The new Trainer battles in Pokémon GO present trainers with new challenges. We show you 10 tips that could help you.
When you fight against your friends in Pokémon GO, you primarily want one thing: to win. However, if you haven’t been doing well so far, it may be because your opponent knows tricks that you do not.
We present you with 10 tips on how to defeat any opponent and become the best among your friends.
These 10 tips will help you in Trainer battles
Attention: Some of the tips exploit bugs in PvP that may soon be fixed. So if you try one of these tricks and it no longer works, Niantic may have fixed the bug.
Tip 1: Know the effectiveness
This is why it’s so important: If you want to win battles against friends, you must first understand the fundamentals: Which type is effective against which Pokémon. You may have the strongest Pokémon on your team, but if you fight a Kyogre with a Moltres, you’ll bitterly lose.
We now show you a table where you can see the effectiveness of Pokémon. Also, remember which moves your Pokémon have so that you know what to use to attack.
Tip 2: Use Pokémon with broad effectiveness
This is why you should use such Pokémon: In Trainer battles, you need to be prepared for all situations. You don’t know which Pokémon your opponent has, so one thing helps particularly: Have Pokémon that are effective against many types.
For that, the second charging move is perfect. If you have a Tyranitar that knows Bite and Crunch, it’s effective against two other types. However, if it also knows Stone Edge, it’s effective against six types.
Tip 3: Exploit the cooldown when switching
This is how to exploit the cooldown: Try to make your opponent switch their Pokémon early in the battle. You can start with a Pokémon that your opponent doesn’t expect. They will switch their Pokémon, and you will have them exactly where you need them. Your opponent will have to wait several seconds before they can switch their Pokémon again. If you then have the ideal counter for their Pokémon, bring it out and defeat them. They won’t be able to switch anymore.
You must also consider this in return. Don’t let yourself get into that situation. Only switch a Pokémon if you see no other way. The cooldown in a Trainer battle is long.
Tip 4: Put yourself in your opponent’s shoes
Think like your opponent: Before you start a battle, think carefully. What could your opponent fight with? What are typical Pokémon for attacking? If you are fighting in the Master League, then it’s likely that your opponent is using Mewtwo, Tyranitar, or Rayquaza. Bring the appropriate counters.
You also need to consider the other side. Your opponent may also have the same thoughts. So bring Pokémon to your team that are unusual and that your opponent does not expect.
Tip 5: Use the charging move at the right moment
This is the right moment for use: If you are charging your unloading attack but the opponent is almost defeated, do not use the attack. Defeat the Pokémon with your quick attack and wait for the next Pokémon.
When this Pokémon appears, fire off your charging move. You will deal significantly more damage. Your opponent must either immediately use a shield or lose a bunch of important battle points.
Tip 6: You can save your charging move
This is how you can save your charging move: If you are in a Trainer battle, do not immediately use your charging move. Although the charge bar is full, the charging move is already gathering energy for the next use. You can collect your charging moves until you can use three in a row.
The same applies when switching your Pokémon. If your charging move is full, you can switch your Pokémon, and when you re-use the Pokémon, the charge bar is still full. You can therefore save the attack for a later time.
Tip 7: Rely on fast quick and charging attacks
This is why fast quick attacks are good: Niantic has made some changes to the attacks in Pokémon GO. A big change is that fast quick attacks, which deal less damage, are overall better than slow ones that deal more damage when used.
Moves like Psycho Cut and Mud Shot are very strong in PvP. Moves like Zen Headbutt and Volt Switch take an eternity and do not deal much damage over the long run.
This is why fast charging moves are good: Fast charging moves also have a significant advantage in PvP. They charge up significantly faster than slow charging moves and can lure out the opponent’s defense shields. If the opponent has no shields left, they are defenseless against your charging moves.
Fast charging moves include Crunch and Ancient Power. These moves charge quickly and can wear down the opponent’s defense shields over time.
Tip 8: Use your defense shields wisely
This is how to use the shields wisely: If you use both of your defense shields right at the beginning of the battle, then you will be at your opponent’s mercy for the entire fight. Think carefully when your opponent uses a charging move. Does this move hit me effectively? Can I survive this move, or do I need a shield?
Especially if the opponent is fighting with fast charging moves, it is even more important to preserve your shields. Fast attacks do not deal too much damage to you. At the end of the battle, such a shield can be the difference between victory and defeat.
Tip 9: Tap continuously on your screen
This is why it’s so important: It seems that Niantic has not fixed this bug in Trainer battles: If you defeat a Pokémon and your opponent sends in a new Pokémon, tap continuously on the screen. The opponent’s Pokémon loses some CP as soon as it appears.
You can deal damage to the Pokémon before it can even attack you. You can also use continuous tapping in other situations. If your Pokémon is defeated and you send a new one into the battle, you can also deal some damage before it even becomes visible.
Tip 10: Don’t use glass cannons
This is why glass cannons are weak: In Trainer battles, it’s not about dealing damage quickly. That matters more in raids. It’s important to deal solid damage over the entire period while still surviving. Glass cannons like Gengar or Absol are out of place here.
While it’s nice if your Gengar deals a lot of damage to the opponent, if you are defeated quickly, you will lose. In PvP, rely on Pokémon that can withstand a bit more but still deal damage. This includes Tyranitar or Kyogre.
Do you have any more tips for Trainer battles? What are your strategies?
If you’re looking for basic information and functionality of PvP, you can find it in our extensive guide to Trainer battles.
