A new Season of the GO Battle League brings a bunch of updates to the existing moves in Pokémon GO. While those moves that change stats are limited to PvP, new attack availability updates also impact the PvE (Raids) meta.

With the Forever Forward Season kicking off the second half of 2026, which Pokémon gain the most in Raids from the updates? Does the PvE meta get disrupted to a good degree?

Let’s find out!

Forever Forward Season: Attack Availability Updates

The following Pokémon gain access to new moves:

We will focus on only those changes that actually matter. For instance, Twister to Mega Pidgeot isn’t affecting the Dragon meta, right?! Nor is Surf to Kingdra.

Top Changes to Raids Meta from Forever Forward Move Availability Updates

Shadow Gigalith with Lock-On

The biggest winner of this update is a Pokémon that doesn’t even get a STAB move! But thanks to its crazy energy gains, it has always been a valuable addition to its recipients. Yes, I’m talking about the infamous Lock-On, and by adding it to Shadow Gigalith, we have a phenomenal Rock-type attacker.

Lock-On adds more than 11% boost to Shadow Gigalith’s damage output, and makes it stronger than Shadow Rhyperior and Mega Tyranitar. In fact, it’s only behind the yet-to-debut Mega Glimmora, the extreme glass cannon Shadow Rampardos, and the ever-dependable Mega Diancie in Rock DPS.

With Rock being such a fantastic offensive typing, you definitely need to prioritize Lock-On Shadow Gigalith to punish Bug, Fire, Flying, and Ice Raid Bosses!

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Shadow Conkeldurr with Force Palm

Conkeldurr has always been Dynamic Punch Machamp on steroids, and it is the Shadow form that made its way into the top echelon of Fighting types. Regular Lucario and Mega Heracross surpassed it in DPS, but not anymore!

With Force Palm in its arsenal, Shadow Conkeldurr overtakes both those Fighters and gains a 4.34% damage boost to its older self. This isn’t much, but you now have another Pokémon crossing Lucario, which is kind of a yardstick for Fighting-type performance. Since you can use only 1 Mega Evolution in your Fighting Raid entourage, Shadow Conkeldurr is still one of the best to add to the squad, and it’s better than ever.

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Quaquaval with Low Kick and Close Combat

Quaquaval finally learns a Fighting-type Fast Attack in Pokémon GO, and while it isn’t anywhere near the top attackers in its meta, it is undoubtedly usable in lower-tier Raids (1* and 3*). The Water subtyping helps Quaquaval resist Ice and Steel attacks, making it last quite long in the Raid battle.

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Shadow Swanna with Gust

The Flying type is one of the weirdest metas in Pokémon GO. It is ruled by arguably the strongest in the game, Mega Rayquaza, but powerhouses like Mega Salamence, Shadow Salamence, and Mega Charizard Y don’t end up in the rankings since they either don’t learn a complete Flying moveset (Salamence lacks a Flying-type Fast Attack) or have a poor Flying PvE moveset (Mega Charizard Y).

As a result, the Shadow variants of Staraptor, Unfezant, Honchkrow, and Toucannon feature in the top standings of Flying DPS. And for the most part, this happens because of a viable moveset (hello, Shadow Toucannon with Beak Blast). In the same vein, Shadow Swanna becomes a better Flying attacker than ever, thanks to Gust being added to its movepool.

While the increase in DPS may only be 5.25%, what matters is that in this limited attackers’ meta, Shadow Swanna brings value to the table, and is quite viable when facing Raid Bosses weak to Flying. Therefore, Shadow Swanna is a ‘winner’ of this shakeup, through earning its spot among the new crop of notable Flying attackers.

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Some important pointers

• At this point, it is worth mentioning that while Shadow Rhyperior with Drill Run is better than Earthquake, and the Pokémon is definitely meta-relevant per se, the DPS gain is only 0.66%, which hardly matters.

• Shadow Kingdra grabs a 4.3% boost to its DPS by replacing Hydro Pump with Surf, but unlike Shadow Swanna’s performance in the Flying type, Shadow Kingdra’s gains don’t make much of a difference.

• Galarian Zapdos and Sylveon are actually worse in Raids with their new moves: Low Kick and Fairy Wind.

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It’s quite obvious that Shadow Gigalith and Shadow Conkeldurr are the biggest winners for Raids, with the Rock-type attacker becoming super formidable in the Pokémon GO PvE meta.

All the best for Forever Forward and have a fabulous new Season, Trainers!

The post Biggest Winners from Forever Forward Move Updates: Raids (PvE) appeared first on Pokémon GO Hub.

Spark’s Caretaking Quest event runs from Tuesday, June 2, at 10:00 a.m. to Monday, June 8, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time. Team up with Spark for an exploration-driven adventure centered on hatching Eggs and discovering Pokémon! This event is a tie-in with the Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Chicago event.

Wild Encounters

The following Pokémon will appear more frequently in the wild:

Eggs

The following Pokémon will hatch from 7 km Eggs:

Field Research Encounters

The following Pokémon will be available to encounter when you complete certain Field Research tasks:

The post Spark’s Caretaking Quest Event Guide appeared first on Pokémon GO Hub.

Pokémon GO brought Community Day voting back for the August 2026 Community Day! From Saturday, May 30, at 6:00 p.m. PDT to Sunday, May 31, at 6:00 p.m. PDT, you could vote for the August Community Day featured Pokémon via the official Pokémon GO YouTube channel.

The Pokémon that received the most votes is the featured Pokémon on August Community Day on August 16, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. local time.

And the winner is….

Nickit!

Nickit

Nickit Community Day

Nickit Community Day will take place on August 16, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 5pm local time.

We do not yet know what move Thievul will gain when evolved or caught during Community Day, but there is some potential for PvP depending on the move!

(*) While most bonuses are only active during the three-hour event period, these bonuses will be active from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. local time.

The odds of getting a Shiny Nickit are 1 in 20 (5%) during August 2026 Community Day.

Lures only last 1 hour during Nickit Community Day, but they have an additional bonus. From 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. local time, Nickit will have a very high chance of appearing at PokéStops with active regular Lure Modules.

Nickit attracted to regular Lure Modules will still have an increased chance to be Shiny and may have a Special Background. That’s more chances to encounter the featured Pokémon even after the event hours!

Shiny Comparisons

Nickit is a brand new shiny in Pokémon GO! Both Nickit and its evolution Thievul have excellent shinies with greyscale colour schemes that are very striking.

Vote Result

Nickit won the vote by a hefty margin! With over 50% of the vote, that shiny form certainly seems to have swayed the vote.

The post Nickit is your August 2026 Community Day Vote Winner! appeared first on Pokémon GO Hub.

Shadow Dialga

Shadow Dialga is a tier 5 Shadow Legendary Raid Boss in Pokémon GO. Shiny Shadow Dialga is available, if you’re lucky!

After beating it in the Raid, Shadow Dialga can be caught with the following CP values, with an IV floor of 6/6/6:

• 2145 CP to 2307 CP (Level 20, no weather boost)
• 2682 CP to 2884 CP (Level 25, boosted by Snow or Windy weather)

Shadow Dialga is a Steel/Dragon type, so it is weak to Fighting and Ground type attacks. You will need to be well prepared with top counters, correct moveset, powered-up Pokémon, and most importantly, Purified Gems. We would recommend a minimum of 4-5 trainers for Shadow Dialga (and using Purified Gems).

Best Shadow Dialga Counters

Shadow Dialga Stats and Moveset

Sprites

Tips and Tricks

Communication will be key for this raid! You will want to plan not only your Mega Pokémon team positions and counters, but also your use of Purified Gems, so be sure you communicate with your fellow trainers.

We would suggest groups of 5+ for trainers with top counters that are maxed out, and armed with Purified Gems, or 8-10+ for lower-level trainers and those without ideal counters. Purified Gems are a must!

While Shadow Pokémon are extremely expensive to power up, we have included the top Shadow Pokémon you can use against Shadow Dialga. Ensure you no longer have Frustration on these Pokémon before considering adding them to your team. If you have any of these as an option, while they may take more damage than non-shadow Pokémon, they will also deal more.

We would highly recommend the use of Mega Evolved Pokémon in Shadow Dialga raids. They provide not only greater damage output, but also boost Pokémon of the same typing in the raid. We would suggest discussing your counter choices with your fellow trainers, and plan Mega Pokémon, and their position in your team accordingly.

If you have a group of 6, for example, one person should have their mega in slot 1, the next slot 2, the next slot 3, etc., you can try to keep the mega boost going throughout the raid.

As these raids are in person only, you can make use of the Party Power raid bonus through Party Play! The Party Power is a Raid bonus that fills up as members of your Party attack the Raid Boss. Once the Party Power bonus is full, your next Charge Attack will receive a special boost. You can see the Party Power button and your progress towards achieving the bonus in the bottom left corner of your Raid Battle.

Related reading

• Pokémon GO Shadow Raids: Comprehensive Guide is an overall guide to all things Shadow Raids

Good luck, Trainers!

The post Shadow Dialga Raid Guide appeared first on Pokémon GO Hub.

It’s June 2026, and Pokémon TCG Pocket players are enjoying a thrilling journey through the Paldea region aboard the Paradox Drive set, featuring several Paradox Pokémon.

On this note, Premium Pass players can find an alternative reprint of a Paldean EX card and cool accessories based on a powerful Legendary from the same region!

Here’s what’s in store for June!

June 2026 Premium Pass Missions & Rewards

Players with the Premium Pass can find new missions under the ‘Premium’ section, rewarding an alternative reprint card of Meowscarada EX from Paldean Wonders and Premium tickets through which you can get Miraidon-themed accessories from the Shop!

Miraidon Accessories

Premium Pass holders can use Premium tickets to get several accessories based on Miraidon, the strongest Future Paradox Pokémon ! Here are the items available and their Premium ticket costs:

• Miraidon playmat: Premium ticket x12, is laid out on the in-play zone during battle. Select it when using the Decks feature.
• Miraidon backdrop: Premium ticket x3, used to place cards when using the Display Boards feature.
• Miraidon sleeve: Premium ticket x6, is attached to cards. Select it when using the Decks feature.
• Miraidon coin: Premium ticket x6, can be used during battle for coin flips. Select it when using the Decks feature.
• Miraidon cover: Premium ticket x3, used for binders when using the Binders feature.

The post Pokémon TCG Pocket June 2026 Premium Pass Lineup & Missions appeared first on Pokémon GO Hub.

Inkay
Dynamax

Max Monday features a different Pokémon in power spots for the whole day. Inkay Max Monday takes place on June 1st, 2026. This Max Monday is the first June Pokémon, and it is the return of Dynamax Inkay! 

Dynamax Inkay is a Dark and Psychic type which means it is only weak to Bug and Fairy type moves. It is a tier 1 Dynamax Battle.

Want more tips and tricks for Max Battles? Read this guide.

Dynamax Inkay should be an easy solo but let’s take a look at the best counters anyway!

Dynamax Inkay Counters

Recommended Team

• Registeel is your best option as a defender for Inkay. Backed up by Blissey as a healer this will work very well. 
• Gigantamax Butterfree is the clear best attacker for Inkay.

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Best Attackers for Dynamax Inkay

The best attackers for defeating Dynamax Inkay are the following Pokémon:

Your best attacking option is Gigantamax Butterfree. After that your most powerful options from the list above will serve you well.

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Best Defenders for Dynamax Inkay

The best defenders to use against a Dynamax Inkay are the following Pokémon:

Registeel is the best defender for Inkay as it resists everything Inkay has to offer whilst also charging up the max meter as quickly as possible. 

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Best Healers for Dynamax Inkay

The best healers to use in a Dynamax Inkay Max Battle are the following Pokémon:

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Team Composition

Dynamax Battles can be participated in by up to 4 Trainers.  In each group of 4 we recommend two Trainers have teams focused on attackers, one tank/defender team, and one healer team.

Your team of 3 Pokémon should begin with a Charger, a Pokémon with a 0.5s fast move, and then two optimal attacker Pokémon.

Your Charger Pokémon should come from this list of Pokémon with 0.5s fast moves. The quicker your fast move, the quicker you can charge to the Dynamax phase. When you Dynamax, swap to your attacker, then swap back.

Remember, your Fast Move determines your attack typing in your Dynamax Phase, which is why we haven’t included any recommended Charged Moves.

Dynamax Inkay Movepool

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Frequently Asked Questions

How to charge up your Max Meter?

In a Gigantamax Battle, tap the screen to use Fast Attacks as fast as possible, and ti fill up the Max Meter at the top of the screen. Your Max Meter is filled depending on how much damage you do, but never less than 1 Max Energy.

Since Gigantamax Bosses have incredibly high stats, it is not worth using Charge Moves – you are better off using Fast Moves. This is quite different from Dynamax Battles, so be careful.

How to dodge Boss Attacks

When three lines appear above a Pokemon’s head, it means it is being targeted by the Max Battle Boss. You can avoid this by swiping to either the left or the right.

The Dynamax Phase

When your Max Meter reaches its maximum, your Pokémon will automatically Dynamax/Gigantamax. You can fill it up by swiping towards the energy icons that appears from time to time, or by using your Fast and Charged Attacks. Once it is full, your Pokémon will Dynamax for 3 turns.

• You have a 3 second countdown to choose the Pokémon you wish to Dynamax / Gigantamax. You can pick any Pokémon, but it depends on which role you are fulfilling in your group. 
• Once your Dynamax Phase ends you can immediately switch back to another Pokémon in your team if you wish to.
• You can Dynamax more than once in a Max Battle, and will automatically Dynamax once your Max Meter refills.

If all of your Pokémon faint while battling a 3-star or higher level Boss with other Trainers, you can still help your allies by cheering for your them so that their meters fill faster.

It is also worth communicating with your fellow Trainers to ensure that those who may be less prepared, such as children who don’t have the resources of others, are included in groups that can help carry them through.

Max Guard

Max Guard can be used to add a maximum of 3 shields to your Pokémon. How much HP a single shield can absorb depends on the Max Guard level.

• 20HP for level 1
• 40HP for level 2
• 60 HP for level 3

When stacked to a maximum of 3 shields it gives you:

• 60HP for level 1
• 120HP for level 2
• 180HP for level 3

If you find you are re-entering your Dynamax Phase and you still have shields left, it would be recommended to top back up to 3 shields, then use your Max Attack for your other moves.

While shields are only applied to the Pokémon using them, it is a hugely important aspect of a Max Battle. Whilst shielded, the Max Battle boss will direct its focused attacks towards the Pokémon that is shielded only!

The defender therefore draws damage away from the other active Pokémon in battle, protecting them from the more powerful Max Battle attack. Dodging should still be attempted in order to reduce the damage received and keep your shields up for longer. We cannot under-estimate how important Max Guard is due to it drawing damage away for your whole group, it is absolutely key to utilise in your strategy.

Only one person in your group of four needs to use Max Guard, so communication is key here.

Max Spirit

Max Spirit heals not only Pokémon using it, but also any other active Pokémon on the battle field in your group of 4. The amount of health restored is based on the level of Max Spirit and the user’s maximum HP. Aim to level up your Max Spirit to at least level 2 for a dedicated healer.

This means that Pokémon with high stamina and HP stats are better healers, even if they don’t have optimal attacks for their Max Battle boss.

Attackers in Max Battles

Attackers are Pokémon that have Max Attack levelled up. Attackers in Max Battles are the Pokémon you want to use during the Dynamax Phase. These Pokémon deal maximum damage to the Max Boss.

Remember, in Max Battles your Fast Move that determines the typing of your Max Move, so it is key to ensure it has the correct typing that will deal super effective damage to the boss. Attackers are recommended based on their typings, and their attack stats.

Defenders in Max Battles

Defenders are Pokémon that have Max Guard leveled up. Good defenders are Pokémon who have large defense and stamina stats, and take reduced damage from the Max Boss. This enables you to stay alive longer, and charge up your Max Meter faster.

Defenders are recommended based on having high level defense and stamina stats, along with their typing being resistant to the Max Bosses potential moveset.

Healers in Max Battles

Healers are Pokémon that have Max Spirit levelled up. Healers are used in the max phase to apply healing to your team. Healers are recommended based on their stamina stat. Other elements are considered, including their ability to pull double duty as defenders or attackers.

The post Dynamax Inkay Max Monday: Event Guide appeared first on Pokémon GO Hub.

Pokémon GO’s June 1-7 week sees us enter the first week of the season of Forever Forward, and the first week of June! GO Fest season is in full flow with Chicago, and Spark quests for caretaking globally. Plus the weekly rotating Raid Hours, Dynamax Battles and Mega Raids.

Highlights

• Raid Boss Change (June 3): Reshiram and Mega Audino return to the raid pool.
• Max Monday (June 1): Dynamax Inkay is featured in Max Battles from 6 PM to 7 PM.
• Raid Hour (June 3): Reshiram are featured in Five-Star Raids from 6 PM to 7 PM
• Blanche’s Quest for Knowledge (May 26 – June 1): Adventure with Blanche with a GO Pass, themed wild spawns and more
• Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Chicago (June 5-7): Mega Mewtwo X and Y debut, along with Zeraora, and shiny Paldean Tauros
• Spark’s Caretaking Quest (June 2-8): Adventure with Spark with a GO Pass, special eggs and more

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Weekly Pokémon GO Schedule

Events in Pokémon GO This Week

Blanche’s Quest for Knowledge

From Tuesday, May 26, at 10:00 a.m. to Monday, June 1, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time. Join Blanche for a research-focused adventure featuring Field Research tasks, a GO Pass, and Incense encounters.

Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Chicago

Pokémon GO Fest 2026: Chicago takes place from June 5-7 at Grant Park and across Chicago. Ticket holders receive exclusive gameplay, spawns, raids, and bonuses. Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Mewtwo Y and Zeraora will make their Pokémon GO debut, along with Shiny Paldean Tauros.

Spark’s Caretaking Quest

From Tuesday, June 2, at 10:00 a.m. to Monday, June 8, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. local time team up with Spark for an exploration-driven adventure centered on hatching Eggs and discovering Pokémon.

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Raids

Five-Star Raids

From May 27 to June 2, Tapu Fini will appear in Five-Star Raids.

Related guides: Tapu Fini Raid Guide

From June 3 to June 9, Reshiram will appear in Five-Star Raids.

Related guides: Reshiram

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Mega Raids

From May 27 to June 2, Mega Medicham will appear in Mega Raids.

Related guides: Mega Medicham

From June 3 to June 9, Mega Audino will appear in Mega Raids.

Related guides: Mega Audino

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Shadow Raids

One-star and three-star Shadow Raids will be available daily, while five-star Shadow Raids will take place on Saturdays and Sundays unless otherwise noted. Also, Shadow Dialga will swoop into five-star Shadow Raids during Forever Forward! You may even encounter a Shiny Shadow Dialga—if you’re lucky!

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GO Pass and GO Pass Deluxe

Pokémon GO’s June 2026 GO Pass and GO Pass Deluxe feature exclusive rewards, including an encounter with Lugia, XP and Stardust bonuses, and a Timed Incubator!

Trainers can earn GO Points by completing Pass Tasks, unlock milestone rewards through ranking up, and access premium items by upgrading to the Deluxe version via the Pokémon GO Web Store.

Trainers will automatically receive GO Pass: June on Tuesday, June 2, at 10:00 a.m. local time.

GO Battle League Season 27

GO Battle League: Memories in Motion begins Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. PDT(GMT −7).

At the start of the Season:

• End of Season rewards become available on the Battle screen.
• Your GO Battle League rank will reset

Active Cups and Leagues this week

(*) 4× Stardust from win rewards (this does not include end-of-set rewards)

Season of Forever Forward

Get ready for Pokémon GO’s Forever Forward Season! Running from June 2, 2026 to September 8, 2026, this incredible season focuses on new Mega Pokémon, new Dynamax Pokémon, GO Fest and more!

Forever Forward Egg Hatches

The following Pokémon will hatch from Eggs this Season. These are just some highlighted Egg hatches, more Pokémon can hatch from each egg group.

2km Eggs

5km Eggs

10km Eggs

7km Eggs

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Adventure Sync Rewards

The following Pokémon hatch from Adventure Sync Eggs this Season. These are just some highlighted Egg hatches, more Pokémon can hatch from each egg group.

5 km Adventure Sync Eggs

10 km Adventure Sync Eggs

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Routes Rewards

7 km Eggs from Mateo Gift Exchange

[seperator]

Research Breakthrough

Encounter Pokémon by completing the Research Breakthrough! Complete Field Research to unlock Research Breakthrough encounters with one of the following Pokémon:

The post Pokémon GO Events This Week: June 1-7, 2026 appeared first on Pokémon GO Hub.

May was all about shiny Pokémon! With the season of Memories in Motion bringing with it evolved shiny Pokémon in the wild, plus more shadow shinies than ever, it seemed the perfect theme.

Next Submission Theme

June is the start of GO Fest season, and summer for many parts of the world! Submit your best photos of Pokémon with a summer theme by 25th June to be considered here.

Unedited Images

The below AR images have not been edited in any way.

‘The Spirit of Spring’ by mingosanch, Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA.

‘My mom and I took a walk around a nearby lake on Mother’s Day. During our walk, we passed by a tree covered in gorgeous pink flowers. It felt like the sort of place that Pokémon like Ribombee would love! Because of the position of the sun, the flowers appeared in many different shades, ranging very bright and almost white to a darker and more saturated pink, especially in the shade. Those different shades of pink closely matched the lighter pink of Ribombee’s body and the red color of its scarf. I applied a bokeh effect to really draw the viewer’s eyes to Ribombee and its adorable smile!’

‘Spring wind’ by nana15AR, Hiroshima City, Japan.

‘Feel the spring breeze and hear the birds chirping.’

‘Bungee jumping?’ by Limu（りむ）, The roadside in the neighborhood.

‘The Froakie are imitating the hot bath skit by the comedy group Dachou Club. It’s surreal and adorable that these water-type Pokémon are scared of the (hot water-like) water, and as expected, they dove in beautifully afterward.’

‘Star by the beach’ by Shermin, BC, Sooke, Canada.

‘Caught this first day in Victoria and was my first shiny Starmie. Walking by the beach and found the perfect spot for a sick photo.’

‘Spring colors’ by nana15AR, Hiroshima City, Japan.

‘Surrounded by soft colors.’

‘Sick Seven’ by mingosanch, Taipei, Taiwan.

‘When I visited Taipei earlier this year, I learned that the city had one of two Pokémon-themed 7-Eleven stores in Taiwan. Even though it was a long walk from where my family was staying, I knew I had to make the trek there! There were so many cool decorations both inside and outside the store, and also lots of themed merch. The three mascots of the store were Pikachu, Eevee, and Piplup, so I naturally had to get an AR shot of the three of them together!’

‘『Dreamlike Fireworks』’ by Limu（りむ）, Ozaki Flower Park.

‘Maybe I got too engrossed and burned out. …There are some things you just can’t find an answer to no matter how much you think about them Looking at the Allium giganteum made me feel like I was watching fireworks… I woke up from a dream… I was so absorbed in it, that’s strange ’

‘The beauty of nature’ by nana15AR, Hiroshima City, Japan.

‘In a corner of the park. This photo that makes you realize the beauty of nature.’

‘Catching the morning rays’ by Zadnejmenonemem, Hlučín, Czechia.

‘On the morning walk I spotted a Solrock enjoying the morning sunshine’

‘Deliverance’ by mingosanch, Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, Hong Kong.

‘Although it’s a very subtle Shiny, Shiny Bombirdier is one of my favorites. The largely monochrome color scheme with small splashes of red on the eyes and talons is so elegant and simple. When I finally caught one of my own at GO Fest in Jersey City, I knew I needed to take a photo of it someday!

I finally found the perfect opportunity to take a Bombirdier photo when I traveled to Hong Kong. My mom, brother, and I took a cable car to Ngong Ping on Lantau Island, and then climbed 268 steps to reach the Tian Tan Buddha, also called “The Big Buddha”. The statue was spectacular, but what amazed me even more was the gorgeous view behind the statue! The landscape of mountains and lush greenery leading down to the sea, with many small islands along the horizon, is one of the most breathtaking views I’ve ever seen. Because Shiny Bombirdier bears such a resemblance to the Oriental stork found across Asia, it seemed like the perfect Pokémon to photograph with the beautiful backdrop!’

‘Lots of feasts’ by nana15AR, Hiroshima City, Japan.

‘｢Give me everything!｣ Spread both hands.’

‘『Chick, chirp chirp♪』’ by Limu（りむ）, Parks in Nerima Ward.

‘Can you imagine these adorable kids becoming cool and handsome in the future?’

‘Morning Sage’ by mingosanch, Miami, Florida, USA.

‘During my visit to Miami for the City Safari event last year, my mom and I went to the Pérez Art Museum. There were so many wonderful pieces and exhibitions there, but one of my favorites was “Chromosaturation” by Carlos Cruz-Diez. The immersive exhibit consists of three small chambers that are illuminated by very saturated red, green, and blue light. As soon as I stepped into the green chamber, my mind immediately jumped to Shiny Espeon, which is one of the greenest Shiny Pokémon! I love how, in contrast to most backgrounds that have lots of shadows and distinct shapes, this background was almost entirely one shade of one color.’

‘Prayer for peace’ by nana15AR, Hiroshima City, Japan.

‘When I prayed for peace, the setting sun came in.’

‘『Melon Anniversary』’ by Limu（りむ）, Saitama Shintoshin Station.

‘I was so happy to find a piano adorned with illustrations that looked like they were made specifically for Pokémon Sandshrew! We had so much fun singing and dancing!’

‘Floral Flotilla’ by mingosanch, Tanglin, Central Region, Singapore.

‘My brother and I were lucky enough to visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens earlier this year. Throughout the entire garden, there were beautiful displays of flowers. Close to the entrance, there was a cluster of several bushes of flowers in different colors: white, purple, pink, yellow, and orange. My mind naturally went to the Flabébé family, which has many different flower colors! Floette is my favorite of the three stages, so I decided to photograph a group of Floette.

I chose the Orange Flower, Red Flower, and White Flower forms because the colors of their flowers and bodies matched all of the flowers and plants in the background! I also took the picture with a heavy bokeh effect to focus the viewer’s attention on the Pokémon in the foreground. I’m really happy with how the photo turned out! ‘

Edited Images

The below AR images have been edited in minor ways, including colour edits, filters etc.

‘Alice’ by Kawsar Oras, Bangor , North Wales, UK.

‘Beautiful Shiny Mega Gardevoir looking at the night city view .’

Edits

The below images are composites/full edits, made using a combination AR, existing images, and extensive editing.

‘The Aomori Rainbow’ by TheyCallMePhones (Instagram,Bluesky); CallMePhones (Twitter/X), Noheji, Aomori, Japan.

‘A friend of ours, AlcremieSundae, visited the Japanese countryside a few months ago. I asked her for some photos from her trip and they were extremely aesthetic. I edited quite a few of them, but I felt that Ho-oh was the perfect fit for this challenge. The Aomori prefecture really does look beautiful.’

‘Chilling in the Zoo with Penguins ’ by Slough2005 / Quintin Foutz, Washington State, United States of America.

‘Deep within the icy stone reaches of Woodland Park Zoo, two towering Empoleon loom beside a humble penguin ancestor, like ancient kings returning to inspect the bloodline.’

‘Rayquaza used Extreme Speed’ by TheyCallMePhones (Instagram,Bluesky); CallMePhones (Twitter/X), New York City, NY, United States.

‘While out on the town my partner and I noticed the sun setting beautifully near Madison Square Park. We decided to use the buildings and alleyway to frame the shot, and after reviewing them carefully we thought Rayquaza would be a perfect fit. After some layering, color correcting, and blur usage, we finally came to see it: Rayquaza used Extreme Speed!’

AR Masters

The below images are taken by our AR Masters.

‘Summer Ready’ by kittypokemonsalot, Tenerife.

‘

‘I often jokingly refer to myself as the ‘real life Psyduck’, because I suffer from chronic cluster headache and hemiplegic migraine. I’ve had a headache 24/7 since 2010. Yes, really! As such, I identify with Psyduck and really love that little guy. My local community kindly kept a lot of shiny costume Psyduck to trade with me to try get me a shundo, and after a fair few trades, a random remote trade gave me the shundo!’

The post Shiny Pokémon Theme GO Snapshot AR Showcase appeared first on Pokémon GO Hub.

Well I tried and failed once again, Pokéfriends. As per usual, I went into this analysis all optimistic that we’d be able to squeeze this entire move rebalance into just one, 40,000 character or less analysis article (thus fitting it all into one Reddit post), but ALSO as per usual, it just can’t be done. And so the GBL Season 27 move rebalance analysis WILL require two parts.

This first one at least has a theme to it, centered on buffed and redistributed Ground, Flying, and Water-type moves, and there is more than enough with just those three to push right up against that max character limit! So come with me as we take a PvP analysis journey across land, sky, and sea… here we go!

Ground move buffs, nerfs and move pool changes

Move changes

Attack availability updates

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Earthquake changes and new Earthquake users

Let’s kick things off by grounding ourselves… with a trio of Ground moves all seeing changes. The vast majority of Ground move updates over the years have been fast moves, with Mud Slap and Mud Shot seeing several buffs and nerfs, and Sand Attack adding into the mix just two years ago. We’ve had the odd tweak to charge moves here and there, like the recent Mud Bomb and Bulldoze buffs.

Meanwhile, Earthquake has had one single update (a nerf from 120 to 110 damage in 2023), Drill Run has seen only update (a buff from 55 energy down to 45 way back in Season 2 when COVID was still brand new to most of us), and Earth Power has never been updated since its debut in 2019. (The days before COVID… remember that world, folks?) But now all three of those charge moves are getting rebalanced at once. Let’s break them down one at a time, shall we?

So the only one we are 100% sure on the coming changes is EARTHQUAKE, which is simply reverting back to its pre-Season 16 state of 120 damage (still for 65 energy, as always), making it a clone of… well, actually nothing! Every other 120-damage move still costs less, but they’re also mostly exclusive moves. At 60 energy, we have Darkest Lariat (exclusive to Incineroar), Freeze Shock and Ice Burn (exclusive to Kyurem Black and White), Luster Purge and Mist Ball (limited to Latios and Latias), and then 55-energy Techno Blast (signature move of Genesect).

The only other 120-damage move with widespread distribution is 60-energy Meteor Beam, and you can count the number of (viable) Pokémon with that move on one hand. And now, joining them for the first time in nearly three years, is Earthquake, a move found on over 50 viabke PvP Pokémon, including BIG names like Marowak, Nidoqueen, Forretress, Quagsire, Swampert, Flygon, Diggersby, Lickilicky, Walrein, Gliscor, Galarian Stunfisk, Clodsire, Metagross, Steelix, Zygarde… and the list goes on. Now not all of those directly benefit, as many have better moves even after this buff.

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Galarian Stunfisk

Galarian Stunfisk

GroundSteel

Is GALARIAN STUNFISK all the way back? Perhaps. After Mud Shot’s time in purgatory since its overall nerf in Season 20 ended just last season as it was reverted to its original 1.5 Damage Per Turn/4.5 Energy Per Turn stats, and coverage move Rock Slide similarly went back to 75 damage in Season 24 after Season 20 had dropped it to 65 damage for a year, now Earthquake comes with a bit more punch. G-Fisk hasn’t been this good since August of 2023! Specifically, the damage buff to Earthquake brings in the following wins: in Great League, Cresselia and Feraligatr in 1shield, Oinkologne and ShadowGatr in 0shield, and Malamar in 2shield; in Ultra League, Malamar and Blastoise with shields down, and Altered Giratina, Armored Mewtwo, Zygarde Complete, and Cobalion with both shields up. While it’s still a little south of a 50% winrate in Ultra, this takes it up to a very robust 60% winrate in Great League, and likely a ranking befitting a top tier competitive Pokémon again.

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Steelix

Steelix

SteelGround

I continue to say that Earthquake is generally better than Crunch on STEELIX, and that’s more true than ever with the buff. In Great League, Steelix can now topple Cradily and Florges in 1shield, and Corviknight, Furret, and Alolan Ninetales in 0shield, and in Ultra, we gain Florges again in 1shield, Cobalion with shields down, and Regidrago, Armored Mewtwo, and at least a tie with Cradily in 2v2 shielding. Not amazing, but definitely notable!

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Metagross

Metagross

SteelPsychic

And don’t forget about notable Steel (but not Ground) type METAGROSS in Master League. Already experiencing a bit of a renaissance thanks to getting Shadow Claw, giving it impressive wins over the Crowed Dogs, all Fairies, and most all Psychic and/or Dragon types, buffed Earthquake brings in a couple of the very small number of exceptions: Eternatus and Origin Palkia in 1shield, and Reshiram with shields down… plus Kyogre in 2shield for a very nice and unexpected bonus! Metagross’ upward trajectory in Master should continue after this.

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Clodsire

Clodsire

PoisonGround

CLODSIRE has several viable move combos, but nearly all of them include Earthquake. Having a good amount of bulk to hang in there and throw Quake in multiples, it can pick up wins like Shelgon and Tinkaton in 1v1 shielding, and then Aegislash, Shadow Annihilape, Shadow Feraligatr, and Azumarill with 0 shields. You’re only going to see it more and more from here on out, folks… sorry!

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Swampert

Swampert

WaterGround

After many players experimented with Sludge when it was added to SWAMPERT, I think most have shifted back to Earthquake instead. And while the improvement in Great League with reworked Earthquake should be rather minor (the occasional Oinkologne or Lickilicky here or there), the improvement is a little more significant in upper Leagues where Swampert lives long enough to really take advantage. In Ultra League this is mostly other Waters like Primarina, Feraligatr, Greninja, and (specifically in 2shield) Jellicent, and stuff like Eternatus and Tyranitar in Master League.

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Walrein, Zygarde, Forretress and Orthworm

Other impacts — after an admittedly higher level analysis since I have a LOT to get to in this article and have already spent an eighth of Reddit’s character limit on Earthquake alone! — are minor by comparison. WALREIN sneaks in the occasional new win over Ground-weak stuff like Empoleon, Tinkaton, or Tentacruel, but nothing too crazy. ZYGARDE appreciates it but really only picks up Reshiram of particular note in Master League, and only with shields down. (Though it does at least translate it a couple new wins in Ultra League, such as Galarian Weezing and Guzzlord. While this lends some credence to Earthquake on FORRETRESS rather than the seemingly more widespread Sand Tomb, the actual gains are also pretty minor, such a Jellicent or Giratina here or there. Maybe this will push ORTHWORM to run Quake over Iron Head? But yeah, I think I hit the biggest highlights. Let’s move on….

All that for just Earthquake, but we got two other big Ground moves to cover, though we do NOT have quite all the information we need, as they both have the dreaded, nebulous “energy cost decreased” attached without any specifics on what those decreases actually are. That being said, I think we can very reasonably guess, so I will soldier on.

Drill Run changes and new Drill Run users

For starters, we have DRILL RUN, which currently costs only 45 energy and is getting a decrease in energy cost as it is also dropping from 80 damage down to 70.

I think we can very safely assume the cost will then drop only by 5, making it a 40 energy/70 damage move akin to Aqua Jet, Psyshock, Icicle Spear, Sludge, Twister, Vice Grip, and Drill Peck, all of which were adjusted to those stats in the last few seasons. (40e/70d is very popular with Scopeantic, apparently!)

Not only does this make sense as Drill Run’s new stats based on that precedent, but any lower would make it a crazy overpowered clone of Leaf Blade and Sacred Sword, and I just can’t imagine them going that far. Anyway, this makes for more of a sidegrade than anything else, and will serve some Pokémon better than others. It’s now a spammier move, which can be good for some things, but others will miss the additional damage it used to put out. Let’s highlight some of the better known users.

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Dunsparce

Dunsparce

Normal

The change is both good and bad news for DUNSPARCE, though on the surface it initially seems terribad since the 1shield drops 5 wins overall. The new losses there are Aegislash, Drapion, Empoleon, Shadow Forretress, Scizor, Shadow Steelix, Stunfisk, Galarian Weezing, and Wigglytuff (not a coincidence that most of those are weak to Ground damage), while the new wins show as Clodsire, Jellicent, Galarian Stunfisk, and Shadow Politoed. But the rework is more favorable in other even shield scenarios, particularly in 2shield where old Drill Run gets only Azumarill as a unique win, while new Drill Run manages to beat down Clodsire, Empoleon, ShadowGatr, Shadow Sableye, and Clefable instead. Dunsparce may take a small rankings hit based on the 1shield results, but I don’t think it’s going anywhere. Same with DUDUNSPARCE as well.

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Alolan Sandslash

Alola Sandslash

IceSteel

At least in Great League, this change seems to be bad news for ALOLAN SANDSLASH. It drops off pretty badly with shields down (-Azumarill, SScizor, Shadow Empoleon) and especially in 1shield (-Azu, SScizor, Aegislash, Sableye, and Galarian Corsola). Might it even be time to consider a different coverage move? Iron Head, perhaps?

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Fearow

Fearow

NormalFlying

Conversely, this may be a boon to FEAROW, who gets better pacing and looks ready to gain things like Empoleon and G-Fisk in 1shield and 2shield, and Aegislash and G-Fisk again with 0 shields. These new stats, as mentioned earlier, would make it a clone of Fearow’s other primary charge move Drill Peck, and plays right into its glassy nature.

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Seaking

Seaking

Water

Might this finally push the once-laughable Water Pulse past Drill Run on SEAKING? The fabulous fish goes -2 wins in 1shield and -8 in 2shield, with Water Pulse now having a better record in both scenarios, whereas it was very slightly worse than old Drill Run. More specifically, the new Drill Run loses all of the following that the old Drill Run (which could deal more of a knockout blow) could beat: Shadow Fewraligar, Grumpig, Ninetales, Shadow Sableye, Quagsire, and regular and Shadow Swampert in 1shield (though it does at least gain Galarian Stunfisk), and then Drapion, ShadowGatr, both Ninetales, Quagsire, Sableye, and Galarian Weezing in 2shield. And what’s worse is that Water Pulse still retains all those same wins. I think it MIGHT be time to switch things up on your Seakings, folks.

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Dewgong, Rapidash, Excadrill, and Beedrill

There are other current users of Drill Run, but surprisingly few, and there’s not a ton to say about them. DEWGONG gets a bit better in 1shield, but also falls off a bit in other shielding scenarios. I think RAPIDASH will still generally prefer Wild Charge, but it’s also a mixed bag if you do roll with Drill Run, some improvement and some regression depending on shielding. EXCADRILL isn’t really improved with this update and it remains an occasional spice option. BEEDRILL and ESCAVALIER remain in purgatory, their glory days sadly further and further in the rear view mirror. However, there is one NEW user of Drill Run to highlight…

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Rhyperior

Rhyperior

RockGround

RHYPERIOR now learns Drill Run in Season 27, and I won’t make you wait: it’s basically a straight upgrade over existing alternatives in Master League, adding Metagross and then Xerneas, Zekrom, and Dawn Wings (as compared to Superpower) or Origin Dialga, Dusk Mane, Reshiram, and both Crowned Doggos (as compared to Breaking Swipe). Swipe does pull slightly ahead in 2v2 shielding by beating Eternatus, Xerneas, Meloetta, and Lunala while Drill Run instead punches through Dawn Wings, Crowned Zamazenta, and Mewtwo. But outside of that, Drill Run just does more and seems like it may put Rhyperior back on the map more fully in Master League.

Earth Power changes and new Earth Power users

And that just leaves us with EARTH POWER, which is remaining at 90 damage (and its 10% chance to reduce the opponent’s Defense), but is having its “energy cost decreased” from its current 55 energy. The obvious drop would be to 50 energy, making it essentially a better Scorching Sands (50 energy for 80 damage and a 10% chance to reduce the opponent’s Attack). But as we’re having to guess, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that a drop to 45 energy would be pretty amazing, but not unprecedented… that would be the same stats as Dragon Energy, Dynamic Punch, Avalanche and others. Honestly I don’t see them going THAT far, especially since it would then be significantly better than the reworked Drill Run (same energy + 10 more damage) and Mud Bomb (15 more damage for the same cost), but it’s not impossible. I’ll be assuming 50 energy, however, for the purposes of this analysis.

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Garchomp

Garchomp

GroundDragon

First off, I do NOT see a drop to 50 energy helping Dragon Tail users GARCHOMP or FLYGON very much, because of how Dragon Tail generates energy. Each one creates 12 energy, so four of them gets to 48 energy, too little for old OR presumably new Earth Power. You ARE able to get to the second Earth Power one fast move quicker, but by then, flimsy Garchomp or Flygon are pretty beat up, so the end result is a nearly identical win/loss record to what they got with 55-energy Earth Power. Perhaps the most notable improvement is Garchomp in Ultra League, which gains Lickilicky and Lapras in 1shield, Armored Mewtwo in 0shield, and Empoleon and Feraligatr in 2shield.

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Seismitoad

Seismitoad

WaterGround

SEISMITOAD has long been the forgotten Mud Boy having nothing to stand out with all the others clogging the field. Barely bulkier than Swampert and trailing pretty badly behind Gastrodon, Quagsire, and of course Whiscash, its problems have been compounded by basically having only Earth Power and Sludge Bomb as viable charge moves, both of which have been noticeably slower than the Aqua Tails, Body Slams, Hydro Cannons, and even Mud Bombs the others rely on. Low end bulk with comparatively pricey moves? No wonder it’s remained the black sheep of the Mud Boy family.

But perhaps those days are over now, as Earth Power is arguably a better Mud Bomb now (only 5 more energy for 25 more damage), and Seismitoed is the only new recipient in this rebalance of Icy Wind, a move that not only comes for only 45 energy, but provides critical and unique coverage…remember how slow Blizzard was viable on Whiscash for so long solely because it could surprise Grasses? And as a bonus, it of course also remedies Toad’s comparative glassiness by stripping the opponent of Attack power with each icy application.

This is a genius way to address everything that ails this one specific Pokémon with just one simple move, which is why we always say that most PvP Pokémon are just one move away from potential greatness. And for even further uniqueness, consider Bubble, which the other Mud Boys also lack, giving Seismitoad a nice spread of three different kinds of damage and making it even more difficult to deal with.

Yes, that does mean some losses due mostly to slightly worse energy generation, such as Altaria, Guzzlord, Gourgeist, Jumpluff, Azumarill, Morpeko, and Ninetales, but it means more new wins, including Charjabug, Shadow Forretress, Malamar, Sableye, Fearow, Talonflame, Togekiss, and Wigglytuff. Bubble/Earth Power/Icy Wind looks like a lot of fun!

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Hippowdon, Palossand, and Camerupt

This one’s easy: anything that has both Scorching Sands and Earth Power should run the latter from here forward, as Earth Power is literally a strictly better move now. These include HIPPOWDON, PALOSSAND, and CAMERUPT. Hungry Hungry Hippo in particular (the Shadow variant especially) looks like a nice winner here, with stuff like Furret, Sableye, Cresselia, and Aegislash moving into the Great League win column in 1shield, and Azumarill and Clodsire in 2shield. Same with Ultra League as well, with stuff like Annihilape, Guzzlord, and Blastoise showing up as wins now. Maybe it’ll see a little more usage now? I guess time will tell.

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Gastrodon, Nidoqueen, and Heatran

The biggest potential winners I see beyond those above are: GASTRODON, particularly in Ultra League, where it doesn’t need Water Pulse as much and the buff to Earth Power translates to new wins like Lapras, Guzzlord, Alolan Ninetales, and Shadow Ampharos across various even shield matchups…. NIDOQUEEN may now give serious consideration to Earth Power rather than Stone Edge, as it can bring in a couple new wins in Great League such as Clodsire and Galarian Corsola, but especially in Ultra League where stuff like Skeledirge, Kyurem, Feraligatr, and Shadow Annihilape…. Shadow HEATRAN is a quiet winner here for Master League, with Dialga Origin, Kyurem White, Dawn Wings and potentially others sliding into the win column now.

So there we go. Lots of ripples going through Ground types (and those who rely on Ground charge moves) coming your way. But we’ve barely gotten started, even though the Ground talk took literally a third of Reddit’s article character limit. (How does this keep happening to me? ) On with the show!

Ground move buffs, nerfs and move pool changes

Move changes

Attack availability updates

One of the biggest enemies of Ground? Flying, as Flying types usually double resist Ground damage. And Flying is getting a couple of buffs in Season 27 too.

First up, we have a much-needed buff to GUST. It was unceremoniously left behind when Confusion was buffed back in Season 24 from its old 4.0 DPT/3.0 EPT stats to its current 3.5 EPT. Why do I mention Confusion specifically? Well, aside from the stats being the same on both fast moves until that update, both also share a slooooow 4 turn cooldown, requiring 2 full seconds of real time to complete their cycle and be ready to fire off another move.

So when Confusion got buffed, and the only other (viable) 4-turn move, Volt Switch, is sitting with 3.5 DPT and 4.0 EPT, 4.0 DPT/3.0 EPT is just lame. Now that’s being corrected, and I think it’s safe to assume Gust will go from 12 energy (3.0 EPT) to 14 (3.5 EPT) like Confusion did, since that still leaves it 0.5 EPT behind both Wing Attack and Peck, leaving them with more than enough good to stand out on their own. Indeed, as we’ll see in a moment, things that have both Wing Attack and improved Gust may even still want the comparatively humble 2.5 DPT/4.0 EPT Wing Attack sometimes!

Anyway, enough talk. Let’s get to the few Pokémon that have this move and see how they look!

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Pidgeot

Pidgeot

NormalFlying

I think we simply HAVE to start with PIDGEOT. Not only is it the Pokémon that first learned Gust in GO and is still most associated with it, but it will also give me a chance to highlight some other tweaks… in a minute. First, let’s focus on just Gust and what it will now bring to the table. Yes, new and improved Gust Pidgeot is great, gaining things old Gust could never match like (in order) Altaria, Annihilape, Clefable, Corviknight, Drapion, Furret, Lickilicky, Medicham, Sableye, Talonflame, Galarian Weezing, and Wigglytuff.

But there’s still more than enough room for Wing Attack, which retains a higher ceiling with its better energy gains. But there ARE move combinations in which reworked Gust shines brighter, even moreso than Wing Attack… situationally including working in the other buffed Flying move, HURRICANE. This long-neglected Flying charge move is getting a simple cost reduction, and even if it’s only dropped from 65 to 60 energy, it will be a major boon to anything that has it.

We’ll cover it a bit more in-depth later, but for now, just note that it WILL be worth some more time later. And for now, know this: Pidgeot is going to want Gust again. Not ALL your Pidgeots, mind you. But if you, like me, TMed your good Gust Pidgeots to Wing Attack, it might be time to burn another Elite Fast TM or two. (Oops!)

Pidgeot is ALSO getting a new charged move in Twister, which would have perhaps been more a cause of celebration on something that didn’t have four or five other viable charge moves… I’d be happier about this if it didn’t already have Feather Dance and Air Cutter vying for its cheap move slot and three valid closing options (with one of them, Heat Wave, providing the non-Flying move it needed for so long). In certain Limited metas, sure, Twister is fine, and I appreciate having the option. But in general Open play, I unfortunately just don’t really see room for it myself. But we’ll revisit another Flyer shortly that appreciates Twister more in a short bit….

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Swanna

Swanna

WaterFlying

Before we go too far down that twisty rabbit hole, however, let’s get back to the Flying moves, and a new recipient of Gust… forgotten Flying Water Pokémon, SWANNA. Completely and utterly useless with current moves when stacked up against other Flying Water types Mantine, Pelipper, and even Gyarados, Gust looks ready to change all that, especially in combination with the welcome addition of charge move Aqua Jet to keep up Water damage as it makes the shift from Water Gun to Gust.

That combination brings in a slew of new wins, especially in 1v1 shielding with all of the following sliding into the win column: Clefable, Drapion, ShadowGatr, Furret, Gourgeist, Malamar, Galarian Moltres, Sableye, Talonflame, Togekiss, Galarian Weezing, and Wigglytuff. Things are a little more nuanced in other even shield matchups, but still all moving in a positive direction.

0shield shows that, while Talonflame is still a clear and consistent pickup, the other new wins depend on whether Ice Beam or Fly is being utilized as the second charge move, with the former freezing out Galarian Moltres, Guzzlord, and Altaria, but the latter delivering death from above to Azumarill, Ferligatr, Politoed, and Malamar instead. And in 2shield, it is only with Fly that Swanna can reach for G-Corsola, Empoleon, and even Altaria.

As much as I like the coverage of Ice Beam, Fly seems perhaps a little better overall, though Gust and Aqua Jet are now a MUST and fundamentally change Swanna from complete afterthought to now suddenly right up there with Pelipper and the rest.

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Pelipper

Pelipper

WaterFlying

And since we’re on the topic, PELIPPER itself deserves a highlight for the improvement it achieves with Hurricane. Picking up new wins in the 0shield (Altaria, Azumarill, and Jellicent) shouldn’t be a big surprise, but it’s nice to see steady improvement even with a shield up, with pickups versus Fearow, Furret, Sableye, and Clefable! Pelipper’s stock is looking the highest it’s been… well, perhaps ever!

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Mantine

Mantine

WaterFlying

And that just rolls right into another wet Flyer, MANTINE. No, it does not now get Gust (still runs Wing Attack instead) or Hurricane, but it IS gaining Twister just like Pidgeot. And unlike Pidgeot, I think it really stands to benefit! Not only does Twister drag a few Dragons into the win column (Kingdra most notably, but situationally others like Guzzlord and Altaria too), but also several notable Water types that shrug off the Water Pulse/Ice Beam Mantine has run best with to this point, such as Feraligatr (normal and Shadow, in ALL even shield matchups) and Seaking and Sealeo (in 1shield and 0shield, at least), along with bonuses like Grumpig, Cresselia, Malamar, and Jellicent across various scenarios.

And as much as I like the coverage of Ice Beam, I think Twister pairs best with Water Pulse for its ability to outduel Galarian Stunfisk, Ninetales, and sometimes even Empoleon, along with the occasional Fairy like Galarian Weezing, Alolan Ninetales, and/or Tinkaton. Also well worth noting: Twister is now Mantine’s cheapest charge move (well, tied with Bubble Beam, but who’s still using that on Mantine these days?), making it spammier than ever with the wide neutral coverage it has kind of lacked until now. I can’t think of any single typing that resists Flying, Water, and Dragon, can you? (Here’s your chance to fill the replies with Pokémon that have a dual typing that DOES resist them all. )

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Lumineon

Lumineon

Water

And THAT now rolls into the other new recipient of Gust, who just so happens to also be a Water type, though not Flying: LUMINEON. This humble fish must be somebody’s favorite over at Scopely, as it was buffed with Aqua Tail last December, indirectly buffed again last season with the big Waterfall retooling, and now gets Gust and a buffed Silver Wind (which we’ll get more into in Part 2) this season.

The long-time Claydol fan (and its six new moves added over FIVE different rebalances) must have retired and been replaced by a Lumineon stan! While I do think Lumineon is likely to, well, make some waves this season, I’m not so sure it will actually be with Gust. As good a move as it looks like Gust is about to become, Waterfall is just SO good now that I think it remains the favorite.

One of my regrets from last season’s rebalance analysis is that I, like nearly everyone else, falsely assumed Waterfall would get a humble EPT buff and it instead got twice the buff expected, transforming Waterfall into one of the best fast moves in the game overnight (same stats as Mud Slap) and driving much success for Waterfall users throughout Season 26. And I think that will continue now for Lumiere here. (If Waterfall is not baroque, don’t fix it!

Ahem, my apologies to Beauty and the Beast fans everywhere. I suppose you can get mad about that… be our guest! Mwaha. ) Gust does do some neat things such as handling Fighters (Anni, Medi, and especially Primeape), a couple Grasses (Gourgeist most notably), and a few prominent Water types, including Feraligatr and, situationally, Azumarill).

But Waterfall just does more, with a different list of unique wins that includes Grounds and/or Steels (G-Fisk, Corviknight, Aegislash, Tinkaton, and usually even Thunder Fang Steelix!) and others like G-Weeze, Togekiss, Drapion, Fearow, Forretress, Wigglytuff, and Lickilicky.

If Great League continues to remain so Water-heavy, Gust may win out despite less overall potential simply because it far outperforms Waterfall versus opposing Water types, but it’s hard for me to NOT recommend Waterfall as the move to at least strongly consider first across most conceivable metas. Go ahead and try running Lumineon out there now… “you don’t have time to be timid. You must be bold, daring!” (Thanks again, Lumiere!)

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Whimsicott and Shiftry

What do these Waters generally NOT want to see, despite having new and improved toys that can at least theoretically level the playing field? Grass types! Now while only one Grass move was actually tweaked in this update — c’mon, Scopeantic, Make Grasses Great Again! — and no Grass moves were redistrubuted at all, there ARE a couple Grasses that quietly got a nice boost with the Hurricane buff, though neither make huge gains.

WHIMSICOTT at least picks up Cresselia and even Gourgeist, as well as Sableye, Gorsola, and Shelgon in 2shield, but Moonblast certainly still has its merits and remains noticeably better than Hurricane with shields down. Shadow SHIFTRY still shows up here and there in PvP battles, usually with Foul Play alongside the obligatory Leaf Blade, but it too can run Hurricane effectively, and while it’s more of a sidegrade in most even shield scenarios (gaining stuff like Shadow VS Forretress and Sableye, but giving up others that Foul Play can handle like Gourgeist and Aegislash), 2v2 shielding sees direct gains now of Galarian Moltres, Malamar, and Furret on top of everything that Foul Play can do.

Both of these Grasses probably remain more in situational Cup use territory and should generally stay on the sidelines for Open, but both ARE a bit more dangerous now, especially since Hurricane is still unlikely to be the expected closer by most opponents until it’s too late!

Water move pool changes

Attack availability updates

While we already covered some prominent Water types with new and/or improved Flying moves, I wanted to wrap Part 1 of this rebalance analysis up by looking at Water moves. None have been added or even rebalanced in this update, but two of them are getting handed out to new recipients. Let’s dive in!

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Kabutops and Starmie

We mentioned AQUA JET earlier as a new move on Swanna and a big part of its sudden emergence in competitive PvP. But two other Pokémon also get it for the first time in Season 27. One of them sadly probably remains a mere spice option at best: KABUTOPS, which more than doubles its former win total, but when that new win total remains this low, does it really matter? (Even worse: Kabutops requires Legacy fast move Fury Cutter too. Blech. )

Thankfully, the other Aqua Jet newbie does a lot more good with it: STARMIE, another seeming pet project over at Scopeantic (maybe the same dev that loves Lumiere?!). They didn’t quite get it to full competitiveness with the buff to Power Gem and additions of Psywave and Surf a few seasons back, so now they’re trying to seal the deal with Aqua Jet as pretty much a straight upgrade to Surf.

Pretty consistent new pickups across multiple shielding scenarios include Fearow (faster to bait and then close out with Power Gem), Quagsire (sometimes regular, sometimes Shadow), and Galarian Stunfisk, without standouts including Ninetales, ShadowGatr, Empoleon, and Tinkaton in 1shield, Shadow Empoleon with shields down, and Seaking, Sealeo, Togekiss, and even Jellicent in 2v2 shielding! Not too shabby, eh?

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Kingdra

Kingdra

WaterDragon

And that just leaves KINGDRA. While SURF is a bit of a downgrade now when compared to Aqua Jet, it’s still a very solid move that can be a boon to other Pokémon, as is the case here as a new spammy Water move for Kingdra. Now it is NOT a straight upgrade — there are wins that go away when you force Surf into the equation — but the gains outweigh the losses.

In Great League, it looks best alongside Swift for maximum spam, sort of a like a different Dragonair with its Aqua Tails and Body Slam or Wrap, and in that configuration, Kingdra gains stuff like the Stunfisks, Mud Boys, Forretress, and occasional others like Sableye, Corviknight, Fearow, Medicham, and (Shadow) Annihilape.

But giving up Outrage means a few compensating new losses, usually to Altaria, Jellicent (and situationally other Waters in general like Seaking, Dewgong, and Sealeo), with occasional others like Guzzlord, Furret, and G-Corsola. That all said, I’m not so sure Kingdra will really want Surf in Ultra League, as the now familiar Swift/Outrage just does a bit more… Water damage is better for Steels but flops in comparison otherwise, particularly in 2shield (Surf versus Swift). But for Great League? Yes please!

THUS ENDS PART 1… MORE TO COME!

And that’s it for today! Next time (probably on the other side of the weekend), we’ll dig into the wide and somewhat scattered array of other moves and Pokémon affected in the rebalance, from Bugs to Grasses to Waters to Steels Dragons and especially to Fairies, and more! But for today we’ve gotta call it here. So until next time, you can always find me on Twitter or Patreon. Or please feel free to comment here with your own thoughts or questions and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!

Stay safe out there, Pokéfriends. Best of luck as we wade into yet another new season, and catch you next time!

The post A PvP Analysis on the GBL Season 27 Move Rebalance (Part 1) appeared first on Pokémon GO Hub.