You’ve finally caught it. A 100% IV Machamp. You’re ready to smash through Blissey towers and solo raids, but then you look at the moveset. Bullet Punch and Heavy Slam. Honestly, it’s heartbreaking. In the early days of the game, you were basically stuck with whatever RNG handed you, but Pokemon GO Technical Machines changed that forever. TMs are the difference between a trophy sitting in your storage and a meta-relevant powerhouse that actually wins games.
But here’s the thing. Most players treat TMs like candy. They burn through twenty Fast TMs trying to get Lock-On on a Registeel, only to realize they’re out of resources right before a major competitive event. It’s a resource management game as much as it is a combat game.
The Frustrating Reality of Move Pools
Moves matter. A lot. You can have a Level 50 Shadow Mewtwo, but if it's running Confusion instead of Psycho Cut in a situation where you need energy generation, you’re losing out on massive damage. Pokemon GO Technical Machines come in several flavors, and knowing which one to drop on which monster is a legitimate skill.
Standard TMs—both Fast and Charged—are essentially a roll of the dice. When you use one, the game pulls from the current available move pool for that specific Pokemon. If a Pokemon has four possible Charged moves, using a TM will give you one of the three you don't currently have. It’s random. It’s annoying. I’ve seen people go back and forth between two subpar moves five times in a row while the move they actually want remains elusive.
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Elite TMs are the gold standard. These aren't random. You get a menu. You pick the move. They are rare, usually locked behind high-level PvP rewards or expensive Community Day boxes. They are the only way to get "Legacy" moves or special event moves like Meteor Mash on Metagross without waiting for a specific evolution window.
Why You Can't Find Certain Moves
People get confused about this constantly. You’re tapping away at your screen, burning through your stack of Pokemon GO Technical Machines, and the move you saw on a GamePress tier list just won't appear.
There are three reasons for this. First, it might be a Legacy move. These are moves that were once in the standard pool but were removed by Niantic. Second, it might be an Elite TM exclusive move, often tied to a previous Community Day. Third, you might be looking at a "Signature Move" that is currently only available through special raids or events.
Take Kyogre, for example. You want Origin Pulse. You can use 100 regular Charged TMs and you will never, ever get it. You need an Elite Charged TM for that. Or you have to catch a new one during a Primal Raid event where the move is guaranteed. Knowing the difference saves you a lot of headache and a lot of wasted items.
Strategy for the Standard TM Grind
Don't just spam. If you're low on TMs, wait for a Move Rebalance. Niantic loves to tweak things every few months. A move that is "trash" today might become the new meta-defining fast attack tomorrow.
If you're trying to kitting out a Pokemon for the Great League, check the move pool size first. Pokemon like Mew are a nightmare. Mew has dozens of possible Charged moves. Trying to get Wild Charge or Surf on a Mew using standard Pokemon GO Technical Machines is basically a form of digital gambling. Unless you have a stack of 200+ TMs, don't even start that process.
- Check the current move pool on a site like PvPoke or Pokemon GO Hub.
- Verify if the move is "Legacy" (requires an Elite TM).
- Check if your Pokemon has a second Charged Move unlocked.
Adding a second move actually makes TMs more efficient. Why? Because the game can't roll a move you already have equipped. By unlocking that second slot, you remove one "bad" option from the RNG pool, slightly increasing your odds of hitting the move you actually want with your next TM.
The Elite TM Tier List: Don't Waste Them
Since Elite TMs are so hard to come by, using them on a whim is a massive mistake. You don't use an Elite TM on a Vaporeon. You just don't. You save them for the "Master League" titans and the top-tier Raid attackers that absolutely require a specific move to function.
Metagross is the poster child for this. Without Meteor Mash, Metagross is okay. With Meteor Mash, it’s a god. If you have a high-IV Metagross and it doesn't have that move, that is a premier candidate for an Elite Charged TM.
Swampert with Hydro Cannon is another one. The energy-to-damage ratio on Hydro Cannon is disgusting. It’s what makes Swampert a menace in almost every league. If you missed the Mudkip Community Day or the various "Recap" events, the Elite TM is your only path to relevance.
Then there's the PvP side. Fire Punch on Groudon. Psystrike on Mewtwo. These moves transform these Pokemon from "strong" to "oppressive."
Getting More TMs Without Spending Money
If you're dry, stop looking at the shop. The best way to farm Pokemon GO Technical Machines is through the GO Battle League (GBL). Even if you hate PvP, just tanking your rating and winning two out of five matches consistently will net you a steady stream of TMs.
Raids are the other primary source. Tier 5 (Legendary) and Mega Raids have a much higher drop rate for TMs than lower-tier raids. If you're burning your daily free pass on a Tier 1 Shinx, you're missing out on the resource grind.
Route rewards and certain Special Research tasks also hand them out, but GBL remains the most reliable "infinite" farm. If you play your sets every day, you’ll eventually reach a point where you’re deleting standard TMs to make bag space. It sounds fake if you're struggling for them now, but it happens.
The Frustration of "Frustration"
We have to talk about Shadow Pokemon. This is the biggest "gotcha" in the game. Shadow Pokemon have a 20% attack boost, making them the best attackers in the game, hands down. But they come with the move Frustration.
You cannot use standard Pokemon GO Technical Machines to get rid of Frustration whenever you want. You have to wait for a "Team GO Rocket Takeover" event. These happen roughly once a season. During these few days, you can use a TM to wipe Frustration away.
Pro tip: Even if you don't have the candy to evolve or power up a Shadow Pokemon right now, use a TM on it during the event. You’re "unlocking" that Pokemon for future use. If you miss the window, you’re stuck with a useless move for another three months.
Nuance in Move Selection
Sometimes the "best" move isn't the one you want. In PvP, coverage is king. Everyone expects a Garchomp to run Outrage or Earth Power. If you use your Pokemon GO Technical Machines to give it Sand Tomb or Fire Blast, you can bait shields or catch a Steel-type off guard.
Expert players often look at "Turns" and "Energy Delta." A move like Dragon Breath deals high damage every turn, while Volt Switch takes longer but generates energy in huge chunks. TMs allow you to pivot your entire playstyle. If you find your team is consistently losing to Charizard, you might TM your Lead Pokemon to a Rock-type coverage move just to handle that specific threat.
Actionable Steps for Move Management
Start by auditing your top 12 attackers for both Raids and PvP. Identify which ones are running "sub-optimal" moves by cross-referencing their sets with the current season's rankings on PvPoke.
Before you use a single TM, check if a Team GO Rocket Takeover is coming up. If it is, save every single TM you have. Clearing Frustration from a Shadow Mamoswine or Shadow Tyranitar is a much higher priority than tweaking a standard Pokemon's moveset.
If you have an Elite TM, sit on it. Do not use it unless you are literally about to enter a tournament or a high-stakes raid weekend. The meta shifts. What's essential in January might be countered into oblivion by March. Only use an Elite TM when the move is "required" for the Pokemon to be viable in its specific niche.
Lastly, play your GBL sets. Even if you lose, the rewards—including the occasional TM and the end-of-season Elite TM for reaching Rank 19—are too valuable to ignore. Building a stockpile of 50+ of each TM type will remove the stress of RNG and let you experiment with different team compositions freely.