GO Battle League Twilight Trails: Attack Changes and New Moves

The next major Pokémon GO move update was revealed at the end of the 2026 Pokémon World Championships stream. The changes will arrive with the Twilight Trails Season, which begins on September 8, 2026.

Several underused attacks are receiving significant buffs, including Take Down, Infestation, Brine, Bulldoze, and Draining Kiss. Bite, Shadow Ball, Rage Fist, and several other established moves are being adjusted.

More than 30 Pokémon will also gain access to new attacks. Notable additions include Volt Tackle for Raichu and Alolan Raichu, Sacred Sword for Gallade, Drill Run for Skarmory, and Earth Power for Lugia.

Exact energy values were not provided for every change during the presentation. These are listed simply as increases or decreases for now.

Attack Changes

The following attacks will be updated during the Twilight Trails Season:

Move	Changes
Air Cutter	Power 45 → 60 Energy cost increased Reduced chance to raise the user’s Attack
Bulldoze	Power 45 → 80 Energy cost increased Now guaranteed to lower the opponent’s Defense
Body Slam	Power 55 → 65 Energy cost increased
Sand Tomb	Power 40 → 55 Energy cost increased
Brine	Power 60 → 100 Energy cost increased
Bubble Beam	Power 25 → 50 Energy cost increased
Mirror Coat	Power 60 → 75 Energy cost decreased
High Horsepower	Energy cost decreased
Charge Beam	Power 5 → 6
Blaze Kick	Energy cost decreased
Iron Head	Power 70 → 85
Draining Kiss	Power 60 → 80 Now guaranteed to raise the user’s Defense
Poison Fang	Power 45 → 50
Lunge	Power 60 → 70
Bite	Power 4 → 2 Energy generation increased
Infestation	Power 6 → 10
Take Down	Power 5 → 14 Energy generation increased
Scratch	Power 4 → 3 Energy generation increased
Moonblast	Power 110 → 90 Energy cost decreased
Shadow Ball	Power 100 → 90
Dark Pulse	Energy cost decreased
Psycho Boost	Trainer Battles: Power 70 → 85 Gyms and raids: Power 70 → 130 Energy cost decreased in Gyms and raids
Rage Fist	Power 50 → 55 Energy cost increased
Magnet Bomb	Energy cost decreased
Double Iron Bash	Power 55 → 70
Shadow Force	Energy cost decreased
Low Kick	Power 5 → 6

Attack Availability Updates

The following Pokémon will gain access to new moves during the Twilight Trails Season:

Pokémon	Moves
Volbeat	Infestation Bug Lunge Bug
Illumise	Infestation Bug Shadow Ball Ghost
Arbok	Brutal Swing Dark Wrap Normal
Aerodactyl	Brutal Swing Dark
Alola Muk	Brutal Swing Dark Ice Punch Ice
Greninja	Brutal Swing Dark
Ariados	Foul Play Dark
Darkrai	Foul Play Dark Sucker Punch Dark
Grafaiai	Foul Play Dark Scratch Normal
Victreebel	Sucker Punch Dark
Audino	Charge Beam Electric
Raichu	Volt Tackle Electric
Alola Raichu	Volt Tackle Electric
Grimmsnarl	Draining Kiss Fairy
Aggron	Brick Break Fighting
Zeraora	Dynamic Punch Fighting
Defense Deoxys	Low Kick Fighting
Kingambit	Low Kick Fighting
Gallade	Sacred Sword Fighting
Houndoom	Incinerate Fire Trailblaze Grass
Mismagius	Mystical Fire Fire
Crobat	Gust Flying
Flamigo	Peck Flying
Chandelure	Astonish Ghost
Cofagrigus	Energy Ball Grass
Skarmory	Drill Run Ground
Bombirdier	Drill Run Ground
Lugia	Earth Power Ground
Miltank	High Horsepower Ground
Nidoking	Avalanche Ice
Ursaluna	Scratch Normal
Hisuian Zoroark	Swift Normal
Low Key Toxtricity Amped Toxtricity	Swift Normal
Snorlax	Psywave Psychic

The updated attacks and expanded move pools are expected to have an immediate effect on the GO Battle League meta. Take Down receives the largest raw power increase, while Draining Kiss becomes considerably stronger with its guaranteed Defense boost. Skarmory gaining Drill Run, Gallade gaining Sacred Sword, and Lugia gaining Earth Power are also among the additions worth watching when the new season begins.

Early Thoughts

Darkrai gaining Sucker Punch could be huge for raids. Its high Attack stat already makes it one of the strongest Dark-type attackers in Pokémon GO, and access to a better Dark-type Fast Attack could push its raid performance even further.

Raichu and Alolan Raichu getting Volt Tackle is another exciting addition, although much will depend on how good Volt Tackle actually is.

Skarmory gaining Drill Run gives it direct coverage against the Electric, Steel, and Rock types that would normally threaten it. As if battling Skarmory was not frustrating enough already.

Lickilicky has been hit particularly hard by these changes. Body Slam is becoming more expensive and Shadow Ball is losing power, weakening both of its main Charged Attacks. RIP Lickilicky.

Psycho Boost is effectively becoming a Mind Blown clone in Gyms and raids. The change technically gives Deoxys higher Psychic-type DPS than Mewtwo, which is a hilarious sentence to write. Its paper-thin defenses will probably make that impractical in most raids, but the damage potential is there.

Lugia is also finally getting a proper coverage move. Earth Power gives it an option against Electric, Rock, and Steel-type opponents, all of which resist or threaten parts of Lugia’s usual moveset.