Astonish and confuse opponents in Pokémon UNITE with Hoopa, now available to join your team. This Pokémon is a strategically complex Ranged Supporter that, if played effectively, can help ally Pokémon heal and move efficiently around the battlefield—in addition to dealing damage with its delightfully ominous attacks. Hoopa has two forms—Hoopa Confined and Hoopa Unbound—and spends most of its time battling as Hoopa Confined, though there are opportunities to change into its powerful Hoopa Unbound form.

Hoopa’s basic attack becomes a boosted attack with every third attack, unleashing an astonishing beam of light that deals damage to opposing Pokémon. When Hoopa is unbound, it unleashes beams of light with every basic attack, dealing damage to up to two nearby opposing Pokémon.

Hoopa’s Ability—Magician—takes advantage of maps being divided into ally territory and enemy territory. Magician creates a hole beneath one of the Berries in the opposing team’s territory and warps the Berry to right in front of Hoopa. If the enemy territory has no available Berries but there is Aeos energy on the ground, then some energy is warped to Hoopa instead. If Magician fails to warp any Berries to Hoopa, the cooldown until Magician’s next use is reduced.

Hoopa’s Moves

At Lv. 1 and Lv. 3, Hoopa can learn Astonish and Confusion.

Astonish deals damage to opponents within a designated area of effect, leaving them unable to act for a short time.

When using Confusion, Hoopa unleashes a powerful telekinetic force in a designated direction, dealing damage to the first opposing Pokémon it hits. The telekinetic force clings to that Pokémon and then causes a delayed explosion, dealing damage to opposing Pokémon in the area of effect and decreasing their movement speed for a short time.

Confusion Upgrades

At Lv. 4, Hoopa can upgrade Confusion into one of two strategically interesting attacks that benefit Hoopa’s allies: Hyperspace Hole or Trick.

Hyperspace Hole is a complex attack during which Hoopa creates a large ring at a designated location, dealing damage to opposing Pokémon in the area of effect. Then, the move gets interesting. After a certain amount of time, Hoopa and any ally Pokémon within the area of effect will return to their base, and their movement speed will be increased for a short time. However, any ally Pokémon that Hoopa returns to their base must wait a short period before receiving the HP recovery they trigger by being in their base. These ally Pokémon also have the option of warping back to the location where the original large ring was created.

One of your team’s forward goal zones can also be designated as the location where the large ring is created. Creating the ring on the forward goal zone of the top path will also create a ring on the forward goal zone of the bottom path, and vice versa. All ally Pokémon, including Hoopa, can then use the rings to warp between the two goal zones, and their movement speed will be increased for a short time after warping. After an ally Pokémon warps, there’s a brief cooldown before that ally can use the rings again. If a path’s forward goal zone is destroyed, the middle goal zone on the same path will take its place. Hyperspace Hole can’t be used on base goal zones. Hyperspace Hole can be upgraded to increase the movement speed of ally Pokémon near the ring when they are heading toward it.

Trick is another attack that largely benefits ally Pokémon. When using Trick, Hoopa creates a link between itself and an ally Pokémon using a ring. This link increases both Pokémon’s movement speeds and grants them each a shield for a short time. When Hoopa uses Shadow Ball or performs a basic attack, the ring on the linked Pokémon also unleashes the same move or attack. Hoopa can also use Trick on itself, increasing its own movement speed and granting itself a shield for a short time. When Hoopa uses Trick on itself, it also increases the damage dealt by Shadow Ball. Trick can be upgraded to also restore the linked ally Pokémon’s HP when it deals damage to opposing Pokémon.

Astonish Upgrades

At Lv. 6, Hoopa can upgrade Astonish into one of two new moves: Phantom Force or Shadow Ball.

Phantom Force leverages Hoopa’s penchant for space-hopping by creating a ring underneath Hoopa that warps it to a designated Pokémon’s location, dealing damage to opposing Pokémon at that location and shoving them. Hoopa then fires off two sinister flames that deal damage to opposing Pokémon they hit and decrease their movement speed for a short time. Phantom Force can be used a second time within a set amount of time. On Phantom Force’s second use, Hoopa can return to the initial location it warped from. When Hoopa uses Phantom Force, if there is a nearby ally Pokémon that is linked by Trick, that ally can also warp to the initial ring’s location. The ally Pokémon that warps in this way will also recover some HP. Phantom Force can be upgraded to make Hoopa invincible for a short time after Phantom Force is used.

When using Shadow Ball, Hoopa ominously unleashes a shadowy blob in front of itself, dealing damage to opposing Pokémon it hits and decreasing their movement speed and Sp. Def for a short time. If Hoopa then hits the same unfortunate Pokémon with a move or boosted attack within a set amount of time, it deals additional damage to the Pokémon and leaves them unable to act for a short time. When Hoopa uses Shadow Ball, if there is a nearby ally Pokémon linked by Trick, Shadow Ball will also unleash a shadowy blob directed at the same target from that ally’s location. Shadow Ball can be upgraded so that the shadowy blob explodes before it disappears. Opposing Pokémon hit by the explosion suffer the same effects as being hit by the shadowy blob itself.

Hoopa’s Unite Move, Rings Unbound

Unleashing Hoopa’s full power, Rings Unbound transforms Hoopa into Hoopa Unbound for a short time. Hoopa Unbound increases Hoopa’s max HP and creates a ring at a designated location. Each ally Pokémon can warp to that location once only.

While Hoopa is unbound, its moves change to Hyperspace Fury and Psybeam. When using Hyperspace Fury, Hoopa unleashes a barrage of attacks in a designated area with its many arms, dealing damage to opposing Pokémon in the area of effect and leaving them unable to act for a short time. When attacking with Psybeam, Hoopa fires a peculiar ray in a horizontal sweeping motion in front of itself, dealing damage to opposing Pokémon caught in the attack’s path. While using Psybeam, Hoopa also becomes immune to hindrances. It’s important to note that while Hoopa is unbound, it cannot score goals or activate its Ability.

Hoopa is ready to wreak mischief and terror upon its opponents. Sneak over to the United Battle Committee shop to get Hoopa’s Unite license now.