HM slave

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An HM slave, or sometimes HM mule, is a Pokémon which is in the party not to be used in battle, but to provide the use of HM moves or other moves usable outside of battle that typically are not suitable for a powerful team. An HM slave itself is usually considered to be a Pokémon that can have all four of its moves taken up by HMs, and occasionally by any move usable outside of battle.

Most HM slaves are incredibly common Pokémon, typically those which can be captured on the first routes of a given game. A majority of them are Template:Type2, which is fitting, considering that this type is shared with three of the eight current HMs, and Rock Smash, though it is Fighting, is also usually available to them as well. Template:Type2 Pokémon are also common, as they also have three HM moves which share their type, and many are also able to use at least one or two of the other five. Because of these two tendencies, as well as its typing, Bibarel is often regarded as the ideal HM slave.

Due to both Fly and Defog sharing the Template:Type2, Pokémon of this type are also considered to be good HM slaves in Generation IV, especially considering Defog's effect does nothing to harm the opponent directly at all (while Flash lowered the opponent's accuracy, causing moves to sometimes miss, Defog merely lowers their evasiveness). HM slaves like Tropius and Pelipper are ideal for these roles since they are capable of using other HM moves along with Fly and Defog.

Typically, legendary Pokémon like Lugia and most especially Mew can learn many, if not all, HM moves. Because their high stats mean they are incredibly useful for battle, most consider it a waste to put any HM moves, aside from Surf, Waterfall, or perhaps Generation IV's more powerful Fly, on a legendary, especially an event legendary like Mew, available only occasionally directly from Nintendo itself.

For Generation III, an example of two Pokémon learning all eight of the HMs and are available in the Hoenn region are Tropius (Cut, Fly, Strength and Rock Smash) and Psyduck (Surf, Flash, Waterfall and Dive).

Most compatible HM slaves for each generation

Generation I

#		HMs					Field
080	Slowbro			Surf	Strength	Flash	Dig	Teleport
083	Farfetch'd	Cut	Fly
113	Chansey				Strength	Flash		Teleport	Softboiled
151	Mew	Cut	Fly	Surf	Strength	Flash	Dig	Teleport	Softboiled

Generation II

#		HMs							Field
054	Psyduck			Surf	Strength	Flash	Whirlpool	Waterfall	Dig			Rock Smash
080	Slowbro			Surf	Strength	Flash			Dig			Rock Smash
113	Chansey				Strength	Flash					Softboiled	Rock Smash
130	Gyarados			Surf	Strength		Whirlpool	Waterfall				Rock Smash
151	Mew	Cut	Fly	Surf	Strength	Flash	Whirlpool	Waterfall	Dig	Teleport	Softboiled	Rock Smash
153	Bayleef	Cut			Strength	Flash						Rock Smash
160	Feraligatr	Cut		Surf	Strength		Whirlpool		Dig			Rock Smash

Generation III

#		HMs								Field
054	Psyduck			Surf	Strength	Flash	Rock Smash	Waterfall	Dive^RSE	Dig		Secret Power
151	Mew	Cut	Fly	Surf	Strength	Flash	Rock Smash	Waterfall	Dive^RSE	Dig	Teleport	Secret Power
227	Skarmory	Cut	Fly				Rock Smash					Secret Power
235	Smeargle	Cut	Fly	Surf	Strength	Flash	Rock Smash	Waterfall	Dive^RSE	Dig	Teleport	Secret Power
264	Linoone	Cut		Surf	Strength		Rock Smash			Dig		Secret Power
272	Ludicolo			Surf	Strength	Flash	Rock Smash	Waterfall	Dive^RSE			Secret Power
341	Corphish	Cut		Surf	Strength		Rock Smash	Waterfall	Dive^RSE	Dig		Secret Power
357	Tropius	Cut	Fly		Strength	Flash	Rock Smash					Secret Power
365	Walrein			Surf	Strength		Rock Smash	Waterfall	Dive^RSE			Secret Power

Generation IV

#		HMs									Field
054	Psyduck			Surf	Strength		Whirlpool^HGSS	Rock Smash	Waterfall		Flash	Dig
098	Krabby	Cut		Surf	Strength		Whirlpool^HGSS	Rock Smash				Dig
130	Gyarados			Surf	Strength		Whirlpool^HGSS	Rock Smash	Waterfall
143	Snorlax			Surf	Strength		Whirlpool^HGSS	Rock Smash		Rock Climb				Headbutt^HGSS
151	Mew	Cut	Fly	Surf	Strength	Defog^DPPt	Whirlpool^HGSS	Rock Smash	Waterfall	Rock Climb	Flash	Dig	Teleport	Headbutt^HGSS
162	Furret	Cut		Surf	Strength		Whirlpool^HGSS	Rock Smash				Dig		Headbutt^HGSS
227	Skarmory	Cut	Fly			Defog^DPPt		Rock Smash			Flash
264	Linoone	Cut		Surf	Strength		Whirlpool^HGSS	Rock Smash				Dig		Headbutt^HGSS
357	Tropius	Cut	Fly		Strength	Defog^DPPt		Rock Smash			Flash			Headbutt^HGSS
395	Empoleon	Cut		Surf	Strength	Defog^DPPt	Whirlpool^HGSS	Rock Smash	Waterfall	Rock Climb		Dig		Headbutt^HGSS
400	Bibarel	Cut		Surf	Strength		Whirlpool^HGSS	Rock Smash	Waterfall	Rock Climb		Dig		Headbutt^HGSS
493	Arceus	Cut	Fly	Surf	Strength	Defog^DPPt	Whirlpool^HGSS	Rock Smash	Waterfall	Rock Climb	Flash			Headbutt^HGSS