It's hard to believe, but the next Pokémon GO Community Day is a little over a week away! This means that we should receive the announcement for Ampharos' exclusive move very soon. But what will it be? We'll be speculating about that in today's article. Let's dive in!
NIANTIC'S STRATEGY: We've begun to detect a pattern with Niantic's selection for Community Day moves. Frenzy Plant brought Venusaur into the meta, and Draco Meteor solidified Dragonite's place there. Pikachu's Surf was more of a nod to some special Pikachu from the main series, but we consider the first Community Day Niantic's trial run.
If the pattern is to continue, the move Niantic selects could propel Ampharos into the top three of Electric-type attackers. And, as we saw last month with Venusaur, the move doesn't have to be one of the moves currently programmed into Pokémon GO. Additionally, the move might not even be an Electric attack, or a nod to the mainstream games. Let's take a look at each scenario.
ELECTRIC-TYPE ATTACK: An Electric-type attack would make the most sense. Raikou and Zapdos still will likely still reign supreme, but a good Electric-type attack will allow Ampharos to surpass Jolteon. For moves that we already have, Thunderbolt or Wild Charge would help out Ampharos. If Niantic wants to add another new move, the powerful Electro Ball would be Niantic's best choice.
DRAGON-TYPE ATTACK: A Dragon-type attack as Ampharos' exclusive move would actually make a lot of sense. In Generation 6, we'll be introduced to Mega Ampharos (an Electric- and Dragon-type). With no Dragon-type attacks in Ampharos' movepool at the moment, Ampharos' Dragon-type potential won't be realized without Outrage or Dragon Pulse (especially with the Legendary Zekrom being introduced the generation before).
SIGNAL BEAM: While giving Ampharos Signal Beam would make sense, we sincerely hope Niantic doesn't go down that route. Ampharos' "thing" is being the lighthouse of Pokémon, and Signal Beam was the move that was widely associated with it. Should Niantic make this Ampharos' exclusive move, it would follow the Surf-Pikachu route and not make Amphaos relevant in the meta at all. We can't imagine that this is Niantic's goal, so we doubt it will happen (assuming Signal Beam doesn't get some completely overpowered and unrealistic buff).
STATUS MOVE: We recently thought that Community Day may be a way of testing out special / status moves. It is a bit of a long shot, especially where we are at this point, but here us out. Status moves (Thunder Wave, Will-O-Wisp, etc.) or weather-changing moves (Hail, Sunny Day, etc.) are effect moves from the main series that have yet to be implemented in Pokémon GO.
Many people, most notably Nick of Trainer Tips, have been calling for their addition for months. They would bring a new complexity to the game's battle system that is desperately needed. So why not test out the community's response to them with a Community Day trial run? Additionally, having only one Pokémon with a status move (for a little while, at least) would make it very special and enticing for Trainers to get and power-up.
Tell us what you think of these suggestions in the poll below. Thanks for reading, Trainers!
NIANTIC'S STRATEGY: We've begun to detect a pattern with Niantic's selection for Community Day moves. Frenzy Plant brought Venusaur into the meta, and Draco Meteor solidified Dragonite's place there. Pikachu's Surf was more of a nod to some special Pikachu from the main series, but we consider the first Community Day Niantic's trial run.
If the pattern is to continue, the move Niantic selects could propel Ampharos into the top three of Electric-type attackers. And, as we saw last month with Venusaur, the move doesn't have to be one of the moves currently programmed into Pokémon GO. Additionally, the move might not even be an Electric attack, or a nod to the mainstream games. Let's take a look at each scenario.
ELECTRIC-TYPE ATTACK: An Electric-type attack would make the most sense. Raikou and Zapdos still will likely still reign supreme, but a good Electric-type attack will allow Ampharos to surpass Jolteon. For moves that we already have, Thunderbolt or Wild Charge would help out Ampharos. If Niantic wants to add another new move, the powerful Electro Ball would be Niantic's best choice.
DRAGON-TYPE ATTACK: A Dragon-type attack as Ampharos' exclusive move would actually make a lot of sense. In Generation 6, we'll be introduced to Mega Ampharos (an Electric- and Dragon-type). With no Dragon-type attacks in Ampharos' movepool at the moment, Ampharos' Dragon-type potential won't be realized without Outrage or Dragon Pulse (especially with the Legendary Zekrom being introduced the generation before).
SIGNAL BEAM: While giving Ampharos Signal Beam would make sense, we sincerely hope Niantic doesn't go down that route. Ampharos' "thing" is being the lighthouse of Pokémon, and Signal Beam was the move that was widely associated with it. Should Niantic make this Ampharos' exclusive move, it would follow the Surf-Pikachu route and not make Amphaos relevant in the meta at all. We can't imagine that this is Niantic's goal, so we doubt it will happen (assuming Signal Beam doesn't get some completely overpowered and unrealistic buff).
STATUS MOVE: We recently thought that Community Day may be a way of testing out special / status moves. It is a bit of a long shot, especially where we are at this point, but here us out. Status moves (Thunder Wave, Will-O-Wisp, etc.) or weather-changing moves (Hail, Sunny Day, etc.) are effect moves from the main series that have yet to be implemented in Pokémon GO.
Many people, most notably Nick of Trainer Tips, have been calling for their addition for months. They would bring a new complexity to the game's battle system that is desperately needed. So why not test out the community's response to them with a Community Day trial run? Additionally, having only one Pokémon with a status move (for a little while, at least) would make it very special and enticing for Trainers to get and power-up.
Tell us what you think of these suggestions in the poll below. Thanks for reading, Trainers!
SOURCE: The Official National Pokédex: Pokémon Ultra Sun & Pokémon Ultra Moon Edition | IMAGE CREDIT: Niantic