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After long deliberation, I have finally arrived at the final solution to the HM question. Many players have long bemoaned the inconvenience of having to teach their Pokemon suboptimal moves. At the same time, the void left by their removal from the games is palpable. It feels as though something has been lost, removing the sense of adventure and partnership with one's Pokemon. Some fan games have attempted to resolve this by adding in new key items or making so that any Pokemon who could learn the HM is able to execute it without actually having been taught the move. However, I believe this is only a partial solution and it can be done better.
I think the best example we have of HMs done right comes from the Pokemon Ranger series. In these games, each Pokemon has a certain field move that it innately knows and can execute. These moves also have levels, with stronger Pokemon being able to use stronger field moves and clear greater obstacles. Using a field move in the Ranger series is always satisfying and fulfills the fantasy of your Pokemon assisting you on your journey. Capturing a Pokemon that can use the field move you need feels rewarding.
I would implement a system like this in the main series games with several key changes:
>1) Pokemon can (and usually do) innately know more than one field move
>2) The number of field moves is vastly increased
>3) The number and variety of levels is increased, creating a wider distribution of Pokemon equipped to resolve various challenges
Some field moves would essentially be analogs for existing HMs, while new ones could include burning, freezing, tethering, and even hacking. Rare and high level field moves could be distributed to Pokemon less adept at battling. This would encourage players to use more diverse parties and since those Pokemon weren't encumbered by needing to learn HMs, they could see some battle and actually level up.
