Pokemon You Should Use Elite TMs on

Elite TMs are rare items in Pokemon GO which allow you to get moves that are otherwise unavailable. The only way to get them is by reaching level 20 in the GBL, or in timed research. Most of the time, you see them in the 12000 coins box in the shop on a Community Day. Getting a good number of TMs isn’t particularly easy, and require a lot of your time.

Because of this, actually using an Elite TM is actually a pretty difficult choice. So here are some major options for when it comes to using Elite TMs.

Mewtwo

The number 1 Elite TM user is Mewtwo, who has not one but two inaccessible event moves. The move Shadow Ball has been around for ages, and was the move given to Mewtwo in the first EX raids. The other, Psystrike, is a tad more recent, but again, it was only available at specific times. Because of Mewtwo’s huge attacking power, having either move allows you to do tons of damage. Both Shadow Ball and Psystrike are amazing.

However, is it worth getting both moves on a Mewtwo? Back in the earlier years of Pokemon GO, we had very limited options, and Mewtwo was good for most things. These days though, we have a lot more choice in what we can use. Sure, Shadow Ball is great on Mewtwo, but we have ghost types that use the move more efficiently. That being said, Psystrike is still worth Elite TMing for, especially if you have a shiny Mewtwo with great stats but bad moves.

Terrakion

A while back, Terrakion got Double Kick as one of its fast moves, which basically flipped Terrakion around. With the combination of Sacred Sword and Double Kick, Terrakion changed from a b-tier rock attacker, to being one of the best fighters in Pokemon GO. At least, it is, compared to normal Pokemon. Things like Shadow Machamp, with their flat 20% damage increase, and Mega Pokemon are still better.

Gengar

I’m including Gengar here on this list. It may not be as powerful as other options but it has a myriad of legacy moves. Shadow Ball is the default move most people use, but over the years, Gengar has obtained FIVE legacy moves. FIVE. And all of them are good at different things. Hex and Lick are about the same, but Shadow Claw is good for PvP, as is Shadow Punch. Then there’s Psychic, which for some reason Gengar learns, alongside Sucker Punch and Focus Blast. It’s a nightmare keeping track of so many Gengars.

Gengar is also a great Mega Pokemon, and has been a staple of psychic raids since it first appeared. So having various Gengars with different moves is very helpful.

Mew

Honestly, Mew is only here if you want a Mew for PvP stuff. Mew is actually a pretty good pick for Great League, with a lot of variation on how to use it. The problem is however that Mew knows a LOT of moves. Its main gimmick is being able to learn the majority of common charge attacks AND fast attacks. Now, you could use a normal TM on Mew, but depending on your luck, you could just be throwing tens of TMs in the bin, trying to get the move you want.

Thankfully, both Elite Fast and Charge TMs can help you out and allow you to pick the moves you want Mew to have.

Rayquaza, Kyogre and Groudon when their special moves come out

When we first got Elite TMs, I was asked about what I’d use mine on. I wasn’t sure at the time, but the one thing I did want wasn’t in the game yet. Groudon’s signature move, Precipice Blades, still hasn’t been added to Pokemon GO. But I have a 100%, level 40 Groudon, waiting to be used, begging for an Elite TM for when the move comes out. And with various hints over the years, it does seem like the signature moves for these guys is coming sooner rather than later. Of course I want Origin Pulse and Precipice Blades. So I am holding an Elite TM for these guys.

Although I say that, this could happen to any Legendary Pokemon. For Halloween 2022, Giratina (in both forms) learned the move Shadow Force. However, I already had a ton of Giratinas, some of which were very rare (a hundo and a shiny 98%er). Giving Shadow Force to all my existing Giratinas simply wasn’t the option.

Thankfully, Shadow Force turned out to be only marginally better than Shadow Ball, so TMing my Giratinas wasn’t really required. But this can and will happen with other Legendaries as they are slowly released with signature moves.

Sometimes it’s best to just hang on to these Elite TMs for a while, and come back to them later. But hopefully this article will help a bit in what’s worth doing.