In Pokemon Sword & Shield, many of the game's most powerful moves are learned not through TMs, as has been series custom for decades, but through TRs. The difference between these two terms is understandably nebulous without context, made all the more so when TRs were effectively created to do what TMs used to do.
It's a lot to get to grips with, especially if you're going to Galar for the first time after playing more recent eighth-generation fare like Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. And, as it happens, the confusion directly affects on of the franchise's most debilitating attacks: Toxic. With that wrinkle in mind, join us as we delve into where you can find the Toxic TM in Pokemon Sword & Shield, what makes it so great in the first place, and why nine other TMs are worthy of equal consideration despite the game's overarching affection for TRs.
Updated on July 11 by Quinton O'Connor: Now that the generation of Pokemon games that began with Sword & Shield is coming to an end, more fans are returning to Galar or even checking it out for the first time. Sword & Shield's TM/TR division is a uniquely Galarian trait, meaning it's already been "replaced" back to conventional mechanics with BDSP and Legends: Arceus. Toss in the difficulty in acquiring the Toxic TM, and we saw plenty of opportunity to revisit this article with some fresh information.
10 Where to Find Toxic in🃏 Sword & Shield 💜
Let's begin with the Copperajah in the room, if you will. What makes TRs different from TMs, and why does that question matter within the context of this article?
Technical Machines versus Technical Records
TMs, which stand for Technical Machines, have been around since the original games, Red & Blue. They teach Pokemo𝓰n specific moves. For many generations, using a TM on an applicable Pokemon would break the item, meaning players would need to acquire multiple TMs of the same type if they wished to repeat the procedure. In the Gen 5 games, Black & White, TMs became infinitely reusable. This held true through Sword & Shield, until Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl turned them back into one-time usage.
But is it Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl that truly reversed the trend? TRs, which stand for Technical Records, were introduced in Sword & Shield before vanishing just as quickly as they had arrived. Most of the series' best moves were swapped from TMs to TRs, and TRs break after one use. Technical Records are, t𓆏hus, a sh💃ort-lived new term for old-school TMs.
Perhaps we will see the return of Technical Records in future Pokemon games like Scarlet & Violet. Should such a thing come to pass, we will endeavor 🌳to update this piece to reflect their resurgence. For now, however, it appears that Game Freak has settled on revertingꦆ the more well-known term, "TMs," back to their classical style.
Finding Toxic in Sword & Shield
The problem with Sword & Shield's TMs, then, is that many of the moves that weren't transformed into TRs were looked upon rather poorly; surely, if it wasn't "good enough" to lose its infinitely reusable edge, it must never have been very good in the first place, right? Not quite. There are plenty of good moves in the game that remain in your inventory for the long run, and Toxic is a shining example.
It can be easy to dismiss Toxic's power unless you know the startling details. Yes, Toxic does not inflict any damage outright. And yes, it "merely" inflicts Poison status. But as the games note via flavor text, the victim is "badly poisoned." A Pokemon that is suffering from the effects of Toxic suffers double HP loss per turn, meaning if let untreated, it will quickly seal a foe's fate.
Now, here's the clincher. The TM Toxic cannot be found in Sword & Shield. It's back for the Sinnoh remakes, Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, and you can snag it in the swamps outside Pastoria City. But for the Galar games, you're restricted to Pokemon who learn Toxic naturally, through evolution.
Thankfully, that leaves a generous number of favorites for you to catch and raise. Mainstays like Gengar, Crobat, Roserade, Accelgor, and Salazzle all learn it, and technically, so does Eternatus. (We'd sooner recommend just thwacking everything to shreds with the big guy in the main game, and in most instances Eternatus is banned from online play, anyway. But still!)
9 Rock Slide (TM 💝22)
Rock Slide isn't thoroughly accurate, but it's close enough not to matter much. It deals plenty of Rock damage (naturally) and roughly three out of every time it's used, it causes the target to flinch, losing their turn. A skipped turn can be huge in Pokemon, so it's an exceptionally pleasant surprise when that pans out.
Rock Slid▨e can be found near the small beach to the left of Route 9.
8 Helping Hꦬand (T💜M 41)
Helping Hand is another must-have. This highly effe🧔ctive Normal-type status move has priority and boosts the power of the attack that the user’s ally is about to unleash, opening the way for some major damage o💜utput.
Competitive doubles players won’t want to miss this one. It can even come in handy sometimes during Max Raid battles, though the bulk of its utility is undeni💜ably tied to online clashes. Helping Hand earns its name in spades, as a doubled attack in the right context can ruthlessly destroy even the strongest Pokemon around.
You can purchase Help꧂ing Hand from the Pok𒅌emon Center westward of Motostoke.
7 🌳 Snarl (TM 85) ⛄
On the surface, Snarl is a very weak attack. With a base power of just 55 and 95 percent accuracy, there are far stronger Dark-type special attacking alternatives. Unlike Dark Pulse and such, though, this move i🌞sn’t just about damage output.
The beauty of Snarl is its secondary effect, which reduces the opponent’s Special Attack by one stage. It’s also a spread move, so it can be very important in helping your Pokemon tank attacks. Luckily, you can’t miss the Snarl TM as you progress through the story: it’s automatically given to the player after Piers and his ༺Dark-type gym in Spikemuth is defeate𒊎d.
6 🥂 Speed Swap (TM🐷 62)
Experienced Pokemon players know that the concept of speed control is everything. Moves like Trick Room, Tailwind, Thunder Wave, Icy Win🐎d and the like either make your Pokemon faster or your opponents’ Pokemon slower, which is often the key to victory.
All of those moves share some key commonalities, but one particularly tricky option is Speed Swap. As the name implies, this move switches the user’s speed stat --raw speed, changes not factored in—with the target’s. It works on both allies and opponents, opening up all kinds of unexpected strategies fo🔯r advanced players to experiment with.
If that sounds like a good time, you can buy this TM 𒅌in Wyndon, at the Pokemon Center outside the stadium.
5 𝄹 Weather Ball (TM 46) ಌ
Weather effects will always be an influential part of Pokemon strategy. In the rain, for instance, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Water-typ♚e moves have frightening powerღ, while the same’s true of Fire attacks in the sun. Throw in Abilities like Swift Swim and Chlorophyll, which double a Pokemon's speed in the appropriate weather, and you can see why these effects are so potent.
These sorts of strategies can also prove to be quite predictable, however, but this isn’t really the case with Weather Ball. By default, this is a Normal special attack with just 50 base power, but weather effects double its potency and change it to the corresponding type. Another surprising and potentially very effective move that’s worth experimenting with. Now a TM, it’s available to buy in Hammerlocke’s eastern Pokémon Center.
4 🦹 Air Slash (TM 95)
Like Rock Slide, Air Slash has become notorious for the flinch shenanigans that are usually associated with it. It’s most often seen sported by Togekiss, whose Serene Grace Ability doubles the move’s chance to flinch. 60 percent flinch rates are a sad, sad time all around. Unless you're the one responsible for them, of course.
With 75 base power, it’s also just a solid Flying special STAB option for critters that don’t learn 𒉰Hurricane (or don’t want to mess with its awful accuracy). Either way, it’s a great ܫaddition to your collection.
To find Air Slash, he🐎ad to the Wild Area and search the Axew’s Eye 🔯region. It’s just behind the tree on the small island, in plain sight in front of the water.
3 Icy Wind 𝓡(TM 27)
Icy Wind is another spread move that drops the opponent’s stats (Speed this time). A single-tier debuff may not seem that significant, but the s𒈔heer potency of Max Airstream’s +1 Speed shows how influential these minor increases and reductions can be in a match.
This move, like Snarl, has 55 base power and 95 percent accuracy. It can also deal surprising damage, coming from a﷽n offensive typing like Ice. Overall, it’s got great utility, which is why it’s highly recommended that the player grabs it from Circhester. Interestingly, it’s available in different circumstances between the two versions of the game: In Pokemon Shield, it’s given automatically on Melony's defeat, while Sword players simply need to speak to the man in the house closest to the Circhester Pokémon Center.
2 False Swipe (TM 94)🧔
While False Swipe is totally counterproductive in a battle, it’s another Normal-type move that players won’t want to miss out on. It’s a 40 base power move that will always leave the opponent with at least 1 HP. When it comes to catching P💖okemon, this really can be a lifesaver.
At all stages of the game, especially when your party is higher level than the wild Pokemon, False Swipe can come in very handy. Luckily, it’s easy to acquire: like Helping Hand, it’s also available in the Motostoke Pokemon Center to the west. That's 10,000 well spent.
1 ༺ U-Turn (TM 56)
This popular TM has been a friend of many Choice Scarf (/Choice Band) Pokemon since its introduction. It’s rarely used as a STAB attack (though Scizor’s fond of that strategy), but 70 base power isn’t too bad. Still, it’s really about the utility, as this Bug moves sees the Pokemon instantly being switched back out after the attack lands. It’s very useful for pivoting aroundﷺ.
This TM is found in Glimwood Tangle, the dark and baffling forest the player must traverse to reach Ballonlea. It’s in the vicinity of Madame Judy, right befo🌌re a very conspicuous g🦋reen mushroom. Don’t worry, it will be worth the search!