Question

Is there a hidden secret behind the move splash?

Comments

Editor edit: Splash is normal type, not water type.

Answer 1

In a way, there actually is a secret behind the move Splash. There are a couple battle strategies that actually utilize this move. For instance, you could give a Gyarados a Focus Sash and send it out against a Pokémon like Ampharos. Then use Splash until it gets attacked and knocked down to 1 HP. Gyarados can then use Flail with 200 Attack power and KO pretty much anything.

Another use for the move Splash is in the Restaurants in Lumiose City. For instance, if you choose to have a Rotation Battle Meal, most of the people who challenge you will want the battle to end in six turns. If you KO two of the opposing Pokémon in the first two turns, Splash is a decent time waster move.

However, strategies like this are rare and something you can't really count on. You could, for example, use moves such as Dragon Dance or Taunt instead of these moves, for example. So yes, the move Splash is practically useless.

Comments

That is a good strategy, but I think Dragon Dance would be a better move to use than Splash.

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True but wilsoona1 has a good point though

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Yes, I agree with Spiritomb (hence the "So yes, the move Splash is practically useless").  Thanks, Carebears123!

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Dragon Dance is a better move for this tactic and this doesn't work a lot of the time unless Gyrados is knocked down to 1HP in one hit as as a Focus Sash won't keep it alive if it hasn't got full HP (i.e. has been damaged already) making splash pointless. A focus band would make more sense and that doesn't work very often.

Answer 2

Magikarp and Splash are gimmicks... there is, however, a story behind them...

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The origin of the Magikarp and Gyrados evolutionary line is that a carp (Magikarp) will become a Dragon if it leaps over the Dragon Gate - believed to be at certain waterfalls/cataracts - which would be seen as magic (Magikarp).

The move splash is how a Magikarp leaps over a Dragon Gate [Platinum: A MAGIKARP living for many years can leap a mountain using Splash. The move remains useless, though]. This explains why it splashes about for apparently no reason, as suggested in Silver [For no reason, it jumps and splashes about, making it easy for predators like PIDGEOTTO to catch it mid-jump] and Pearl [It is unable to swim against even slow-moving currents. It always splashes about for some reason], because it is desperately trying to evolve.

This may seem implausible because how can you use Splash to jump over mountains?

Well, the word Splash wasn't translated correctly from Japanese as it was actually supposed to be called Hop. This is why the only other Gen 1 Pokemon that can learn Splash are HOPpip, and its' evolutions.

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This make make you wonder "why is Gyrados part flying but not part dragon?".

Gyrados was most likely not made a Pokemon with the dragon type as a water-dragon typing in generation 1 would be to over-powered with only one weakness - dragon. In the first generation there was only one dragon move - Dragon Rage - which will always only inflict 40 damage.

Not being part dragon, Gyrados was made part flying as that was the next best thing. This was likely to be because of Koinobori which are carp-shaped wind socks (like kits) that are flown across Japan on Children's Day (5th May), the last day of Golden Week, in honour of sons for a good future and in the hope that they will grow up healthy and strong. This is relates to the fact that Magikarp has grown healthy and strong.

Magikarp is a gimmick Pokemon - being so weak and having a move that does absolutely nohing - that is used to tell a story with a moral about perseverance. If a Magikarp perseveres then it will no longer be an amusing gimmick (a Magikarp) but a powerful Pokemon (Gyrados).

This is amusing at an opponents expense as a Magikarp's spalsh is now a Gyrados's thrash [Gyre - to thrash (Gyrados)].

Comments

this moved me, upvote

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> Gyrados was most likely not made a Pokemon with the dragon type as a water-dragon typing in generation 1 would be to over-powered with only one weakness - dragon.

And ice. You just hurt Lapras' feelings. :<
And Dewgong's... And Cloyster's... And Jynx's... And Articuno's...
But mostly Lapras'...

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Thanks Toxicroak

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This is not true Leafseryyx as the water typing of Gyrados will neutralise any ice attack if it were of the typing Water-Dragon.

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@leafseryyx Water resists Ice.

Answer 3

Update

Z-Splash raises Attack by 3 stages

Splash turned into Max Guard protects the user from any Attack or status move.

Comments

Max guard does the same thing with all status moves. It doesn't really have anything to do with splash.

Answer 4

No.
Splash does nothing, and I'm pretty sure Game Freak implemented it as a joke and for another reason for people (who dont know it evolves into Gyarados) not to use Magikarp and to soon regret it.

It has no effect whatsoever in the core series games.

Bulbapedia----^^^^

Comments

Thx for your help!!!