Paradox Pokemon’s bizarre TM move leaves Scarlet & Violet fans baffled

Unpacking Great Tusk’s baffling Psyshock compatibility and strategic implications for competitive Pokemon Scarlet & Violet play

The Great Tusk Psyshock Revelation

Trainers across Paldea are scratching their heads at a peculiar discovery involving one of Generation 9’s most prominent Paradox Pokemon. The ancient Ground/Fighting-type Great Tusk possesses compatibility with a Technical Machine that seems completely antithetical to its design philosophy and statistical profile.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s prehistoric Donphan variant has sparked widespread confusion after players confirmed it can learn the Psychic-type special move Psyshock through TM054, despite its abysmal 53 base Special Attack stat.

Paradox Pokemon introduced in Generation 9 represent fascinating temporal anomalies—creatures that appear as either ancient ancestors or futuristic descendants of familiar species. These Area Zero inhabitants quickly captured trainer imagination with their distinctive designs and narrative significance throughout the Paldea region’s main storyline.

Their immediate popularity sparked discussions about expanding the concept to other legendary groups, similar to how the Legendary Beasts and Swords of Justice received new forms in previous generations. However, recent gameplay discoveries have shifted focus from aesthetic appreciation to mechanical curiosity.

The community’s attention zeroed in on Great Tusk after a trainer’s social media post highlighted the cognitive dissonance between the Pokemon’s physical orientation and its access to a special Psychic attack. The original poster captured the collective bewilderment perfectly: “great tusk facts: great tusk learns psyshock. that’s it that’s the fact why the F**K does it learn psyshock.”

Psyshock operates as a Psychic-type special move with 80 base power that calculates damage based on the user’s Special Attack but targets the opponent’s Defense stat rather than Special Defense. This peculiar targeting mechanic makes it situationally valuable against specially bulky physical walls, but teaching it to a Pokemon with Great Tusk’s miserable Special Attack (53) creates what appears to be a completely impractical combination.

great tusk facts: great tusk learns psyshock. that’s it that’s the fact why the FUCK does it learn psyshock. pic.twitter.com/ZE3nidgEQq

The verification process triggered waves of astonished responses across the player base. Confirmations poured in with exclamations like “WHAT THE F**K IT’S TRUE” and “Ngl you got me. I was like nah that’s impossible. IT F**KING IS.” This wasn’t mere speculation—trainers were testing and confirming the anomaly in their own games.

Analyzing the Strategic Paradox

Several theories emerged attempting to rationalize this statistical contradiction. One hypothesis proposed a simple development oversight: “Maybe it was supposed to be TM053 Smart Strike but they accidentally gave it TM054 Psyshock.” However, this explanation falters since Great Tusk legitimately learns Smart Strike regardless, making a simple TM swap unlikely as the sole cause.

Another compelling theory suggests a different intended move entirely: “I think they maybe wanted to give it Psychic Fangs (A move that it doesn’t learn currently) but they did an oopsie and wrote Psyshock instead and nobody realized until launch.” This explanation carries more weight considering Psychic Fangs would align thematically with Great Tusk’s tusk-based physical attacks while providing useful coverage against Fighting and Poison types.

Beyond development oversight theories, strategic analysis reveals potential niche applications. While Great Tusk’s Special Attack sits at a pitiful 53, several competitive factors could theoretically make Psyshock situationally viable:

• Stat Investment: Investing 252 EVs in Special Attack with a Modest nature and Choice Specs reaches approximately 229 Special Attack—still low but potentially surprising
• Type Advantage Maximization: Against Poison and Fighting types weak to Psychic, even modest Special Attack can secure crucial KOs
• Defense Targeting: Psyshock bypasses specially defensive walls like Blissey or Toxapex that might otherwise counter Great Tusk
• Unexpected Coverage: Opponents expecting physical attacks might leave specially frail Pokemon vulnerable

Historical precedents within the Pokemon franchise normalize these peculiar movepool decisions. Gastly’s ability to learn elemental Punch moves despite lacking physical limbs, Shedinja learning Substitute despite having only 1 HP, and countless other examples establish that Game Freak occasionally prioritizes thematic or conceptual connections over strict statistical logic. Great Tusk’s Psyshock compatibility joins this tradition of charming inconsistencies.

Practical Implications and Competitive Strategy

For trainers considering incorporating this unusual move into their Great Tusk strategy, specific conditions must be met to extract value from the statistical mismatch. Here are practical implementation guidelines:

When Psyshock Might Actually Work:

• Team Support Required: Pair with Pokemon that can lower opponent Special Defense (like Grimmsnarl’s Spirit Break or Incineroar’s Parting Shot)
• Stat Boost Synergy: Combine with moves like Howl or items like Choice Specs to mitigate the low base power
• Specific Matchup Targeting: Reserve for Poison/Fighting types with high Defense but low Special Defense
• Surprise Factor Utilization: Use in best-of-one formats where opponent scouting is impossible

Common Strategic Mistakes to Avoid:

• Overinvestment: Dedicating significant EVs, nature, or item slots to make Psyshock “work” usually compromises Great Tusk’s primary physical role
• Predictability Assumption: Assuming opponents won’t expect the move after it gains notoriety
• Type Coverage Overlap: Psyshock overlaps with Fighting-type coverage against Poison types, making it redundant in many scenarios
• Opportunity Cost Neglect: Forgetting that the TM slot could teach more generally useful moves like Earthquake or Close Combat

Advanced Optimization for Competitive Play:

• Damage Calculation Mastery: Learn exact damage ranges against common meta threats like Toxapex, Amoonguss, and Iron Hands
• Team Composition Integration: Build teams with multiple special attackers to pressure shared checks, making Psyshock more viable
• Terastalization Synergy: Consider Terastallizing into Psychic type to boost Psyshock’s power while changing defensive profile
• Meta Adaptation: Monitor usage statistics—if specially defensive walls become prevalent, Psyshock’s value increases proportionally

Ultimately, Great Tusk’s Psyshock compatibility serves as both a curiosity and a testament to Pokemon’s enduring charm. These statistical anomalies create community bonding moments, strategic experimentation opportunities, and reminders that optimal play sometimes requires thinking beyond conventional wisdom. While you’ll rarely see Psyshock on tournament-winning Great Tusk sets, its mere existence enriches the game’s tactical landscape.

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For trainers fascinated by movepool oddities, several other Pokemon throughout the franchise’s history exhibit similarly perplexing move compatibility. From the infamous “Punching Gastly” scenario to more recent discoveries in Generation 9, these peculiarities form a connective thread between game development history and competitive innovation. Documenting and analyzing them provides insight into design philosophy evolution while occasionally uncovering hidden competitive gems that defy statistical expectations.

No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Paradox Pokemon’s bizarre TM move leaves Scarlet & Violet fans baffled Unpacking Great Tusk's baffling Psyshock compatibility and strategic implications for competitive Pokemon Scarlet & Violet play