Not true! A lot of the things that can learn Thunder Punch would make significantly more sense using Thunder Punch than Thunderbolt, like Hitmonchan. Also, this is sorta a negative thing, but I think that it has a chance of things like Poison Point activating? Or is that also based on type?
[quote name="Thatnamelessguy" timestamp="1421610696"]Not true! A lot of the things that can learn Thunder Punch would make significantly more sense using Thunder Punch than Thunderbolt, like Hitmonchan.[/quote]
Well...yeah, but I was just talking in relation to Gardevoir. ^_^;
Fire and Ice Punch can potentially be useful as type coverage in Gen. III because they count as special moves there. Fire Punch is the only damage dealing Fire move that Gardevoir can learn, and Ice Punch is the only Ice move besides Icy Wind, which is even weaker (but does at least stay Special in later generations). In Thunder Punch's case, though, Gardevoir never really need it because they can learn Thunderbolt, which is far more useful and powerful. (Their movepool is broad enough that you usually don't need Fire or Ice moves either, but hey, Ice Punch was still useful to me in Emerald).
As for Poison Point, while I wasn't really considering it, it is true that Thunder Punch is a contact move unlike Thunderbolt (which is unfortunately not a strength with all of the abilities that only activate with contact moves).
There actually is a ridiculous situational use for this that no one would ever actually do! Gardevoir has the ability Synchronize, so if it used Thunder Punch on something that had Poison Point, Static, or Flame Body it might get poisoned, burned, or paralyzed.
[quote name="Thatnamelessguy" timestamp="1425937668"]There actually is a ridiculous situational use for this that no one would ever actually do! Gardevoir has the ability Synchronize, so if it used Thunder Punch on something that had Poison Point, Static, or Flame Body it might get poisoned, burned, or paralyzed.
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Or Gardevoir could just have Trace, which does essentially the same thing as Synchronize in that situation with many more useful effects. Or use any other contact move, nearly all of which will be easier to learn than Thunder Punch. ^_^;
