By Caleb Peng, contributing writer

On June 1, 2023, Pokémon GO entered Season 11: Hidden Gems. For the GO Battle League, this Season ushered in numerous updates to Pokémon commonly used in player-vs-player battles. Let’s take a look at which changes immediately redefined key battle strategies and which changes are still waiting for their time to shine.

Alolan Sandslash, particularly Shadow Alolan Sandslash, was already becoming a more common pick in the GO Battle League, especially after DankeyChan hit #1 on the leaderboard with it in Season 10. Alolan Sandslash also saw a lot of play in the Ultra League Holiday Cup, resisting the Dragon-type and Fairy-type Pokémon common to the format. This Season, Alolan Sandslash is now able to learn the Charged Attack Drill Run, a strict upgrade from Bulldoze, which was the previous Ground-type Charged Attack of choice. In just the first few weeks of this Season, Alolan Sandslash went from a fringe pick to a popular choice in both the Great League and the Ultra League. Notably, it also breaks the previous core trio of Noctowl, Trevenant, and Lanturn, a feat that is unmatched by any other Pokémon.

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Dewgong is another Ice-type Pokémon that can now learn Drill Run. It can also learn the Charged Attack Liquidation, a new Water-type attack introduced this Season that has a chance to lower the opposing Pokémon’s Defense by one stage. Dewgong has seen some use in past Seasons of the GO Battle League, but it struggled to defend itself against popular Electric-type and Steel-type Pokémon. With Drill Run, it can now fight back against many of its counters. At the same time, Trainers are probably less likely to teach their Dewgong Liquidation since Icy Wind provides more coverage and a guaranteed attack debuff against its opponents. Dewgong’s impact on the Great League might not outshine that of Alolan Sandslash, but it has definitely returned as a force to be considered.

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Clefable was known for its hard-hitting Fast Attack Charm, which has always been hampered by slow energy generation for its Charged Attacks. It can now learn the Fast Attack Fairy Wind, one of the fastest energy-generating Fast Attacks in the game. This change has shifted Clefable’s damage output from Fast Attacks to Charged Attacks. As the only Fairy-type Pokémon that can learn the Steel-type Charged Attack Meteor Mash, Clefable has become one of the premier Fairy-type Pokémon because of its ability to win head-to-head matchups against other Fairy-types. In the Great League, Charm deals enough damage to make that Fast Attack a great choice; but in the Ultra League, Pokémon are commonly bulkier, so Clefable can really shine with Fairy Wind generating the energy for its powerful Charged Attacks. In limited formats, such as the Fantasy Cup: Ultra League Edition later this season, I expect to see Clefable to be even more popular.

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Quagsire has been overshadowed by Swampert and Whiscash for many years, mainly due to the superior Charged Attacks of the other two Ground- and Water-types. However, it can now learn the Charged Attack Mud Bomb, giving it much more reliable Ground-type damage than the more energy-intensive Earthquake. Although Quagsire is still likely to lose to Swampert, Quagsire now has a much easier time countering Steel-types and Electric-types, similar to Whiscash. With the ability to learn Stone Edge, Quagsire can fill a different role than Whiscash, which often runs the second Charged Attack Blizzard. When considering Ground- and Water-type Pokémon in Great League, don’t count out Quagsire!

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Cradily, despite its unique dual type of Rock and Grass (shared only with Lileep, which evolves into Cradily), has had limited impact in the Great League and Ultra League. It can now learn the Charged Attack Rock Slide, a less energy-intensive Charged Attack than Stone Edge, which was the previous Rock-type Charged Attack of choice. Although Cradily may not become a fixture in the open formats, in limited formats such as the Summer Cup (both Great League and Ultra League edition), it is much more formidable. Flying-type and Fire-type Pokémon will now have to think twice before facing Cradily, while Water-type and Ground-type Pokémon should still fear its consistent Grass-type damage.

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Ursaluna made its Pokémon GO debut during Teddiursa Community Day last November, and it has been most commonly fielded in the Master League Premier. It lacked coverage, however, for the many Dragon-type Pokémon in that format. But Ursaluna can now learn the Charged Attack Ice Punch, which should strike fear in Trainers who favor Dragon types. Ursaluna could already learn Thunder Punch and Fire Punch, so Ice Punch gives it even more flexibility in countering opponents. Even if Trainers decide not to teach their Ursaluna Ice Punch, the threat of an icy onslaught will make opponents think twice about whether they should use one of their Protect Shields. Just the possibility of an Ursaluna that knows Ice Punch is a win for Trainers who want to trick their opponents into shielding a different attack.

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Fairy-type Pokémon like Wigglytuff and Primarina are known for using hard-hitting Fast Attacks instead of prohibitively energy-intensive Charged Attacks. But both Wigglytuff and Primarina can now learn the Charged Attack Disarming Voice, a Fairy-type attack with a much lower energy cost. This will help set Wigglytuff apart from many other Fairy-type Pokémon in Great League, and, with its Normal typing, it will thrive in environments with a lot of Ghost-type Pokémon. Primarina is mainly a contender in Master League Premier, and it will continue to be a good choice in a format full of Dragon-type Pokémon.

In addition to specific Pokémon gaining the ability to learn new attacks, updates to attacks themselves gave a number of Pokémon a new niche in the GO Battle League.

Icicle Spear, currently a Charged Attack exclusive to Walrein, received a bump in damage output. Walrein was a staple in the Great League and Ultra League in years past, but after the energy cost increased for Icicle Spear, Walrein was seen in competition less frequently. Walrein is appearing more frequently in the Great League, but it’s even stronger in the Ultra League due to its superior HP and Defense.

The Charged Attack Poison Fang, used primarily by Nidoqueen and Golbat, saw a damage increase as well. With Ice-type Pokémon appearing more and more, Nidoqueen and Golbat may still struggle, but they will likely still appear in limited formats such as the Halloween Cup that has come around every October.

Dunsparce and Miltank in particular are benefitting from a damage increase to the Fast Attack  Rollout. Dunsparce became a better pick after learning Rollout in a previous update, so it will certainly benefit from Rollout’s increased damage. Miltank is not generally seen as competitive in the GO Battle League, but it will benefit from this update as well. Dunsparce’s Normal typing, along with its ability to learn Ground-type and Rock-type attacks, allows it to counter Flying-type and Ghost-type Pokémon and makes it a threat to Steel-type and Electric-type Pokémon as well.

Mud Bomb received a damage increase that will be enjoyed by many Pokémon, such as Quagsire, Whiscash, Toxicroak, and Stunfisk. This change is especially well-received since Earthquake was the primary Ground-type Charged Attack of relevance prior to this change. Now, Pokémon that use Mud Bomb will be stronger additions to teams, especially since this attack is effective against the Steel-type Pokémon that are strong in every league.

In addition to the attack updates already mentioned, there were a number of other changes introduced this Season that haven’t seen as much impact...yet. It is entirely possible that these new attacks will be more relevant down the road, but for now, it’s best to just keep an eye on them.

Leafage is a Fast Attack that Snover, Abomasnow, Rowlet, Dartrix, Decidueye, Fomantis, and Lurantis can now learn. All of these Pokémon, however, already have better Fast Attacks at their disposal, such as Powder Snow for Abomasnow and Fury Cutter for Lurantis.

In addition to Dewgong gaining the ability to learn Liquidation, Golduck, Cloyster, Vaporeon, Armaldo, Floatzel, Samurott, Carracosta, Eelektross, Beartic, and Golisopod can now also learn this Water-type Charged Attack. Outside of Cloyster and Golisopod (explained in the next section), Liquidation is unlikely to make these Pokémon popular choices in the GO Battle League.

Heatran will now be able to learn the Charged Attack Earth Power, but this isn’t likely to help Heatran much in the Master League. Being vulnerable to Water- and Ground-type attacks makes Heatran very hard to use in a format where Kyogre and Groudon are prevalent, and being able to learn Earth Power doesn’t change that dynamic.

Probopass can now learn the Charged Attack Zap Cannon, but this change is unlikely to prevent Probopass’s slip in the Great League as this new attack is very energy-intensive. Arguably, Thunderbolt is still the Electric-type Charged Attack of choice for Probopass since it costs less energy.

Seed Bomb saw both an increase to both its damage and energy cost. This ended up causing a big change to the dominant metagame. Trevenant was the most popular Seed Bomb user in both the Great League and the Ultra League, and Seed Bomb’s utility came from being a low energy–cost Charged Attack that could bait opponents’ Protect Shields while dealing enough damage to beat both Water-type and Ground-type Pokémon. With Seed Bomb’s increased energy cost, Trevenant has slipped in both the Great League and Ultra League. Trevenant falling out of favor has shaped the GO Battle League metagame drastically this Season, allowing Pokémon such as Lanturn, Swampert, Medicham, and Registeel to thrive more than they have since Trevenant’s introduction to Pokémon GO.

While there are easily identifiable shifts resulting from these updates, there are also some potential Hidden Gems waiting to be discovered by Trainers looking to surprise their opponents in the GO Battle League. The following attack updates haven’t caused an immediate upset, but they may have potential.

Liquidation may strengthen the impact of specific Pokémon in the GO Battle League. As mentioned above, both Cloyster and Golisopod can now learn this Charged Attack. Prior to this Season, Cloyster and Golisopod relied on Hydro Pump and Aqua Jet respectively for their Charged Attack Water-type damage. Liquidation is generally seen as an upgrade to Hydro Pump, and it’s definitively an upgrade to Aqua Jet. However, Cloyster and Golisopod have yet to make a strong showing in the Great League and Ultra League formats. Golisopod does have the rare dual typing of Bug and Water; Araquanid is the only other relevant Pokémon in the Great League that shares that typing. These two Pokémon can resist both Ice-type and Ground-type damage, which helps shut down the incredible coverage Pokémon like Alolan Sandslash and Walrein have. Araquanid isn’t common in the Ultra League, so that makes Golisopod the only Pokémon likely to make a showing in that format with this type combination. And with the ability to learn one of the best Fast Attacks in the game, Shadow Claw, Golisopod is only one good Charged Attack away from being a force to reckon with.

Along with Clefable, Togetic is now able to learn the Fast Attack Fairy Wind. Even though this allows Togetic to reach its Charged Attacks sooner, the lack of attacks that can counter its Poison-type and Steel-type challengers hold it back from being a major Fairy-type factor in the Great League. Fighting-type, Dragon-type, and Dark-type Pokémon do still have to watch out for Togetic and the Charged Attacks it can now fire off more quickly.

Drifblim used to have a substantial impact on the Great League and Ultra League prior to Registeel learning Zap Cannon and Walrein’s introduction into Pokémon GO. This Season, Drifblim can now learn the Charged Attack Mystical Fire, which guarantees that the opposing Pokémon’s attack will drop by one stage whenever the move is used. Mystical Fire is the Fire-type equivalent of Icy Wind, which Drifblim could already learn. Drifblim can now hit with supereffective damage against Ice-type, Bug-type, and Steel-type Pokémon. With Ice-type Pokémon becoming more prevalent this Season, Drifblim has not fully regained the position it used to have, but this extra Fire-type coverage may still prove to be useful for some Trainers—especially in limited GO Battle League formats.

Litwick is the other Ghost-type Pokémon that can now learn Mystical Fire. Although this will only impact Little Cup formats, this update can keep Bronzor in check. Being able to learn an attack that causes a debuff is a benefit, but since Litwick was already a check to Steel-type Pokémon, the addition of a fourth Fire-type Charged Attack is unlikely to make a significant change to its impact.

Emolga is now able to learn the Charged Attack Acrobatics, a much harder-hitting Charged Attack than Aerial Ace, which used to be the only Flying-type Charged Attack it could learn. With the ability to learn the efficient energy-generating Fast Attack Thunder Shock, Acrobatics synergizes well with Emolga, but it will likely only be useful in limited Great League formats. The increased use of Ice-type Pokémon this Season—along with the prevalent Ground-type Pokémon—will hold Emolga back in the open Great League format.

Whimsicott can now learn the Charged Attack Seed Bomb. It already can learn Grass Knot, so while Whimsicott doesn’t gain any additional coverage, it can now dish out Grass-type damage faster than before since Seed Bomb costs less energy. Whimsicott lacks coverage against its counters, such as Registeel and Alolan Sandslash, which holds it back. If positioned correctly, however, it has a lot of potential against popular picks, such as Medicham and Swampert. Whimsicott hasn’t made much of an impact yet, but with the Trevenant’s disappearance, it may become the Grass-type Pokémon of choice for some Trainers.

Tyranitar can now learn the Charged Attack Brutal Swing. Even though this is generally an upgrade for Tyranitar over the Dark-type Charged Attack Crunch, there aren’t many opportunities to use Tyranitar in the GO Battle League. Its main relevance is in the Halloween Cup, where some Trainers will definitely be looking forward to using this Dark-type move.

GO Battle League: Hidden Gems brought a lot of changes to the GO Battle League and player-vs-player battles. Trevenant has fallen off the scene for the first time since it debuted in Pokémon GO. Ice-type and Steel-type Pokémon are stronger than ever, even as the Fighting-type Pokémon Medicham and Cobalion are dominating the Great League and Ultra League respectively.

Arguably, one of the biggest impacts to the GO Battle League this Season will be the introduction of Carbink to Pokémon GO. With its debut almost a month into the Season, it’s poised to completely shake up the Great League by itself. A Rock- and Fairy-type Pokémon that can take on top Pokémon like Lickitung, Noctowl, Sableye, and Medicham makes it a Pokémon that every Trainer will be brainstorming how to counter. Quite possibly, Carbink is the true Hidden Gem of the Season. July 13, when the Great League format is back in rotation, marks the first day that Trainers can use Carbink. Until then, enjoy the new attack updates and prepare your Carbink counters.

For more Pokémon GO strategy and analysis, visit Pokemon.co.uk/Strategy.