Will Drain punch be good in Pokemon GO?

Pokemon GO is one of the most popular mobile games of all time. This is due to the game's broad appeal to mobile gamers and Pokemon fans. The game's geocacheing gameplay adds strong layers of immersion to help players truly get in the spirit of the Pokemon trainer by going out and finding wild Pokemon.

The major success of Pokemon GO can be attributed to Niantic's constant updates and attention to the game. Where other mobile games stop receiving updates a couple of years into their lifespan, Niantic is still updating Pokemon GO six years after the game's release with bug fixes and consistent content additions.

Niantic has been adding a new system of updates to the game called "Seasons." Starting in the Fall of 2021, Seasons have been a way to announce Niantic's plan for the next few months. The first season, the Season of Mischief, was introduced to add Hoopa and other Ghost-types like Phantump and Pumpkaboo.

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The details of Drain Punch in Pokemon GO

Drowzee using Drain Punch in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Pokemon GO's unique battle system contributes to the game's critical success. Every title allows trainers to battle a team of their best-trained Pokemon in the main series. This holds for Niantic's mobile game. Players can battle against Raid Bosses or each other in the Battle League.

Unlike the main series, Pokemon GO steps away from the turn-based combat system of the other games in favor of an action-based battle system. Another key detail that sets this game's combat apart from other entries is the amount of moves a Pokemon can use. The main games allow four, but Pokemon GO allows 2 to 3.

Rather than giving players access to all the moves at any point in the battle, Niantic's mobile game uses an energy cost system. Energy is generated through fast attacks; moves that are less powerful but are faster and used more often. Once enough energy is collected, players can use powerful charged attacks.

Bewear and Stufful as they appear in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The latest charged attack coming to Pokemon GO has been announced: Drain Punch. Since its fourth generation, Drain Punch has been a move in the franchise but is only now coming to the mobile game. Drain Punch will be added on April 23rd as the exclusive Community Day attack for Bewear.

With news of a new attack being added to Niantic's mobile game, many players may be wondering if the attack is worth the effort. Having to grind out a Community Day event can be tedious enough. Having the player be rewarded with some half-baked Fighting-type move will not make players happy.

In the main series of games, Drain Punch is used to deal damage to the opponent like every other damaging move. The added effect of Drain Punch is that it restores a certain amount of health to the user Pokemon depending on how much damage it deals when used.

The health-draining effect cannot be replicated in Pokemon GO. As unfortunate as it is, this would lead to Bewear being the best Pokemon. However, this does not mean Niantic did away with the concept of Drain Punch having a secondary effect.

Rather than restoring a portion of Bewear's health, Drain Punch will boost Bewear's defense by one stage. Other charged attacks like Fell Stinger and Power-Up Punch also increase stats, so this is a common practice for newer charged attacks. But how well does this suit Bewear in battle?

Bewear's stats are excellent in both offense and bulk. However, its defense stat is its weakest and the only one of its stats to be under 200. Drain Punch's boost to its defense will ultimately correct this. I predict that Bewear will become one of the game's best Fighting-type Pokemon after Community Day.

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Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.