Animated series move errors

In the Pokémon anime, there will often come up a Pokémon that knows a move it cannot learn legitimately in any of the games. It is unknown whether these are actual mistakes, a writing policy of not having to stick to the games too closely, or merely the Pokémon using an attribute that shares the name of a move in the games. In Bulbasaur... the Ambassador!, Professor Oak states that in times of need Pokémon can call upon power never known to it previously, such as Ash's Bulbasaur learning Dig.

Occasionally, in-game event Pokémon that can be transferred onto the main series games have a move that is not normally included in that Pokémon's moveset (a prime example being Pokémon Box Ruby & Sapphire, which gave away four separate Pokémon with moves that were not normally available to that specific Pokémon).

Of all the move errors in the anime, Pokémon knowing Tackle is by far the most common mistake.

List of anime Pokémon with moves they cannot learn in the games

Artwork	Name	Move	First use	Picture
	Samurai's Pinsir	Tackle	Challenge of the Samurai
	Gentleman's Raticate	Jump Kick	Battle Aboard the St. Anne
	Jeanette's Beedrill	Tackle	The Fourth Round Rumble
	Ritchie's Zippo	Tackle	Friend and Foe Alike
	James's Victreebel	Tackle	Pikachu Re-Volts
	Jessie's Lickitung	Tackle	Pikachu Re-Volts
	Jessie's Arbok	Tackle	A Shipful of Shivers
	Ralph's Tony	Fury Swipes	Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?
	Ash's Charizard	Tackle	Pokémon Double Trouble
	Ash's Pikachu	Tackle	The Double Trouble Header
	Olesia's Wooper	Tackle	No Big Woop!
	Ash's Pikachu	Leer	Hour of the Houndour
	Ash's Cyndaquil	Agility	Hot Matches!
	Trixie's Pidgey	Peck	Love, Totodile Style
	Jessie's Wobbuffet	Bide	A Hot Water Battle
	Duplica's Mini-Dit	Tackle*	Imitation Confrontation
	Misty's Poliwhirl	Tackle	Wings 'N' Things
	Tamao's Umbreon	Agility	Trouble's Brewing
	Janina's Onix	Wrap	Fight for the Light!
	Ritchie's Cruise	Take Down	The Mystery is History	File:Cruise Take Down.png
	Ash's Bulbasaur	Dig	Bulbasaur... the Ambassador!
	Parasect	Sleep Powder	For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll!
	Lance's Dragonite	Whirlwind	Talkin' 'Bout an Evolution
	Parasect	Sleep Powder	Hocus Pokémon
	Clair's Dragonair	Flash	Fangs for Nothin'
	Dragonite	Whirlwind	Great Bowls of Fire!
	Brock's Crobat	SonicBoom	Lapras of Luxury
	Ash's Larvitar	Harden	Hatch Me If You Can
	Ritchie's Rose	Gust	Oaknapped
	Sableye	Lick	Ready, Willing, and Sableye
	Skitty	Fury Swipes	Big Meowth, Little Dreams (Part 2)
	Jirachi	Teleport	Jirachi: Wish Maker
	Harley's Ariados	Shadow Ball	New Plot, Odd Lot!
	Jessie's Dustox	Stun Spore	Gymbaliar
	Gengar of Team Meanies	Confusion	Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate
	Ash's Staravia	Gust	Getting the Pre-Contest Titters!
	Cheryl's Mothim	Supersonic	An Angry Combeenation!
	Spearow	Gust	Riding the Winds of Change!
	Kylie's Munchlax	Giga Impact	A Full Course Tag Battle!
	Roman's Girafarig	Bite	A Full Course Tag Battle!
	Nidoran♂	Bite	Leading a Stray!
	Froslass	Slash	The Drifting Snorunt!
	Dusknoir	Rapid Spin	Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky - Beyond Time & Darkness
	Regigigas	Hammer Arm	Pillars of Friendship!
	Bellsprout	Absorb	Promoting Healthy Tangrowth!
	Damos's Baltoy	Shock Wave	Arceus and the Jewel of Life
	Damos's Claydol	Shock Wave	Arceus and the Jewel of Life
	Jupiter's Skuntank	X-Scissor	Unlocking the Red Chain of Events!
	Uxie	Teleport	The Needs of the Three!
	Mesprit	Teleport	The Needs of the Three!
	Chingling	Sing	Yes in Dee Dee, It's Dawn!
	Chimecho	Sing	Yes in Dee Dee, It's Dawn!
	Nando's Kricketot	Sing	Last Call — First Round!
	Kricketune	Bullet Seed	Zoroark: Master of Illusions
	Unown	Psychic	PK21
	Normajean's Teddiursa	Pound	The Brockster Is In!
	Officer Jenny's Swanna	Blizzard	Crisis at Ferroseed Research!
	Piplup	Water Gun	Meloetta's Moonlight Serenade
	Chester's Fletchling	Feather Dance	Breaking Titles at the Chateau!
	Corsola	Water Gun	Going for the Gold!
	Rhyhorn	Tackle	A Race for Home!
	Helioptile	Discharge	The Future Is Now, Thanks to Determination!
	Gulpin	Water Gun	XY069

Mentioned only

Artwork	Name	Move	First use	Notes
	Shōta's Treecko	Razor Leaf	Battling With Elegance With a Big Smile	Shōta commanded his Treecko to use Razor Leaf but Clemont's Luxray defeated Treecko before it could execute the move.

Japanese version only

Artwork	Name	Move	First use	Notes	Picture
	Ash's Starly	Gust	Two Degrees of Separation!	Changed to Whirlwind in the dub, a move that Starly can learn. However, after he evolved into Staravia, he began using Gust in the dub as well.
	Ash's Tranquill	Wing Attack	An Amazing Aerial Battle!	In the dub, Ash merely commanded Tranquill to "attack now", without specifying a move.

Dub only

Artwork	Name	Move	First use	Notes	Picture
	Ash's Bulbasaur	Whirlwind	The Ninja Poké-Showdown	This was a dubbing error, as Whirlwind's Japanese name is ふきとばし Blow Away. Ash was telling Bulbasaur to simply "blow it away" in the Japanese version rather than commanding the actual move.
	Brock's Vulpix	Agility	The Ancient Puzzle of Pokémopolis	Quick Attack in the Japanese version, a move that Vulpix can learn.
	Morty's Gastly	Confusion	From Ghost to Ghost	No command given in the Japanese version, most likely a dubbing error.
	Ash's Totodile	Skull Bash	Dueling Heroes	Headbutt in the Japanese version, a move that Totodile can learn.
	Ash's Heracross	Fury Swipes	The Ties That Bind!	Fury Attack in the Japanese version, a move that Heracross can learn.
	Harrison's Steelix	Wrap	Playing with Fire!	Bind in the Japanese version, a move that Steelix can learn.
	Hun's Steelix	Bite	The Legend of Thunder	Crunch in the Japanese version, a move that Steelix can learn.

Former errors

Artwork	Name	Move	First use	Notes	Picture
	A.J.'s Sandshrew	Defense Curl	The Path to the Pokémon League	A.J.'s Sandshrew used Defense Curl. However, Sandshrew was unable to learn Defense Curl until Generation II.
	James's Koffing	Poison Gas	The Ghost of Maiden's Peak	James ordered his Koffing to use Poison Gas. However, Koffing was unable to learn Poison Gas until Generation II.
	James's Weezing	Poison Gas	The Song of Jigglypuff	James ordered his Weezing to use Poison Gas. However, Weezing was unable to learn Poison Gas until Generation II.
	Gary's Arcanine	Fire Spin	The Battle of the Badge	Gary's Arcanine uses Fire Spin in this episode. However, Arcanine was unable to learn Fire Spin until Generation II.
	Ritchie's or Assunta's Tentacool	Bubble	Friends to the End	A Tentacool belonging to either Ritchie or Assunta uses Bubble in this episode. However, Tentacool was unable to learn Bubble until Generation V.
	Ponyta	Flamethrower	Pikachu Re-Volts	A Ponyta used Flamethrower in the episode. However, Ponyta was unable to learn Flamethrower until Pokémon Crystal.
	Teddiursa	Charm	UnBEARable	A Teddiursa used Charm in the episode. However, Teddiursa was unable to learn Charm until Generation IV.
	Ursaring	Charm	UnBEARable	An Ursaring used Charm in the episode. However, Ursaring was unable to learn Charm until Generation IV.

Similar examples that are not anime move errors

Pokémon which can know the move in a previous game

Artwork	Name	Move	First use	Notes	Picture
	Andi's Nidoqueen and Oscar's Nidoking	Submission	The Bicker the Better	Andi's Nidoqueen and Oscar's Nidoking use Submission, which, though impossible to have in Generation III onwards, was available to teach to Nidoqueen and Nidoking by TM17 in Generation I.
	Skarmory	Whirlwind	Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate!	Skarmory uses Whirlwind, which though impossible for Skarmory to have in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, is available to teach to Skarmory as an Egg move in the core series games.
	Ash's Charizard	DragonBreath	The Symbol Life	Ash's Charizard uses DragonBreath, which, though impossible to have in Generation III onwards, was available to teach to Charizard by TM24 in Generation II.
	Anabel's Espeon	Zap Cannon	Second Time's the Charm	Anabel's Espeon uses Zap Cannon, which, though impossible to have in Generation III onwards, was available to teach to Espeon by TM07 in Generation II.
	Virgil's Vaporeon	Bubble Beam	Team Eevee and the Pokémon Rescue Squad!	Virgil's Vaporeon uses Bubble Beam, which, though impossible to have in Generation III onwards, was available to teach to Vaporeon by TM11 in Generation I.

Japanese version only

Artwork	Name	Move	First use	Notes	Picture
	Mr. Moore's Typhlosion	Headbutt	Poetry Commotion!	Mr. Moore's Typhlosion uses Headbutt, which, though impossible to have in Generation III, was available to teach to Typhlosion by TM02 in Generation II and via Move Tutor in HeartGold and SoulSilver. In the dub, the move was referred to as Tackle instead, a move Typhlosion could learn in Generation III.

See also

Move errors in various Pokémon canons
Animated series • Manga • Game • TCG

This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.