In Pokemon GO a move becomes a legacy move when it is removed from a Pokemon’s moveset or was only available during an event. Any Pokemon that already has one of these moves in its moveset gets to keep that move even after the move is no longer available, but the species isn’t able to learn the move under normal circumstances. Many of these moves are the preferential attack of a certain Pokemon, so they can sometimes be highly-desired on top of being unavailable.

With fast moves, it is all about damage-per-second (DPS) and energy generated per attack (EPS). Charge moves also have a DPS, but a player must also consider how fast they take to recharge (or recover). A move with a higher DPS may not do as much damage as a seemingly weaker move, but when factoring in the charge time the “weaker” move may actually do more damage during a battle when paired with a high EPS fast move.

It’s worth noting that the developers have now added Elite TMs. These special items allow you to choose a move for your Pokemon, and it includes legacy moves. So, legacy moves are no longer unobtainable. But, these special Elite TMs are very rare, so don’t count on getting a lot of them. 

15 Thunder Shock — Zapdos

Zapdos may have lost its status as the Electric-type master in GO to Raikou, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still a fantastic Pokemon to use. Unfortunately, it no longer has direct access to its best move, Thunder Shock.

This fast move is terrific, providing a bit more DPS than the other Electric-type fast move available to Zapdos, Charge Beam. If you can get Zapdos to learn Thunder Shock (it comes back in events sometimes), pair it with Thunderbolt for best results.

14 *Psystrike — Mewtwo

The signature move of Mewtwo in the main series, Psystrike is not learned by any other Pokemon. Unfortunately, it’s not always learnable by Mewtwo in GO, either, as it’s a legacy move that comes back in events but isn’t around permanently. This is really unfortunate, as it’s easily Mewtwo’s best move.

A two-bar charge move, Psystrike is incredibly powerful, putting Mewtwo at the top of all Psychic-type attackers.

13 Hydro Cannon — Swampert

Swampert is a total beast in the world of Pokemon GO, both against raid bosses and in the PvP meta. Unfortunately, its very best move, Hydro Cannon, is a legacy move that was locked behind Community Day exclusivity.

With this move, though, Swampert dominates the meta in all three leagues of the GO Battle League and holds its own alongside Kyogre and Palkia against raids.

12 Rock Wrecker — Rhyperior

Rhyperior looks like it could be a very defensive Pokemon or pack a wallop offensively. With Rock Wrecker, both can be true. This move allows Rhyperior to sit in the high-tier of Rock-type attackers both offensively and when defending in gyms.

The move became available during Rhyhorn Community Day, and became legacy after that. Pair it with Mud Slap or Smack Down for best results

11 Outrage — Salamence

For a maximum damage output from this fantastic pseudo-Legendary Pokemon, pair Dragon-type moves Dragon Tail and Outrage together. With this pairing, Salamence becomes an incredible Dragon-type attacker.

Unfortunately, Outrage was its Community Day move, so it’s no longer available through normal means. If you spend the stardust and candy to put both Draco Meteor and Outrage on a Salamence, it becomes one of the best Pokemon in the game.

10 Shadow Ball – Mewtwo

That’s right, Mewtwo is here twice. This Legendary is in the top tier of Pokemon in GO, and this is made more so if it has the legacy charge move Shadow Ball. To begin with, it is a little odd seeing Mewtwo with Ghost-type move – although it can learn Shadow Ball via TM in the regular Pokemon series.

Shadow Ball has an attack power of 100, which is also the power rating of Psychic. The difference is that Shadow Ball’s recovery time is almost half that of Psychic’s. The other popular charge move for Mewtwo is Focus Blast; which is more powerful but has a much lower EPS.

9 Draco Meteor – Dragonite

Dragonite isn’t as strong as a lot of Pokemon in GO, but it’s one of those Pokemon that everyone vividly remembers when and where they caught their first. A Dragonite that has legacy moves (and Dragonite has a lot) can be downright scary in battle. One of the best of these is the charge move Draco Meteor.

This move is just as powerful as Hyper Beam, but a fraciton of a second faster on recovery time. The best fast move/charge move pairing Dragonite has yet to have is arguably Dragon Tail and Draco Meteor.

8 Lick – Gengar

Gengar is a popular Pokemon in GO. It doesn’t have the best stats, but its DPS potential puts it on a level with Pokemon like Dragonite and Moltres. When it comes to DPS, there are few fast moves better than Lick. One major benefit to Lick is its EPS, which is as high as Gengar’s other fast moves but with a much lower recovery time.

The combination of Lick and Shadow Ball is one of Gengar’s best move pairings – being able to deliver 25.87 DPS. A lot of players lamented Shadow Claw becoming a legacy move for Gengar, but Lick is actually better in EPS and recovery time.

7 Rock Throw and Rock Slide – Omastar

Omastar is a middle-tier Pokemon that can perform decently in battle if trained properly. Its available fast attacks are a little below average in terms of DPS (13.3). This is why Rock Throw is so sorely missed — it was easily Omastar’s best fast attack. That and it was Omastar’s only Rock-type fast attack.

Rock Slide, on the other hand, was Omastar’s second-best charge move after Hydro Pump, and not as missed as Rock Throw because Omastar has two other charge moves to choose from. It has a power rating of 80 and takes 2.7 seconds to recharge. These two moves together are the third strongest pairing available to Omastar.

Interestingly, if one has an Omastar with Rock Throw and Rock Slide, it’s one of the only usable Pokemon with a Rock-type move in both slots, which isn’t to be ignored.

6 Frenzy Plant – Venusaur

Venusaur has been a favorite of many players since Generation I. One reason for this is nostalgia; another reason is that Venusaur is a great all-around Pokemon stat-wise. So there are a lot of trainers unhappy with the fact their Venusaur will not learn Frenzy Plant without the use of an Elite TM, or during the short event windows that it becomes available from time to time.

Frenzy Plant is by far its best charge move; although Solar Beam comes close in damage potential. This charge move has a power of 100 and a recovery time of 2.6 seconds. The highest damage output for Venusaur is the pairing of Vine Whip and Frenzy Plant. Razor Leaf combined with Frenzy Plant is the third-best pairing.

Now that Venusaur can Mega Evolve, it has much more prominence among Grass-type attackers. So, consider using those Elite TMs to give it Frenzy Plant, which is an amazing move.

5 Sky Attack – Moltres

With its high attack rating, Moltres is another favorite among trainers in Pokemon GO. The only major problem with this fiery flyer is the lack of Flying-type moves after Sky Attack became a legacy move — now all of its available charge moves are Fire-type.

Sky Attack allowed Moltres to have a little more flexibility in battle and is also one of the more powerful charge moves. This move has a power rating of 80, and a recharge time of two seconds; making it able to deliver a whopping 40 DPS.

4 Acid – Weezing

Weezing is another Pokemon that is used almost entirely due to nostalgia. It’s not bad in battle, but there are plenty of better alternatives to fill the few spots available on a player’s team. Acid was Weezing’s best fast attack; it allowed it to have a chance (no matter how slim) of beating a stronger Pokemon.

Acid was also the only Poison-type fast move available to Weezing — a Poison-type Pokemon. Acid delivers 11.25 DPS, has a recharge time of a fraction of a second, and has an EPS of 10. Weezing’s best two fast move/charge move parings both included Acid as the fast attack.

3 Smack Down – Tyranitar

Tyrantar is an incredible Pokemon, due almost entirely to its extremely high attack, defense, and hit points. Even without Smack Down this Pokemon can stand against nearly any opponent. However, Smack Down is Tyranitar’s best fast attack.

Its DPS (13.3) is a little worse than Iron Tail (13.6), but it has a faster recovery time and a higher EPS. Tyranitar’s best pairing of fast and charge moves is Smack Down and Stone Edge. Smack Down was also quite effective when paired with Fire Blast. With Smack Down, Tyranitar is a second or third-tier Pokemon, without it Tyranitar is about a fourth-tier Pokemon.

2 Blast Burn – Charizard

Charizard has been, and always will be, a favorite among trainers. That’s why it was so sad to see its best charge move taken from it and given legacy status. Blast Burn is a great charge move; with a power rating of 110, a recharge time of 3.3 seconds, and a DPS of 33.3.

Fire Blast and Overheat do more damage but also take forever to recharge – especially Overheat (4 seconds). In Pokemon GO, every fraction of a second counts. The best two, and three of the top five, fast move/charge move pairings include Blast Burn. This is another legacy move that is worth using your Elite TMs for, without a doubt.

1 Meteor Mash – Metagross

Metagross is a somewhat underused Pokemon; which is surprising considering how strong it is. Its maximum possible CP total is significantly higher than more popular Pokemon like Machamp, Gyarados, and Lucario. Its maximum hit point total could be higher, but the DPS Meatgross is capable of is respectable. Unfortunately, its best charge move, Meteor Mash, is a legacy move.

Meteor Mash has a power rating of 100, a recharge rate of 2.6 seconds, and a DPS potential of 38.7. It has the fastest recovery time of Metagross’ charge attacks, and only Earthquake does more damage but also takes significantly longer to recharge.

NEXT: 10 Status Moves In Pokémon Actually Worth Using