Pokémon Go’s Hidden Gems update introduces two new moves
A new season called Hidden Gems has begun in Pokémon Go and brought some key changes to the mobile game’s PvP battles. In the previous season, balance adjustments ended up being rather light, but Hidden Gems has quite a few items in store that will be noticeable in many of Go Battle League’s formats.
First of all, Hidden Gems introduced two new moves to Pokémon Go, which can be taught to Pokémon and be used in PvE as well as PvP battles:
- Liquidation (Charged Attack, Water-type)
- PvP: 70 Power and a chance to lower the opposing Pokémon’s Defense by one stage.
- PvE: 70 Power
- Leafage (Fast Attack, Grass-type)
- PvP 6 Power
- PvE: 9 Power
Existing moves have been adjusted through some numerical tweaks. Here are the changes:
- Icicle Spear: Power increased from 60 to 65.
- Poison Fang: Power increased from 40 to 45.
- Rollout: Power increased from 4 to 5.
- Mud Bomb: Power increased from 55 to 60.
- Seed Bomb: Power increased from 55 to 60, Energy Cost increased.
Icicle Spear had been nerfed a bit in a previous season, so this new adjustment restores a bit of its former power. The change to Seed Bomb is widely seen as a nerf and hits popular Pokémon like Trevenant, who may see a little less usage in the coming months. Mud Bomb’s damage buff is a nice one for creatures like Quagsire, who can expect to rank up in terms of importance.
There have been some availability updates for moves as well – many attacks are now available to a bunch of additional Pokémon, adding to their flexibility and power:
- Alolan Sandslash: Drill Run
- Clefable: Fairy Wind
- Wigglytuff: Disarming Voice
- Goldluck: Liquidation
- Dewgong: Drill Run and Liquidation
- Cloyster: Liquidation
- Vaporeon: Liquidation
- Togetic: Fairy Wind
- Quagsire: Mud Bomb
- Tyranitar: Brutal Swing
- Cradily: Rock Slide
- Armaldo: Liquidation
- Floatzel: Liquidation
- Drifblim: Mystical Fire
- Snover: Leafage
- Abomasnow: Leafage
- Probopass: Zap Cannon
- Heatran: Earth Power
- Samurott: Liquidation
- Whimsicott: Seed Bomb
- Carracosta: Liquidation
- Emolga: Acrobatics
- Eelektross: Liquidation
- Litwick: Mystical Fire
- Beartic: Liquidation
- Rowlet: Leafage
- Dartrix: Leafage
- Decidueye: Leafage
- Primarina: Disarming Voice
- Fomantis: Leafage
- Lurantis: Leafage
- Golisopod: Liquidation
- Ursaluna: Ice Punch
Togetic, Emolga, and Golisopod are three of the biggest winners of these adjustments with Togetic and Emolga scoring huge wins in Great League and Golisopod becoming a force to be reckoned with in Ultra League. Quagsire and Clefable have to be mentioned in this context as well.
Expect to see a few new names in these leagues when competing in Go Battle League this season!
