The Trainer battles are now available for all players over level 10! Pokémon GO unlocked the feature overnight.
You can now battle against your friends and against team leaders. At around 3:40 AM German time, Niantic released the Trainer battles for all players over level 40. The trainer level has now been lowered to 10. All players above level 10 can now use the PvP feature.
We will give you a brief refresher on the topic of PvP before you jump into battles.
This is what we know about PvP – Trainer Battles
How can I battle? To challenge a friend, go to your Nearby List and swipe to the “Battle” page. There you can scan your friend’s battle code or he can scan yours. After scanning, you can select the league and start the battle. Alternatively, you will receive an invitation that you must accept.
If you have hyper friends, you can also challenge them over distance. To do this, go to your friends list and find the friend you want to challenge. Then click on “Battle” and the opponent will receive an invitation from you. It doesn’t matter how far away the opponent is.
How does the battle work? After selecting your three Pokémon, the battle begins. You use the fast attack until the charge attack gauge is full. Then you unleash the charge attack. The faster you tap on the appearing field, the stronger the attack will be.
This is new: You can now teach your Pokémon a second charge attack. This costs candies and stardust. With the second attack, you are more flexible and can counter the opponent better.
Additionally, there is a shield for defense. You cannot dodge in trainer battles, but you can use this shield. You can use it twice per battle. It almost fully absorbs the opponent’s charge attack.
What are the rewards? No matter if you win or lose, you will receive a reward for the battle. Confirmed rewards include stardust and the Sinnoh Stone. You can receive a reward from battles against friends three times a day and once from a battle with team leaders.
Fighting against Team Leaders
This is how you can battle against team leaders: You can also challenge team leaders in a battle. The NPCs help you become stronger. To do this, click on the team leader you want to challenge in your Nearby List. The battle will then proceed like the battles against friends.
Are the team leaders hard to defeat? If you have the right counters against the team leaders’ Pokémon, they are easy to defeat. Trainers with lower levels will especially struggle against Spark in the Master League.
We have already written a large guide that answers every question about PvP:
Who will you challenge first?
