Can Gyarados Learn Fly in Pokémon Games?

Gyarados, the intimidating Leviathan-like Water/Flying-type from the Pokémon franchise, has fascinated trainers and fans for decades. Towering above the battlefield, its serpentine form is a staple in everything from fan art to competitive team builds. Yet, for all its aerial bravado, a persistent question circles within the community: can Gyarados learn Fly in Pokémon games?

Understanding this apparent contradiction isn’t just a matter of checking a move list. It reveals nuances about game design, creature lore, and how Pokémon balances fantasy with function. By exploring game histories and industry commentary, it becomes clear why Gyarados and the move Fly are rarely, if ever, paired together.

Gyarados’ Typing and In-Game Role

Dual Typing: Water/Flying Explained

From its first appearance in Generation I, Gyarados has been classified as a Water and Flying-type Pokémon. This dual typing is unique, giving it powerful offensive capabilities but also notable weaknesses—most famously, a quadruple vulnerability to Electric-type moves. This strange combination comes directly from its design inspiration: the mythic dragon that rises from humble beginnings (Magikarp) to fearsome heights.

Signature Moves and Battleground Status

Despite being a Flying-type, Gyarados traditionally specializes in physical attacks such as Waterfall, Crunch, and Outrage. Its primary usage in competitive play leverages abilities like Intimidate and boosts from moves like Dragon Dance. Many players remember being caught off guard by Gyarados sweeping teams following a single well-timed setup.

Can Gyarados Learn Fly? A Historical Perspective

Original Generations: The Notable Omission

Across the earliest Pokémon games—Red/Blue, Gold/Silver, Ruby/Sapphire—Gyarados cannot learn the iconic HM02 Fly. This often surprises players, especially newcomers who expect all Flying-types to have access to the move.

“Gyarados is a classic example of design overruling expectation: though it soars and shouts as a Flying-type Pokémon, the designers deliberately excluded Fly from its move pool to preserve both mechanical balance and thematic intent.”
— Dr. Sarah Ludwig, Game Studies Lecturer

Indeed, allowing Gyarados to Fly would have granted players easy access to overpowered travel options, undermining the intent behind Pokémon like Pidgeot or Charizard, which are meant to fill that niche.

Alternate Games and Special Events

There are very limited scenarios in spin-off or non-mainline games where Gyarados has some access to Flying-type moves (such as Bounce, introduced in later generations), but HM02 Fly remains strictly off-limits. Occasionally, data-mining or glitches in ROM hacks might create exceptions, but these are not recognized by The Pokémon Company or official competitive formats.

The Game Design Rationale: Why Not Fly?

Visual Design Versus Mechanical Function

The most direct reason for Gyarados’s inability to learn Fly is its design. Its huge, serpentine frame, inspired in part by Chinese dragons, suggests it may be capable of soaring or leaping high, but not necessarily with the traditional, bird-like flight depicted by the move Fly.

Pokémon’s creators must balance visual design, type logic, and functional gameplay. For instance, while Gyarados frequently appears high above water or “flies” in cutscenes and animations, these moments are differentiated from the functional use of Fly—which serves as both a battle move and an overworld travel mechanism.

In-Lore Explanations

Longtime fans point out that, in the anime or Pokémon lore, Gyarados is more often seen storming rivers or lakes than carrying characters to distant towns. Its Flying-typing, according to interviews with original designers, was intended to reflect its mythic status rather than literal flight capability.

Game Balance and Travel Mechanics

Fly is an essential move in many mainline Pokémon games, providing quick travel between previously visited locations. Granting this convenience to Gyarados, a Pokémon accessible to early-to-mid game players, would potentially trivialize exploration and undercut the value of catching the intended ‘carrier’ Pokémon such as Fearow or Pidgeot.

Similar Cases and Related Pokémon

Comparison to Charizard and Dragonite

Charizard and Dragonite are both Dragon-like Pokémon with Flying-typing, yet both are able to learn Fly and serve frequently as in-game travel companions. The key distinction is their more defined winged anatomy, directly tying them to the kind of movement associated with the move Fly. By contrast, Gyarados’s lack of prominent wings—relying on serpentine, undulating movement—visually differentiates its aerial presence.

Other Surprising Move Restrictions

Gyarados is far from the only Pokémon with type-move inconsistencies. For example, the Poison-type Pokémon Ekans cannot naturally learn the move Poison Jab in early games, and Pidgey cannot learn Sky Attack until much later generations via specialized means. These quirks are reminders that Pokémon move pools are shaped as much by design limitations and lore as by type logic.

The Evolution of the Meta: Impact on Players

Player Reactions and Community Perceptions

The inability for Gyarados to learn Fly has often fueled speculation and forum debates. Many trainers recount their surprise at discovering this limitation, particularly after investing effort into raising a Magikarp only to learn Gyarados can’t serve as their airborne steed.

On platforms such as Reddit and Smogon, veteran players frequently cite Gyarados’s lack of Fly as a deliberate balancing act—and a point of proof that competitive or thematic priorities can override surface-level expectations.

Access to Other Aerial Moves

Although Fly is unavailable, Gyarados gains access to Bounce starting in Generation IV. Bounce gives Gyarados a Flying-type attack with similarities to Fly in battle: a two-turn move with a chance to paralyze. However, Bounce is never used as a travel mechanic; it remains a battle move only.

Conclusion: The Symbolism and Balance of Gyarados’ Move Pool

Gyarados stands as a unique case study in the interplay between lore, design intent, and gameplay mechanics. Despite its imposing size and official Flying-typing, it does not—and almost certainly will not—learn Fly as either a move or method of overworld travel in mainline Pokémon titles. This purposeful limitation preserves aspects of game balance, supports travel-based team diversity, and ensures that the mythical flavor and limitations of Gyarados remain intact.

Players looking to soar across regions must look elsewhere, but Gyarados remains, in narrative and battle, one of the most iconic Pokémon of all time.

FAQs

Why can’t Gyarados learn Fly even as a Flying-type?

Gyarados’s Flying-type status is inspired by myth, not by practical ability to soar like a bird. Its serpentine body is not designed for flight in the same way as winged Pokémon, leading to its exclusion from learning Fly.

Has Gyarados ever been able to learn Fly in any Pokémon game?

Officially, Gyarados has never been permitted to learn HM02 Fly or use it as an overworld travel option in mainline titles. Its access is limited to moves like Bounce in certain generations, but not to Fly.

What alternatives to Fly can Gyarados learn?

Gyarados can learn Bounce, a Flying-type attack introduced in later games, which functions as a two-turn battle move. However, this move does not enable travel between locations on the map.

Are there other Flying-type Pokémon that can’t learn Fly?

Yes; several Flying-types, especially those without wings or traditional flight anatomy (such as Doduo in earlier generations), also lack the ability to learn Fly. Move pools depend on design choices as well as type.

Does the inability to learn Fly affect Gyarados’s usefulness?

Not significantly. Gyarados is valuable for its offensive prowess in battles and its synergy with moves like Waterfall and Dragon Dance. Lack of Fly mainly restricts its role as an in-game travel Pokémon, not its competitive power.

Will Gyarados ever be able to learn Fly in the future?

While possible future game changes can’t be predicted with certainty, it remains highly unlikely, given the Pokémon’s enduring design and balance principles. Gyarados’s identity is closely tied to its current move set and lore.