What are Technical Machines?
Technical Machines are basically additional moves that Pokémon can learn.
It depends on the TM. Type and the Pokémon’s type.
There are 2 ways to obtain them, while 1 is the easiest.
The 1’st way, the easiest way, is to find TM Machines inside Pokéballs all over Paldea.
The 2’nd way is to farm Pokémon parts and create TMs by using the TM Machine by the Poké Centers. The game should have called them the TM Shop, since it's next to the Healing Station and Poké Mart.
What are the 10 best TMs early game?
The 10 Best TMs early game are Thunder Wave, Toxic Spikes, Will O Wisp, Protect, Draining Kiss, Bulldoze, Lowkick, Chilling Water, Phantom Force, and Calm Mind. TMs like Thunder Wave, Toxic Spikes, and Will O Wisp are great TMs to find, while the rest of the TMs are great to farm.
Any TM can be considered early, depending if they are loose in the wild and the Pokémon available to find. If desired, the TMs listed can all be crafted before you face gyms. The challenging thing required is to defeat Tera Raids, which is the best way to earn LP early to buy TMs.
10. Thunder Wave
Thunder Wave simply paralyzes the opponent without hurting them.
Analysis:
When you finish school, you can start with having a weak move for successfully catching wild Pokémon. No one likes to accidentally knock out the Pokémon they want to catch. Thunder Wave makes the wild Pokémon have paralysis and can’t use any moves.
The great news is that this TM is nearby school in South Mesagoza. Beat 4 trainers and achieve the TM from “Been Having Some Nice Battles” Guy. The trainers have low level Pokémon, under Level 12.
Thunder Wave will mostly help you catch Flying and Water Pokémon.
Catching Flying Pokémon early prepares you against:
- Cortondo Gym
- Artazon Gym
- Team Star’s Fighting Crew
Catching Water Pokémon early prepares you against:
- Team Star’s Fire Crew
- Quaking Earth Titan
- False Dragon Titan
- A Challenge From Arven
- Elite 4
Thunder Wave can also impact a variety of other types, while it hits Grass, Bug, and Normal Types nearly 100% of the time.
Catching Grass Pokémon early prepares you against:
- The Stony Cliff Titan
- The Quaking Earth Titan
- Casscarafa Gym.
Catching Bug Pokémon early prepares you against:
- Artazon Gym
- Team Star’s Dark Crew
- Alfornada Gym.
Thunder Wave Strengths:
Electric Type Moves are strong against
-Flying
-Water
However, Thunder Wave’s paralysis can still impact these types:
-Bug
-Grass
-Normal
-Fighting
-Ghost
-Sometimes Fairy with Water or Flying hybrid
-Sometimes Psychic with Water or Flying hybrid
- Thunder Wave is a great move for when you don’t want to deal damage while battling against wild Pokémon. Since it is a 90 accuracy move, sometimes it hits and sometimes it doesn’t. Continuing to use it works too.
- Against Flying and Water Thunder Wave is really 100 accuracy, and you should have no issues unless the Pokémon has a hybrid that resists Electric such as Rock or Ground. Pokémon with high Speed stats may evade Thunder Wave.
- Against Bug, Grass, and Normal-Types, Thunder Wave is really 98 Accuracy, because when the 1’st move fails, the 2’nd or 3’rd move always lands.
- This is the best TM to find because you should teach it to earlier Pokémon such as Pawmi. Save Pawmi in your roster to catch Wild Pokémon.
Thunder Wave details:
Electric-Type Special Defense Move
No damage
90 Accuracy
20 PP
How to get Thunder Wave:
Beat 4 Trainers in Mesagoza South and talk to the “Been Having Some Nice Battles Guy '' by the Mesagoza South Poké Center.
9. Toxic Spikes
Toxic Spikes lays a trap of poisonous spikes around the foe, and poisons other Pokémon switching into battle. During battle, the poison worsens every turn, and the opponent’s Pokémon loses HP.
Analysis:
By the time you receive Thunder Wave, you should try to find the Toxic Spikes TM.
It will be useful against battling all the Gyms, Team Star Battles, Trainers, and a wide variety of other special battles post game. This move threatens an entire roster of a person’s Pokémon party, only if they are weak to poison. Steel Pokémon are immune to Poison-Types.
This TM is easy to find early game in South Province Area 2, slightly west to Los Platos. No Miraidon upgrades required.
In the story, Toxic Spikes will be great move against:
- Artazon Gym
- Cortondo Gym
- Medali Gym
- Team Star’s Poison Crew
- Team Star’s Fighting Crew
- Elite 4
Toxic Spikes Strengths:
Toxic Spikes as a Poison move is mostly strong against:
-Grass
-Fairy
-Poisons all types except Steel
Toxic Spikes also impacts:
-Bug
-Normal
-Fighting
-Poison
- In the story, Toxic Spikes is a great stalling move in battle, in case you're taking too much damage and you’re focused on healing and reviving them like in previous games.
- The poison will damage the opponent every turn, making not using a move entirely optional. Though, using strong moves as a follow up may be a better option if you have a stronger Pokémon available.
- More importantly, you start with weak Pokémon early game. Access to stronger Pokémon may be limited to an extent and can’t be caught with a Normal Pokéball. Sometimes you don’t need powerful Pokémon to win all the battles you face, and allow Toxic Spikes to do all the damage. However, this tactic doesn’t work in Online Battle.
- In Online Battle, Toxic Spikes is merciless, and should be a 1’st priority move. While Toxic Spikes 100% do poison most types, the only type it can’t impact is Steel Pokémon. You and the opponent have no access to your Bag during the Online Battle.
- This is the best TM to find because an earlier pokémon can learn it such as Gastly. You can find Gastly in the northwest plains and hills from Cortondo. Evolve it to Haunter at Level 25 and give Toxic Spikes to Haunter. Save Haunter in your roster to poison Pokémon in all Paldea’s gyms.
Toxic Spikes details:
- Accurate Poison Type Special Defense Move
- 20 PP
How to get Toxic Spikes:
Exit west of Mesagoza and follow a specific path from the South Province Area 2 Poké Center.
8. Will O Wisp
Will O Wisp may cause the target to become burned if successful. It has 85 Accuracy, and may take more turns to trigger the move. Over time the opponent loses 1/8th HP or more every turn.
Unfortunately, the 50% decrease in Attack no longer exists in Scarlet and Violet.
Analysis:
By the time you receive Will O Wisp teach it to your Fuecoco or Fletchling. This TM is useful for catching Pokémon and battling most of the gyms. Like Toxic Spikes, Will O Wisp is a stalling move and you still have your baby Pokémon facing against stronger Pokémon. Concentrate on healing your Pokémon when the opponent is still getting burned. All Fire-Type moves are ineffective against Water, Ground, and Rock-Types.
This TM is easy to find early game just North of Levencia. No Miraidon upgrades required.
In the story, Will O Wisp will be a great move against:
- Cortondo Gym
- Artazon Gym
- Lurking Steel Titan
- Meladi Gym
- Glaseado Gym
Will O Wisp Strengths:
Will O Wisp as a Fire-Type move is strong against:
-Bug
-Grass
-Ice
-Steel
Will O Wisp may also impact:
-Normal
-Ghost
-Flying
-Fighting
-Fairy
- Will O Wisp will burn exactly 1/8th HP every turn unless the opposing type is super weak against Fire-Types. As an example, Grass or Ice-Types may lose more than an 1/8th each turn. It can grow stronger overtime.
- Will O Wisp is highly effective in catching wild Pokémon when you don’t want to knock them out. When they reach half HP, catch them with a Pokéball. Prioritize catching Bug, Grass, Ice, Steel, and tricky Ghost-Type Pokémon. Those Pokémon prepare you to defeat most of the Titans including Alfornada Gym, Team Star’s Dark Crew, and the Casscarafa Gym.
Will O Wisp details:
- Fire Type Special Defense Move
- 85 Accuracy
- 15 PP
How to get Will O Wisp:
Travel north from Levencia North and go up a rolling hill.
If you’re Miraidon can’t climb, at the 0:17 mark find a rocky slope to the right as a cheat code. Hop over it and reach the Will O Wisp TM .
7. Protect
Protect is a Normal Type Move that prevents any attacks targeted at the user from striking, for the duration of the turn. This move usually goes first before the opponent’s attack.
Analysis:
You want to farm many Protect TMs because gym bosses are experts at battling. They’re going to use powerful Attacks and Special Attacks towards your Pokémon. More importantly, this is an awesome TM when you’re Tera Raiding throughout the game because as you progress Tera Raids get more difficult.
As an example, it can save your Pokémon on the verge of fainting. Protect can calculate the Tera Target’s powerful attack. By the time you first get it, you should teach it to your starter Pokémon. It works well with Pokémon of all types.
You can get the Protect TM early around Los Platos East.
In the story Protect will be a great move against:
- All Paldea’s gyms
- Team Star
- Titans
- Trainer Battles
- Kitakami DLC
Protect Strengths:
- It’s one of the best TMs to farm early because Lechonk and Scatterbug are common Pokémon to find in Paldea’s South Province. 3 Lechonk Hairs and 3 Scatterbug Powders create the Protect TM. It’s also super affordable, costing 400 LP.
- Protect as a Normal-Type Move is perfect against all types. Its defense mechanics may change your strategy from the start of battle, climax of battle, and the end of battle. While there are many strategies, they are all different between gyms, Tera Raids, and online battles.
- In the game’s gyms, you should keep the Pokémon in battle that the gym boss’s Pokémon is weak to. As an example, keep Pikcahu in against Vaporeon. Vaporeon could use Dig as a Ground move against Pikachu. In case the NPC uses that move, Pikachu should use Protect. If Pikachu is at less than 50% HP, it can use Protect against Vaporeon’s repetitive Hydro Pump or Water Pulse.
- During Tera Raids, the use of Protect usually comes halfway when the Tera Target has half HP, the climax of the battle. During that time, the Tera Target may nullify its stats or put up its Tera Shield. This signals for it to attack soon. Tera Raiding’s linear, and most of the time, avoiding attacks with Protect always works.
- Online Battle on the other hand is non-linear. The only reason to use Protect in the start of battle is to protect the defensive Pokémon you have as a supporting Pokémon. Some players may use Protect during the climax of battle to Terastalize early and destroy you.
- When down to 1 v 1 Pokémon at the end of battle, Protect can be a great move , but you have to trick the opponent by lowering one of their stats during the turn in which you’ll attack. Buffing your Defense stats beforehand is a plus. As an example after you use Protect use a move to lower their Attack stats a few times. During their Swords Dance in the next move, you should attack.
Protect details:
- Accurate Normal Special Defense Move
- 10 PP
To create it at the TM Machine:
- 3 Lechonk Hair
- 3 Scatterbug Powder
- 400 LP
How to get:
The Protect TM lives south east from the Los Platos East Poké Center.
6. Draining Kiss
Draining Kiss is a Fairy-Type move dealing 50 damage and the user will recover 75% of the HP
drained. A highly useful TM early game and has lots of versatility on offense and defense, especially if you caught an Azumarill.
Analysis:
You want to farm many Draining Kiss TMs because it's a great move to deal damage and regain HP during gym boss battles. It affects all types of Pokémon, and is a great one to have just in case your Pokémon runs out of health. It’s most useful for Fairy-Type Pokémon while there are 75 other types of Pokémon who can learn it as a TM.
The Draining Kiss TM can be found in Cortondo.
In the story, Draining Kiss is great against:
- The False Dragon Titan
- Team Star Dark Crew
- Team Star Fighting Crew
- Team Star Fairy Gym
- Montenverna Gym
- Alfornada Gym
- The Elite 4
Draining Kiss Strengths:
- It’s one of the best TMs to farm early because Igglybuff and Flabébé live in quick accessible areas. Flabébé may be tricky at first to spawn but you can always make a Fairy-Type sandwich such as 2 orders of tomato, 1 order of lettuce, and olive oil. It’s also an affordable TM costing 800 LP.
-Draining Kiss as a Fairy-Type TM is most useful against:
-Dragon
-Dark
-Fighting
Draining Kiss can also impact:
-Bug
-Psychic
-Ghost
-Other Fairy Types
-Other Dragon’s types with another weak type
- Draining Kiss has a simple strategy in all Tera Raids, Gym Battles, and Online Battles. Regain health while still attacking, at any time. It does have 10 PP and can increase to your liking.
- If your Pokémon is a non-Fairy-Type, and can learn Draining Kiss such as Pikachu, save Draining Kiss when necessary when its HP drops below 50%. Pure Fairy-Types should be aggressive and end the battle with Draining Kiss as a super effective move.
- It’s a perfect TM when it comes to facing Fighting, Dark, and Dragon Tera Raids. Tera Raids overtime get challenging, and your Pokémon has to stay in battle with high HP and attack at the same time.
Draining Kiss details:
- Fairy-Type Special Attack
- 50 Power
- 100 Accuracy
- 10 PP
How to create it:
800 LP
How to get:
The Draining Kiss TM is in Cortondo, behind the Cortondo Gym.
5. Bulldoze
Bulldoze is a Ground-Type move that deals 60 damage and lowers the target’s Speed stats by 1 Stage. A powerful TM early game made for battling against fast Pokémon.
Analysis:
You want to farm many Bulldoze TMs because it's super effective against Electric and Fire-Types. Electric and Fire-types such as Luxray and Talonflame are known for their Speed stats and evading moves. Bulldoze can slow their Speed. While it's most useful for Ground-Type Pokémon, 277 Pokémon can learn it as a TM.
One of the many popular Tera Raid strategies is to give Bulldoze to Water and Ground-Type Pokémon, such as Wooper. If Wooper stays as a Ground-Tera-Type, it can use Bulldoze to face against Fire-Type Tera Raids.
The Bulldoze TM can be found in many early locations, such as nearby the South Province Area 3 Watchtower.
In the story, Bulldoze is great against:
- Stony Cliff Titan
- Levencia Gym
- Team Star’s Fire Crew
- Team Star’s Poison Crew
- Medali Gym
- Montenerva Gym (against Ryme’s Toxtricity)
- Elite 4
Bulldoze Strengths:
- It’s one of the best TMs to farm early because you can find Mudbray and Sandygast early game with little effort. Mudbray lives around West Province Area 1’s rolling hills. Sandygast lives around West Province Area 2’s shores during nighttime. It’s also an affordable TM costing 1,500 LP.
Bulldoze as a Ground-Type TM is strong against:
-Electric
-Fire
-Poison
-Rock
-Steel
Bulldoze may also impact:
-Flying (after the use of the move Gravity)
-Dragon (against Eternatus, Archaludon, Miraidon)
-Fighting (against Lucario and Toxicroak)
- Bulldoze is an aggressive move and has a simple strategy to lower a Pokémon Speed stat. Though 60 Power may not be a lot to boast about, it's a great mid-level move compared to Mud Slap and Mud Shot. LP is relatively hard to farm early game and requires some work, but also Bulldoze prepares you against the Levencia Gym.
Bulldoze details:
- Accurate Ground-Type Attack
- 60 Damage
- 20 PP
How to create it:
1,500 LP
How to get:
The Bulldoze TM is near the South Province Area 3 Watchtower.
4. Low Kick
Low Kick is a Fighting-Type move where the heavier the target, the greater the move’s power.
It’s a great TM that can defeat most of the Titans and all of Team Star’s crews since they have Revarooms.
Analysis:
Low Kick is an excellent early STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) TM move to farm early game because there are plenty of heavy Pokémon to battle against in the story. Examples include the Titans and Team Star’s favorite Pokémon, Revaroom.
Fighting-Type moves are generally overpowered in the story and can speed run most of the game. The Casscarfa and Glaseado Gym have the heaviest such as Crabominable and Cetitian.
For new readers, STAB moves are when a move’s type matches one of the types of the user, Low Kick gets a 50% buff. It includes Tera Types after Terastalizing. You would want to teach this TM to a hybrid Fighting-Type, such as Bug and Fighting-Type.
The Low Kick TM lives in West Province Area 3. 184 Pokémon can learn Low Kick as a TM.
In the story Low Kick is super effective against:
- All of the Titans
- All of Team Star’s Crews
- Casscarafa Gym
- Glaseado Gym
- Meladi Gym
- Alfornada Gym
- Elite 4
- Final Boss Battle
- Academy Ace Tournament
Low Kick Strengths:
- It’s one of the best TMs to farm early because you can find Mankey early game. You just need 3 Mankey furs and 400 LP, making it a desirable and affordable TM. Mankey is a common Pokémon all over West Province Area 1.
Low Kick as a Fighting-Type move is strong against:
-Normal
-Dark
-Ice
-Rock
-Steel
Low Kick may also impact:
-Bug
-Water
-Dragon
-Ground
- Low Kick’s strategy is supposed to be a sweep move to knock out Pokémon during Gym Battles and Online Battles. As a STAB move, have a Fighting-Type Pokémon learn it, as it will become super effective and that it has 20 PP
- During Tera Raids, Low Kick can assist in taking down the Tera Shield when your Fighting-Type Pokémon terastalizes into a Fighting-Tera-Type.
Low Kick details:
- Accurate Fighting Type Move
- Low Kick deals 120 Damage to Pokémon that weigh over 200 Ibs.
- As an example, Dondozo weighs 485 Ibs and Revaroom weighs 264.6 Ibs.
- Low Kick deals 100 Damage to Pokémon that weigh over 100 Ibs.
- As an example, Annihilape weighs 123.5 Ibs and Scyther weighs 123.5 Ibs.
- 20 PP
How to create it:
400 LP
How to get:
The Low Kick TM lives in between the Casscarafa Gym and the Medali Gym, near a specific tree.
3. Chilling Water
Chilling Water is a Water-Type move dealing 50 damage and lowers the target’s Attack stat.
The good news with this TM is that the Casscarafa Gym gives it to you as a reward.
Analysis:
You want to farm as many Chilling Water TMs because it's useful against Fire, Ground, and Rock-Type Tera Raids. Tera Raids give you lots of rewards. Moves like Chilling Water decrease the Tera target’s Attack stat. As an example, the Tera Target’s 100 damage move may lower to 80 damage, and your Pokémon doesn’t have to lose so much HP. . You should get this TM after you gain Miraidon’s Swim ability and prepare for tougher raids. 215 Pokémon can learn Chilling Water as a TM move.
In the story, Water Types serve an extremely small purpose super effective against:
- Quaking Earth Titan
- Stony Cliff Titan
- Team Star’s Fire Crew
- Elite 4
By the time you receive the Chilling Water TM from Kofu, it is a sign of catching Level 40 Pokémon and to finish lots of 3 Star Tera Raids. As a cheat code, you want to tackle as many Fire Tera Raids so you can prepare against the Glaseado Gym and the Lurking Steel Titan.
Chilling Water Strengths:
- It’s one of the best TMs to farm early because Psyduck and Surskit are common Pokémon all over the South Province such as Los Platos and Mesagoza South. Chilling Water may be expensive though, costing 3,000 LP.
Chilling Water as a Water-Type move is strong against:
-Fire
-Ground
-Water
Chilling Water may also impact:
-Bug
-Normal
-Poison
-Ghost
- Chilling Water is also a STAB move when you teach it to a Water-Type Pokémon. You can buff Chilling Water with a Special Defense move, Rain Dance, which increases Water-Type Attacks and decreases Fire-Type attacks.
- You want to pair Chilling Water and Rain Dance during Tera Raids because with extra damage, your Pokémon will lower the Tera Target’s Attack more. In return, hopefully your Pokémon doesn’t receive too much damage and stays in battle longer. When the Tera Target’s Attack decreases to 6 stages, your Pokémon should receive an extreme small amount of damage.
Chilling Water details:
- Accurate Water-Type Attack
- 50 Damage
- 20 PP
How to create it:
- 3 Psyduck Down
- 3 Surskit Syrup
- 3,000 LP
How to get:
After defeating the Casscarfa Gym, Kofu rewards you with the Chilling Water TM.
2. Phantom Force
Phantom Force is a Ghost-Type move dealing 90 damage where the user vanishes in the first move, and hits the target on the next move. The move still hits if the target protects itself.
Analysis:
You want to farm as many Phantom Force TMs early because of its unique ability of vanishing first to evade the opponent’s move and then attack them after. As you progress to 4-Star Tera Raids, many Tera Target’s tend to protect themselves with defensive moves. The gym bosses may use moves like Protect, Detect, Reflect, or Light Screen. 45 Pokémon can learn Phantom Force as a TM.
In the story Phantom Force as a Ghost-Type move is super effective against:
- Montenverva Gym
- Alfornada Gym
- Glaseado Gym
- Team Star’s Fairy Crew
You just missed the Phantom Force TM way early in the game. Go back into the Inlett Grotto cave where you escorted Miraidon.
Phantom Forces Strengths:
- It’s one of the best TMs to farm early because you can find Sinistea, Shuppet, and Greavard with minimal effort. It’s expensive, costing 10,000 LP. Shuppet is one of those Pokémon that spawns at night. Importantly, the locations of Sinistea and Greavard should be your last 2 gyms which are the Alfornada Gym and the Glaseado Gym.
Phantom Force as a Ghost-Type move is strong against:
-Psychic
-Ghost
Phantom Force may impact:
-Flying
-Poison
-Fairy
-Bug
- The use of Phantom Force is brutal in all battles through Gym Battles, Tera Raids, and Online Battle. It's mostly useful in Tera Raids where your Ghost-Type Pokémon should face powerful Psychic-Tera-Raids. Psychic-Type Pokémon are known for activating moves that provide lots of set up, such as Trick Room or Reflect.
Phantom Force Details:
- Accurate Ghost-Type Attack
- 90 Power
- 10 PP
How to create it:
- 5 Sinistea Chips
- 3 Shuppet Scraps
- 3 Greavard Waxs
- 10,000 LP
How to get:
The Phantom Force TM lives in Inlett Grotto.
1. Calm Mind
Calm Mind is a Psychic-Type Special Defense move boosting the users Special Attack and Special Defense Stats by 1 stage each.
Analysis:
You want to farm as many Calm Mind TMs because it will make your Pokémon stronger during battle especially if they have great Special Attack stats. Calm Mind is a popular move in Tera Raids, and will help you against 4 -7 Star Tera Raids. 195 Pokémon can learn Calm Mind as a TM.
In the story, Calm Mind is super effective against:
- Alfornada Gym
- Glaseado Gym
- Team Star’s Poison Crew
- Team Star’s Fighting Crew
- Team Star’s Fairy Crew
- Elite 4
- Kitakami and Indigo DLC
- Final Boss
Calm Mind’s Strengths:
- It’s one of the best TMs to farm early because Stantler and Indeedee are easy to find. It’s an affordable TM costing 3,000 LP.
- Calm Mind as a Psychic-Move is strong against every type since it is a Special Defense Move. It can boost any type’s Special Attack and Special Defense. Special Defense helps your Pokémon withstand incoming Special Attacks.
- The use of Calm Mind allows your Pokémon to try to knock out the target whether it's a Gym Battle, Tera Raid, or Online Battle. It’s a great TM to make regardless of your progress in the game. You may want to have this early to beat all the gyms, and if you beat the story half way, keep it against the Elite 4 and the final boss battle.
Calm Mind details:
- Psychic-Type Special Defense Move
- 20 PP
How to create it:
- 3 Stantler Hairs
- 3 Indeedee Furs
- 3,000 LP
How to get:
You can obtain the Calm Mind TM early in South Province Area 3.
Thanks for Reading!
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