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Pokémon GO's Team Leaders are finally going to become useful

Your team leader is going to become a useful tipster

Pokémon GO's Team Leaders are finally going to become useful
23 August 2016

Who did you pick? Team Valor, Mystic or Instinct?

This was the seemingly innocuous choice that faced all players at the beginning of their Pokémon GO journey - a one-time decision that appeared to give you little more than a team colour to fight for.

Then there came the reveal of the Team Leaders: Candela for team Valor, Blanche for team Mystic and Spark for team Instinct. We gave a murmur of interest, shrugged, and carried on catching Pidgeys. 

Finally, it seems Pokémon GO's team leaders are about to start being useful.

Introducing Pokémon Appraisal

Pokémon GO has issued a statement outlining a new feature, Pokémon Appraisal:

  • Trainers will now be able to learn about a Pokémon’s attack and defense capabilities from their Team Leader (Candela, Blanche or Spark) to determine which of their Pokémon have the most potential for battle.

What does that mean?

Once the new update rolls out (0.35.0 for Android and 1.5.0 for iOS devices), before you engage in a gym battle, your Team Leader will assess your squad and tell you how to line it up to take on the opposition's critters.

Which, if the gyms around you are anything like those near the ShortList offices, means you're going to be repeatedly told that you're not good enough try taking on a CP 1,500 Vaporeon, CP 1,950 Snorlax and CP 2,350 Dragonite. 

Good luck though, yeah? We'll have to wait and see what Niantic Labs is planning for the "new and exciting features" they're planning to roll out in the near future.