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An ever-evolving franchise such as Pokemon has a competitive scene that is constantly shifting. New moves aren't added with much regularity, with only a handful per generation. However, with so many new Pokemon coming in and out of the metagame, what moves get used is another matter entirely.
Just because a move is powerful doesn't mean it'll see usage. Accuracy is a constant problem, as with things like Signature Moves, which are great but only limited to one or two Pokemon. Additionally, as certain strategies come in and out of favor, so too will the moves that aid them.
10 Toxic Spikes - Who Needs Poison?
Entry hazards were a big deal when first introduced in Generation 4. They were a way to force opponents to think differently and limit their options in terms of when they could switch Pokemon and who they could switch to.
Some of these moves, like Spikes & Stealth Rock, still have good usage, but one that doesn't so much is Toxic Spikes. On the surface, being able to inflict a status condition as soon as a Pokemon switched in seems great, but Poison isn't that great of a status. If players can make it last, then it can work, but something like Burn - which halves Attack in addition to chip damage - is much more useful.
9 Extreme Speed - Don't Need Moves To Go Fast
To say Extreme Speed is a completely useless move nowadays wouldn't be fair, as some Pokemon still make it work. However, the metagame has shifted so that using a priority move to go first isn't as great a strategy anymore.
Going first is still a huge advantage, but players want to hit more powerful moves than what Extreme Speed can offer. A fast Pokemon like Talonflame, for example, can hit Brave Bird if it gets to go first. With moves like Tailwind & Trick Room around, there is always a way to ensure that a Pokemon is the fastest, and using a middling-power priority attack to do it is no longer the style.
8 Substitute - Hide Behind A Dummy
Substitute is a move with a tonne of upside. Protecting from damage is one thing, but protecting from status conditions and stat changes is where the real money is made. Sacrificing a chunk of HP to get a Substitute in, even just for a couple of turns, used to be quite the boon.
The number of scenarios where it's useful is becoming less and less. Powerful attacks can wipe away a Substitute immediately, so it can be hard to make it work in singles. Even in doubles, it needs a partner that can draw attacks away, at which point, why even bother with the Substitute? If players really focus and build their team around it, it can work, but it's often more effort than it's worth.
7 Psychic - Power Creep
A straightforward move and a simple reason why it isn't seen as much anymore. In Generation 1, this was the ultimate attacking move. Psychic was already an extremely powerful type thanks to the lack of a Special split and weaknesses. Getting in a Psychic-type Pokemon and busting out this move was a recipe for success, especially when it had a 33% chance to drop the target's Special stat.
As the years went by, Psychic as a type became less dominant, and thus, so did the move. It's still good for Psychic attackers, but those are few and far between in the modern day. Additionally, it was nerfed only to have a 10% chance to drop just Special Defence, meaning it could no longer be relied upon to weaken opponents.
6 Pursuit - Left Behind
Pursuit doesn't seem like that brilliant of a move, but it could be ridiculous when used right. Normally, it only has 40 base power, however, if used on a Pokemon that is switching out, then not only will it still hit, but it will hit with double power. This is great to potentially take out a retreating Pokemon, and even the threat of it could stop some trainers from switching when they otherwise would.
Bafflingly, this move was left out of Generation 8. It's unclear why, as several moves were left behind, and it's unsure if those dropped moves will ever return. As with the Pokemon that were left out of Sword & Shield, we'll probably see it return at some point in the future, but Pursuit is completely unusable for now.
5 Z-Moves - Forgotten Mechanic
While each new Generation since Generation 6 has introduced a new battle gimmick, they all come with a major downside. This downside is the fact that every game afterward, they get forgotten and left in the dust. Rather than tweaking, improving & adding new Mega-Evolutions in Generation 7, Z-Moves were introduced instead.
Then, come Generation 8, both of those have been ditched for Dynamaxing, a concept that sort of steals ideals from both Mega-Evolution & Z-Moves anyway. While they weren't the be-all and end-all, Z-Moves were a big part of the metagame in Generation 7. Knowing which one to use and when to use it was vital to victory and could turn a battle around in no time. Unfortunately, it may never be seen again in the main series and thus will never return to competitive play.
4 Imprison - Locking Moves Away
For a time, Imprison was a very scary move for trainers to come up against. When a Pokemon uses Imprison, all moves that the user shares with the target become unusable. Each Pokemon only has 4 moves to choose from, and each move usually has a specific purpose, so locking any away could derail a strategy quickly.
This has fallen out of use for two major reasons. The first is that, with support Pokemon becoming less useful in competitive mode, being able to Imprison these kinds of moves has become an unreliable tactic. The second is that, out of the pool of competitively viable Pokemon, few can learn it, and those who can don't need it. It's the kind of move that trainers would have to go out of their way to work with, which isn't worth it.
3 Hidden Power - The Power That's Inside
Hidden Power was one of the most useful moves out there for a time. Not only could every Pokemon learn it, but the fact that it could be any type means that trainers could use it to cover weaknesses. A Pokemon's IVs determined the type of the move, so it wasn't always possible to get the right type with high IVs, but players who had it in their arsenal would always keep their opponents guessing.
The problem is that Hidden Power was yet another move that Game Freak didn't include in Pokemon Sword & Shield. For such a widely used move, it's utterly baffling as to why, and it will surely return someday, but for now, it is unusable in competitive battling.
2 Baton Pass - Buff & Switch
Baton Pass is one of the most famous examples of a non-damaging move so good that it got banned from just about every competitive format that exists. Baton Pass' effect is simple. The Pokemon switches out to another Pokemon. The kicker is that any stat-changes that Pokemon had applied to them get passed on to the Pokemon switching in.
Players quickly learned that if they had an entire team who knew Baton Pass, they could continuously buff all of their stats before passing these buffs onto a strong Pokemon which would be absolutely untouchable. It was an effective strategy, too effective. Initially, just passing Speed buffs were banned, as if the Pokemon in question were faster than the opponent, the opponent would never get an opportunity to counter it. However, even that wasn't enough, and eventually, the move was banned completely and will likely never be unbanned unless its mechanics are overhauled.
1 Weather Moves - Grey Skies Are Gonna Clear Up
The competitive scene in Generation 5 is often referred to by the nickname "Weather Wars". Weather has very beneficial effects on Pokemon of the right type. Rain boosts Water moves, Sun boosts Fire moves, and so on. Additionally, when weather was inflicted, it would remain in play until something else changed it or removed it.
This meant the metagame revolved almost entirely around controlling the weather for an advantage. Pokemon like Tyranitar, who could change the weather with their ability, became extremely popular. However, these moves were made obsolete come Generation 6. Not only were weather effects nerfed slightly, but weather was no longer permanent, petering out after 4-5 turns. This meant that building a team around it was no longer viable, and using weather effects for an advantage is now just an added perk than a complete strategy.