Can Mewtwo still learn Psystrike in Pokemon GO?

Mewtwo is even more powerful than it normally is with Psystrike in Pokemon GO, but does it still have access to this tool?

Psystrike is Mewtwo’s signature move from the main series games. It was introduced in Generation V, where Mewtwo was only available through an event. Even then, trainers still had to grind the Pokemon to level 100 to learn the move. It’s a highly valued attack in Pokemon GO as well, but can be somewhat hard to obtain.

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Can this Generation I Pokemon still learn its signature move?

The good news is that Mewtwo can still learn Psystrike, but the bad news is that it can only happen through using an Elite TM.

Psystrike is known as a legacy move. This refers to an attack that a Pokemon once learned (usually through an event) but can no longer access. Psystrike is a perfect example; Mewtwo received the move when it became a raid boss in September 2019.

Unless a trainer specifically caught a Mewtwo from that raid, it won’t be able to learn Psystrike. Regardless of how many Charge TMs are used on the Pokemon, it will never learn this move.

This is where Elite TMs come into play. They were made to teach these legacy moves to Pokemon. Unfortunately, Elite TMs are difficult to come by, and can only be acquired through either Community Boxes or by getting a high rank in GO Battle League.

Going through such lengths may urge trainers to steer clear of getting Psystrike for their Mewtwo. One has to wonder, though, what’s wrong with using Psychic?

The difference between Psychic and Psystrike is, quite literally, 500 ms. The animation for Psystrike lasts 2300 ms, whereas Psychic lasts for 2800. Everything else is equal between the moves: base power, energy cost, etc.

Elite TMs are heavily valued items due to their rarity. Trainers really have to assess which Pokemon they’re going to spend their Elite TMs on. So, is it really worth it to teach Mewtwo a move that is very similar to another one in its arsenal? Trainers often find other Pokemon that struggle hard without their legacy move.