The Pokemon franchise introduced a game-changing feature in its third generation: double battles. Two-on-two Pokemon battles were a groundbreaking way to stack Pokemon against each other. Not only did it introduce the mode by itself, but Generation III also introduced moves specifically designed to be used in double battles.

With every passing generation, the game series has added to this list of moves that work best in double battles, especially as double battle formats such as the Video Game Championships (VGC) have taken over as the official competitive format of the game. However, it’s good to take note of moves that almost exclusively work in that kind of format. Some of them are less than viable or even completely useless in single battles.

10 High Horsepower

In the sphere of competitive Singles, High Horsepower is and has been completely overshadowed by Earthquake. The former is essentially an inferior version of the latter, having 5 less base power and 5 less accuracy, with no secondary effect to show for it.

In the Doubles meta, it’s a different story. Earthquake is a spread move that hits your other Pokemon, unless it’s immune to it. Unless you’re willing to go out of your way to pair an Earthquake user with a Flying-type, High Horsepower (almost) provides the power of an Earthquake without dealing collateral damage to an ally.

9 Icy Wind

Icy Wind is essentially the opposite of High Horsepower in terms of why it’s more useful in double battles.

Icy Wind is a spread move, like Earthquake, but it only attacks opponents. While its power is mediocre at 55 base, it has an essentially guaranteed secondary effect of lowering the targets’ Speed stats by a stage. This is very useful in double battles, as it gives both of the Pokemon on your side a chance to act first. However, it’s not as useful in a single battle where you’d want a more straightforward, powerful move.

8 After You

After You is a very interesting move, but its effects are completely useless in a single battle where you’re only faced with one opponent.

The move causes the target to execute its move right after the user, regardless of priority. While this can be useful in a double battle to get a Pokemon that’s either slow or using a low-priority move to act fast, using it in a single battle is essentially just giving up a turn.

7 Mat Block

Mat Block used to be a Greninja signature move, and it’s kind of like a Fake Out-esque protection move. It protects the user’s side of the field from any attacking move for a turn, but it only works the first turn the user is out. It’s kind of a weird move, as it has normal priority unlike other protective moves like Protect at +4 or Wide Guard at +3.

While it can be situationally useful in a double battle as a way to protect an ally, there’s no use for it in a single battle. Go for Protect, or some variant of it like Spiky Shield or King’s Shield if available.

6 Skill Swap

Skill Swap has the very interesting effect of switching the user’s ability with the target’s.

While there are certainly some strategic gymnastics to be done if you use it in a double battle, it can be great for transferring away a Pokemon’s hindering ability or taking on a better one to maximize its potential. It’s not as reliable in Singles, as you have to hope for a Pokemon with the right ability to take on after using the move.

5 Heal Pulse

One of the most interesting moves introduced in Generation V was Heal Pulse. It simply heals the target, to the tune of 50% of their HP.

This is a move that was made and is expected to be executed with an ally in mind. It would be detrimental to use this in a single battle, as the only possible target to heal is an opponent. Heal Pulse is only beneficial to the user if it’s healing an ally, and that’s not possible in single battles.

4 Wide Guard, Crafty Shield, and Quick Guard

These three moves fall under a similar category of protective moves. All these moves protect the user’s entire side from a certain type of move. Wide Guard prevents widespread attacking moves (e.g. Earthquake, Surf), Crafty Shield prevents status moves, and Quick Guard prevents priority moves.

Similarly to Mat Block, each of these moves have some sort of use in a double battle, but they are just not as useful as Protect (or a variant of it) in a single battle. However, they have much more use than Mat Block since they can be used multiple times. Crafty Shield also has the benefit of not suffering from Protect’s probability to fail after consecutive use.

3 Follow Me

Follow Me directs all moves towards this user, meaning it takes on any attack or status move used during the turn. While it’s not useful in single battles, it’s been very regularly used for double battles.

While it can technically be used in a single battle, it’s practically useless since the one move that comes after it will always target the user anyway. However, it’s become one of the most important moves in the general Doubles metagame thanks to its ability to direct dangerous moves away from an ally.

2 Ally Switch

Ally Switch was introduced in Generation V, just in time, before the VGC really took off as Pokemon’s main competitive format. It’s become a staple move there and in other Doubles metagames, thanks to its ability to keep a Pokemon away from moves they’re weak to.

The move switches the Pokemon with its targetted ally, causing them to take on whatever move was supposed to come to that side of the field. While it can be incredibly useful in a double battle, it is completely useless in a single battle.

1 Helping Hand

Helping Hand is another move that’s literally useless in a single battle. If you try to use it in a single battle, it will fail, because it needs an ally to function. However, when you actually have an ally to use it on, it can be extremely helpful.

This move boosts the ally’s attacking power by 50% for that turn, which is huge if it’s used on a Pokemon with high attacking power from either its own stats, stat boosts, or the move’s base power. It’s the move with the highest level of priority, so it’s guaranteed to work. This is another move that’s been a staple in competitive formats like VGC, as the extra boost can really help put teams over the edge.

NEXT: 10 Pokemon That Fell Off From Competitive Viability