From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.

If you were looking for either of the Pokémon Trading Card Game expansions sometimes abbreviated as TM, see EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua (TCG) or Triumphant (TCG).

A Technical Machine, or TM for short (Japanese: わざマシン Move Machine), is an item that can be used to teach a Pokémon a move.

In the Kanto region, a Silph Co. pamphlet contains information on TMs and HMs, indicating that Silph Co. are involved in the development of TMs.

Appearance

TMs are most commonly depicted as discs, but their appearance has varied over time.

In artwork for Pokémon Red and Green, TMs are depicted as a band that can be attached to a Pokémon.

In the TCG, Technical Machines have the appearance of small boxes which a Pokémon's Poké Ball can be inserted into. This depiction was also used in The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga.

Starting in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, TMs are depicted as compact discs. This depiction was carried over to the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series.

In Pokémon Origins, TMs and HMs resemble floppy disks.

In Pokémon GO, TMs are depicted as digital paper that retracts into a tube.

TM in The Electric Tale of Pikachu

Technical Machine in the TCG

TM in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX

TM in Pokémon Origins

TM in Pokémon GO

In the core series games

Prior to Generation V, TMs are single-use items that are consumed after use, in contrast to Hidden Machines (HMs) which are not consumed. From Generation V onward, TMs are not consumed after use.

Prior to Generation VI, TM moves will also be passed down through breeding if the baby Pokémon can learn that TM (such as passing Flamethrower from a father Typhlosion to a baby Torchic). Prior to Generation V, there were also several Pokémon that could not learn certain TM moves directly from a TM but could learn them via breeding, such as Vulpix with Energy Ball.

Locations

Main article: List of TM and HM locations

TMs can be found on the ground or bought at department stores or Game Corners. Some are also given away by Gym Leaders as prizes for defeating them in addition to a Badge.

Changes between generations

Generation I

Generation I includes 50 TMs, with an additional five HMs.

Generation II

Generation II includes 50 TMs, with an additional seven HMs. Many of the TMs differ from Generation I, with most of the newly-introduced TMs teaching newly-introduced moves.

Generation III

Generation III includes 50 TMs, with an additional eight HMs (although only seven are available in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen). Many of the TMs differ from previous generations, with some moves that were TMs in Generation I but not II once again being taught by TMs.

In FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald, Move Tutors teach several moves that were TMs in Generation I. In Pokémon Emerald, Move Tutors also teach several moves that were TMs in Generation II.

Generation IV

Generation IV includes 92 TMs, with an additional eight HMs. Due to the fact that TMs can be transferred from the Generation III games, the first 50 TMs teach the same moves as in Generation III.

Generation V

Generation V includes 95 TMs, with an additional six HMs. Many of them teach different moves to their corresponding TMs in Generation IV. In Pokémon Black and White, TM95 was originally intended to be obtainable by using the Lock Capsule, an event item, but the Lock Capsule was never distributed, rendering it unobtainable in these games; however, it can be obtained in regular gameplay in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2.

TMs now have unlimited uses like HMs, rather than being single-use items. In this generation only, when a Pokémon learns a move from a TM or HM by overwriting an old one, the new move takes on the current PP of the forgotten move, preventing repeated usage of machines for PP restoration. The prices of the purchasable TMs are also much higher to reflect the fact they can be reused. TMs can no longer be held or sold.

Generation VI

Generation VI includes 100 TMs, with an additional 5 HMs in Pokémon X and Y and 7 HMs in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. One of the two additional HMs in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire—Rock Smash—was a TM in Pokémon X and Y; in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, TM94—the TM that teaches Rock Smash in Pokémon X and Y—instead teaches Secret Power. Most TMs contain the same moves that they did in Generation V, with the exceptions of TM19, TM51, TM83, TM88, and (in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire) TM94.

Generation VII

Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon include 100 TMs. HMs no longer exist, although the former HM moves Fly, Waterfall, and Surf became TMs instead. The only TMs that were changed between Generation VI and Generation VII are TM01, TM28, TM59, TM67, TM70, TM76, TM94, and TM98.

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! include 60 TMs, with no HMs. Every TM teaches a different move to what it taught in the Alola games.

Generation VIII

TMs remain virtually identical to how they work in the previous generation, with no HMs and 100 TMs in total. However, this generation prompted the inclusion of 100 new Technical Records (known as TRs for short), which function as single-use items similar to how TMs worked prior to Generation V. The moves contained in TRs are all different from TM moves.

List of TMs





Incompatible Pokémon

Although most Pokémon are able to learn a wide range of TM moves, there are 24 Pokémon who cannot learn any outside of their natural level-up moveset. Typically, these Pokémon are low in their evolutionary line or rely on a set moveset. Starting in Generation VI, several of these Pokémon that were able to learn TM moves by leveling up are now able to learn the moves through TM as well.

Near-universal TMs

With few exceptions, all Pokémon who are compatible with TMs can learn the following moves:

TM-exclusive moves

In all eight generations, there have been moves exclusively taught by TMs:

Returning moves

Several moves taught by TM in an earlier generation returned as TMs later on after being absent but assigned with a different TM number.

In the spin-off series

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky, most TMs that exist in the corresponding core series games of that generation also exist in the Mystery Dungeon games. After use, a TM becomes a Used TM; a Used TM can be turned back into a usable TM by a Pokémon with the move Recycle, except for a Used TM of Recycle, which will remain a Used TM permanently. Pokémon can learn the same TMs they can learn in the corresponding core series games, but Pokémon that cannot learn TMs in the core series games can learn moves via TM if they can also learn those moves by level up.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, all TMs are infinite use. Special TMs for moves usually learned through a move tutor in the core series games are also present. Wide Slash and Vacuum-Cut are no longer available starting from this game.

In Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, there are two types of TMs: single-use regular TMs and reusable rainbow-colored TMs. Rainbow-colored TMs can be purchased from Kecleon shops from certain post-game dungeons, and can also be purchased from Kecleon shops in towns after Kecleon has been recruited, which unlocks the "Treasures" section in the shop.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky, there are two moves that do not appear in the core series games that can only be learned by TM: Wide Slash and Vacuum-Cut. These moves do not appear in subsequent games.

In Explorers of Sky, TMs can be sold to Kecleon for 250 Poke.

Appearance





Artwork

Explorers artwork Super Mystery Dungeon artwork Rescue Team DX artwork

Pokémon GO

In Pokémon GO, there are four kinds of TMs: Fast TMs, Charged TMs, Elite Fast TMs, and Elite Charged TMs. TMs were introduced to Pokémon GO on June 22, 2017, and Elite TMs were introduced on April 24, 2020. All TMs are consumed after one use.

Using a Fast or Charged TM on a Pokémon randomly changes its Fast or Charged Attack, respectively, to a different move in the Pokémon's current move pool.

Elite TMs allow players to select the new move that will be learned, even including legacy and event-exclusive moves, such as Community Day moves.

Appearance

In the anime

In the main series

Although TMs have not appeared in the anime, they were mentioned once in the Japanese version of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate!. While talking with the Kecleon Brothers, Charmander of Team Go-Getters mentioned TMs among other things the Kecleon Shop was sold out on. This reference was not included in the dub.

In Pokémon Origins

TM34 (Bide) appeared in File 1: Red. Much like in Pokémon Red and Blue, it was given to Red by Brock as a reward for defeating him in a Gym battle.

Another TM, TM28 (Dig), also made a brief appearance in File 2: Cubone, where Red retrieved it from a Team Rocket Grunt who had stolen it.



In the manga

Two early kinds of TMs in Pokémon Adventures

TM31 in The Electric Tale of Pikachu

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

In To Evolve or Not to Evolve, That Is the Question!, Ash used TM31 to teach Mikey's Eevee Mimic, allowing it to win a battle against Sparky's Jolteon and thus let Mikey join the Knights of the E Stone.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

In Wartortle Wars, a fake TM was seen amongst the many fake items sold to Red by Green.

In Omega Alpha Adventure 10, it was explained that TMs are machines that contain the essence of the move they teach to a Pokémon. Before this technology existed, other items served the same purpose. Such items are the rings Ultima carries on her staff, which contain the ultimate moves Frenzy Plant, Blast Burn, and Hydro Cannon, and a scroll held by the Draconids, which contains the move Dragon Ascent.

In the Sword & Shield chapter, Sōdo revealed he had used a TM for Sunny Day on his Thwackey in preparation for dealing with Nessa's Toxapex during their Gym battle.



In the TCG

An example of a typical Technical Machine card

Main article: List of Technical Machine cards

In the TCG, Technical Machines are types of Trainer cards that are attached to Pokémon in play. The majority of them can only be attached to Pokémon of a specific type or those that include an owner in their name. Each card provides an attack that can be used in addition to any attacks featured on the Pokémon it is attached to. In most cases, a player is required to discard a Technical Machine card at the end of the turn they played it. Unlike the games, they do not follow any specific numbering.



Trivia

170 different moves have been available as a TM, adding together the TMs from every generation.

Gym Leaders who give out a TM on their defeat typically give out one containing a move of their specialty type. However, in their respective first generation of an appearance each, Brock and Falkner do not, giving out TM34 (Bide) (a Normal-type move) and TM31 (Mud-Slap) (a Ground-type move), respectively. This is rectified in the remakes of their debut games, with Brock giving away TM39 (Rock Tomb) while Falkner's prize is TM51 (Roost). Likewise, Cilan, Chili, and Cress do not give out TMs matching their specialty type, instead giving out the Normal-type TM83 (Work Up), regardless of which of the three is battled. Prior to Generation III, TMs given out by the starting region's Gym Leaders teach moves that no Pokémon learns naturally. There is one exception: in Pokémon Yellow, Pikachu learns Thunderbolt in place of Swift.

Generation IV is the first generation in which there is at least one TM that teaches a move of each Pokémon type. Generation I had no TMs for Bug- or Ghost-type moves, Generation II had none for Flying, and Generation III had none for Bug.

Generation VI, VII, and VIII are tied for the most TMs, with 100, and Generation I, II, and III are tied for the fewest TMs, with 50.

In other languages

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 招式學習器 Jīusīk Hohkjaahphei Mandarin 招式學習器 / 招式学习器 Zhāoshì Xuéxíqì Danish Teknisk maskin

Teknologisk maskine * Dutch Technische machine * French Canada Machine technique * Europe Capsule Technique (CT) German Technische Maschine (TM) Italian Macchina Tecnica (MT) Korean 기술머신 Gisul Machine Portuguese Brazil Máquina Técnica (MT) Portugal Máquina de Técnica *

Máquina Técnica * Spanish Máquina Técnica (MT) Swedish Teknisk maskin

Tekniskt fordon * Thai แมชชีนทักษะ Maetchin Thaksa (TM) Vietnamese Máy học chiêu thức

See also







