>>55781111Solar Beam is still way worse because grass has better alternatives that cost way less energy, are way more common than alternatives to Hyper Beam, and even the worse moves are at least cheaper than it. Techno Blast and Giga Impact are signatures moves in this game and Boomburst can only be learned by 4 other Pokémon. At the very least, Hyper Beam is a more efficient version of Return, and at most, it's a way to give shadow Pokémon access to a move that's like Return.
There's no reason to use Solar Beam on a grass-type starter when Frenzy Plant exists, there's no reason to use Solar Beam on a Pokémon that can already learn Leaf Blade. There's frankly no reason to use Solar Beam if the Pokémon can learn Grass Knot or Power Whip since the cheaper cost makes up for the lack of efficiency AT LEAST 80% of the time. Even as grass coverage, you'd rather just run a fire-type with STAB for another type (Talonflame with Fly or Brave Bird, Charizard with Dragon Claw, Skeledirge, etc.). The only fire-type Pokémon that even consider using Solar Beam for coverage are Typhlosion and Sunny Castform, and that's just because they have literally no reason to use any of their other STAB charge moves since Blast Burn and Weather Ball respectively are already way too good.