'Pokémon Go' CP Changes: Balance update gives Chansey a huge boost

Impact

She's cute, she's pink and she'll kick your ass. Is Chansey the best Pokémon around after the recent Pokémon Go balance update?

Chansey is one of the original Generation 1 Pokémon. She looks like a pink egg with arms and legs, holding a smaller, white egg in a pouch. Chansey's far from the most intimidating Pokémon you'll ever meet, but the recent balance update in Pokémon Go has turned Chansey into a serious contender.

Game Freak/The Pokémon Company

Pokémon Go CP changes: Why are players suddenly interested in Chansey?

Some Pokémon Go players saw Chansey's potential long before the recent balance update, owing to Chansey's high number of hit points. Yet this Pokémon hasn't amounted to much in Pokémon Go's endgame to date. 

If you look at some of the new top 10 or top 20 Pokémon lists following the balance update in Pokémon Go, you still aren't going to see Chansey making an appearance. The Pokémon Go community is taking a fresh look at Chansey anyway because, according to analysis, the balance update raised Chansey's base CP by over 150%. It is the single largest CP improvement across the entire update.

Pokémon Go CP changes: Chansey can now go toe-to-toe with a Snorlax

If you follow Pokémon Go statistics, you know that even after the recent balance update Snorlax is still one of the most powerful all-around Pokémon in the game. So it stands to reason that any Pokémon that can make a fool out of a Snorlax is also pretty powerful, right?

Witness the power of the new, post-update Chansey. In the video below, a 1106 CP Chansey goes up against a 2257 CP Snorlax in a gym battle and lives to tell the tale, twice.

More Pokémon Go hacks, tips, and tricks from Mic

If you're already checking for local Chansey sightings, you may also want to check out Mic's Pokémon Go guides. Here's everything you need to know about finding the long-awaited Pokémon, Dittocreating new PokéStops, how to maximize your chances of catching Pokémon, and the newest top attackers and defenders lists.