learnset

A learnset is a term used in gaming and related media to describe the full set of moves, skills, or abilities that a character, creature, or entity can learn. Learnsets are typically defined by the game's design and stored as data that the game uses to determine which moves are available to a subject at a given time.

In the Pokémon series, a creature's learnset lists all moves it can acquire throughout its life. Moves can be learned by leveling up at specific experience thresholds, through item-based techniques such as TMs (technical machines) and HMs (hidden machines) or their modern equivalents, by tutors who teach moves in exchange for currency or items, by breeding to inherit “egg moves,” or through special events. Learnsets are often version- and species-specific, with differences across generations and regional forms. Some moves may be removed from or added to a species’ learnset in later games. Players use learnsets to plan movesets for battles, considering type balance, power, accuracy, and the availability of moves in a given game version.

Beyond Pokémon, learnset concepts appear in other role-playing and strategy games, where characters gain abilities through experience, quest rewards, or item-based learning. In such contexts the term may be called a skill list or ability repertoire, and it serves the progression system and players’ build planning.

From a development perspective, a learnset is represented as data: for each subject, a list of learnable moves with conditions such as level, item, tutor, or event flags. Learnsets are updated through patches, and community resources often maintain databases to track changes across versions.