One of the aspects of the Pokemon franchise fans appreciate is the ability to customize Pokemon – to make them a little different from everybody else's Pokemon. One of the best ways to do this is through the use of Technical Machines; also called TMs (or TRs) for short.

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TMs give Pokemon special attacks and defensive maneuvers they would not have access to normally. Many of these TMs are not that much better than a Pokemon's natural abilities. Some of the TMs are extremely powerful and can take a Pokemon to the next level in terms of battle efficacy. The stats given for these TMs are for the current generation.

Updated on December 24, 2022, by Jeff Drake: TMs are a great method of improving a middling Pokemon. With the right TMs, a Pokemon like Golbat can destroy an opposing trainer's Pokemon; without those TMs, a Pokemon like Golbat will probably struggle to win four or five consecutive matches. New TMs are added with every generation of the main series of Pokemon games. What was once a small selection of generic moves has become a lengthy list of powerful moves. Due to this, this article is being expanded by five entries to help make it more comprehensive. Lastly, the #s for TM have changed over the last few generations. The entries have been updated with the most recent TM numbers, which are the ones in parentheses.

15 Stone Edge

Stone Edge hitting the target in Pokemon Sun and Moon

Stone Edge, which is TM #71 (#150), was introduced in generation four – Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. This TM has a damage of 100, which is respectable, and an accuracy of 80%. The accuracy is not the best, but this is typical of high-damage attacks.

Stone Edge has the added bonus of having an increased chance to score a critical hit; from a 1/16 chance to 1/8. The PP count is only 5 but can be increased to 8. Using Rockium Z can increase Stone Edge’s power to 180, and using Lycanium Z will increase its power to a devastating 190.

14 Thunderbolt

Raichu using Thunderbolt in Pokemon Sun and Moon

Thunderbolt, which is TM #24 (#126), was introduced in generation one – Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow. Thunderbolt is a great attack to start a battle with since it has a 10% chance to paralyze the opposing Pokemon. Thunderbolt’s attack power is 90 and has an accuracy of 100%.

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This makes it one of the strongest Electric attacks with a 100% accuracy rating. When using Electrium Z, its attack power is increased to 175. This TM also has a generous 15 PP count; which can be increased to 24 - so there is no need to ration this attack for use against stronger Pokemon.

13 Drain Punch

The Drain Punch move hitting the target in Pokemon

Keeping a Pokemon from fainting during battle is made more complicated by the fact that healing moves are a rarity. They are a little more common in recent games, but Pokemon that get a healing move are few and far between. That's the beauty of this TM (#60, #63, #73) - it hurts the enemy while healing the user.

The power score of this move (75) is a bit low for this list, but this is countered by the fact that the user is healed 50% of the damage dealt. Drain Punch has an accuracy of 100, and a PP count of 10. With this move, a player can defeat opponents while keeping the user in fighting shape.

12 Energy Ball

Lucario using Energy Ball on Machamp

Energy Ball, which is TM #53 (#119), was introduced in generation four. This useful TM has an attack power of 90, and an accuracy of 100%. Energy Ball also lowers the opposing Pokemon's special defense one stage (to a maximum of six stages); so it deals respectable damage while simultaneously ensuring that Pokemon will take more damage on subsequent rounds from special attacks.

Energy Ball has 10 PP points, but this usually is just enough PP to use it liberally between visits to the Pokemon centers for healing. If using Grassium Z, Energy Ball has an attack power of 175.

11 Psychic

Psychic being used on Vikavolt in Pokemon

Psychic, which is TM #29 (#120), was introduced in generation one. This TM is very similar to Energy Ball but is slightly better due to it being a Psychic attack rather than a Grass attack. There are fewer Pokemon with damage resistance to psychic damage than grass damage.

The attack power is 90, and the accuracy is 100%. Like Energy Ball, Psychic has a 10% chance of lowering the opposing Pokemon's special defense by one stage. Also like Energy Ball, this TM has a PP count of 10. If using Psychium Z, the attack power rises to 175.

10 Toxic

Toxic being used on Chansey in Pokemon Sun and Moon

Toxic, which is TM #06, was introduced in generation one. Toxic is often overlooked because it doesn’t do immediate damage but rather causes poison damage at the end of each round. This TM causes the opposing Pokemon to be badly poisoned and causes the poison damage to increase each round.

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In the first round it deals 1/16 of the opponent’s maximum hit points, and in each round, this increases by an additional 1/16. This TM is devastating when used with Venoshock, which has an attack power of 120 if the enemy is poisoned. Toxic has a PP count of 10.

9 Ice Beam

Ice Beam striking its target in Pokemon Sword and Shield

Ice Beam, which is TM #13 (#135), was introduced in generation one. Ice Beam has an attack power of 90, and an accuracy of 100%. Additionally, opposing Pokemon have a 10% chance of being frozen by Ice Beam. Originally this had a power of 95, but the power rating was lowered in generation six.

Blizzard is a stronger cold attack than Ice Beam, with a power of 110; however, Blizzard only has a 70% accuracy rate. This makes Ice Beam slightly better – it sacrifices 20 in power to gain 30 additional accuracy. Plus, Ice Bram has a 10 PP count compared to Blizzard’s 5 PPs.

8 Poison Jab

Poison Jab being used by Croagunk in Pokemon

Poison Jab, which is TM #84 (#83), was introduced in generation four. This TM has a power of 80, and an accuracy of 100%. Poison Jab also has a 30% chance of poisoning the opposing Pokemon.

Where this TM is better than other TMs with similar power and accuracy is the possibility to deal extra damage via poison, and because it has a PP count of 20. It is uncommon for a move with a power of 80 to have 20 uses. Much like Toxic, Poison Jab works well with Venoshock. If using Poisonium Z, this TM has a power of 160.

7 Heat Wave

Volcarona using Heat Wave in Pokemon

Due to the destructive nature of fire, it should surprise no one that Fire-type moves are among the most damaging in the Pokemon series. There is a long list of battle-worthy Fire moves. In fact, the #1 ranked move on this list is a Fire move. Among the Fire moves, there are few as good as Heat Wave.

Heat Wave, TM #118, has an excellent power score of 95, an accuracy of 90, and a PP count of 10. Additionally, this move has a 10% chance of burning the opponent. This move can be learned by many non-Fire types, like Necrozma and Togekiss. This will make the Pokemon that is taught Heat Wave a much more versatile fighter.

6 False Swipe

False Swipe being used on Bombirdier in Pokemon

Every Pokemon player has experienced the frustration of causing a wild Pokemon they were hoping to catch to faint. It's best to weaken the wild Pokemon before throwing a Pokeball at it; however, the player runs the risk of doing too much damage and ruining the chance. This is even more frustrating when it happens with a shiny Pokemon.

False Swipe, TM #54 (#57), always leaves the target with one hit point. This takes away any chance of accidentally causing the Pokemon to faint. This move isn't very powerful with its power score of 40. The upside is that it has an accuracy of 100 and a PP count of 40.

5 Sludge Bomb

Sludge Bomb hitting Hoppip In Pokemon

Sludge Bomb, TM #36 (#148), is a devastating move, and a great TM to teach the best Poison type. However, there are many great non-Poison-type Pokemon that can learn this TM - like Volcanion and Thundurus. Poison moves are generally a little weaker than other move types. This is balanced out by (some) Poison moves having a chance to inflict debilitating Poison damage.

This is one of the stronger Poison attacks thanks to its power score of 90. It has 100 accuracy, so it's rare for Sludge Bomb to miss. The PP count of 10 is enough that players won't second guess whether they should use this move. Sludge Bomb has a 30% chance of poisoning the target.

4 Hyper Beam

The Hyper Beam Normal move in Pokemon Sword and Shield

Hyper Beam, which is TM #15 (#163), was introduced in generation one and is one of the strongest Normal attack TMs. It has a power of 150 and an accuracy of 90%; this is one of the best power-to-accuracy ratios of any Pokemon attack. There are two drawbacks to Hyper Beam though, the first being it only has a PP count of 5 (which can be raised to 8).

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The second drawback is that when Hyper Beam is used it forces the Pokemon to wait a round before being able to act again. This wait can be avoided by simply using it as a finishing move.

3 Earthquake

The Earthquake move shaking the screen in Pokemon

Earthquake, which is TM #26 (#149), was introduced in generation one. This is one of the most versatile attacks, having a power of 100 and an accuracy of 100%. This has the highest damage output for a TM with 100% accuracy that doesn’t also require special conditions to hit (like Dream Eater).

This TM does double damage when an enemy is underground due to using the Dig ability. This doesn’t happen often but is highly predictable for trainers that know which Pokemon use Dig. Earthquake has a PP count of 10, but this can be raised to 16.

2 Giga Impact

Giga Impact striking Honchkrow in Pokemon

As far as Normal moves go, there are few that pack the punch of Giga Impact. This move can easily one-shot most wild Pokemon the player will encounter. One great aspect of Giga Impact, TM #68 (#152), is that it's a Normal move; so the only Pokemon type this move isn't effective against is the Ghost type.

This move has a power of 150, an accuracy of 90, and a PP count of 5. The PP count forces the player to conserve this move, but it can be raised to 8. Another great aspect of this TM is that it can be taught to hundreds of Pokemon.

1 Fire Blast

Charizard using Fire Blast in Pokemon

Fire Blast, which is TM #38 (#141), was introduced in generation one. This TM has a respectable power of 110 (120 in generations 1-5), and an accuracy of 85%; which is a superb power-to-accuracy ratio. In addition to its high damage potential, Fire Blast has a 10% chance of burning the opposing Pokemon.

Burned Pokemon take additional damage at the end of each round and deal half damage when using physical attacks. The only real negative to having a Pokemon learn Fire Blast is that it only has a PP count of 5, but this can be raised to 8.

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