With the release of the second charge move in Pokémon GO, many players are wondering where to use it effectively. We give you a few suggestions.
When the trainer battles were introduced in Pokémon GO, the second charge move also came. Your Pokémon learns this through stardust and candies. Since the move is not cheap, it is even more important to teach the second attack to the right Pokémon.
We give you a brief overview of which Pokémon can handle a second charge move, and where you can invest your stardust with good conscience.
We classify the Pokémon in our list by the stardust cost. The monsters with the cheapest moves are listed first.
Use the second charge move with these Pokémon
What is important for a second charge move? When teaching your Pokémon a second charge move, it is important that the second move is of a different type than the first. There’s no point in having a Machamp with Counter and Close Combat. However, if you have a Groudon with Earthquake and Solar Beam, then it’s significantly more effective.
10,000 Stardust + 25 Candies
These Pokémon are the cheapest. This especially includes the starter Pokémon. We show you the Pokémon where unlocking is worthwhile.
- Venusaur
- Charge Moves: Solar Beam and Sludge Bomb
- Advantage: With only Solar Beam, Venusaur is effective against three types. With Sludge Bomb, it can hit six types very effectively. In addition, Solar Beam is a very strong move that is good against almost every Pokémon.
- Good for these leagues: Great League, Ultra League
- Blastoise
- Charge Moves: Hydro Cannon and Ice Beam
- Advantage: The community-day move Hydro Cannon is generally a strong move. Ice Beam broadens the effective pool to six types. In the lower leagues, Blastoise is a good choice.
- Good for these leagues: Great League, Ultra League
- Charizard
- Charge Moves: Blast Burn and Dragon Claw
- Advantage: Dragon Claw gives Charizard a fast charge move that can bait out the opponent’s shields. Blast Burn is the best fire move in the game. The combination is ideal.
- Good for these leagues: Great League, Ultra League
- Meganium
- Charge Moves: Solar Beam and Earthquake
- Advantage: Like Venusaur, Meganium’s Solar Beam is also very strong. With Earthquake, it gets a ground-type move that is effective against six types on its own.
- Good for these leagues: Great League, Ultra League
- Typhlosion
- Charge Moves: Blast Burn and Solar Beam
- Advantage: Here too, Blast Burn is a very strong move. With Solar Beam, you can perfectly counter the water-types.
- Good for these leagues: Great League, Ultra League
- Swampert
- Charge Moves: Razor Leaf and Earthquake/Air Slash
- Advantage: With Razor Leaf, Swampert is a very good and fast grass-type Pokémon. With Earthquake or Air Slash, it can hit additional types very effectively.
- Good for these leagues: Great League, Ultra League
- Gyarados
- Charge Moves: Bite and Crunch/Hydro Pump
- Advantage: Gyarados is a very strong Pokémon and is also very cheap for the second charge move. Each of the three charge moves is a good move, with Bite being the best for baiting the shields.
- Good for these leagues: Ultra League
- Altaria
- Charge Moves: Sky Attack and Moonblast/Dragon Pulse
- Advantage: Altaria is ideal for the Great League. It can take quite a bit of damage and has a wide variety of moves. A second charge move is definitely not a bad idea here.
- Good for these leagues: Great League
50,000 Stardust + 50 Candies
These three Pokémon are still quite cheap compared to their successors. So it’s not wrong to unlock the second charge move here as well, as these Pokémon can already compete in the top league.
- Rhyperior
- Charge Moves: Stone Edge and Earthquake
- Advantage: Rhyperior can be a good ground-type and rock-type attacker. It can be effective against eight different types with both moves. It doesn’t get much better than this. Furthermore, it is very useful in raids.
- Good for these leagues: Master League
- Snorlax
- Charge Moves: Avalanche and Body Slam
- Advantage: The mix of types is excellent with Snorlax. It receives a bonus for both moves, as it is of the same type as the moves and it is effective against six different types.
- Good for these leagues: Ultra League, Master League
- Azumarill
- Charge Moves: Play Rough and Ice Beam
- Advantage: Azumarill is a true secret weapon in the Great League. It can take an incredible amount of damage and is also very agile regarding its moves. Those who want to win in the Great League should rely on Azumarill.
- Good for these leagues: Great League
75,000 Stardust + 75 Candies
This includes the Pokémon that need 5 kilometers as buddies. The high amount of stardust has also been considered, which is why only two Pokémon are recommended.
- Tyranitar
- Charge Moves: Bite and Stone Edge
- Advantage: Tyranitar is an incredibly strong Pokémon. It can be used against almost any Pokémon. If it masters both Bite and Stone Edge, it can effectively hit six types.
- Good for these leagues: Ultra League, Master League
- Metagross
- Charge Moves: Meteor Mash and Earthquake
- Advantage: Metagross is probably one of the best Pokémon for PvP. If it masters these two charge moves, it is effective against seven types and at least normally effective against every other type. You can attack any Pokémon with Metagross.
- Good for these leagues: Ultra League, Master League
100,000 Stardust + 100 Candies
For 100,000 stardust, you get the second charge move of the legendary Pokémon. While the price is high, the effect for these Pokémon is the greatest. So it’s not wrong to invest 100,000 stardust as well.
- Mewtwo
- Charge Moves: Shadow Ball and Ice Beam/Future Sight/Thunderbolt
- Advantage: Mewtwo is ideal for a second charge move. Besides Shadow Ball, there are three other good charge moves. Depending on what your overall team looks like, you should teach it one of the three moves. Ice Beam is the best, but the others are also not much worse.
- Good for these leagues: Ultra League, Master League
- Zapdos
- Charge Moves: Overheat and Sky Attack
- Advantage: Zapdos is both the best flying-type and fire-type attacker. With a second charge move, you turn a Pokémon into the best attacker of two types.
- Good for these leagues: Master League
- Rayquaza
- Charge Moves: Crunch and Air Slash/Ancient Power
- Advantage: Rayquaza is generally a great all-rounder for PvP. If it masters besides Crunch either Air Slash or Ancient Power, it can deal even more effective damage.
- Good for these leagues: Master League
- Groudon
- Charge Moves: Earthquake and Solar Beam/Fire Blast
- Advantage: Groudon is the best ground-type attacker and can counter water or grass-type Pokémon that are effective against Groudon with Solar Beam and Fire Blast.
- Good for these leagues: Master League
These Pokémon are also good: Some legendary Pokémon could also benefit from the second charge move. However, since the move costs 100,000 stardust, this factor prevails. The Pokémon include:
- Latios with Crunch and Solar Beam
- Giratina with Dragon Claw and Shadow Sneak
- Cresselia with Lunar Blessing and Aurora Beam
- Lugia with Sky Attack and Hydro Pump
Here you can save stardust smartly
If you want to save stardust but still want to teach Pokémon a second charge move, follow this tip: Baby Pokémon learn the second charge move for 10,000 stardust. If you then evolve them into their final evolutions, like Magmortar or Electivire, the charge move costs 50,000 or 75,000 stardust.
With the following baby Pokémon, the second charge move is worthwhile:
- Budew with the evolution Roserade
- Moves: Mud Shot and Solar Beam
- Togepi with the evolution Togekiss
- Moves: Moonblast and Air Slash
- Chingling with the evolution Chimecho
- Moves: Avalanche and Psycho Boost
- Riolu with the evolution Lucario
- Moves: Shadow Ball and Close Combat
Which Pokémon are you teaching the second charge move?
If you have questions about PvP, check out our guide to trainer battles!
