How to win every gym battle in Pokemon GO

Unbeknownst to us prior to release, Pokemon GO is secretly a homage to Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out.

You’ve been putting in the hours on Pokemon GO. You know that gym right down the street is being held by an opposing team, and it just sticks in your craw.

So you’ve been spending every waking hour out walking the town, catching more Pokemon and buffing up the ones you already have. You want the baddest six-monster squad you can put together, because you need some really impressive stats to have a chance at dethroning those bullies at the gym.

Or maybe not. It’s quite possible, maybe even likely, that there’s a way you can win every gym battle, every time, without even needing Pokemon that are all that tough.

Admit it, you’re intrigued now, aren’t you?

Business Insider explained it all like Clarissa over the weekend. While it’s advisable to take the strongest Pokemon you have when attacking the gym, it’s all about technique, not brawn, when it comes to winning gym battles.

Turns out the gym defenders have “tells” when they’re about to attack: a yellow flash just before they unleash the fury (hence the Tyson reference above). From the BI piece:

"A simple method of dodge and attack will help you tackle enemies of nearly any level. It’s all about looking for the yellow “flash” of your opponent, and immediately dodging their impending attack …After dodging (by swiping left or right), quickly hit your opponent (by tapping on your Pokémon, not theirs)."

Some caveats go along with this method too:

• The defender will always attack as soon as the battle begins, so you need to be ready to dodge right away.
• Sometimes you can get off two attacks before the next flash, but you can’t take that for granted.
• And here’s the really important one: Any network issues or lag from your device will make this technique just about worthless.

That’s the tricky part, because a day without network issues playing Pokemon GO is like a summer day in Arizona without 110-degree heat. But nonetheless, next time all the technological stars are aligned for you, be sure to put this technique to the test. And kick that other team out of the gym. It’s yours until they figure out how to repay the favor.

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