Which Pokemon Games Have No Hms

Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, along with Pokémon Sword and Shield, do not use HMs.

Ever felt frustrated by needing a specific move to navigate the world in Pokémon games? Many players wonder which pokemon games have no hms. These pesky Hidden Machines, with their need to be taught to your party, often cluttered move sets. Luckily, not all Pokémon titles stick with this mechanic.

Some newer generations ditched HMs altogether and opted for other means of world traversal. These changes made for a more enjoyable gaming experience. So, if you dislike the use of HMs, you have options!

Which Pokémon Games Have No HMs?

Have you ever been playing a Pokémon game and gotten stuck because you forgot to teach a Pokémon HM01 (Cut) or HM02 (Fly)? It can be a real pain! For many years, Hidden Machines, or HMs, were a big part of traveling through the Pokémon world. You needed them to do things like cut down trees, swim across water, or fly to different towns. But times have changed! Some newer Pokémon games have done away with HMs, making travel a bit easier. So, which games let you explore without needing these special moves? Let’s find out!

The HM System: A Look Back

Before we dive into the games that got rid of HMs, let’s remember what they were all about. HMs were special moves that your Pokémon could learn. Unlike normal TMs (Technical Machines), HMs could be used outside of battle, and once learned, you couldn’t forget them normally. This meant you had to be careful about which Pokémon you taught HMs. You couldn’t just swap them out easily if you wanted to learn a new move. These moves were necessary to get through areas and progress in the game. If you didn’t have a Pokémon who knew Surf or Waterfall, for example, you couldn’t cross certain bodies of water!

How HMs Affected Gameplay

The inclusion of HMs greatly impacted how players strategized. Think about it: you had to carry a Pokémon, or sometimes even several, just to use HM moves outside of battles. This often took up valuable team space. Players sometimes had to rely on certain Pokémon that weren’t their favorites just because they could learn a needed HM. For example, many players used a Bibarel simply for its HM capabilities, even if it wasn’t the strongest battling Pokémon. This definitely made planning your team tricky.

• Required Team Composition: You couldn’t build teams just based on battling strength. You needed HM-users.
• Move Limitations: Since HMs were permanent, you had to think twice before teaching them.
• Travel Barriers: Not having a Pokémon with the required HM meant you were stuck and couldn’t progress.

The Games That Bid Farewell to HMs

Now, let’s talk about the games where you won’t find any HMs! It’s a welcome change for many players who grew tired of managing HM-focused Pokémon. These games introduce new ways to get around and interact with the world.

Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon (Generation VII)

These games were the first main series Pokémon adventures to completely remove the HM mechanic. Instead of teaching Pokémon moves like Surf or Fly, you now rely on special Ride Pokémon! These Pokémon are not part of your team but are special partners that you can call upon when needed. For example, you might ride a Lapras to cross water or Charizard to fly to different places. This change gave players more freedom in building their teams, as they didn’t need to sacrifice slots for HM mules anymore.

• Ride Pokémon: Summon special Pokémon for travel purposes.
• No Move Limitations: Your main Pokémon teams are free from HM move requirements.
• Streamlined Travel: Travel is more accessible as needed partners are always available.

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!

These games, remakes of Pokémon Yellow, also completely forgo HMs! Just like in Sun and Moon, you rely on your starter Pokémon. However, instead of riding various different Pokémon, you are mostly riding your Pikachu or Eevee, or occasionally having them use their abilities to do things like surf. This makes the world feel more closely connected to your partner. The travel is still smooth, and you don’t have to worry about HMs affecting your battle team.

• Partner Travel: Your starter Pokémon assists with travel.
• Simplified System: The travel system is simplified.
• Focus on Connection: The bond with your starter is a focus.

Pokémon Sword and Shield (Generation VIII)

The trend of ditching HMs continues in the Galar region! Sword and Shield also utilize a system of tools and rideable Pokémon instead of HMs. A big part of travel in the Galar region are the special bikes that allow you to travel quickly and eventually travel across water as well. You will also have a few travel abilities that can be used to solve puzzles and navigate the region. This means you can focus entirely on building a team with Pokémon that you want to battle with without being forced to use certain Pokémon for travel purposes.

• Roto Bike: Use a special bike to travel quickly and across water.
• Travel Tools: Utilize tools to interact with the environment.
• Team Freedom: Concentrate on creating a battle-ready team.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (Remakes of Diamond and Pearl)

While these games are remakes of Diamond and Pearl, they didn’t completely get rid of HMs. They did make HMs less painful. You still need to teach HMs to Pokémon, but now you can use them outside of battle without the need for the correct badge. This can make it easier to get around, however, you still need to find the HMs and teach them to your Pokémon. The ability to use them before getting the proper badge reduces the frustration of getting stuck.

• Simplified HM system: HMs are still part of the game.
• Badge Requirements: You don’t need badges to use HMs outside of battle.
• Traditional Feel: A more classic feel with HMs present.

Pokémon Legends: Arceus

This game takes an entirely different approach to travel than previous games. Instead of HMs, rideable Pokémon like Wyrdeer, Basculegion, and Braviary are available to you to travel through Hisui. This gives you freedom to travel and access areas you couldn’t reach before. There is also a much bigger emphasis on exploration, and the fact that you do not have to rely on teaching Pokémon specific moves for travel makes things so much more free. This different system made exploration so much more fun and a unique experience.

• Rideable Pokémon: Use special Pokémon to navigate Hisui.
• Exploration Focus: Exploration is more open and free-form.
• No HM Limitations: The gameplay is streamlined and more straightforward.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Generation IX)

These games follow the trend of removing HMs. Like previous games, you can use Ride Pokémon. Instead of needing to collect multiple rideable partners, you will unlock different forms for Koraidon and Miraidon, which will have different functions like swimming, gliding, and climbing. This system is easy to use, and you will not have to worry about teaching a Pokémon an HM in these games. The changes made in Scarlet and Violet made it easy to traverse the Paldea region.

• Koraidon and Miraidon: Your partner Pokémon are essential for travel.
• Form Changes: Forms of your partner give different travel abilities.
• No HMs needed: No need to teach any specific moves for travel

Why Did They Get Rid of HMs?

You might be wondering, why did the developers decide to move away from HMs? Here are a few reasons:

• Team Flexibility: Removing HMs allowed players to build teams based on their preferred strategies and Pokémon, not just HM capabilities.
• Less Hassle: It’s much more enjoyable to explore without constantly thinking about needing specific HM moves.
• Modern Gameplay: The games have moved towards more streamlined and easier gameplay experiences.

A Table of Pokémon Games and HM Presence

To make things clearer, let’s look at a table summarizing which games do and don’t have HMs:

As you can see, most of the older games have HMs, but starting with Pokémon Sun and Moon, the games have been moving toward a new way of traveling! This change allows for a more enjoyable experience, particularly for those players who want to only have their favorite Pokémon on their team without feeling like they need to include a Pokémon that is just used for travel. The shift in travel mechanics has made the newer games more enjoyable for many players as they don’t need to use Pokemon that they don’t want to.

The move away from HMs signifies a commitment to improving the gameplay experience. Players are now free to focus on team composition, strategy, and exploring the world without the restrictions of a mechanic that felt limiting to many. These newer travel mechanics make exploration feel fresh and fun, and make these recent games more accessible.

All Mainline Pokemon Games RANKED from WORST to BEST!

Final Thoughts

Pokémon Sword and Shield, along with Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, removed the need for HMs. These games use key items and Pokémon abilities to navigate the world instead. This shift offers a different approach to progression.

Therefore, which pokemon games have no hms? Sword, Shield, Scarlet, and Violet have completely eliminated the traditional HM system. This allows players to explore freely.