weak to Dark-type attacks, such as Ghost and Psychic-type Pokémon, practically faint every time they attempt to switch. Perhaps Game Freak realized how broken this move was, as it hasn't appeared in any game since Generation 7.

Splash – A move that literally does nothing but pass a turn. Splash is literally completely useless. If I wanted to pass a turn, I could simply use Protect or its many variants, which can at least protect me from damage.

Substitute – A move in which the user creates a little doll to use as a substitute to take damage at the cost of 25% of its HP. The substitute will then take most damage in the place of the user. If the substitute takes enough damage, it will break, allowing the user to create another substitute. While Substitute might appear as a passable, tolerable move on paper, Substitute has the potential to be extremely annoying. When created by a Pokémon with high defensive stats, the substitute can be difficult to break, allowing the user to easily set up stat boosting moves such as Curse, Coil, or Calm Mind, which can make the substitute even more difficult to break. The substitute can also protect the Pokémon from various status moves such as Defog, Transform, Leech Seed, and so on.

Synchronoise – A 120 base power Psychic-type move with 100% accuracy, which easily makes it one of the greatest moves of all time, until you learn that this move can only hit Pokémon that share at least one typing with it. Its drawback severely limits the amount of Pokémon it can hit, as the only Pokémon that can learn this move are Psychic, Flying, Normal, Water, and Steel-type Pokémon. When used by a Psychic-type, the vast majority of Pokémon will resist this move anyway. The same would apply to Steel-type Pokémon. When used by a Normal-type Pokémon, which might be the best option because of the larger pool of other Normal-type Pokémon, it wouldn't get STAB. The same also applies to Water-type and Flying-type Pokémon. The Eeveelutions can also learn this move if Eevee evolves while knowing it, but the same situation applies to them too. I'd say the best way to use this move is to teach it to a Sigilyph with its Hidden Ability Tinted Lens, which basically makes "not very effective" moves deal neutral damage. Either way, this is still bad because much better ways exist to use Sigilyph.

Trapping Moves – Includes moves with the ability to prevent the target from switching out such as, for example, Fire Spin, Whirlpool, Wrap, Mean Look, Magma Storm, and so on. In the first-generation games, trapping moves such as Wrap and Fire Spin were even more annoying, trapping and doing damage each turn while preventing the target from attacking, which could last up to five turns. While the second-generation games improved upon such moves by allowing the target to attack, the effect of trapping is still very annoying to me.

 

[Lavender]

Surging strikes, you get it if you play competitive

 

[Corveone]

Double Team & Minimize
Hail (RIP, replaced by Snowscape)
Attract
All Binding moves (Wrap, Fire Spin, etc.)
All Ohko moves
Focus Blast
Dragon Rage (RIP)

 

[Sheep]

If I see another Pelipper or Meditite using Protect or Detect I will lose my mind

 

[Alex_Among_Foxes]

If I see another Pelipper or Meditite using Protect or Detect I will lose my mind

 

[Tert]

I feel like my least favorite move is Stone Edge. Never hits when I need it to, opponent always lands it, it's somehow always super-effective against my active mon, etc. Maybe I'm just a salty person, but I have the same experiences with Thunder.