When I first started Competitive Pokemon, I thought every turn was about clicking the strongest move possible. After all, HP = 0 = win, right?

Then I started watching better players. And for some reason, they kept clicking Protect. At first, it looked like they were wasting turns.

Then I realised they were winning turns.

Protect Isn’t About Surviving

The biggest misconception I had was thinking Protect was only for keeping a Pokemon alive. Sure, sometimes you use it to avoid getting KO’d. But most of the time, you’re protecting something much more valuable:

Information.

• Will they Fake Out?

• Will they double-target this slot?

• Will they use Earthquake?

• Will they set up?

A single Protect can answer all of those questions.

One Turn Can Change Everything

Some of my biggest losses came from not knowing what my opponent’s Pokemon could do.

I’d focus so much on making the “optimal” attack that I’d completely miss the obvious play sitting in front of me.

Protect gives you a turn to slow down. To see what your opponent is trying to do, or stop them.

Often, learning one thing about your opponent’s plan is worth more than dealing damage.

The Move I Underestimated Most

These days, when I lose a game, it’s rarely because my attacks weren’t strong enough. It’s usually because my opponent managed their turns better than I did.

They protected at the right moment, stalled out Tailwind or Trick Room, blocked a Fake Out, made me to waste a turn.

And then I lose my tempo.

Final Thoughts

As a beginner, I spent a lot of time learning which moves could KO which Pokemon, playing into type advantages and disadvantages.

But if there’s one move I wish I learned to use more efficiently earlier, it’s Protect.

Because competitive Pokemon isn’t just about dealing damage, but about making every turn count.