Fast Moves and Charged Moves

Those who play Pokémon Go will have realized that every Pokémon has only two moves, which is quite a departure from the games that allow up to four. The two moves are actually quite distinct, and they have their own terminology. The first of the listed moves is what is known as a "Fast Move", and the second is what is known as a "Charged Move". I've actually mentioned these two terms on two occasions of past Community Days, so it would help to elucidate about them.

Fast Moves are the moves that Pokémon primarily use to attack. In Gyms as regular battles and raid battles, as currently the only two situations in Go where Pokémon can battle, Fast Moves are executed by tapping almost anywhere on the screen. Continuous tapping leads to a barrage of the Fast Move, which also fills up a gauge. When the gauge is filled up, the Charged Move can be used by tapping its button. The gauge does not need to be completely filled to use a Charged Move, unless the Charged Move is a one-segment gauge, in which case it does; a Charged Move of two or three segments can be used as soon as a segment is filled. Usage of a Charged Move drains the gauge by a segment, which can then be filled again by executing the Fast Move - multiple segments mean multiple uses. Usage of Fast Moves and Charged Moves determines how a battle plays out.

As with the game's main series counterpart, Fast Moves and Charged Moves of Pokémon may be changed through the use of TMs, of which two kinds exist, Fast TMs and Charged TMs respectively. Unlike the main series games, there are no specific TMs for specific moves; instead, the two types of TMs change the moves of a Pokémon randomly out of a specific pool of moves. This means that it may be necessary to use one kind of TM multiple times until a Pokémon learns a desired move. In the case of Community Days and certain events, the two TMs cannot be used to teach a Pokémon the special move, and thus the Pokémon must have been evolved or otherwise caught to have the special move - accordingly, the special moves are lost forever if a TM is used on them. The two kinds of TMs may be earned out of raids and more recently out of certain Field Research tasks, necessitating efforts in either if one wishes to earn them for use.

Moves are important in any Pokémon game that features them, and Pokémon Go is no different. Though the moves in the game are no different than that of the main series games, the way they are implemented is different enough that they warrant some understanding. They're what makes the gameplay in battle distinctively rapid and unlike other Pokémon games, lending them a quality of importance, especially for anyone who wishes to achieve success with the game.

One year ago: Movie Times