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Where do we begin?
Pokemon was created in 1996 in Japan by Satoshi Tajiri, Ken Sugimori, and Game Freak. This passion project started as a video game for Game Boy in 1996. Later that same year, the Pokemon TCG launched officially in Japan. The Pokemon TCG expanded globally in 1999.
In 2016, Pokemon GO launched for iOS and Android in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Then the PvP system became available in December 2018, and that is what brings us to this point.
Now that you know why you're here, what's the point?
Perhaps you're curious to learn more?
Maybe you want to improve what you already know?
Or you're on your lunch break at work and want to kill some time?
Your reasons for being at this point are your own, but Oak Coliseum is here to provide information and knowledge to help new players learn as much as they can to enjoy Pokemon GO PvP.
Step 1: Pick a league
The leagues rotate every week and many players look ahead to see what is upcoming; you can see the schedule here.
Every league will have limits or restrictions. Usually it is just the CP (Combat Power) of the Pokemon: Great League no higher than 1,500; Ultra League no higher than 2,500; Master League has no limit. The Great League and its variants are by far the most popular and commonly participated battle league; this will be where most new players will want to learn how to battle.
One team with significant time put in will yield way better results than if you keep changing the team hoping to strike gold.
Step 2: Start with Pokémon you can actually use
Look at the Pokemon you have. Enter them here at Oak Coliseum, watch a content creator, follow posts on Reddit, or just select the Pokemon you like. You're not trying to find a flawless team or fully optimized picks. You're looking for a team you can keep using while you're learning.
For each candidate, check the basics:
- Is it a reasonable choice for the league?
- Does it have optimal movesets?
- Can you level it up or add a second charge move without burning through too much Stardust or Candy?
- What does it bring to the table?
Think Moneyball! Three good Pokemon that help support each other is going to be far more successful than three excellent Pokemon who don't help one another.
Waiting for a PvP IV Rank 1 Pokemon will result in you never actually playing matches in PvP. So while you wait to catch a great find, use what you have and continue to hone your skills.
Step 3: Give each Pokémon a job
Lead, Pivot/Switch, and Closer. These assignments are really important and knowing where your Pokemon best fit in those assignments is crucial on learning how your team works. Those jobs are usually called the lead, pivot or switch, and closer.
Think about:
- Who should I pick to start the match and what will they provide for me
- Will your Pivot/Switch help get you back into the fight or will they just make matters worse
- Bringing up the caboose is important so they have to be bulky, efficient, or wear many hats
It is worth noting that while Pokemon on a team have a job, that does not necessarily mean that is their only job. Matches get messy and sometimes your Closer may become your Switch, or you made a mistake and didn't shield at the right time and now that Closer was knocked out, and you have decide if the match can be salvaged. Planning important, and as we move ahead, you'll learn that being able to decide on the fly is equally as important as planning.
Step 4: Play, play, and play some more
After the first few matches, if you're getting wins, don't let it go to your head. If you're getting losses, don't get discouraged.
After a few battles, ask yourself the following questions:
- Which opposing Pokémon stomped your team?
- Did I know what my lead was trying to accomplish?
- When I switched, did it improve my position?
- Did I use a shield because it protected something important, or because the move looked scary?
- Did one of my Pokémon leave with useful energy that I never got to use?
You are going to lose battles because the opponent’s team was ideally suited to beat your team; that is the luck of the matchup. You are going to lose battles because you threw a shield when you didn't need to, tapped the wrong Charged Attack, or didn't anticipate your opponent’s next move. All of this is normal, and those losses are not evidence that you should immediately rebuild the team. This information is how everyone learns to become a better player.
Step 5: Look for one pattern before you change anything
Like said above, a single loss can be really frustrating, especially if it comes down to hits the final charged move first!
Patience is not a virtue for many people, but you really do need to try to give it time and trust the process. Maybe the opposing Pokémon keeps defeating your team; is it the meta? Maybe your switch keeps drawing a response that leaves your closer exposed; was that a mistake? Maybe your Pokemon got knocked out while they had energy waiting to deploy; why did you hold back?
The thought process behind your decisions is the stage where growth becomes possible. The point of this step is to watch for patterns, be it in your decision-making or in your opponents. Understanding these patterns builds muscle memory by learning an opponent Pokémon’s number of Fast Attacks before deploying a Charged Attack, learning why an opponent chose a specific Pokémon to lead the match, or asking any one of dozens of different questions.
Step 6: Choose one thing to learn next
It is impossible to practice everything at the same time, so pick one thing at a time to work and focus on.
- Pivot/Switch: When do you switch? Why do you switch? Did you switch too soon?
- Energy Management: Do you fire off the charged attack as soon as possible? Do you wait to deploy because your fast attack is putting in work?
- Fast Moves: Knowing the counts for your opponents fast moves is genuinely useful for a wide range of reasons.
- League Meta: Knowing what the league/cup is doing will be considerably helpful in giving you the knowledge to be able to better predict what an opposing team may switch or close into.
- Closer: After the shields are depleted, what Pokemon is your cleanup? Are they bulky? Are they rapidly launching a Charged Attack?
Really, take one thing at a time. Don't try to become an expert in everything all at once. Pick a skill and just focus on it, learn it, develop your own reasons behind the decisions being made. Then start over with another skill and build up your muscle memory with that. And over time, the various improved skills will start to slot together into a puzzle of Pokemon knock-outs!
Two habits worth keeping from the beginning
Stay with a team long enough to understand it
A new lineup can be exciting, but constant changes hide the real issue. Use one team long enough to learn its good leads, its difficult leads, and which Pokémon you need to protect. Then make changes for a reason you can name.
Treat resources as part of the build
A Pokemon is not only its CP or IV rank. Building up a Pokemon will cost Stardust, Candy, and quite possible TMs. It is completely fine to keep a promising Pokemon on the bench until you know where it fits; your matches are about learning and growing your skills and knowledge.
Before your next set
- I have one format I am focusing on.
- I have one workable three-Pokémon team.
- I know who starts, who helps after a rough opening, and who I want to preserve late.
- I am looking for patterns, not reacting to every loss.
- I have one small thing to learn next.
That is enough to begin.
PvP does get deeper, but it does not need to become complicated all at once.
Next useful read: Build a Team From the Pokémon You Own