I'm ready to get totally clowned on here but honestly how do you count. So far I've been making do with vibe "counting" (getting used to match ups and know the opponent will reach a move at the same time as me so I know when to catch, try for CMP etc.) but I always get hard stuck around mid-Veteran and would like to be able to break through this barrier. I feel like I have the general skill and lots of good IV meta mons so counting is what's holding me back.

I've had my pro friends explain it to me irl and obviously I get the general concept of it but I'm a dumdum when it comes to math (especially mental math) so my brain short circuits when I have to start factoring in all the different turn type moves. (This is especially why I hate going against Incincerate users lol). Sidenote is that the mental math on the fly element is why I always tell people who talk down on pogo PVP that it requires a lot of skill (a different type of skill, obviously, from like VGC).

Anyway, is there a super simple ELI5 for dumb people method for counting that doesn't require you to do constant mental math on the fly? Or am I just cursed to never get counting?

Why is it that in cups I’m able to get up to about the 2300’s in elo but once open great league comes I drop sub 2000’s. It feels like open is filled with lickilicky and certain mons over and over again and I can’t find a good counter.

I've been able to maintain a pretty consistent ELO of around 2700 in ML, but as I've stayed more consistent in this rank one thing has thrown me off..

W-Kyurem with AP over IB.

The Sims on PVPoke (1 shield) show a pretty significant difference in wins with IB (22 wins vs 15 with AP)

BUT looking at the actual Sim encounters, it appears that the only thing im losing with AP are a lot of non-meta at my level and Im instead gaining a much more strategic advantage having play over Reshiram.

AP and FF both charge at the same rate, so thats another big plus when I consider it.

Overall, I really DO NOT care about the IB Adventure Effect. I have another fused Black Kyurem that will do me just fine or plenty of other Glaciate Kyurems I can fuse in the future with another Reshi if I really miss the Adventure Effect.

What's the overall thought on strategy of AP over Ice Burn?

Here’s the scenario that’s happened to me a few times and I thought I understood how it was supposed to go but it just isn’t going like that.

I’m using Tinkaton into a mudslapper and the fast moves are synced (like after one of us already threw a charged move). I throw one fairy wind (2turns) and then my charged move. They throw a 3 turn mudslap. I thought that my charged move would go through first and then after the charged move the 3 turn fast move damage would register, if the mudslapper Pokemon survives my charged move. However I just lost because the mudslap damage killed my tinkaton before I could use my charged move. This also happens to me when I throw 2 powder snows and the move into an incinerate user. Should the fast move damage be registering first or should I be getting my charged move off first?

Thanks in advance!

I tried Catch Cup but I don't have anything worth building or running that I caught this season... and I've been playing Guinea Pig Cup since it launched but the past 2 days have been insanely laggy, like 3/5 sets have frozen to where even closing and reopening the app doesn't help and I'm forced to take the loss.

So now I'm being forced to play ML. And frankly it's kinda fun because I'm busting out my bb Meloetta and it's catching a lot of people off guard :) (only ACE ELO before you ask)

Besides 250 ELO.

I pretty much always get up to ~2800 ELO now, but I can never break through to Legend. Is there a specific skill that most Legends players have that Experts don't, or is it something else?

Where are we? - Waters, Normals, and Wiggly

Memories in Motion is nearly over, and there are a lot of move updates I'd love to see. In seeing what issues people have with the meta currently, it seems like the primary annoyances are the plethora of Water types, bulky normals with wide coverage, and Wigglytuff able to Charm down non-Poison/Steel types with solid pacing.

While there are going to be some unrelated ideas presented here, a lot of them will be in an effort to counter/nerf those three categories.

Move Stat Changes

Fast Moves

• Charm: 13 damage -> 12 damage (former Waterfall/Smack Down clone)
• Counter: 8 damage -> 7 damage, 6 energy -> 7 energy (Poison Jab/Bullet Punch clone)
• Infestation: 6 damage -> 7 damage, 12 energy -> 13 energy (Hex/Rollout clone)
• Magical Leaf: 10 damage -> 12 damage (Astonish clone)
• Razor Leaf: 9 damage -> 8 damage, 4 energy -> 7 energy (Sucker Punch clone)

Charged Moves

• Energy Ball: 90 damage -> 70 damage, 55 energy -> 45 energy (Crunch clone with 10% debuff chance instead of 20%)
• High Jump-Kick: 110 damage -> 90 damage, 55 energy -> 40 energy
• Magnet Bomb: 45 energy -> 40 energy (Sludge, Twister clone)
• Shadow Ball: 100 damage -> 90 damage (Power Whip/Grass Knot clone)

New Moves

Charged Moves

• Grassy Glide: 70 damage, 40 energy - Vileplume, Hisuian Electrode, Exeggutor (both forms), Sunflora, Celebi, Cacturne, Cherrim (both forms), Tangrowth, Whimsicott, Lilligant, Maractus, Tsareena, Dhelmise, Rillaboom, Eldegoss, Flapple, Appletun, Zarude, Dipplin, Hydrapple
• Shock Wave: 55 damage, 35 energy - Nidoking, Alakazam, Magneton, Raikou, Exploud, Aggron, Volbeat, Illumise, Manectric, Banette, Luxray, Rotom (all forms), Zebstrika, Reuniclus, Vikavolt, Celesteela, Toxtricity

Move Distribution

Fast Moves

• Charm: Tapu Lele
• Gust: Tropius
• Leafage: Meganium**,** Sceptile, Cherrim (both forms), Tapu Bulu, Eldegoss
• Shadow Claw: Ursaluna
• Sucker Punch: Shiftry

Charged Moves

• Air Cutter: Shiftry, Noivern
• Brick Break: Tapu Bulu
• Chilling Water: Masquerain, Glalie, Meowscarada
• Fire Punch: Garganacl
• Foul Play: Honchkrow, Salazzle,
• High Horsepower: Tapu Bulu
• High Jump-Kick: Hitmonlee, Hitmontop, Lopunny, Mienshao, Pheromosa, Cinderace
• Magnet Bomb: Magnezone, Aggron, Chimecho, Metang, Porygon-Z, Rotom (all forms), Garbodor, Klefki, Toxtricity
• Night Slash: Skuntank, Duraludon
• Rock Slide: Sceptile, Shiftry, Eelektross,
• Rock Tomb: Torterra
• Thunder Punch: Tapu Koko
• Trailblaze: Pachirisu
• Twister: Dragonair, Serperior, Drampa, Flapple, Enamorus (both forms)
• Upper Hand: Shiftry
• Weather Ball (Fire): Vileplume, Weepinbell, Victreebel, Bayleef, Meganium, Bellossom, Sunflora, Shiftry, Lilligant (both forms), Heliolisk, Dolliv, Arboliva
• Weather Ball (Water): Kilowattrel

There are a lot of changes here, but it is still in line with the amount that we typically receive in larger move updates. Not to mention some fillery additions like Night Slash Duraludon or Weather Ball Sunflora. There are plenty of other move updates I want to see outside of these, buffs, nerfs, additions, and new moves, but I wanted to keep this as a somewhat more concentrated post.

My single reservation amongst all these is Gust on Tropius. While I have no issues buffing a regional, especially when it is made globally available (Tropius will be on Incense in Go Fest 2026), this would likely prevent Gust from being buffed further in the future. I think buffing Gust to the level of Confusion is a great idea, but doing so on a bulky regional with two strong 35 energy Charged Moves seems questionable...

Do you agree with these? Any you think are trash ideas? Anything you'd do differently?