Adventures Abound Move Rebalance PvP Analysis: Part 1

“Let me explain.”

“…No, there is too much. Let me sum up.”

That is how I’m feeling about the “Adventures Abound” Move Rebalance, folks. No less than ninety five Pokemon have been given a new move — some entire formats we’ve had haven’t even had that many Pokemon! — and dozens more have been affected by the various modified, existing moves in the game.

I’ve been doing this for five years and no less than 485 analysis articles now. And never, EVER, has a project been so daunting. And Niantic gave us analysts about two and a half days to break it all down. I’m gonna be real with you, right up front: even for me, it’s impossible. Niantic finally doled out a project that just cannot be done in time.

So, here’s how we’re going to play this. Today, in this analysis, I am going to break down the highlights of those 95 Pokemon getting new moves… most of them moves that are completely new to the game. And note that I said “highlights”, because A.) there’s no way to squeeze nearly 100 Pokemon into one article like that and not put either you, dear reader, or myself into a coma 😅, and B.) as it turns out, most of the stuff getting new moves doesn’t really gain much relevance from it. I’ll cover most of the clear upgrades and the more interesting sidegrades, and a shout-out to some of the rest, but for the most part, if I don’t mention it, you likely won’t have to worry about it throughout this season.

And NEXT time, we’ll have to do a Part 2 on the various tweaked moves. There are several to cover, and a LOT of meta things affected, and it’s basically impossible to cover them until we see what “energy cost decreased/increased” and “energy generation decreased/increased” (looking at YOU, Astonish) really means. If I’ve learned one thing in all that time analyzing, it’s that my guess and Niantic’s reality often don’t align, so I’d rather not guess and waste everybody’s time with guesswork that turns out to be wrong.

So for today, here we go! First we’ll briefly review the three all-new moves, and then see what gets them and other new toys to play with.

P.S. We got another article on this topic titled Season 16 Adventures Abound Move Updates: How it Will Affect the PvP Meta that is a bit lighter take on the matter.

BLAZING A TRAIL

Trailblaze

Grass-type Charge Move

• 65 power
• 50 energy
• Raises User Attack +1 Stage

Trailblaze is by far the most widely distributed new move, appearing on twenty five Pokemon right out of the gate. And it’s a pretty good move too, a Grass-type clone of Flame Charge in every way but the typing. Flame Charge works well on the right Pokemon, powering things like Talonflame and Rapidash to PvP glory in multiple formats. Of course, both of them rely on powerful fast move Incinerate, which pairs wonderously with a charge move that further buffs their offensive prowess.

Interestingly, Trailblaze is distributed to mostly NON-Grass types, with only four total Grass Pokemon getting it at this time. This means that unlike Flame Charge, which mostly shows up as a STAB move, Trailblaze mostly pulls double duty as a stat booster and coverage move.

I looked over all 25 things getting it, and despite being so widely distributed, honestly it doesn’t generally work. Most things that get it either don’t need it (having better STAB and/or coverage moves already, like Lurantis, Lycanroc, Sudowoodo, Ursaluna and others), have an underpowered fast move that just doesn’t synergize well with it (Lurantis again, Sawsbuck, Kleavor and more), or just doesn’t really benefit from Grass-type coverage. And many frankly just don’t improve with it in any noticable way, having other problems to overcome that limit their viability. (Alas, poor Donphan and Tauros.) I could see some sneaking into viability in the right metas, like perhaps Sudowoodo and/or Lycanroc in Rock or Ground-heavy metas where Trailblaze could be a big boon (or perhaps metas with a lot of Waters too, like Fossil Cup?), but overall I think this is fool’s gold for most everything recieving it, better in theory than in actual reality.

But there IS at least one standout beneficiary, and it’s not one I expected the first few times I scanned the list: Skuntank.

Skuntank PoisonDark

“Stank” has certainly made a name for itself in PvP before… before fellow Dark/Poisons Drapion and Alolan Muk got more love in the move rebalancing department and surpassed it. Now Skuntank brings up the rear (no pun intended… or was it?). It’s still not at all bad… not by any means. But it’s just not as threatening and/or spammy as its other Dark/Poison brethren. Heck, even Alolan Grimer is often more preferred!

Well, that may be about to change. Check out new and improved trailblazing Stank. There ARE still edge cases with existing moves Flamethrower and Sludge Bomb, the former burning through Registeel and Alolan Sandslash, and the latter uniquely overpowering Noctowl and also, unlike Flamethrower, having the right cost-to-damage ratio to take down Vigoroth and Umbreon. But overall, Trailblaze just looks better, taking out not only obviously weak to Grass things like Jellicent, Lanturn, and Walrein, but also having the right things going for it to match the Umbreon and Vigoroth wins, AND boosting Poison Jab up enough to add things like Dunsparce and even Poison-resistant Sableye and Toxapex to the win column. In the end, the ONLY things other moves beat that Trailblaze cannot are Regi, A-Slash, and Noctowl… and it has seven of its own unique wins to more than counterbalance. Even in Ultra League Trailblaze is a viable alternative to arguably best current closing move Flamethrower, losing Scizor and A-Slash again, but gaining Shadow Snorlax and on-the-rise Poliwrath to compensate. And as for Shadow Stank, in both Great and Ultra, Trailblaze is no worse than a sidegrade to existing moves. If there is ONE Pokemon that is happy about this new move, it’s Skuntank.

There are a few others that are at least somewhat interesting, but not nearly to the same degree.

Ursaluna GroundNormal

• While I think you still want to stick instead with High Horsepower, Trailblaze kinda sorta works on Ursaluna. The Ground damage of HH is just too good in the Master League meta, nailing Steels like Metagross and Excadrill and things like Electric type Zekrom too. Trailblaze is handy versus stuff like Gyarados instead, but it’s rather limited. I think I pass.

Skwovet Normal

• So the good news is that this update finally gives us some ways to distinguish Greedent and Skwovet. (Did you know they have had the exact same movepool until now?) And yes, Skwovet is better with Trailblaze, picking up wins over Seel and Onix. The bad news is that it’s still not a great option even in Little League.

Girafarig PsychicNormal

• I expected that my boy Geoffamafig (Farigarif? Geeraffafigg? something like that) would appreciate Trailblaze for coverage, but no… turns out it still prefers Thunderbolt (or often even Psychic {the move}) more. Same with things like Perrserker too… it still prefers Close Combat plus Foul Play or Iron Head in basically every meta I could think to throw at them. I was a little surprised, honestly. Perhaps a meta will come along where Trailblaze is a benefit, but at that point it’s only a simple TM away, so I’d stand pat for now.

Ampharos Electric

• I WANT to like this move on Ampharos. The coverage, especially versus Ground types, seems awesome. It also brings some nice closing power without having to charge all the way up to Focus Blast. But I just don’t know where it fits. You basically have to run one (or both) of Brutal Swing and Thunder Punch, and the prospect of giving up the big Focus Blast… it’s just really hard for me to let it go. I suspect that will remain the de facto best, but I can certainly see Trailblaze giving Amphie some teeth in certain metas that it has lacked until now.

LONG STORY SHORT, it seems to be basically Skuntank or (mostly) bust. Not much going on with other Trailblaze recipients, it doesn’t seem. But Skuntank… Skuntank likes it a lot, which is NOT one I expected going in. And that’s why we do this analysis… you never know until you actually look!

SEASONED AND SEARED

Scorching Sands

Ground-type Charge Move

• 80 power
• 50 energy
• 30% Chance to Lower Opponent Attack -1 Stage

This actually marks the first Attack-altering move for Ground, as Earth Power and Sand Tomb can lower Defense, but that’s it. Scorching Sands comes with the dreaded “chance of” rather than a guarantee, but 30% is at least better than, say, Earth Power’s mere 10% chance of going off for the bonus. The cost to damage ratio is a little lacking though, with Drill Run dealing 5 more straight damage for the same cost, and Earth Power costing 5 more enery but dealing 10 more damage and thu having a better Damage Per Energy (DPE). Overall though, it’s fine enough… an exact clone (other than typing) of Scald, which has been a potent option on Poliwrath and Tentacruel and others since its major tweaks a couple seasons back. Funny how both are themed around blistering the opponent. It also has the same cost and damage as popular moves Sludge Bomb and Dark Pulse, as well as Hyper Fang and Synchronoise, so it’s certainly a fine move in the grand scheme.

The problem, as with Trailblaze, is what’s actually getting it.

Flygon GroundDragon

Excadrill GroundSteel

• Flygon and Excadrill are two of the more relevant recipients in PvP already, and have access to either Earth Power or Drill Run already. Scorching Sands seems like a sidegrade, at best, for each of them. At least it’s not Legacy for Flygon like Earth Power is, so there’s that going for it. But the stats just don’t allow it to break out for things that already have similar (and superior) Ground moves already.

Rapidash Fire

• This is true even of things like Rapidash, which I think will prefer sticking with the trustier Drill Run. Viable sidegrade, sure, but no strong reason to make the change.

Ninetales Fire

• However, there is a Fire type that likely stands to benefit: Ninetales, an old favorite of mine. It’s quite good with decent bulk and Weather Ball, but the choice of second charge move has always been a bit awkward. There’s Psyshock for mostly neutral (though a bit underpowered) coverage, Solar Beam for GOOD coverage versus Waters, Grounds, and Rocks that plague it (though it’s SO expensive that it’s more of a Hail Mary than a truly viable option), or generally best Overheat for good closing power (especially for the cost), but no coverage whatsoever. Now we get Scorching Sands as an affordable closer that happens to directly answer troublesome Rock types, provides wide neutral coverage, and gives Ninetales a big leg up versus other Fires in limited formats. Overall its record actually drops, but that’s in Open formats. I think this boosts Ninetales quite a bit in Limited formats and may actually be much better and more consistent even in Open too.

Diggersby NormalGround

• It’s a little hard to compare Scorching Sands to Earthquake on something like Diggersby at the moment, as Quake is about to lose 10 damage, but there MAY be a bit of promise here. At worst, Scorching Sands is a viable sidegrade, picking up Galarian Stunfisk, Lickitung, and the mirror match, as well as forcing a tie with Defense Deoxys. Earthquake, on the other hand, can beat Shadow Charizard outright (Sands can realistically only tie, at best, unless it happens to get its stat reducer to go off) and overpowers Swampert and Water Gun Lanturn (at least, without their own impending nerfs considered). I think I might actually lean Scorching Sands in this case, taking away a little of Diggerby’s closing power but giving it more flexability and capacity to pressure. Getting to a STAB move 15 energy cheaper than Earthquake absolutely WILL make a difference in several spots. I like the new potential here.

Claydol GroundPsychic

• Yet again, someone at Niantic clearly has a burning (perhaps even scorching?) passion for Claydol, as this becomes its eighth charge move. It’s at least cheaper than anything else it already has, which I suppose is good for something that has only Confusion and Mud Slap as its viable fast moves, but outside of perhaps Psychic Cup (coming back for two weeks this season… yay?), Claydol is still not going anywhere. Please stop trying to make it happen, Niantic.

LONG STORY SHORT, the final cost and damage of Scorching Sands leave it in a somewhat awkward spot among Ground moves, falling somewhere between Drill Run and Earth Power but seeming slightly inferior to each unless you happen to get the lucky debuff. Things that have those two moves will generally want to keep what they have, I think. But things that have, say, Earthquake (Diggersby) or benefit from new Ground coverage (Ninetales) will be happy to have it and may see a small uptick in useage, perhaps even in Open. Both have plenty of bulk to make good use of it in multiples.

SPUN AROUND THE AXEL

Triple Axel

Ice-type Charge Move

• 60 power
• 45 energy
• Raises User Attack +1 Stage

Ice type, 60 power, 45 energy, mucks around with the Attack stat. Icy Wind, is that you? Awfully close, but no… new move Triple Axle raises your own Attack stat rather than lowering the opponent’s. Not particularly creative, but could certainly work. And I’m happy to say that I think it mostly does for things that get it.

Now whether or not it’s better than what things like Mr. Rime, Weavile, and their pre-evolutions already have is debatable. They’re fringe at best right now, and this isn’t going to change that. Where it IS exciting is as a new coverage move for non-Ice types.

Hitmontop Fighting

• Long have I wondered why Hitmontop was so much more popular than, say, Hitmonchan. Yes, it’s always had Stone Edge for some coverage, but generally it’s just always seemed like a less impactful Machamp to me. At least ‘Chan has some amazing coverage moves, and the option of Power-Up Punch to go with it. But now I think the hype may be deserved, as Triple Axel is just better in nearly every way, not only adding new wins like Altaria, Vigoroth, and even Alolan Ninetales (with Powder Snow), but also buffing the almighty (and still unnerfed, I am happy to say) Counter along the way. And while I don’t know that I necessarily recommend maxing one out, if you do, Triple Axel is a fine sidegrade in Ultra League (beating Gliscor and Virizion as opposed to Stone Edge uniquely beating only Golisopod), but for ShadowTop the improvement from Stone Edge to Triple Axel does seem quite worth it, with some crazy new wins like Pidgeot, Gyarados, Golisopod, Powder Snow A-Tails, and Gliscor to brag about. (Stone Edge gets Mandibuzz instead, but that’s it.) And back down in Great League, it’s ALL improvement, with ShadowTop with Triple Axel beating everything Stone Edge can plus PowderTails, Altaria, Diggersby, and Sableye (preventing it from reaching a KO Return). Not too shabby! I’d say that Hitmontop’s stock is definitely looking up, and it may finally earn all that hype as the best of the Hitmons.

Gardevoir PsychicFairy

• Remember the days when Shadow Gardevoir was a legit threat in Master League? Those days are long gone, at least partly because it just never had any charge moves under 50-55 energy, which is a horrible place to be as a Charmer. Now it gets Triple Axel, which is not only its cheapest charge move to date (at 45 energy), but boosts the strength of subsequent Charms. In the end the needle doesn’t actually move too much on its wins and losses, but it DOES have paths to victory over things like Togekiss and Gyarados that it just couldn’t outrace before, which is at least a step in the right direction. And it certainly will help in those rare limited metas in Ultra and especially Great League where Gardie has 15 minutes of fame. Perhaps like Psychic Cup later this season, hmmmm?

Lopunny Normal

• Speaking of Limited metas, poor Lopunny has barely even been able to make a dent in those, much less Open formats. I still see it as more spice than true meta option, but with Triple Axel, I DO think its prospects are also looking up. Lop’s only somewhat viable moveset to this point has been the rather clumsy Double Kick/Fire Punch/Focus Blast, which leaves much to be desired. Triple Axel can now pair with either of those charge moves for two superior performances. Paired with Focus Blast, it retains the big wins Blast can get versus stuff like Registeel and Bastiodon, and brings in new wins versus things like Mandibuzz, Victreebel, Drapion, and even Lanturn (well, with current Spark) owing to its Attack-boosting bonus. Or you can instead forgo closing power and run Axel/Fire Punch, abandoning Regi and Bastie (and now Lanturn and Drapion) to instead gain Froslass and Skarmory (owing almost entirely to Fire’s effectiveness) as well as Noctowl and Sableye, which is nice. Again, still more spice than anything, but much better spice for sure.

Tsareena Grass

• And while it’s certainly not about to become a superstar, I am definitely going to be keeping an eye now on the only Grass type to get Triple Axel: Tsareena, which becomes intriguing in any Grass-heavy Limited format, with Triple Axel suddenly giving it a big leg up versus its fellow Grass types (now beating things like Victreebel, as just one of many examples). It also brings in new wins versus things like Lickitung and Galarian Stunfisk too. Still somewhat low ranking among Grasses, but moving in the right direction.

See, Trailblaze? Triple Axel is how you do new coverage right.

LONG STORY SHORT, I’m liking new-fangled Icy Wind. Triple Axel hasn’t been distributed as widely as the other two new moves, but I do wonder if it may perhaps have the most direct impact on various metas, especially any that include Hitmontop. 👀

SWIPER, YES SWIPING!

Not a new move, but Breaking Swipe is finally getting the wider distribution that such an exciting move deserves. It’s a straight upgrade over Dragon Claw, dealing the same 50 Dragon-type damage for only 35 energy, but also coming with a guaranteed debuff to the opponent’s Attack stat with each use.

This is perfect for Dragons that currently have it (Rayquaza and Haxorus), as they’re powerful but flimsy, and thus dealing spammy damage while also extending their lifespan by making the opponent weaker is just what the doctor ordered to maximize their high Attack and compensate for their low bulk.

Heliolisk ElectricNormal

• Ironically, we can see that same effect best exemplified among the new recipients not with a Dragon, but with Heliolisk. It too hits hard but lacks bulk, and also lacks a truly spammy move, with Grass Knot being its cheapest at 50 energy. And that leaves its current high point quite a bit lower than you’d like, in multiple formats. But now with new spammy potential and a way to mask its glassiness, things are looking WAY up. New to the win column are (in alphabetical order) Altaria, Cresselia, Drapion, Froslass, Lickitung (resisting Lick helps a lot too!), Alolan Marowak, Alolan Ninetales, Alolan Sandslash, Talonflame, Trevenant, and Walrein. It does show a new loss to Bastiodon but that’s actually still a win if you play it right, meaning the winning record is officially TWICE as high as it was previously. That is a staggering jump that may make humble Heliolisk a legit meta option moving forward. And the surge is even bigger in Ultra League, where what was previously barely a double digit number of wins suddenly grows by 150%. Whereas before it could only beat Waters and/or Flyers (and inconsistently, at that) with just a couple bonuses like Snorlax and Scizor, now the list includes (again, in order) Buzzwole, Charizard, Cofagrigus, Cresselia, Drapion, Escavalier, Altered Giratina, Granbull, A-Tails, Poliwrath, Sylveon, Talonflame, Tapu Fini, Trevenant, and Walrein. What a list! What a big winner! Heliolisk is easily one of the biggest beneficiaries of this entire, 95-Pokemon rebalance, folks. Hope you got some good ones!

Steelix SteelGround

• Now the one everyone is talking about instead is Steelix, which is completely understandable. Already rising through the ranks in recent months with Psychic Fangs and a Shadow version boosting its impact, now here comes Breaking Swipe to drive it even further. You can run it alongside Fangs for the ultimate stall tactics, wearing down the opponent’s Attack and Defense over time until they finally can’t fight back and are forced to swap out, or just go for the throat with something like Breaking Swipe/Earthquake (ideally with Shadow Steelix to maximize damage, but non-Shadow works too. And heck, with potential new wins over things like Lickitung, Sableye, Galarian Stunfisk, Walrein, Froslass, Jellicent, Talonflame and more, it may even start to emerge in Great League (as opposed to its former self. Some of that may change with the impending nerf to Earthquake, but either way, it’s clear that Steelix is on the rise yet again.

Onix RockGround

• Steelix’s little bro Onix stands to benefit as well, though only for Little League. Despite having a moveset bereft of true coverage moves, it has stood out in multiple LL formats on the strength of Rock Throw and Legacy charge move Rock Slide, buoyed by underpowered bait-and-debuff move Sand Tomb. That’s been competitive enough, but now with Breaking Swipe, it won’t even need a Legacy move anymore, and comes out all the better for it. I look forward to seeing how it performs in practice!

Rhyperior RockGround

• Rhyperior has fallen a bit over time and these days is a pretty niche pick in Master League. Breaking Swipe might pull it back up a bit with new win potential over things like Gyarados, Ho-Oh, Metagross, Ursaluna, and Altered Giratina. Is that enough? We’ll have to see, but it’s undoubtedly a step in the right direction.

LONG STORY SHORT, Breaking Swipe is a boon to basically anything that gets it, but the ones covered here (Rhyperior, Steelix/Onix, and especially Heliolisk) are the only ones I expect to really stand up and get noticed for it. This is an exciting little mini shakeup.

IT’S A MAGICAL PLACE

Yes, that IS my inner Agents Of Shield fanboy coming out, for those who got the reference.

Put simply, while Magical Leaf is a fine enough move at 3.33 Damage Per Turn and Energy Per Turn, there are very few things that actually seem to want it. Anything with Vine Whip, for example, still seems to excel better with it rather than Leaf. (See: Meganium, Chikorita.) Even things with Bullet Seed or Leafage view Magical Leaf as a sidegrade at best, and none seem to suddenly surge beyond their current standing with Leaf over Seed. (See: Bellossom, Roserade, and the Rowlet/Dartrix/Decidueye family.)

Bayleef Grass

Shaymin Grass

Where Magical Leaf has the most room to potentially grow is on things currently locked behind Razor Leaf (see: Bayleef) or without any real Grass moves at all (poor Shaymin). Now, both of them stand to benefit, though I still suspect BayBay will remain spice and Shaymin is going to show up much more in PvE than PvP.

LONG STORY SHORT, that’s really all there is to talk about on this one… a boost for just a couple things that needed a better Grass move, and still nothing that will launch them into new superstardom. Not so magical after all, I guess.

WHAT IN BLAZES?!

This one will be quick. Several Fighters (and Fighter wannabes) got Blaze Kick, but I don’t think ANY of them want it. Mienshao remains lousy. Hitmonlee kinda appreciates it but also remains the worst of the Hitmons, by far. Incineroar already has Flame Charge and Dark Pulse and kinda needs them both, so no room. Lucario maybe will want it sometimes, but honestly, it runs best with Power-Up Punch and a big closer like Shadow Ball, and that just works for it, so I don’t see Blaze Kick giving it any new edge. I mean, what you would even want it for (Ice, Steel, Grass types and such), it already handles capably thanks to Fighting damage and/or its Steel typing.

Riolu Fighting

That just leaves little Riolu, specifically in Little League. It has Counter, but it’s only viable charge move to this point has been Cross Chop, with its other charge moves being literally worse versions of Cross Chop. Now at least it gets a second charge move that’s worth something, specifically a new win over Shelmet and a few other wins that were already there but now get easier.

And that’s all she wrote on Blaze Kick. Hopefully some other things will get it down the line, because this batch is sadly a dud.

OTHERS

There are a few other more limited move distributions to cover, but these are very much a case of quality over quantity!

Magnezone ElectricSteel

• Volt Switch is being given to the Magneboys (and Regieleki), likely as a way to compensate for the impending nerf to Spark. Regieleki remains bad (it has much larger problems than just a fast move), and I think Magneton and Magnemite MAY still prefer existing Thunder Shock, though Volt Switch at least allows them to rely a little less on breaking through shields, which is nice. (I’m curious to see how VS Magneton looks in Kanto Cup and the like, should those formats return!) But the clear big winner here is Magnezone. While simulations tend to perhaps overvalue it (though with numbers like it shows in Great League, for example, who can blame them?), but some of that is always getting benefit of the doubt with perfect Mirror Shot baits into crushing Wild Charges to close it out. While that does continue even with Volt Switch, the numbers go up, including significantly for the slightly safer-to-use non-Shadow version (as compared to pre-nerf Spark ‘Zone). I think Volt Switch will make it more consistently threatening, deemphasizing its reliance on the double-edged sword of Wild Charge a bit. Not sure if it will suddenly start popping up in places it didn’t already, but when it does, it will be even a bit scarier now.

Greedent Normal

Swalot Poison

• Mud Shot is also going to new Pokes. Croagunk and Toxicroak get it, and while it will perhaps boost the former a bit in Little League, I honestly don’t see the latter ever wanting it when it has the best fast move in the game (Counter) as a STAB alternative. MAYBE in a very Poison-centric meta, where Toxicroak’s Counter and Poison Jab are both resisted and Mud Shot would be super effective, but overall I just don’t think this one is happening. What MAY happen is new recipients Greedent and Swalot emerging (or reemerging, in Greedent’s case) with it. Greedent is also spamminess personified with Bullet Seed and Body Slam, and Mud Shot is even faster. It’s not a perfect upgrade, as Bullet Seed is still better for things like Swampert and Walrein, but Mud Shot instead brings Drapion, Umbreon, Bastiodon, and Azumarill into the win column, which is awesome. In Ultra League, where Level 50 Greedent has made perhaps more of a name for itself, Bullet Seed and Mud Shot are close, with Bullet Seed again better handling Waters like Walrein, Tapu Fini, and Swampert, but Mud Shot still pulls ahead with its own nice wins versus Sylveon, Scizor, Empoleon, Drapion, Nidoqueen, Alolan Muk, and Shadow A-Tails. Might be academic though, as Tackle is technically better than both, but having more viable options is NEVER a bad thing, right? And as for Swalot… well, allow me to present current versus new and improved. NO contest. Current best fast move Infestation is a Bug type Hex clone, which isn’t bad, but cannot hold a candle to Mud Shot. Swalot has always had intriguing charge moves and good bulk locked behind a subpar fast move, but now it is freed and shows off new wins versus the likes of Azumarill, Alolan Ninetales, Toxapex, Toxicroak, Drapion, Lanturn, and more. Probably not quite good enough yet to break out in Open, but in Limited formats? Oh yeah… you’re gonna start seeing it for sure. And it’s evena thrifty option with a 10k dust second move unlock! Gotta love THAT.

LONG STORY SHORT, the more subdued additions of Mud Shot and Volt Switch are perhaps not as flashy as the other stuff, but they come with some of the best positive impacts in this whole update. Magnezone, Greedent, and long-neglected Swalot are all moving up in the world, and should provide some nice ripples in their respective metas. IMO, this is how you do move updates… limited but fun new options.

LET ME SUM UP….

So just to bookend with that Princess Bride quote, let’s rehash the biggest gainers to look out for.

• Trailblaze: Skuntank, maybe Ampharos
• Scorching Sands: Diggersby, maybe Ninetales
• Triple Axel: Hitmontop, perhaps Gardevoir and Lopunny as niche picks
• Breaking Swipe: Heliolisk, Steelix, shoutouts to Onix and Rhyperior
• Mud Shot Greedent and Swalot, and Volt Switch Magnezone

That’s not the entire story (that’s what the rest of the article above is for, after all!), but it hits the main highlights.

And for today, that’s it! The new update is about to hit, along with the full story on the various existing moves being tweaked, and we will get to those soon. But hopefully this gives you something to get started in this season. Best of luck!

Until next time, you can 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 kick off this season, and catch you next time!