What Is a Charged Attack in Pokemon Go? (& How To Use It)

Whether you’re participating in the activities of the Pokemon World Championships of 2023 or basic questline tasks, using “Charged Attacks” is one challenge you might receive. While many Trainers around the world love catching pocket monsters in AR, there is a good portion of players who might not have engaged with Raiding or PvP. As a result, these Trainers are at a loss as to what they must do to “use Charged Attacks” for a task. Accordingly, we’ll cover all you need to know about what a Charged Attack is in Pokemon Go.

How to Use a Charged Attack in Pokemon Go

(Updated on October 4, 2024 – updated links and format)

Also referred to as a Charged Move, a Charged Attack in Pokemon Go is the one or two secondary Moves a Pokemon has learned for battle. For instance, the ideal Moveset for Sylveon is Charm and Dazzling Gleam. Charm is the Fast Attack that is used when you tap the screen during combat. Conversely, Dazzling Gleam is the Charged Attack that can only be triggered when Sylveon has enough Energy.

To use Dazzling Gleam or any Charged Attack in Pokemon Go, you need to continuously tap your screen during a Trainer Battle. Your basic Fast Attack will build up Energy over time; some produce more Energy than others. Once the Charged Move icon at the bottom of your screen has lit up, you can press it to activate your Pokemon’s Charged Attack. 

The next step involves tapping or following certain patterns on-screen with your finger. For instance, a Fighting Move will have you rapidly touch different points on the screen, while a Wind Move will have you flow your finger in a blustery motion. Regardless if your opponent uses their Shield to block your Move, performing a Charged Attack will progress your related tasks. Let’s do a quick summary for clarification:

1. Gain Energy by tapping your screen to use your Fast Attack.
2. Once your Charged Attack’s icon lights up, tap it.
3. Follow the directions to achieve an “Excellent” Charged Attack in Pokemon Go.

How To Use a Super Effective Charged Attack in Pokemon Go

You might have also heard of landing a “Supereffective” or Super Effective Charged Attack on an opponent. Such a Move is achieved by using a Charged Move on an enemy weak to the Move’s elemental type. Suppose your Sylveon casts the Fairy-type Dazzling Gleam on Zekrom. Because Zekrom is a Dragon-type pocket monster, the Fairy Charged Attack will be Super Effective, dealing a heightened amount of damage.