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Pokmeon GO’s gameplay isn’t modeled after the typical RPG-style of mostPokemongames. Each Pokemon has two types of moves: Fast and Charged. However, depending on the type of battle, a Pokemon’s moves will function a bit differently. Player’s can either battle other Pokemon at the gym/raids, or they can battle another trainer one-on-one. For casual players, there’s the Train option to help newcomers with the different battle system.
The leaders of Team Valor/Mystic/Instinct aren’t just there to give Appraisals or advice when playing throughPokemon GO. They can also be challenged to a one-on-one battle. Players who find themselves struggling against Team GO Rocket Grunts or other players in PVP can brush up on their skills by Training. Like anything else, by understanding how battling works inPokemon GO, the easier it’ll be to win.
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What to Know About Training
Although the gameplay is modeled after one another, there are some key differences between Train and (PVP/Rocket) Battle inPokemon GO. The biggest difference is that playerswon’tearn more thanone reward a dayfor defeating any of the Team Leaders. Thus, playershoping to farm Stardust through Trainingwill want to look elsewhere. The other thing to note is that players can challengeanyLeader despite their Team. For example, a Team Mystic player can battle Candela (Valor) or Spark (Instinct).
Training Battles can be accessed by tapping thePoke Ball iconat the bottom of the overworld screen. Then, selectBattle. Scroll down to where it saysTraining. Select any one of the Team Leaders to challenge, and choose aLeague. There, players will choose a team of three Pokemon - just like a regular PVP or Team GO Rocket battle.
Here are some other factors in Battle Training that players will want to keep in mind:
A Train Battle may seem like a waste of time, but it’s the only way to unlock the Ace Trainer Gear in the Style Shop. Training a total of 10 times will earn playersthe Ace Trainer Medal. As one of the easiest medals in-game to get, it’s not a bad idea to take some time in between catching Pokemon to Train.
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Challenging the Team Leaders
There will be two Pokemon Leagues available for players: Great League and Ultra League. These both have a limit of 1500 and 2500 CP per Pokemon for Great and Ultra League respectively. As mentioned before, Candela/Blanche/Spark’s Pokemon will have their Pokemon to its max CP depending on the League.
The Master League can be unlockedonce players have three Pokemon with 2500+ CP. Unlike the Great and Ultra Leagues, the Master League doesn’t have a CP-limit. This means any opposing Pokemon could have well-over 4000 CP per Pokemon. Fortunately, a Team Leader’s Pokemon will never bestronger than a 5-star Raid Pokemon. This means it’s entirely possible to take them on and win despite the potential difficulty.
Judging by the Team Leaders' mascot Pokemon, it may be easy for players to figure out what Pokemon they’re going to use. Candela has Fire-type, Blanche has Ice/Water-type, and Spark has Electric-type. However,the Leaders have one or two Pokemonthat “go against” their preferred typing. This is especially prominent in the Master League.
As of September 2022, here are the Pokemon used by the Team Leaders:
1487
1483
1492
2423
2476
2416
4163
4495
4154
1465
1494
2412
2486
2472
3575
4545
3658
1473
1499
2475
4138
4597
4228
Ice, Rock
An (*) indicates a Pokemon Type/Move that will deal 4x damage to one of Candela, Blanche, or Spark’s Pokemon. Also, keep in mind that just because a Pokemon has a Type Weakness, doesn’t mean they may not have moves to counter the player’s Pokemon. For example, Sealeo (Blanche) is an Ice/Water-type, making it weak to Grass-type Pokemon. However, as a dual Ice-type Pokemon, it will have eithera Fast Move or a Charge Movethat will be super effective against Grass-type Pokemon.
Battles against the Team Leaders function the exact same as PVP battles. Keep tapping the screen to use a Pokemon’s Fast Move. Each time a Pokemon uses a Fast Move, their Charge Move gauge fills up. Some Pokemon have slower Fast Moves than others, so keep this in mind. Once a Pokemon can use their Charge Move, tap the icon at the bottom of the screen. Candela, Blanche, and Spark willnotuse their Protect Shields (which guards against a Charged Attack) in the Great and Ultra League. However, theywilluse them in the Master League against the player’sfirst twoCharged Moves.
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