Pokemon GO: How to Battle

Pokemon GO is as much about training up your Pokemon and battling them as it is about catching them, so it’s important to know how and where you can put your Pokemon to the test. Here’s how to battle your Pokemon.

Unfortunately, you can’t battle your friends in the app just yet. At the time of writing, the launch version of the app only allows you to battle your Pokemon at Gyms when you reach level five.

There is no other way to put your Pokemon into battle, unfortunately. Battling works a little different in Pokemon GO, too. Instead of choosing from one of four different moves, you’ll tap on your opponent to attack, and swipe left and right on the screen to evade incoming attacks. Once you fill your special bar with normal attacks, you can hold on the screen to perform a special attack. It’s a much simpler version of combat, but it’s still pretty fun all the same.

Of course, you can expect an update to come to the app at some point in the future which will allow you to battle it out with friends, but for now, we’ll just have to sit tight and wait it out.

Have you had your first battle at a gym in Pokemon GO yet? Let us know in the comments below.