There are a few hundred moves in the Pokémon world and almost a thousand Pokémon that can learn those moves. There’s an almost incomprehensible number of combinations between the moves and the creatures that learn them. Most of them make sense, of course, either because they make physiological sense, or because there is some sort of lore or elemental reasoning behind it.

But, every so often, players discover a move that is absolutely nonsensical for a Pokémon to learn, either because it’s just not physically possible, or because it just won’t even work with the game mechanics. Here are the best examples of moves that make no sense for certain Pokémon to learn, yet they can.

10 Shedinja: Substitute

Shedinja is one of the most gimmicky Pokémon to ever be created. It has an ability called Wonder Guard, which prevents Shedinja from being damaged from any move that isn’t super-effective. It also only has one hitpoint. As a result, it has some strange interactions with a ton of moves that have certain effects.

However, it’s really strange that it can learn Substitute. This move creates a decoy that will take all of the opponent’s attacks up to a certain point but costs a portion of the user’s HP to create. As a result, Shedinja, which always has 1 HP, cannot use the move.

9 Doduo and Dodrio: Fly

Fly is probably one of the most useful moves in the history of the franchise. As an HM, it can be taught to Pokémon who can fly in order to cart their trainer around the region as a form of fast travel.

Why, then, can Doduo and Dodrio learn this move? Seemingly based on Dodos or Ostriches, these two Pokémon are flightless birds with no wings or even any arms. It’s strange then, that Doduo and Dodrio can use Fly and lift their trainer into the sky and soar through the air to another location.

8 Small Pokémon: Fly

Speaking of things that shouldn’t learn Fly but do: there are a ton of tiny Pokémon that would absolutely not be able to lift a 10-year-old trainer into the sky.

Some examples include Pidgey, Zubat, Hoothoot, Murkrow, Vullaby, Pikipek, and Wingull. There’s no possible way these tiny little birds, some of which are the size of a person’s hand, would be able to not only lift a person, but carry them long distances. Famously, Zubat is shown carrying a Squirtle in the anime, despite not being very large or having any type of claws/hands/feet.

7 Primeape: Iron Tail

There are a few examples of moves that a Pokémon can know because its pre-evolution did. That doesn’t make it any more sensible for it to use that move, though, if it doesn’t have the required physical attributes.

A great example of this is Primeape, which can learn Iron Tail. Sure, its preevolution Mankey has a very noticeable tail, but Primeape doesn’t even have a small stub or anything resembling a tail whatsoever. If it learned Iron Tail as a Mankey, that’s one thing, but Primeape can learn it on its own.

6 Wooper: Punching Moves

There are several different “punch” moves in the Pokémon games. From Drain Punch to Mach Punch, it really seems like Pokémon are the punching types. However, there are a few cases where a Pokémon learns a punching move that it shouldn’t.

One of the most notable examples is Wooper, which doesn’t have any arms (or any other type of appendage that could in any way resembles upper limbs). Despite this, Wooper can learn Dynamic Punch, Ice Punch, and Power-Up Punch. How is it punching without arms?

5 Gastly: Punching Moves

While it’s completely nonsensical for Wooper to learn punching moves, it at least has a head, tail, and legs, so one could try to make the argument that its kicking or slapping with its tail to use those moves. Gastly, on the other hand, doesn’t have any of these features.

This Ghost/Poison-type is just a floating ball with some poison gas floating around it. It doesn’t even have legs or anything. How then, does Gastly learn Fire Punch, Ice Punch, or Thunder Punch? Some believe that Gastly has the power to create ethereal “fists” from its ghostly clouds, but that’s just a fan theory.

4 Beheeyem and Elgyem: Steel Wing

Game Freak loves giving physical moves to Pokémon that don’t have the actual body parts to execute the required actions for the move. Yet another example of this is Beheeyem and Elgyem, which can both learn Steel Wing, despite not having any wings.

The theory goes that they can learn this move due to some TM numbering confusion. In Generation V when these Pokémon were introduced, TM51 was Ally Switch. Since Beheeyem and Elgyem are based on aliens, it’s believed they learned this TM due to the connection to Area 51. But, in Generation VI onward, TM51 is Steel Wing. It’s a good theory, but so far unproven.

3 Smeargle: Several

Smeargle is another gimmick Pokémon. Due to its signature move, Sketch, it can learn (almost) any other move by “sketching” it from an opposing Pokémon. But, thanks to this, Smeargle can learn a variety of moves that either don’t make any sense, or are completely unusable.

One example is Hyperspace Fury, the signature move of Hoopa Unbound. This move fails if used by any Pokémon other than Hoopa Unbound, yet Smeargle can sketch it and try to use it. The same goes for Dark Void, which fails if not used by Darkrai from Generation VII on.

2 Zubat: Mean Look

Mean Look is a second-generation Normal-type move that prevents the target from switching out or running away. The move’s description specifies that the Pokémon using it will “stare” at the opponent or “pin the target with a dark, arresting look.”

One could reasonably surmise that this would probably require eyes, then, as it’s hard for something to stare without eyes. However, Zubat has notably been able to learn this move since it was introduced (and every generation since, except Generation VIII). Zubat doesn’t have any eyes.

1 Cryogonal: Attract

Attract is a move that will cause infatuation, a status condition that prevents the opponent from moving 50 percent of the time because they are immobilized by love. In order for the move to work, it must be used on a Pokémon of the opposite gender. If used on a Pokémon with the same gender or no gender, it will fail.

Strangely, Cryogonal, a Pokémon that is always genderless, can learn Attract. The move will always fail when used since no Pokémon is ever the opposite gender. Poor Cryogonal just wants to be loved.

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