Who is the best HM slave in Pokemon X and Y? Find out which one fits your team perfectly on our list.
HMs are needed to progress through every Pokemon game—whether it’s for clearing obstacles or navigating important areas in the overworld.
However, HMs come in different types, and they aren’t very ideal moves for battling.
The last thing you want is to have a final party of Pokemon with unwanted HM moves that you can’t unlearn. That’s why I compiled 5 of the best HM slaves in Pokemon X and Y who can accompany you throughout your adventures.
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Table of Contents
What Is an HM Slave in Pokemon?
An HM slave is a Pokemon whose sole purpose is to learn and use HMs. They allow the trainer to save party slots because you only need to bring one Pokemon for different HMs.
HM slaves also save you from teaching useless HMs to your main battlers.
Rock Smash isn’t an HM, but you need it to clear obstacles and access hidden areas. Nevertheless, we’ll refer Rock Smash as an HM in this guide.
Top 5 Best HM Slaves in Pokemon X and Y
Here are 5 of the best HM slaves in the game I always use in my playthroughs.
I decided not to include a flyer since Fly is a viable move in battle, especially PVE, and I usually teach it to my Flying-type battler. If you want a Flying HM slave, try Tropius.
My favorite HM slaves can learn 4-6 HMs, are easily obtainable, and have been extremely helpful in my Kalos adventures.
So, without further ado, here are the most practical and useful HM slaves in X and Y. The best one is waiting at the end.
5. Hawlucha
Type: Fighting/Flying
HMs It Can Learn: Cut, Strength, Rock Smash, Fly
Location: Can be caught on Route 10 or Friend Safari
Hawlucha should come as no surprise for the best HM slaves in Pokemon X and Y.
It’s already a top contender for most final battling teams due to its great stat spread and offense. But the fact that it can learn 4 HMs, including Fly, makes it a great traveling companion.
The macho bird can deal insane damage and can set up a sweep easily. With moves like Flying Press and High Jump Kick, this small bird can sure pack a punch and give giant brawlers like Machamp and Hariyama a run for their money.
If you want an HM slave that can battle, you should catch a Hawlucha as soon as you see it.
4. Lapras
Type: Water/Ice
HMs It Can Learn: Surf, Strength, Waterfall,
Location: Given as a gift in Shalour City/ Route 12
Lapras might come as a surprise to most of you. But let me tell you why I find Lapras to be such an ideal HM slave for Pokemon X and Y.
First off, it can learn 3 HMs and is the perfect companion when exploring bodies of water.
Lapras is given to you as a gift in Shalour City. After beating Korina, just go to the Pokemon Breeder near the Route 12 sign and he will give this Pokemon to you for free.
So, you don’t need to capture or even train this Pokemon, plus it already comes with Surf. Pretty convenient, eh?
Lapras is more than just an HM slave. Its stats allow it to be a solid tank in battles.
Replace one of its HM moves with Ice Beam, and you have an HM slave that can slay dragon types.
3. Linoone
Type: Normal
HMs It Can Learn: Cut, Surf, Strength, Rock Smash
Location: Found as Zigzagoon on Route 3
Linoone is an automatic capture for me and one of the very first Pokemon that I catch in my X and Y playthroughs.
It is a versatile Pokemon that can learn both water and land HMs. It’s more like a dedicated HM slave, which is better than Gogoat, flaunting 4 HM moves.
Its high speed is useful in escaping unwanted battles and for taking out low-level opponents quickly.
While it’s not the best in battles due to its mediocre stats, Linoone allows you to get through most obstacles in X and Y while taking up only one slot in your party.
2. Crawdaunt
Type: Water/Dark
HMs It Can Learn: Cut, Surf, Strength, Waterfall, Rock Smash
Location: Found as Corphish in Route 3 through fishing using the Old Rod or Good Rod.
Now we go to the big guns. Crawdaunt is a powerhouse HM slave thanks to its unique typing.
With access to 5 different HMs, Crawdaunt alone can accompany you all around Kalos and clear any obstacle on the way with its huge pincers.
Crawdaunt can be caught in Route 3 as soon as you have a Good Rod (Corphish) or Super Rod (Crawdaunt).
With a bit of training, Crawdaunt can be a force in battle thanks to its high attack stat that lets him hit hard.
1. Bibarel
Type: Normal/Water
HMs It Can Learn: Cut, Surf, Strength, Waterfall, Rock Smash,
Location: Found as Bidoof on Route 3
Meet the god of HMs in Kalos. Bibarel is undeniably the best HM slave in Pokemon X and Y.
Well, there’s Dragonite and Mew who can learn all of them, but they are next to impossible to capture, and letting them learn HM won’t be efficient either.
On the other hand, a Bidoof can be caught on Route 3 with a mere Poke Ball. This versatile beaver can learn 5 HMs covering all your land and water needs, ready to serve you even before you earn your first badge.
You can beat the game with Bibarel alone as your HM slave. Pair him with a flyer on your team, and all your HM needs are checked. Bibarel has always been my first capture in Pokemon X and Y.
Conclusion
Those are the best HM slaves in Pokemon X and Y. But I’m sure you’ll just capture Bidoof because this Pokemon is the definition of convenience and efficiency.
But depending on your team, these Pokemon can be a great addition as well. Now all that’s left is to look for the best flyer for your team.
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