The trainer battles in Pokémon GO will provide a completely new player experience for trainers. We show you what awaits you.
Niantic has announced the PvP mode. This mode allows players to compete against each other for the first time. You can show who the stronger trainer is and receive rewards at the end.
We from MeinMMO were invited by Niantic to a press event and were able to test the PvP mode. Therefore, we can now report to you what awaits you in the new battle system and how it works.
What’s included in the new PvP feature
We will now show you step by step what the new battle mode in Pokémon GO has to offer. We will list each new feature for you and explain what this innovation brings.
Here is a brief overview of all the new features, and then we will go into detail:
- You can fight against all players. This is done by scanning the battle code. You can challenge ultra friends from any distance.
- You can challenge your opponents in different leagues.
- A second charge attack makes you variable in the fights.
- You can use a shield twice per fight to absorb the opponent’s attack.
- You can fight as often as you like without using potions or revives.
- As rewards, you can earn stardust and the Sinnoh stone.
- Fights against the team leaders as NPCs are possible.
How can I challenge other trainers?
Battle code to fight: To fight against another player, you first need to challenge them. This is done with a battle code that you find in your Nearby list.
Do I need to be near the trainer for a battle? If you are already ultra friends with your opponent, you can challenge them from any distance. How this feature works exactly is still unknown.
Scanning the battle code: If you want to challenge a player, you need to scan this code from them. A camera will open in your game to read the code. The other party must confirm your invitation. Then the battle can begin.
Selecting the battle league
How do the battle leagues work? To start the battle you need to first select the league you want to battle in. The leagues are based on the CP of your Pokémon.
- Great League: A league for Pokémon with a maximum of 1500 CP.
- Ultra League: A league for Pokémon with a maximum of 2500 CP.
- Master League: A league without CP limit for your Pokémon.
What’s the purpose of the leagues? The leagues are meant to encourage weaker trainers to participate in battles. A level 40 player can compete at the same level as a level 20 player, just because they are battling in the Great League, where only Pokémon with a maximum of 1500 CP are allowed.
Choosing Pokémon
Can you fight with many Pokémon? In PvP, you can only use three Pokémon. So think carefully about which Pokémon you want to bring.
Why only three Pokémon? Niantic wants to prevent constant switching of Pokémon. There should be a battle and not a constant changing of Pokémon to exploit the opponent’s weaknesses. That’s why there are only three instead of six Pokémon.
Can I battle with all Pokémon? You cannot have only two Pokémon in your battle team. Ditto and Ninjatom are off-limits. Otherwise, you can battle with all Pokémon.
This is how battling works
Are there any innovations in the battle? After you’ve assembled your team, you can measure yourself in battle. There are some innovations compared to the arena battles.
A second charge attack in battle: The biggest innovation is the use of two charge attacks. Your Pokémon can learn another charge attack through the use of stardust and candies.
What does the second charge attack bring? With the second attack, you can make your Pokémon variable. It can master attacks of two types and be effective against multiple types.
A Kyogre with the charge attacks Hydro Pump and Thunder can be effective against Fire, Ground, and Rock and also effective against Water and Flying Pokémon.
How can you use the charge attacks? You use the quick attacks as usual by tapping on the screen. On the left and right of your Pokémon, the two charge attacks charge up. When one of those bars is full, you can use that attack.
The charge attack can be strengthened: The faster you press the field that appears when using the charge attack, the stronger the charge attack will be. You have a total of five seconds for this. It’s about speed in your fingers.
Cooldown makes constant switching difficult: Whoever constantly switches their Pokémon despite having two charge attacks will be punished. If you switch your Pokémon in battle, it comes with a cooldown period. During this time you cannot attack, but your opponent can deal damage.
Deflecting charge attacks thanks to a shield: If your opponent uses the charge attack, you have five seconds to deploy a defense shield. You have this shield two times throughout the entire battle. So think carefully about when to use the shield.
Can you dodge attacks without a shield? The classic dodging, as we know it from arena battles, does not exist in PvP mode. You can only absorb an attack by using the shield.
The battle is time-limited: Those who think they can simply use a Heiteria or similar to survive a long time in the battle are mistaken. The battle is time-limited and can only be won if the opposing Pokémon is defeated.
When does a battle end? The battle ends when one trainer has lost all three Pokémon. They then leave as the loser. If the time runs out in the battle, the trainer with more healthy Pokémon in their team wins. If both trainers have the same number of healthy Pokémon, the trainer whose Pokémon have more HP left wins.
Do I have to revive my Pokémon afterwards? The entire battling process occurs without potions or revives. You do not need to revive any Pokémon after a battle.
These rewards await you after the battle
There is no loser: To keep the battle fair and reward both trainers, both players receive a reward. This is slightly higher for the winner than for the loser.
What are the rewards? In the demo version that we were allowed to test, there was a large amount of stardust and the Sinnoh stone as a reward. However, what exactly the rewards will look like is still unknown. However, the Sinnoh stone is definitely a part of the rewards.
How often do you get the rewards? You can fight against friends as often as you like. However, the rewards are limited to three battles per day. Starting from the fourth battle, you will not receive any more rewards.
New medal for battling: In addition to the rewards, you will also receive a new medal. Here you will be rewarded for battling in the Master League.
Battling against NPCs
Challenge your team leader: Another big innovation is battling against NPCs, i.e., computer-controlled opponents. The opponents are the three team leaders of Team Red, Blue, and Yellow.
How do I challenge team leaders? You can challenge team leaders in a similar way as players. In your Nearby list, you will find Blanche, Candela, and Spark as opponents. There you can train and improve your skills. You can challenge all leaders, no matter which team you are in. The leaders have different difficulty levels, which are as follows:
- Blanche (Team Blue) is the easiest to defeat.
- Candela (Team Red) is the medium NPC.
- Spark (Team Yellow) is the hardest to defeat.
Does battling differ? The battle proceeds in the same manner as against human opponents. You select the league you want to participate in beforehand and then choose the appropriate Pokémon.
Which Pokémon do the team leaders fight with? The team leaders have a different team in each league. You can therefore battle against a total of nine different teams (three team leaders, each at three different levels).
Team leaders fight with legendary birds:
In the other leagues, the team leaders battle with different Pokémon. Be surprised at which Pokémon await you. Do you also get rewards there? You receive rewards for a battle against the team leaders once per day. These are identical to the rewards for battles against friends. You do not receive any more rewards for each additional battle. Trainer Ace medal comes back: The Trainer Ace medal, which could no longer be improved after the arena update in 2017, is coming back. You will make progress on this medal after every victory against the team leaders. This feature may still change: We were able to test a beta version of the PvP mode. This was not the final version. Therefore, small details may still change, and the version was not final. Are you looking forward to the new PvP? Who do you want to challenge first? These field researches await you in December. 
