Do rivals use TM/TRs?

Question

Basically, do your rivals in every Pokémon game just have the last four moves their Pokémon learn, or are they programmed to have better moves by use of TM/TR? Especially in any post-game battles.

Comments

The rivals in gen 4 definitely use a few TM moves, and I think all newer rivals do as well. RSE Wally uses TMs, but he might not count as a rival.

Answer 1

These are just examples, they may use more I did not list:

Blue's Venusaur uses SolarBeam (TM22) in R/G/B.

Trace's Gloom uses Toxic (TM27) in LGP/E.

Silver's Gastly uses Curse (TM03) in HG/SS.

Brendan's/May's Combusken uses Bulk UP (TM08) in E.

Wally's Roselia uses Toxic (TM06) in R/S/E.

Barry's Staravia uses Double Team (TM32) in Pt.

Cheren's Unfezant uses Taunt (TM12) in B/W.

Bianca's Herdier uses Work UP (TM83) in B/W.

Hugh's Tranquill uses Taunt (TM12) in B2/W2.

Calem's/Serena's Absol uses Taunt (TM12) in X/Y.

Shauna's Delcatty uses Return (TM27) in X/Y.

Tierno's Crawdaunt uses Swords Dance (TM75) in X/Y.

Trevor's Florges uses Confide (TM100) in X/Y.

Hau's Alolan Raichu uses Psychic (TM29) in S/M.

Gladion's Type: Null uses X-Scissor (TM81) in S/M.

Hop's Grookey uses Taunt (TR37) in Sw/Sh.

Bede's Hatenna uses Round (TM76) in Sw/Sh.

Marnie's Liepard uses Nasty Plot (TR68) in Sw/Sh.

Klara's Koffing uses Assurance (TM58) in Sw/Sh.

Avery's Kadabra uses Swift (TM40) in Sw/Sh.

Hope I helped!

Comments

x i'm gonna fight you

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i hope you know the only reason I answered this was because you said you'd be offline LMAO i KNEW you'd snipe me XD

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Well congrats, you sniped me, lol

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Bianca's Emboar also uses Wild charge.

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Venusaur learns solar beam by level up in RGB.
TM03 is water pulse in HGSS. Curse isn't a TM in that game.
Combusken learns bulk up by level up in E.
Staravia learns double team by level up in Pt.
Tranquil and Unfezant learn taunt by level up in BWB2W2.
Herdier learns work up by level up in BW.

Answer 2

I looked up Platinum Rival battles, thanks to sumwun's comment about noticing it. According to Here, Barry's Infernape can use Aerial Ace, while according to here cannot be learnt via level up.

So, it seems they're programmed to be most useful or beneficial as a rival battle, and more challenging than if they were using just basic level up moves.

I hope this helps!!

Comments

Dang, sniped by a minute.

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Thanks both of you but I'm gonna BA X because he had examples from all the gens