PvP Mechanics Guide

Core PvP mechanics in one page — the foundation you should understand before reading matchup data or building a team. For team roles and composition patterns like ABB, see the PvP Team Building Guide.

Energy & Turn System

PvP is a turn-based system where 1 turn = 0.5 seconds. Fast Moves take 1–4 turns and generate energy each time.

Item	Value	Notes
1 turn	0.5 s	A new turn passes every 0.5 seconds in real time.
Fast Move duration	1–4 turns	Counter (2t), Mud Shot (2t), Dragon Tail (3t), etc.
Charged Move	0 turns	Instant. Can be queued mid-Fast-Move once energy is full.
Energy cap	100	Energy beyond 100 is wasted.
Swap cooldown	120 s	Once you swap, you cannot swap again for 120 seconds (no shield in play).

CMP — Charged Move Priority

When two Pokémon throw a Charged Move on the same turn, the one with the higher ATK stat fires first. CMP stands for "Charge Move Priority".

•The Pokémon with higher ATK lands its Charged Move one frame earlier
•In a mirror, equal or higher ATK lets you trade or steal kills
•In Great League (CP 1500), a 0/15/15 has lower ATK than 15/15/15 → loses CMP
•However, 0/15/15 still has the better overall stat product

→ See the PvP IV Guide for detailed ATK comparisons.

Fast Move Timing — Move Alignment

An advanced technique: count your Fast Move's turn length against your opponent's, then time your Charged Move accordingly. When two Pokémon have different Fast Move lengths, their energy and damage register on different turns — calculating this squeezes out maximum efficiency.

•Fast Moves register damage/energy on their final turn (a 2-turn move on turn 2, a 3-turn move on turn 3).
•Examples: Water Gun (1t), Counter (2t), Air Slash (3t), Confusion (4t).
•Shorter Fast Moves build energy more often, reaching Charged Moves sooner.

Key rule — It is most efficient to throw your Charged Move on the LAST turn of the opponent's Fast Move. Interrupting their Fast Move mid-animation resets their cooldown and hands them a free turn.

Shield Baiting

Each Trainer has 2 shields per match. A shield fully blocks one Charged Move — a huge resource.

1Throw a low-energy Charged Move (35–45).
2The opponent shields to avoid the bigger hit.
3Immediately throw your high-energy Charged Move (50–60).
4Main damage lands with one shield already gone.

⚠️ A Charged Move with very low damage (20–30) doesn't pressure the opponent into shielding. You want at least 50 damage to make bait threats real.

Good to Know

Swap advantage — The swap itself takes 1 turn. The incoming Pokémon can input immediately — if the opponent is mid-Fast-Move, your incoming Pokémon can start its first Fast Move earlier. (Not a fixed rule — the edge depends on the opponent's Fast Move cooldown.)

Fast Move lockout — You cannot fire a Charged Move while a Fast Move animation is playing. Tap right at the start of the next Fast Move cycle.

Shield scope — Shields only block Charged Moves. Fast Move damage always lands.

STAB — Same-Type Attack Bonus: moves matching your Pokémon's type deal ×1.2 damage.

References: PvPoke, Niantic