A Fast & Charge TM Guide for the Casual Pokémon GO Player

I was recently asked by some of my fellow Pokémon GO players what they needed to do with all of the Fast and Charge TM’s that were clogging up their item inventory.

They specifically needed extra room in their item bag for pokéballs, especially with all of the catch events that Niantic has been throwing our way recently. They didn’t want to just throw the TM’s away, but also didn’t know how best to use them.

After all, besides Rare Candies, TM’s are arguably some of the most valuable items in the game if you know how to use them!

Like many casual or new players out there, my friends love participating in gym raids, relish the social aspect, and enjoy catching something new.

However, they don’t really have the time or desire to get into the meta and complication of movesets, PVP vs Raid Damage per second (DPS), IVs, and statistics that some of the more hardcore PGo players love to discuss and research on The Silph Road, Reddit, and various other websites and phone apps.

On the spot, I tried to list aloud the best fighters and matching movesets for the PGO players inquiring. However, I quickly realized that it was too much information to take in all at once and needed to be tailored towards their individual needs and player level.

Keeping this in mind, I elected to create a written list of tips, not only for my friends, but for anyone who might need some guidance on how to use those precious Fast and Charge TM’s. After all, throwing away good items that you’ve earned is simply unacceptable. 

Fast & Charge TM “How To” Steps
1) First, take a look at the chart below under your corresponding player level and see if you already own any of the Fighters on the list and/or have the resources to evolve any from their lower level counterparts. (The Pokémon are listed easiest to hardest to get for my area, but should work for most locations. The Raid bosses listed are the best fighters).

2) If you don’t have any of the fighters on the list above, don’t have the needed resources to evolve their lower counterparts, and/or are early on in your Trainer career, then choose the Pokémon that you use most in battle.

If you don’t know which Pokémon you use the most in battle, take note of which ones the game puts in for you the next time you fight in a Gym Raid. These will vary based upon the type and moveset of the raid boss you’re fighting, but you will see some that continually pop up for you in many of the Raids you participate in. Start with these.

OR
2) If you have multiples of the Pokémon listed in # 1, choose the one(s) that have IV’s over 80% and are at a medium to high level. (Stardust of preferably 2500 or above for beginners, 4000 or above for mid to advanced players).

You will know which Pokémon have IV’s over 80% based on the appraisal of your Trainer and the phrase used to describe your Pokémon:
Valor – Red – “Overall, your (Pokémon) simply amazes me!”
Mystic – Blue – “Overall, your (Pokémon) is a wonder!”
Instinct – Yellow – “Overall, your (Pokémon) looks like it can battle with the best of them!”

If you don’t have Pokémon with 80% or above IV’s, go with the ones that have the highest CP. But, only do this if you have no other option.

3) Here’s a list of the strongest movesets that you will want for the Pokémon mentioned above.

4) Fully research the Pokémon that you want to change before you start the task. You might even want to write down the CP to be sure you are changing the moves on the correct monster.

5) With recent updates Niantic has made it much easier to use TM’s on the correct Pokémon. Instead of having to go through the item list, select the TM, then search for your Pokémon, now all you need to do is select the Pokémon you want to upgrade from your Pokémon storage.

6) After selecting the Pokémon you want to TM, choose your options menu at the bottom right of your screen, select “items”, then choose “Fast” or “Charged” TM based on which move you want to change.

7) You will get a warning message asking you if you are sure you want a new “Fast” or “Charged” attack for that Pokémon. Select “Yes” to proceed.

8) The game will then calculate for a moment and confirm which new moveset your fighter has been given. (The game chooses which move it will give you randomly, out of the possible remaining available moves).

That’s it!

Now, let’s look at things to avoid during this process.

THINGS TO AVOID!
1) Do not use TM’s on Pokémon that are not in their final evolution since the Fast Move and Charge Move will change once you evolve them. (The only exception to this would be a Legacy move Pokémon you don’t plan on evolving or a Chansey if you like to use him as a gym defender and already have several Blisseys).

2) After you use a TM, be sure to back all the way out of the menu so that you don’t accidentally change the moveset a second time.

3) Fast TM’s are easier to use and get the desired change most often since Pokémon typically only have 2, occasionally 3 fast moves. (100% of the time you will get the stronger moveset using only 1 Fast TM if there are only 2 possible moves). Also, it’s a good idea to practice changing Fast TM’s before getting into the tougher Charge TM changes.

4) Changing Charge TM’s can be more difficult because there are sometimes up to 4 or 5 potential Charge move possibilities. It may take multiple Charge TM’s to get the desired Charge move result.

In a worst case scenario, it’s possible to use multiple Charge TM’s and still not get the “best” moveset since the new Charge move is chosen at random. To my utter amazement, I have seen it toggle back and forth between 2 you don’t want many times.

To avoid frustration, my advice is never use more than 2 to 3 on any one Pokémon. Just try not to end on the worst Charge attack if you can help it.

5) If you’re concerned about using too many Charge TM’s, my friend JVPBlackhawks20 put together a list of the poorest performing charge moves on these and several other relevant fighters. So, if you only want to use 1 Charge TM per Pokémon to stretch your TM resources, you’re guaranteed to improve your Pokémon’s Charge move if your monster currently possesses any of the following:

Disclaimer: If you’re the type of player that is concerned about keeping Pokémon with Legacy moves, DPS vs total damage dealt, weather status effects, number of Charge attacks prior to feinting, better attack moves for PVP or Raids, or Charge attacks that can’t be dodged, then you more than likely don’t need this guide and can go your own way.

For all of you who are casual PGo players, I hope this information helps!

If you have any questions about TM’s, feel free to post them in the comments below and I’ll try and answer them.

(Sources: Poké Assistant, Rankedboost.com, Niantic)

Article Researcher: JVPBlackhawks20
Article Editor: Stephanie Sanderson