Glossary

Pokemon GO has a lot of jargon. Here's what it all means.

Basics

IV (Individual Values): Hidden stats from 0-15 for Attack, Defense, and Stamina. Every Pokemon has IVs that slightly affect its power. Written as "15/14/13" or "98%" (percentage of max possible).
CP (Combat Power): The number shown on your Pokemon. Combines level and IVs into one number. Higher CP = generally stronger, but it's not the whole story.
Level: How powered-up a Pokemon is (1-50, or 51 with best buddy boost). You increase level by spending Stardust and Candy. Half-levels exist (e.g., 25.5).
Stardust: Currency used to power up and unlock second charge moves. Hard to get, easy to waste. Spend wisely!
Candy: Species-specific currency for powering up and evolving. Get it by catching, transferring, walking as buddy, or rare candy conversion.
XL Candy: Special candy needed to power Pokemon past level 40 (up to 50). Much harder to get. Required for many top PvP picks.
Shadow Pokemon: Pokemon rescued from Team Rocket. Deal and take 20% more damage. Darker appearance, purple flames. Often better than regular versions for raids.
Purified Pokemon: Shadow Pokemon that were purified. Get +2 to all IVs, cheaper power-up costs, and learn "Return." Usually worse than keeping them Shadow.
Lucky Pokemon: From lucky trades. Guaranteed minimum 12/12/12 IVs and cost 50% less Stardust to power up. Great for expensive investments.
Shiny Pokemon: Rare color variants. Purely cosmetic - same stats as regular. Indicated by sparkles and different coloring.

PvP Terms

PvP (Player vs Player): Battling other trainers. Includes GO Battle League (ranked online) and friendly battles.
GBL (GO Battle League): The ranked online PvP system. Win battles to climb ranks and earn rewards.
Great League (GL): PvP format with max 1500 CP. Most accessible league - doesn't require huge investment. Very popular.
Ultra League (UL): PvP format with max 2500 CP. Requires more investment than GL. Some Pokemon need XL candy to compete.
Master League (ML): PvP format with no CP limit. Very expensive - need max level legendaries to be competitive. Best IVs are 15/15/15.
Stat Product: Attack x Defense x Stamina. A way to compare Pokemon within a CP limit. Higher = more total stats. This is why "bad" IVs (low attack) are often better in capped leagues.
Rank (IV Rank): Where your Pokemon's IVs fall among all 4096 possible combinations. Rank 1 = best possible for that league. Rank 100 = still excellent.
Bulk: Defense x Stamina. How much damage a Pokemon can take. Bulky Pokemon survive longer in PvP.
Meta: Short for "metagame" - the most effective strategies and Pokemon at any given time. "Meta picks" are the commonly-used strong options.
Spice Pick: An unconventional Pokemon choice. Can catch opponents off-guard but may be less consistent than meta picks.
Lead: The Pokemon you start battles with. Usually something safe that can handle many situations.
Safe Swap: A Pokemon you switch to when your lead is losing. Should have few hard counters.
Closer: Your last Pokemon, saved for the endgame. Often something that hits hard or has shield pressure.
Bait: Using a cheap charge move to try to get your opponent to waste a shield, then hitting them with your expensive nuke move.
Farm Down: When your Pokemon has already won a matchup, using only fast moves to build up energy before the opponent faints, so you start the next matchup with energy advantage.

Raid Terms

Raid: Cooperative battles against powerful boss Pokemon at gyms. Win to catch the boss. Harder raids need more players.
DPS (Damage Per Second): How fast a Pokemon deals damage. Higher DPS = faster raid wins = more rewards.
TDO (Total Damage Output): Total damage before fainting. Balances DPS with survivability. Sometimes you want consistency over pure speed.
Counter: A Pokemon that's super effective against a raid boss. Using the right counters makes raids much easier.
Glass Cannon: High damage but fragile - faints quickly. Great when you have enough players, risky when you don't.
Anchor: A bulky Pokemon used at the end of your raid team to survive until the raid ends. Useful for solo/duo attempts.
Short-Man: Completing a raid with fewer players than recommended. "Duo" = 2 players, "Trio" = 3, etc. Requires good counters and coordination.

Pokemon Types (Special)

Legacy Move: A move a Pokemon can no longer learn normally. Often from old Community Days or removed from the game. May need Elite TM to get now.
Community Day Move: Special move available only during Community Day events (or shortly after). Often essential for PvP/raid viability. Examples: Hydro Cannon, Frenzy Plant, Meteor Mash.
Elite TM: Rare item that can teach legacy or Community Day moves. Don't waste on regular moves - save for moves you can't get otherwise.
STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus): 20% damage bonus when a move matches the Pokemon's type. Water-type using Water move = STAB. Always prefer STAB moves.
Nuke: A high-damage charge move, usually expensive (requires lots of energy). Examples: Earthquake, Draco Meteor, Focus Blast.
Bait Move: A cheap charge move used to pressure shields or bait opponents into using shields before you use your nuke. Examples: Aqua Tail, Night Slash.
Coverage Move: A move that's a different type than your Pokemon, used to hit things your STAB moves can't. Example: Ice Beam on a Water-type to hit Grass.