In thePokemonworld, Flying-types are often under-appreciated. When it comes to the question of favorites, they tend to be overshadowed in favor of more popular, traditional elemental types, like Water andthe suprisingly memeworthy Fire.
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Flying struggles in that sense, because it doesn’t really offer anything to the defensive synergy of a team. Flying-type tanks and walls succeed despite being Flying, not as a result of it (though they can switch in and laugh off Earthquakes). On the other hand, the Flying-type does offer some nice offensive utility. As a result, the best Flying moves inPokemonare mostly straightforward powerful attacks, with some handy status options to pick from too. Let’s take a look!
Updated December 15th, 2022 by Suzail Ahmad:The world of Pokemon is ever-expanding. In the last few years, Game Freak has consistently released new titles which have provided players with joy. Over time, the passion for the games has increased, and it has led to many players becoming more focused on online Pokemon competitions. Due to this reason, these players always look for strong Pokemon and moves that are most suitable for online battles. The Flying-type is one of the most commonly used types in competitive battling. With the release of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, many new Flying-type Pokemon have been introduced. These Flying-type Pokemonare rather unique, and some of them will see a lot of use both in the game and in online battles. So, it is only natural to arm these Pokemon with thebest flying type moves. To help trainers choose thebest flying type movesfor their Pokemon, this list has been updated with a few more noteworthy attacks.
23Air Cutter
Air Cutter is a Flying-type move that was introduced in Generation III. It is a fairly strong physical attack that has a good chance of turning into a critical hit. Due to this reason, the move can come in handy if a trainer requires more damage in a clutch situation.
The move can be learned by leveling up and breeding. According to the description of the move inPokemon Scarlet and Violent, the Pokemon “launches a razor-like wind to slash opposing Pokemon.”
22Beak Blast
Beak Blast is the signature move of Toucannon, and it was introduced in Generation VII. It is a move that requires the user to charge before it can be used against the opponent. To circumvent this problem, any Pokemon that makes contact with Toucannon gets burned.
While most trainers will overlook this move due to its shortcoming, some might just want to use it to show off the power of their Toucannon.
21Bleakwind Storm
Bleakwind Storm is the signature move of Tornadus. It made its debut inLegends Arceus, and it is a rather unique move. Aside from inflicting physical damage, Bleakwind Storm also has a chance of leaving the target with frostbite.
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Normally, the attack has a 30% chance, but when using the strong style, it increases to 50%. InScarlet and Violet, the move was altered, resulting in the PP and power being increased to 10 and 100, respectively.
20Bounce
Bounce has been a part of the games since Generation III. Originally, the move was nice to use as there were very few abilities that could counter it, but with every passing generation, new attacks were added as its counter.
Still, the move is quite viable in the new games, as it offers a decent amount of damage and a possible chance to paralyze the opponent. Being a TM, it is easy to teach Bounce to a variety of Pokemon.
19Fly
Fly is one of the oldest Flying-type moves, having debuted all the way back in Generation I. It was put as HM 02, and trainers could only access it after progressing through the story. It was created to make traveling to different towns easier.
Fly continued to be HM 02 until Generation VI, after which it was turned into a TM, meaning the trainers only had to use it for battle. Fly is a two-turn move; in the first turn, the Pokemon flies into the air, and then on the second turn, it makes contact with the opponent.
18Sky Attack
Flying-types have their fair share of hard-hitting moves. Just look at Sky Attack, an impressive ability that packs an immense 140 base power. It even has a 30 percent chance to inflict flinch on the opponent and comes packaged with an increase to critical hits. It’s a powerful tool for Flying-type fans but does come with one fairly glaring drawback.
Like other hard-hitting moves, Sky Attack is a two-turn ability, meaning players will be vulnerable to attacks for one turn before unleashing the pain. Unlike Fly, which makes Pokemon semi-invulnerable, Sky Attack leaves them completely open to damage.
17Aerial Ace
Dedicated Pokemon players understand the value in moves that come packaged with high accuracy. There are some Pokemon that are capable of raising their Evasion Stat by such leaps and bounds that it becomes almost impossible to hit them. These types of Pokemon can spell doom for an inexperienced player, unless they have their own creature capable of never missing.
That’s where Aerial Ace comes in handy. It may only have a Power of 60 but it’s an attack that never misses its target, making it the perfect tool to whittle away at Pokemon that are intent on dodging everything.
16Feather Dance
This move’s an easy one to overlook. It might seem like one of those feeble early-game status moves like Tail Whip or Growl. Its effect? It reduces the target’s Attack by two stages.
Generally, yes, most Flying-types will have something much more potent up their feathery sleeves than this. However, it’s surprising how quickly tricky picks like Eviolite Murkrow (which has priority on this move thanks to the Prankster ability) can ruin your entire week with this one. It’s niche, but it’s very, very troublesome when played correctly.
15Sky Drop
OfficialPokemontournaments tend to revolve around doubles matches. In this format, strategies and moves that wouldn’t really be seen in single battles can really come alive. Sky Drop, with a meager base power of 60, isn’t going to dazzle anybody with its damage output alone. What it does do, however, is really mess with your opponent in the right situation. It’s a neat trick forthose curious and mysterious Flying-typesto have in their arsenal.
This physical attack sees the user pick up the target and carry them into the air on the turn it’s used. Both Pokemon remain up there, unable to be targeted, until the second turn, on which the user slams the other Pokemon to the ground and the move actually hits. In doubles there are a lot of handy implications of this, in terms of both protecting the attacker and removing a key target from the equation for a turn. Still, the move is at its best in certain situations only and some foes are too heavy to be targeted by Sky Drop at all.
14Aeroblast
Super powerful moves usually have drawbacks. The Normal-type attack Skull Bash, for instance, takes two turns to execute before the opposing critter feels its 130 base power wrath. Aeroblast, by contrast, seems to have (almost) everything.
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This special Flying move has 100 power and almost perfect accuracy (95%). It even has the added boon of an increased critical hit chance. What’s holding it back? It has a low maximum PP of 8, for one thing, and it’s also exclusive to Lugia. Being the signature move of an Uber tier Pokemon means that it’s never really usable at all in standard battles.
