TM

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If you were looking for the Trading Card Game Set that uses this abbreviation, see Triumphant (TCG).
If you were looking for the DLC with a similar abbreviation, see The Teal Mask.

A Technical Machine, or TM for short (Japanese: わざマシン Move Machine), is an item that can be used to teach a Pokémon a move.

Appearance

050Diglett.png This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: Missing TM sprites from the games of the core series.
TM artwork for Pokémon Red and Green

TMs are most commonly depicted as discs, but their appearance has varied over time.

In artwork for Pokémon Red and Green, TMs are depicted as a band that can be attached to a Pokémon.

In the TCG, Technical Machines have the appearance of small boxes which a Pokémon's Poké Ball can be inserted into. This depiction was also used in The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga, though in that manga, the box was actually a device that had to be separated and the two halves positioned around the Pokémon's head.

Starting in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, TMs are depicted as compact discs. This depiction was carried over to the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series.

In Pokémon Origins, TMs and HMs resemble floppy disks.

In Pokémon GO, TMs are depicted as digital paper that retracts into a tube.

In the core series games

From Generation I through Generation IV, TMs are single-use items that are consumed after use, with some TMs being available only once per game. From Generation V to Pokémon Sword and Shield, TMs can be used multiple times without being consumed (though single-use alternatives exist in TRs or Move Tutor moves). In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, as well as Generation IX, TMs return to being single-use, but can be obtained multiple times through shops, trading items, or other means.

Prior to Generation VI, TM moves will also be passed down through breeding if the baby Pokémon can learn that TM (such as passing Flamethrower from a father Typhlosion to a baby Torchic). Prior to Generation V, there were also several Pokémon that could not learn certain TM moves directly from a TM but could learn them via breeding, such as Vulpix with Energy Ball.

TMs are absent in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and replaced with a Move Tutor.

List of TMs

Main article: List of TMs

Locations

Main article: List of TM and HM locations

TMs can be found on the ground or bought at department stores or Game Corners. Some are also given away by Gym Leaders as prizes for defeating them in addition to a Badge.

Changes between generations

Generation I

Generation I includes 50 TMs, with an additional five HMs.

Generation II

Generation II includes 50 TMs, with an additional seven HMs. Many of the TMs differ from Generation I, with most of the newly-introduced TMs teaching newly-introduced moves. In fact, moves contained in all but thirteen TMs (that is, all except TM06, TM14, TM15, TM22, TM25, TM26, TM28, TM29, TM32, TM38, TM39, TM42 and TM44) were changed.

Generation III

Generation III includes 50 TMs, with an additional eight HMs (although only seven are available in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen). Many of the TMs differ from previous generations, with some moves that were TMs in Generation I but not II once again being taught by TMs.

TM13, TM24 and TM33 all teach the same moves as in Generation I but different from Generation II. The following TMs that were changed in Generation II contain the same moves as then: TM05, TM10, TM11, TM17-19, TM21, TM23, TM27, TM30, TM36-37, and TM45-47. Moves taught by all other TMs now teach Generation III moves or existing moves that are completely new to being taught by TMs, such as Safeguard or Flamethrower.

In FireRed, LeafGreen, and Emerald, Move Tutors teach several moves that were TMs in Generation I. In Pokémon Emerald, Move Tutors also teach several moves that were TMs in Generation II.

Generation IV

Generation IV includes 92 TMs, with an additional eight HMs. Due to the fact that TMs can be transferred from the Generation III games, the first 50 TMs teach the same moves as in Generation III.

Out of the new TMs, TM54, TM58, TM61-62, TM64, TM67, TM70, TM73, TM75, TM77, TM80, TM82, TM85, and TM90 teach existing moves. All other new TMs teach new moves.

Generation V

Generation V includes 95 TMs, with an additional six HMs. Many of them teach different moves to their corresponding TMs in Generation IV. In Pokémon Black and White, TM95 was originally intended to be obtainable by using the Lock Capsule, an event item which was intended to be distributed to HeartGold and SoulSilver, and then transferred to Black and White via the Relocator. However, the Lock Capsule was never distributed, rendering it, and subsequently TM95, unobtainable in these games. It can be obtained in regular gameplay in Black 2 and White 2.

New moves are taught by TM01, TM03, TM09, TM19, TM23, TM43, TM47-49, TM51, TM55, TM58-60, TM62, TM67, TM72, TM76, TM78-79, TM82-83, TM93, and TM95. TM94 is the only new TM that teaches an existing move.

TMs now have unlimited uses like HMs, rather than being single-use items. In this generation only, when a Pokémon learns a move from a TM or HM by overwriting an old one, the new move takes on the current PP of the forgotten move, preventing repeated usage of machines for PP restoration. The prices of the purchasable TMs are also much higher to reflect the fact they can be reused. TMs can no longer be held (indicating that they can't be traded) or sold.

Generation VI

Generation VI includes 100 TMs, with an additional 5 HMs in Pokémon X and Y and 7 HMs in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. One of the two additional HMs in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire—Rock Smash—was a TM in Pokémon X and Y; in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, TM94—the TM that teaches Rock Smash in Pokémon X and Y—instead teaches Secret Power. Most TMs contain the same moves that they did in Generation V, with the exceptions of TM19, TM51, TM83, TM88, and (in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire) TM94.

Generation VII

Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon include 100 TMs. HMs no longer exist, although the former HM moves Fly, Waterfall, and Surf became TMs instead. This is because the overworld uses of the HMs are replaced with the Poké Ride feature. The only TMs that were changed between Generation VI and Generation VII are TM01, TM28, TM59, TM67, TM70, TM76, TM94, and TM98.

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! include 60 TMs, with no HMs, as they are replaced with Secret Techniques. Every TM teaches a different move to what it taught in the Alola games.

Generation VIII

Sword and Shield

In Pokémon Sword and Shield, TMs remain virtually identical to how they work in the previous generation, with no HMs and 100 TMs in total. However, this generation prompted the inclusion of 100 new Technical Records (known as TRs for short), which function as single-use items similar to how TMs worked prior to Generation V. The moves contained in TRs are all different from TM moves. Unlike in previous generations, TMs and TRs are numbered starting from 00, not 01; to make up for this, TM100 has been removed.

Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, TMs are single-use again, but unlike in Diamond and Pearl, Gym Leaders now give five of the same TM.

Unlike in previous games, TMs stayed the same as in Diamond and Pearl, with the exception of:

The eight HMs from Diamond and Pearl are now TM93 through TM100, in the same order.

Generation IX

TMs return to being single-use. Once a TM is obtained, they can be crafted at a Pokémon Center using the TM Machine, using League Points and TM Materials dropped by defeating or catching wild Pokémon. Like TRs, if a Pokémon forgets a move taught by a TM, it can now be relearned for free without using another TM. Unlike previous generations, TMs have a 3-digit number rather than a 2-digit number. There are 229 TMs in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: out of those, only the first 171 were present since the game's launch.

TM016, TM017, TM026, TM031, TM173, TM174, TM185, TM206, TM216, and TM223 all teach existing moves that weren't available outside of leveling up, tutoring, or breeding. TM020, TM021, TM022, TM052, TM124, TM171, TM207, TM210, TM225, TM226, TM227, TM228, and TM229 teach new moves.

Moves that were previously only learnable via Move Tutors (the elemental Hyper Beam variations for fully evolved first partner Pokémon, pledge moves, Draco Meteor, and Steel Beam) have been repurposed as TMs.

Incompatible Pokémon

Although most Pokémon are able to learn a wide range of TM moves, there are 24 Pokémon that cannot learn any move through TM that isn't available to them through other means, with a few exceptions. Typically, these Pokémon are low in their evolutionary line or rely on a specific set of moves. Starting in Generation VI, several of these Pokémon that were able to learn TM moves by leveling up are now able to learn the moves through TM as well.

# Pokémon Type Exceptions
VI VII VIII IX
0010 Caterpie Caterpie Bug TM82SwSh: Electroweb N/A
0011 Metapod Metapod Bug TM82SwSh: Electroweb N/A
0013 Weedle Weedle Bug Poison N/A
0014 Kakuna Kakuna Bug Poison N/A
0129 Magikarp Magikarp Water TM52SwSh: Bounce
0132 Ditto Ditto Normal
0201 Unown Unown Psychic TM10: Hidden Power TM10: Hidden Power N/A
0202 Wobbuffet Wobbuffet Psychic TM20: Safeguard TM20: Safeguard TM19SwSh/TM20BDSP: Safeguard
TM29SwSh: Charm
N/A
0235 Smeargle Smeargle Normal * * * *
0265 Wurmple Wurmple Bug N/A
0266 Silcoon Silcoon Bug N/A
0268 Cascoon Cascoon Bug N/A
0360 Wynaut Wynaut Psychic TM20: Safeguard TM20: Safeguard TM19SwSh/TM20BDSP: Safeguard
TM29SwSh: Charm
N/A
0374 Beldum Beldum Steel Psychic TM001: Take Down
TM059: Zen Headbutt
TM099: Iron Head
TM104: Iron Defense
TM170: Steel Beam
TM171: Tera Blast
0401 Kricketot Kricketot Bug TM76: Struggle Bug TM015: Struggle Bug
TM171: Tera Blast
TM182: Bug Bite
TM185: Lunge
TM205: Endeavor
TM219: Skitter Smack
0412 Burmy Burmy Bug TM10: Hidden Power
TM17: Protect
TM10: Hidden Power
TM17: Protect
TM17BDSP: Protect N/A
0415 Combee Combee Bug Flying TM24SwSh: Snore
TM62BDSP: Bug Buzz
TM015: Struggle Bug
TM070: Sleep Talk
TM162: Bug Buzz
TM171: Tera Blast
TM182: Bug Bite
TM185: Lunge
TM205: Endeavor
TM219: Skitter Smack
0602 Tynamo Tynamo Electric TM57: Charge Beam
TM73: Thunder Wave
TM57: Charge Beam
TM73: Thunder Wave
N/A TM023: Charge Beam
TM082: Thunder Wave
TM171: Tera Blast
TM173: Charge
TM181: Knock Off
0664 Scatterbug Scatterbug Bug N/A TM015: Struggle Bug
TM021: Pounce
TM171: Tera Blast
TM182: Bug Bite
0665 Spewpa Spewpa Bug TM17: Protect TM17: Protect N/A TM007: Protect
TM015: Struggle Bug
TM021: Pounce
TM104: Iron Defense
TM171: Tera Blast
TM182: Bug Bite
0789 Cosmog Cosmog Psychic N/A
0790 Cosmoem Cosmoem Psychic N/A
0824 Blipbug Blipbug Bug N/A N/A N/A
0840 Applin Applin Grass Dragon N/A N/A TM31: Attract TM021: Pounce
TM171: Tera Blast

Near-universal TMs

With few exceptions, all Pokémon who are compatible with TMs can learn the following moves:

Move Generation
I II III IV V VI VII
SMUSUM
VII
LGPE
VIII
SwSh
VIII
BDSP
IX
Attract 45 45 45 45 45 45 31 45
Bide 34
Captivate 78
Confide 100 100
Curse 03 *
Double Team 32 32 32 32 32 32 32 32
Double-Edge 10 *
Endure 20 58 58 047
Facade 42 42 42 42 42 12 39 42 025
Frustration 21 21 21 21 21 21
Headbutt * 01
Helping Hand * * 130
Hidden Power 10 10 10 10 10 10
Mimic 31
Natural Gift 83
Protect 17 17 17 17 17 17 07 25 17 007
Rage 20
Rest 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 05 21 44 085
Return 27 27 27 27 27 27
Round 48 48 48 76
Secret Power 43 43 94ORAS
Sleep Talk 35 82 88 88 82 070
Snore 13 24
Substitute 50 90 90 90 90 08 90 103
Swagger 34 87 87 87 87 87
Take Down 09 001
Tera Blast 171
Toxic 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 27 * *

TM-exclusive moves

In every generation, there have been moves exclusively taught by TMs:

Generation I ThunderboltRBBubbleBeamMega DrainFissureMimicBide
Egg BombFire BlastSoftboiledPsywaveRock SlideRazor WindToxic
Generation II Razor Wind*ToxicDynamicPunchIcy WindIron TailDragonBreathShadow BallMud-Slap
Sleep TalkAttractThiefNightmareFury CutterRock SmashReturnFrustration
Generation III ReturnFrustrationShock WaveFacadeOverheatSecret PowerSkill Swap
Generation IV OverheatDPSecret PowerSkill SwapStealth RockGrass KnotDrain PunchFocus Blast
Generation V Focus BlastSnarlFrost Breath
Generation VI Frost BreathXYDazzling GleamInfestation
Generation VII SMUSUM Smart StrikeAurora VeilSurf
PE Foul PlayScald
Generation VIII BDSP FlashRock ClimbFocus BlastScald
Generation IX Hydro CannonBlast BurnFrenzy PlantDraco MeteorFocus BlastFire PledgeWater Pledge
Grass PledgeSteel BeamTera BlastTrailblazePounceChilling WaterGrassy Glide
Burning JealousyPoltergeistLash OutMisty ExplosionTemper FlareSupercell Slam
Triple AxelCoachingScorching SandsMeteor BeamHard PressDragon Cheer
Alluring VoicePsychic NoiseUpper Hand

Returning moves

Several moves taught by TM in an earlier generation returned as TMs later on after being absent but assigned with a different TM number.

Move Generation
I II III IV V VI VII
SMUSUM
VII
LGPE
VIII
SwSh
VIII
BDSP
IX
SV
Acrobatics 62 62 62 78 014
Aerial Ace 40 40 40 40 40 40 027
Air Slash 95 065
Attract 45 45 45 45 45 45 31 45
Avalanche 72 64 72 046
Blizzard 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 51 14 143
Body Slam 08 066
Breaking Swipe 99 222
Brine 55 55 55
Brutal Swing 59 97
Bulldoze 78 78 78 81 83 028
Bullet Seed 09 09 50 09 056
Charge Beam 57 57 57 57 57 023
Curse 03 224
Dark Pulse 79 97 97 20 79 094
Dazzling Gleam 99 99 32 21 079
Dig 28 28 28 28 28 28 10 15 28 055
Double-Edge 10 204
Dragon Claw 02 02 02 02 02 02 078
Dragon Pulse 59 34 59 115
Dragon Tail 82 82 82 17 044
Drain Punch 60 63 60 073
Draining Kiss 87 037
Dream Eater 42 42 85 85 85 85 59 85
Drill Run 58 106
Endure 20 58 58 047
Eerie Impulse 93 096
Electroweb 82 211
Explosion 47 64 64 64 64 64
False Swipe 54 54 54 54 94 54 057
Fire Punch 48 31 03 067
Flame Charge 43 43 43 048
Fling 56 56 56 56 59 56 043
Focus Punch 01 01 01 192
Giga Drain 19 19 19 28 19 111
Gyro Ball 74 74 74 74 74 180
Hail 07 07 07 07 07 35 07
Headbutt 02 01
Ice Beam 13 13 13 13 13 13 55 13 135
Ice Punch 33 35 04 069
Icy Wind 16 27 034
Iron Tail 23 23 23 19 23
Low Sweep 47 47 47 75 27 039
Mega Drain 21 53
Mega Kick 05 01
Mega Punch 01 00
Pay Day 16 57 02
Payback 66 66 66 66 57 66
Psych Up 09 77 77 77 77 77 203
Rain Dance 18 18 18 18 18 18 33 18 050
Reflect 33 33 33 33 33 33 09 18 33 074
Retaliate 67 67 79
Roar 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 172
Rock Slide 48 80 80 80 80 22 22 80 086
Rock Smash 08 94 94XY 98
Rock Tomb 39 39 39 39 39 48 39 036
Roost 51 19 19 50 51
Round 48 48 48 76
Sandstorm 37 37 37 37 37 37 32 37 051
Scald 55 55 55 29 49 188
Secret Power 43 43 94ORAS
Seismic Toss 19 15
Self-Destruct 36 42 20
Shadow Claw 65 65 65 65 65 65 061
Sleep Talk 35 82 88 88 82 070
Sludge Wave 34 34 34 214
Smack Down 23 23 23 179
Smart Strike 67 96 053
Snarl 95 95 95 85 78 030
Snore 13 24
Solar Blade 12 190
Stealth Rock 76 56 76 116
Steel Wing 47 47 47 51 51 30 47
Struggle Bug 76 76 015
Substitute 50 90 90 90 90 08 90 103
Sunny Day 11 11 11 11 11 11 34 11 049
Surf 94 47 95 123
Swagger 34 87 87 87 87 87
Swift 39 39 40 032
Swords Dance 03 75 75 75 75 75 088
Take Down 09 001
Teleport 30 04
Thief 46 46 46 46 46 46 23 46 018
Tri Attack 49 28
Trick Room 92 92 92 92 70 92 161
Thunderbolt 24 24 24 24 24 24 36 24 126
Thunder Wave 45 73 73 73 73 16 14 73 082
Toxic 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 27 06 175
Venoshock 09 09 09 74 045
Volt Switch 72 72 72 80 43 048
Waterfall 98 25 99 077
Weather Ball 46 193
Whirlpool 36 208
Work Up 83 01 10

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky, the TMs for weather summoning moves, as well as Double Team, Rock Tomb and Snatch, do not exist, and instead have been replaced by appropriate Wonder Orbs. After use, a TM becomes a Used TM; a Used TM can be turned back into a usable TM by a Pokémon with the move Recycle, except for a Used TM of Recycle, which will remain a Used TM permanently. Pokémon can learn the same TMs they can learn in the corresponding core series games, but Pokémon that cannot learn TMs in the core series games can learn moves via TM if they can also learn those moves by level up.

In Explorers of Time, Darkness and Sky, Dive is a TM, even though it is not a TM in Generation IV core series games. However, no Pokémon are specifically coded to learn it, and thus the only Pokémon compatible with it are those that already learn it by level-up.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity, all TMs are infinite use. Special TMs for moves usually learned through a Move Tutor in the core series games are also present. Wide Slash and Vacuum-Cut are no longer available starting from this game.

In Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, there are two types of TMs: single-use regular TMs and reusable rainbow-colored TMs. Rainbow-colored TMs can be purchased from Kecleon shops from certain post-game dungeons, and can also be purchased from Kecleon shops in towns after Kecleon has been connected with the Expedition Society, which unlocks the "Treasures" section in the shop.

In Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, and in Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky, there are two moves that do not appear in the core series games that can only be learned by TM: Wide Slash and Vacuum-Cut. These moves do not appear in subsequent games.

In Explorers of Sky, TMs can be sold to Kecleon for 250 Poké.

Appearance

MDBag TM RTRB Sprite.png MDBag TM TDS Sprite.png MDBag TM WW Sprite.png MDBag TM V Sprite.png MDBag TM VI Sprite.png MDBag Rainbow TM VI Sprite.png
TM sprite from
Red and Blue Rescue Team
TM sprite from
Explorers series
TM sprite from
Mystery Dungeon (WiiWare)
TM sprite from
Gates to Infinity
TM sprite from
Super Mystery Dungeon
Rainbow TM sprite from
Super Mystery Dungeon
MDBag TM RTDX Sprite.png Unused MDBag Rainbow TM RTDX Sprite.png
TM sprite from
Rescue Team DX
Rainbow TM sprite (unused) from
Rescue Team DX
MDBag Used TM RTRB Sprite.png MDBag Used TM TDS Sprite.png
Used TM sprite from
Rescue Team series
Used TM sprite from
Explorers series
MDBag Tutor TM V Sprite.png Unused MDBag Tutor TM VI Sprite.png Unused MDBag Rainbow Tutor TM VI Sprite.png
TM sprite (for tutor moves) from
Gates to Infinity
TM sprite (for tutor moves; unused) from
Super Mystery Dungeon
Rainbow TM sprite (for tutor moves; unused) from
Super Mystery Dungeon
MDBag TM icon RTRB Sprite.png MDBag TM icon TDS Sprite.png
TM icon from
Rescue Team series
TM icon from
Explorers series


TM PMD GTI.png Tutor TM PMD GTI.png TM PSMD.png Used TM PSMD.png Tutor TM PSMD.png Used Tutor TM PSMD.png
Model of TM from
Gates to Infinity
Model of TM (for tutor moves)
from Gates to Infinity
Model of TM from
Super Mystery Dungeon
Unused model of a
used TM from Super Mystery Dungeon
Unused model of TM
(for tutor moves)
Super Mystery Dungeon
Unused model of used TM
(for tutor moves) from Super Mystery Dungeon
Artwork
TM artwork TDS.png TM artwork PSMD.png TM artwork RTDX.png Used TM artwork RTDX.png
Explorers artwork Super Mystery Dungeon artwork Rescue Team DX artwork Unused Rescue Team DX artwork for Used TM

Pokémon GO

In Pokémon GO, there are four kinds of TMs: Fast TMs, Charged TMs, Elite Fast TMs, and Elite Charged TMs. TMs were introduced to Pokémon GO on June 22, 2017, and Elite TMs were introduced on April 24, 2020. All TMs are consumed after one use.

Using a Fast or Charged TM on a Pokémon randomly changes its Fast or Charged Attack, respectively, to a different move in the Pokémon's current move pool.

Elite TMs allow players to select the new move that will be learned, even including legacy and event-exclusive moves, such as Community Day moves.

Appearance

GO Fast TM.png GO Charged TM.png GO Elite Fast TM.png GO Elite Charged TM.png
Fast TM from
Pokémon GO
Charged TM from
Pokémon GO
Elite Fast TM from
Pokémon GO
Elite Charged TM from
Pokémon GO

In the anime

Main series

Although TMs have not appeared in the anime, they were mentioned once in the Japanese version of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate!. While talking with the Kecleon Brothers, Charmander of Team Go-Getters mentioned TMs among other things the Kecleon Shop was sold out on. This reference was not included in the dub.

Pokémon Origins

TM34 (Bide) appeared in File 1: Red. Much like in Pokémon Red and Blue, it was given to Red by Brock as a reward for defeating him in a Gym battle.

Another TM, TM28 (Dig), also made a brief appearance in File 2: Cubone, where Red retrieved it from a Team Rocket Grunt who had stolen it.

In the manga

Two early kinds of TMs in Pokémon Adventures

The Electric Tale of Pikachu

In To Evolve or Not to Evolve, That Is the Question!, Ash used TM31 to teach Mikey's Eevee Mimic, allowing it to win a battle against Sparky's Jolteon and thus let Mikey join the Knights of the E Stone.

Pokémon Adventures

Red, Green & Blue arc

In Wartortle Wars, a fake TM was seen amongst the many fake items sold to Red by Green.

Gold, Silver & Crystal arc

In Elekid Incorporated, Silver mentioned that he had used TM21 to teach his Totodile Frustration in order to capitalize on the fact that he had only just stolen the Pokémon and it hadn't come to like him yet.

Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc

In Diancie Shines, it was explained that TMs are machines that contain the essence of the move they teach to a Pokémon. Before this technology existed, other items served the same purpose. Such items are the rings Ultima carries on her staff, which contain the ultimate moves Frenzy Plant, Blast Burn, and Hydro Cannon, and a scroll held by the Draconids, which contains the move Dragon Ascent.

Sword & Shield arc

In Toasty!! Battle Against Toxapex, Henry revealed he had used a TM for Sunny Day on his Thwackey in preparation for dealing with Nessa's Toxapex during their Gym battle.

Scarlet & Violet arc

In PASV06, Nemona received a TM for Aerial Ace as a prize for defeating five Trainers in South Province (Area Two) when visiting the Cortondo Pokémon Center.

In the TCG

Grass Cube 01, an example of a typical Technical Machine card with the Trainer subtype of "Technical Machine"

In the TCG, a Technical Machine is a Trainer card depicting a Technical Machine. Each one has an attack printed on it. They can be attached to a Pokémon, and doing so allows the Pokémon to use the attack printed on the Technical Machine card instead of one of the attacks on the Pokémon's card.[1]

Technical Machines have two different mechanical representations across the TCG's history, though both adhere to the above definition.

Technical Machine (Trainer subtype)

Main article: List of Technical Machine cards

Starting from Pokémon VS in Japanese and Expedition in English, Technical Machine is a type of Trainer card. These cards can be attached to Pokémon in play. The majority of them can only be attached to Pokémon of a specific type or those that include a specific owner in their name, but other restrictions have been used and a few cards have no restriction at all. Each card provides an attack that can be used in addition to any attacks featured on the Pokémon it is attached to. In most cases, a player is required to discard a Technical Machine card at the end of the turn they played it. The final Technical Machine cards, the ones printed in Legends Awakened and Rising Rivals, are exceptions to this last clause.

A Pokémon can have multiple TMs attached to it at once. This functionality is fairly useless since most Pokémon can only attack one per turn and therefore can only use an attack from one Technical Machine per turn, while both used and unused Technical Machines will be discarded.[2]

Some cards have numbers at the end of their name, normally starting from "01" and counting up with each card that otherwise has the same name. However, the only cards with an "02" card to follow them are Japan exclusive, only being printed in Pokémon VS. No cards have "03" or any third member to a numeric order. The two cards in Legends Awakened, Technical Machine TS-1 and Technical Machine TS-2, are the sole English examples of a numbering system with more than one entry in English. The final card to bear the card type, Team Galactic's Invention G-107 Technical Machine G, uses a "G" in place of a number.

After the Rising Rivals expansion, Technical Machine cards were seemingly retired in favor of Pokémon Tool cards that provide additional attacks.

A number of sets have variations on the Technical Machine concept, keeping the card type and mechanics but changing the name and appearance of the item. They do not use numbers like the normal TMs, being distinguished by symbols or additional words instead.

Miracle Sphere

Miracle Sphere γ, an example of a Miracle Sphere.

A Miracle Sphere is one of three cards from the Skyridge expansion. They are Miracle Sphere α, Miracle Sphere β, and Miracle Sphere γ. The ends of their names have a Greek letter. Each Miracle Sphere can only be attached to Evolved Pokémon of three specific Energy types. One of those types is used in the cost of the attack of the Miracle Sphere. If the Pokémon has a Basic Energy card attached to it of the type in the attack's cost and a Basic Energy card attached to it of one of the other two types, the attack becomes stronger in some way, either adding an additional effect or dealing increased damage and having an additional effect. If there are Basic Energy cards attached to the Pokémon that have all three types, then both effects happen. Also, the attack a Miracle Sphere provides always ends with the word "Force".

The art for these cards shows a sphere glowing in various colors. Writing of an indeterminate language runs across the sphere.

Mystery Plate

A Mystery Plate is one of four cards from the Skyridge expansion. They are Mystery Plate α, Mystery Plate β, Mystery Plate γ, and Mystery Plate δ. Again, the ends of their names have a Greek letter. The attacks on these cards exclusively cost Colorless Energy. They have an effect when the opponent has 5 or more Prize cards remaining, and a different effect when the opponent has a lower number of Prize cards remaining. Mystery Plate α and Mystery Plate β have an effect when the opponent has 1 Prize card remaining, while Mystery Plate γ and Mystery Plate δ have an effect when the opponent has 2 Prize cards remaining. These second effects are more powerful than the first effect. However, between either of the two points, and after the second point in the case of Mystery Plate γ and Mystery Plate δ, the attack has no effect.

The art for these cards shows a stone slab, with text of an indeterminate language written on it.

Ancient Technical Machine

Ancient Technical Machine [Steel], an example of an Ancient Technical Machine

An Ancient Technical Machine is one of three cards from the EX Hidden Legends expansion. They are Ancient Technical Machine [Ice], Ancient Technical Machine [Rock], and Ancient Technical Machine [Steel]. Their names all end in the name of a type encased in brackets. They use the name of a type from the video games and not the equivalent Energy type.

These cards can only be attached to an Evolved Pokémon, and that Pokémon cannot also be an Pokémon-ex or an Owner's Pokémon. The attack an Ancient Technical Machine provides exclusively costs Colorless Energy, and its name ends with the phrase "Generator".

The art for these cards shows a opened clam-shaped device with a shape floating in the distant half.

Technical Machine (Pokémon Tool)

Technical Machine: Turbo Energize, an example of a Technical Machine card that is a Pokémon Tool.

In Paradox Rift expansion in the Scarlet & Violet Series (in Japan the Raging Surf subset in the Scarlet & Violet Era), over 14 years since the last Technical Machine card, Technical Machines returned to the Trading Card Game. This set of cards are a group of Pokémon Tool cards which have an attack printed on them that the Pokémon the card is attached to can use. As they are Pokémon Tools, they carry the restriction of that card type where a Pokémon can only have a single Pokémon Tool attached to it. This further means that a Pokémon cannot have more than one of these Technical Machine cards attached to them at a time.

These cards have a new naming structure, starting with "Technical Machine:" followed by the name of the attack that they provide.

While no longer depicted as a distinct type of Trainer card, these cards are still discarded at the end of the turn.

These cards' artwork use the optical disk appearance of TMs from the video games, instead of the TCG's cube appearance.

In the magazines

Pokémon Power

In Pokémon Power (issue 3, page 3), there is a small ad about buying used TMs: "Save big on used TMs! Call Now! 555-POKE!"

Trivia

  • 343 different moves have been available as a TM, adding together the TMs from every generation.
  • Gym Leaders who give out a TM on their defeat typically give out one containing a move of their specialty type. However, in their respective first generation of an appearance each, Brock and Falkner do not, giving out TM34 (Bide) (a Normal-type move) and TM31 (Mud-Slap) (a Ground-type move), respectively. This is rectified in the remakes of their debut games, with Brock giving away TM39 (Rock Tomb) while Falkner's prize is TM51 (Roost). Likewise, Cilan, Chili, and Cress do not give out TMs matching their specialty type, instead giving out the Normal-type TM83 (Work Up), regardless of which of the three is battled.
    • Prior to Generation III, TMs given out by the starting region's Gym Leaders teach moves that no Pokémon learns naturally. There is one exception: in Pokémon Yellow, Pikachu learns Thunderbolt in place of Swift.
  • Generation IV is the first generation in which there is at least one TM that teaches a move of each Pokémon type.
  • Generation IX has the most TMs, with 229, and Generation I, II, and III are tied for the fewest TMs, with 50.
  • The largest TM increase across generations was from VIII to IX, adding 129 TMs. The smallest increase was from IV to V, adding only three.

In other languages

Language Title
Chinese Cantonese 招式學習器 Jīusīk Hohkjaahphei
Mandarin 招式學習器 / 招式学习器 Zhāoshì Xuéxíqì
Denmark Flag.png Danish Teknisk maskin
Teknologisk maskine*
The Netherlands Flag.png Dutch Technische machine*
French Canada Flag.png Canada Machine technique*
France Flag.png Europe Capsule Technique (CT)
Germany Flag.png German Technische Maschine (TM)
Indonesia Flag.png Indonesian Mesin Serangan (MS)
Italy Flag.png Italian Macchina Tecnica (MT)
South Korea Flag.png Korean 기술머신 Gisul Machine
Portuguese Brazil Flag.png Brazil Máquina Técnica (MT)
Portugal Flag.png Portugal Máquina de Técnica*
Máquina Técnica*
Spain Flag.png Spanish Máquina Técnica (MT)
Sweden Flag.png Swedish Teknisk maskin
Tekniskt fordon*
Thailand Flag.png Thai แมชชีนทักษะ Maetchin Thaksa (TM)
Vietnam Flag.png Vietnamese Máy học chiêu thức

References

See also


Lists of TM, HM, and TR locations
In the core series: Generation IGeneration IIGeneration IIIGeneration IVGeneration VGeneration VI

Generation VII • Generation VIII (SwShBDSP) • Generation IX (SV)

In spin-off games: Mystery Dungeon series


Consumables: FoodGummisSeedsBerriesHealth drinks
Held items: GlassesScarvesRecruitment-affecting items
Miracle and Wonder ChestsSeven Treasures
Space GlobeIQ BoosterFlagsLooplets
Objects: Wonder OrbsThrowing itemsHMsUsed TMsTMsKeys
Link BoxGabite ScaleGracideaFriend GiftsDevices
EmerasProgress DevicesWandsDjinn's Bottle
Special: Rescue Team Starter SetToolboxExploration Team Kit
Treasure BagTreasure CollectionMystery Dungeon evolutionary items
Teleport GemColored WingsWishing StoneMusic BoxVortex Stone
Treasure BoxesMystery PartSecret SlabExclusive items
Relic FragmentWonder EggLost LootSky Gift
Lookalike ItemsPrize TicketsGates to Infinity exclusive items
ManualsEntercardsLucha TokenConnection Orb


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