Are you hoping to obtain all the Technical Machines or TMs in Pokemon Legends: Z-A? Similar to previous titles in the franchise, TMs allow your Pokemon to learn abilities that are unavailable through level-ups. Basically, they allow you to fine-tune each creature’s moveset, turning them into pure damage-dealers, defensive tanks, support stalwarts, or a mix of everything. Our guide has all the details that you need, but we’d like to remind you that there are spoilers ahead.

Where to find all TMs in Pokemon Legends: Z-A – Technical Machine locations guide

There are various sources of TMs in the game:

• Mable’s Research rewards
• Z-A Royale rewards
• Underground and interior exploration rewards
• Lumiose City free-roaming rewards

Note 1: Upon obtaining a TM, check the “Change Moves” option for your Pokemon. Then, press the ZR button to see a list of available TMs that they can learn.

Note 2: TMs appear as golden orbs in the game world. They’re quite different from Colorful Screw collectibles, which have a purple glow.

TMs from Mable’s Research

Dozens of TMs in Pokemon Legends: Z-A can be yours via Mable’s Research level-ups. For the most part, you just need to fill your Pokedex by catching and evolving more Pokemon. You might want to collect Mega Shards and unlock Mega Evolutions, too.

Rock Smash

• Type: Fighting
• Effect: The user attacks with a punch; may lower a target’s defense.

Mud Shot

• Type: Ground
• Effect: Hurl a blob of mud at targets.

Protect

• Type: Normal
• Effect: Prevent incoming attacks from landing.

Thunder Fang

• Type: Electric
• Effect: Bite targets with electrified fangs; may make targets flinch or leave them paralyzed.

Fire Fang

• Type: Fire
• Effect: Bite targets with flame-coated fangs; may make targets flinch or leave them with a burn.

Ice Fang

• Type: Ice
• Effect: Bite targets with cold-infused fangs; may make targets flinch or leave them frozen.

Whirlpool

• Type: Water
• Effect: Summon a violet whirlpool to surround targets, causing them to take continuous damage.

Shadow Claw

• Type: Ghost
• Effect: Slash with a sharp claw made of shadows; has a high chance of landing a critical hit.

Light Screen

• Type: Psychic
• Effect: Construct a wall of light that reduces damage taken from special moves; the effect lingers even if the user is switched out.

Giga Drain

• Type: Grass
• Effect: Deal damage and restore a portion of your health.

Ice Punch

• Type: Ice
• Effect: Attack with a punch; may freeze targets.

Psyshock

• Type: Psychic
• Effect: Materialize a psychic wave; deals physical damage.

Thunder Punch

• Type: Electric
• Effect: Punch an enemy; may paralyze targets.

Double Team

• Type: Normal
• Effect: Create illusory copies of oneself to evade incoming attacks.

Fire Punch

• Type: Fire
• Effect: Punch an enemy; may leave them burning.

Bulldoze

• Type: Ground
• Effect: Stomp on the ground, causing enemies to move slowly for a time.

U-Turn

• Type: Bug
• Effect: Dish out a quick blow, then rush back toward the trainer.

Zen Headbutt

• Type: Psychic
• Effect: Focus all your willpower into a headbutt; may make targets flinch.

Swords Dance

• Type: Normal
• Effect: Boosts your attack stat.

Flash Cannon

• Type: Steel
• Effect: Gather and release your energy; may lower a target’s SP defense stat.

Rock Slide

• Type: Rock
• Effect: Hurl large boulders at your enemies; may make targets flinch.

Thunderbolt

• Type: Electric
• Effect: Attack with a strong electric blast; may leave targets paralyzed.

Calm Mind

• Type: Psychic
• Effect: Boost your SP attack and SP defense stats temporarily.

Poison Jab

• Type: Poison
• Effect: Stab your target with the possibility of leaving them poisoned.

Heat Wave

• Type: Fire
• Effect: Exhale a hot breath with the possibility of leaving your target burned.

Surf

• Type: Water
• Effect: Swamp a wide area with a giant wave.

Iron Tail

• Type: Steel
• Effect: Slam your tail into a target with the possibility of lowering their defense stat.

Heal Block

• Type: Psychic
• Effect: Prevents your opponent’s health recovery through items or abilities.

Sludge Bomb

• Type: Poison
• Effect: Hurl a sludge at targets with the possibility of leaving them poisoned.

Thunder

• Type: Electric
• Effect: Drop a thunderbolt with the possibility of paralyzing your foes.

Earthquake

• Type: Ground
• Effect: Set off an earthquake that strikes a wide area.

Giga Impact

• Type: Normal
• Effect: Charge into targets with every bit of your power; prevents you from moving for a short while.

Close Combat

• Type: Fighting
• Effect: Lowers your defense and SP defense temporarily, though the rushing attack deals a lot of damage.

Nasty Plot

• Type: Dark
• Effect: Boost your SP attack stat temporarily.

Solar Beam

• Type: Grass
• Effect: Gather a great deal of light with a long charge-up time before blasting your targets with a beam.

Hydro Pump

• Type: Water
• Effect: Blast your targets with a huge volume of water launched under great pressure.

Fire Blast

• Type: Fire
• Effect: Attack with an intense blast of all-consuming fire, which may leave enemies burned.

Blizzard

• Type: Ice
• Effect: Blast targets with a howling blizzard, which may leave enemies frozen.

Focus Blast

• Type: Fighting
• Effect: Unleash your true power, with a chance of lowering your foe’s SP defense stat.

Overheat

• Type: Fire
• Effect: Attack with all the power you can muster; the recoil temporarily lowers your SP attack stat.

Outrage

• Type: Dragon
• Effect: Trigger a furious rampage, then become confused for a while.

TMs from Z-A Royale battles

There are also several Pokemon Legends: Z-A TMs that can be yours as you defeat Z-A Royale trainers from rank E onward:

Safeguard

• Opponent: Vinnie
• Type: Normal
• Effect: Create a field that prevents status conditions temporarily. The effect persists even if the user is switched out.

Volt Switch

• Opponent: Canari
• Type: Electric
• Effect: Dish out a quick blow, then rush back to the trainer afterward.

Bulk Up

• Opponent: Ivor
• Type: Fighting
• Effect: Boost your attack and defense stats temporarily.

Gunk Shot

• Opponent: Corbeau
• Type: Poison
• Effect: Shoot out filthy garbage at your foes; may leave targets poisoned.

Play Rough

• Opponent: Jacinthe
• Type: Psychic
• Effect: Attack an enemy, with the potential to lower their attack stat.

TMs from interior and underground areas

There are a select few locations in the game that are connected to open-world areas in Lumiose City. These, too, happen to have TMs:

Crunch

• Type: Dark
• Effect: Attack a target with the potential to lower their defense stat.
• Location: Found in the Sewers during the “Reaching Rank D” main mission.

Taunt

• Type: Dark
• Effect: Taunt a target, restricting them to just damage-dealing moves for a short while.
• Location: Found in the Sewers during the “A Request from the Rust Syndicate” main mission.

Dark Pulse

• Type: Dark
• Effect: Release a horrible aura that might make your target flinch.
• Location: Found in Lysandre Labs during the “Reaching Rank A” main mission.

TMs found in southern Lumiose City

The map above shows the locations of Pokemon Legends: Z-A TMs found in the southern sectors of Lumiose City. We’ve numbered these items accordingly. However, we suggest reaching Rank E in the Z-A Royale at the very least. That’s when you unlock the Roto-Glide, which triggers an upward boost if you’re falling from a great height. This helps you reach higher platforms and ledges.

TM location #1: Electroweb

• Type: Electric
• Effect: Attack by catching targets in an electrified net; might make them move slowly for a while.
• How to get: Given to you by an NPC underneath the archway.

TM location #2: Iron Head

• Type: Steel
• Effect: Slam a steel-hard head into targets, with the possibility of making them flinch.
• How to get: On the rooftops in the southern part of the map.

TM location #3: Energy Ball

• Type: Grass
• Effect: Draw power from nature to attack opponents; might lower a target’s SP defense stat.
• How to get: On a balcony overlooking the snowy lake in Wild Zone 12.

TM location #4: Work Up

• Type: Normal
• Effect: The user boosts their attack and SP attack stats temporarily.
• How to get: On a roof deck in Wild Zone 1.

TM location #5: Power Gem

• Type: Rock
• Effect: Attack with a ray of light that sparkles as if made of gemstones.
• How to get: On the rooftops directly northwest of Hotel Z.

TM location #6: Headbutt

• Type: Normal
• Effect: Lean forward and charge head-first into enemies; might make targets flinch.
• How to get: By the canals on Vert Street, which is due northeast of Hotel Z.

TM location #7: Icy Wind

• Type: Ice
• Effect: Attack using a gust of chilled air that also makes your foes move slowly for a while.
• How to get: On a grassy knoll overlooking the park in Wild Zone 2.

TM location #8: Flip Turn

• Type: Water
• Effect: Dish out a quick blow and rush back to the trainer.
• How to get: On a rooftop garden east of Wild Zone 9.

TMs found in northern Lumiose City

The map above shows the locations of TMs in the northern sectors of Lumiose City. These include several Wild Zones, too.

TM location #1: Discharge

• Type: Electric
• Effect: Let loose a flare of electricity in an area that might paralyze opponents.
• How to get: Found at the corner section of Wild Zone 14. You need a Pokemon with Fighting or Ground attacks to destroy the boulders.

TM location #2: Curse

• Type: Ghost
• Effect: Boost your attack and defense in exchange for lowering your movement speed. The effect is different if a Ghost-type Pokemon uses this ability.
• How to get: Given by an NPC at the intersection of Magenta Sector 3 and Magenta Sector 6.

TM location #3: Roar

• Type: Normal
• Effect: Let out a mighty roar that startles targets and pushes them back by a short distance.
• How to get: On the roof of a building southwest of Wild Zone 3.

TM location #4: Aerial Ace

• Type: Flying
• Effect: Confound targets with swift movements before slashing them.
• How to get: At the top of the main building/shrine in Wild Zone 3.

TM location #5: Toxic Spikes

• Type: Poison
• Effect: Lay traps in front of you, which can poison enemies that make contact with them.
• How to get: Found on the rooftop of the Sushi High Roller restaurant, which is south of Wild Zone 4/Dormez Bien Cemetery.

TM location #6: Hurricane

• Type: Flying
• Effect: Wrap targets in a fierce wind, which may leave them confused.
• How to get: Found in the middle of the hedges in Wild Zone 19. You need a Pokemon with Fire-based attacks to burn the thorny vines.

That does it for our guide on where to find all TMs in Pokemon Legends: Z-A. We’ll keep you posted in case we’re able to discover others, so stay tuned. In the meantime, we recommend gathering Colorful Screws. Compared to TMs, which have a golden glow, Colorful Screws have a purple light emanating from them. These items can be used to purchase plush toys that grant permanent passive boons.