Purrloin is known in recent games for not being able to learn the move Foul Play on its own, despite it thematically fitting it very well as a sneaky Dark–type attacker.

Why this is notable

  • In multiple PokĂŠdex-style databases and move lists, Purrloin commonly learns status and utility Dark moves and some attacking Dark moves by level-up or breeding, but Foul Play is missing from its natural level-up pool.
  • This absence is highlighted in at least one modern side-quest / trivia-style interaction, where the “surprisingly can’t learn on its own” question refers to Foul Play as the trick answer.

Context from move lists

  • Standard learnset listings for Purrloin show early moves like Scratch, Growl, Assist, and Sand Attack, then later Dark moves such as Night Slash or similar attackers, but Foul Play only appears (if at all) as a tutor / external move , not as a normal level-up move.
  • This creates a fun bit of trivia: players often expect such a deceptive Dark-type cat to learn Foul Play naturally, which is exactly why that move is used as the “surprising” one it can’t get on its own.

Answer for your post title “what move can purrloin learn on its own?” (as used in that recent trivia-style context):
The intended “trick” move is Foul Play — it’s the move Purrloin surprisingly can’t learn on its own, which is why it gets singled out in current discussions and guides.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.