The Catch Cup for season 18 of Pokemon Go Battle League has returned, featuring both Little and Great League editions. To ensure success in 2024, here are our recommended Pokemon options.
In addition to the main events, such as the regular Great League, Ultra League, and Master League competitions, Niantic frequently introduces limited-time cups in the Pokemon Go Battle League to provide players with a new challenge and keep things interesting.
The Catch Cup, a popular event in the current World of Wonders season, will be taking place from May 17, 2024, to May 24, 2024. If you’re having trouble deciding which Pokemon to use in battles, check out our recommendations.
Table of Contents
- Best teams for Pokemon Go Catch Cup Little & Great League editions
- Best Pokemon for Pokemon Go Catch Cup: Little Edition
- Best Pokemon for Pokemon Go Catch Cup: Great League Edition
- Pokemon Go Catch Cup start & end date
- Pokemon Go Catch Cup rules & restrictions explained
Recommended Team for Pokemon Go Catch Cup Little & Great League Editions
If you’re looking for a strong team to use in the Catch Cup, consider Smeargle, Marill, and Shuckle. These Pokemon are currently some of the most powerful options available under 500 CP, making them eligible for the Catch Cup competition.
The current Catch Cup: Great League Edition features powerful creatures under 1500 CP, such as Mantine, Carbink, and Lickitung. These three are among the top contenders in the game.
Our suggestions are derived from the Pokemon that are featured in the World of Wonders events including Sizable Surprises, Bug Out event, Rivals Week, and others. However, the leading performers may vary once the event concludes and a different selection of Pokemon becomes obtainable, therefore, it is important to stay alert.
Best Pokemon for Pokemon Go Catch Cup: Little Edition
Annihilape
- Fast Move: Counter
- Charged Moves: Night Slash and Ice Punch
- Resistances: Normal, Fighting, Bug, Rock, and Poison
- Weaknesses: Fairy, Flying, Ghost, and Psychic
Marshadow and Annihilape stand out as the only two Pokemon that possess the rare dual Fighting/Ghost-type combination, showcasing their unparalleled strength and uniqueness.
When it comes to Annihilape, it’s important to have the Fast Move, Counter, as it is highly effective. As for Charged Moves, it’s recommended to use Night Slash to bait enemy shields, and Ice Punch as a coverage option.
Wobbuffet
- Fast Move: Counter
- Charged Moves: Mirror Coat
- Resistances: Psychic and Fighting
- Weaknesses: Bug, Dark, and Ghost
Despite being portrayed as a somewhat useless Pokemon in the anime, Wobbuffet is a valuable addition to any Catch Cup team due to its impressive consistency and incredibly high 235 Stamina stat.
Counter is widely regarded as one of the top Fast Moves in the game, surpassing both Splash, which inflicts no damage, and Charm, a costly and sluggish move. As for Charged Moves, Wobbuffet only has one option, making the decision quite straightforward.
Bronzor
- Fast Move: Tackle
- Charged Moves: Payback and Heavy Slam
- Resistances: Psychic, Poison, Steel, Rock, Normal, Ice, Grass, Flying, Fairy, and Dragon
- Weaknesses: Dark, Fire, Ghost, and Ground
This Pokemon, which is a combination of Steel and Psychic types, is a highly recommended choice due to its significant resistances to various attacks.
Due to the low cost of the Fat Move Tackle, it enables you to access your Charged Moves at a much faster rate compared to using Confusion. Among the Charged Moves, Heavy Slam is a reliable choice as it deals significant damage for a reasonable amount of energy. If you require additional coverage, you can also utilize the powerful attack, Payback.
Shuckle Extra Large
- Fast Move: Rock Throw
- Charged Moves: Stone Edge and Rock Blast
- Resistances: Poison and Normal
- Weaknesses: Rock, Steel, and Water
Despite having two types, Bug and Rock, it is more effective to use Shuckle solely as a Rock-type Pokemon and utilize its corresponding moves.
Rock Throw is a Fast Move that packs a powerful punch at a minimal cost. Its quick and affordable nature makes it a great choice for your primary Charged Move. While Stone Edge may be more costly, it is still attainable and highly effective in dealing damage.
Marill (XL)
- Fast Move: Bubble
- Charged Moves: Aqua Tail and Body Slam
- Resistances: Dragon, Water, Ice, Fire, Fighting, Dark, and Bug
- Weaknesses: Electric, Grass, and Poison
The versatile Marill, with its Water and Fairy-typing, is a valuable addition to any team. It is capable of fulfilling various roles, from leading the team to closing out battles. Additionally, its impressive Defense and Stamina stats make it a highly durable Pokémon.
Marill’s most effective Fast Move is Bubble, as it receives a boost from STAB. When it comes to Charged Moves, all three options have the same cost. However, it is recommended to use Aqua Tail as it deals slightly more damage.
Smeargle (XL)
- Fast Move: Lock On
- Charged Moves: Flying Press
- Resistances: Ghost
- Weaknesses: Fighting
Like Marill, Smeargle is a versatile and dynamic Pokemon that can fulfill any role on a team. Additionally, it boasts a high Stamina stat, enabling it to withstand numerous attacks during battles.
Smeargle’s Sketch ability gives it the ability to use any move in the game. For a faster charge, Lock On is the ideal Fast Move as it allows for a high amount of energy accumulation. For a Charged Move with wider coverage, Flying Press would be the best choice.
Best Pokemon for Pokemon Go Catch Cup: Great League Edition
Cresselia
- Fast Move: Psycho Cut
- Charged Moves: Grass Knot and Future Sight
- Resistances: Psychic and Fighting
- Weaknesses: Bug, Dark, and Ghost
The sole Psychic-type Legendary is featured in nearly all rankings due to its reputation as a sturdy Pokemon that boasts impressive stats and powerful moves.
Cresselia, equipped with Psycho Cut as its Fast Move and Future Sight as its Charged Move, is the perfect option for a leading role in any battle. Additionally, employing Grass Knot as a coverage move can prove beneficial. However, caution should be taken towards its vulnerabilities to Ghost and Dark types, as opponents may take advantage of these weaknesses.
Lickitung
- Fast Move: Lick
- Charged Moves: Body Slam and Power Whip
- Resistances: Ghost
- Weaknesses: Fighting
It is essential to have Pokemon such as Lickitung on your team, as their high Stamina and Defense stats make them ideal for enduring hits and acting as a switch during long battles.
One noteworthy attribute of this specific creature is its diverse move pool, which offers extensive coverage. While Lick is the primary Fast Move, players have the option to use an Elite TM to access the Charged Move Body Slam or the powerful Hyper Beam, both of which deal significant damage. Additionally, Power Whip is a valuable choice for additional coverage.
Gligar – Shadow Form
- Fast Move: Wing Attack
- Charged Moves: Aerial Ace and Dig
- Resistances: Ground, Poison, Fighting, Electric, and Bug
- Weaknesses: Ice and Water
Despite its small size, this creature is not to be underestimated. Its dynamic nature allows it to excel as a leader, switch, charger, and even closer, making it a formidable opponent.
Utilizing its Wing Attack move, this Pokémon is able to quickly accumulate energy in order to utilize its Charged Moves. While Aerial Ace is a versatile attack, Dig is particularly valuable as it inflicts a significant amount of damage.
Carbink
- Fast Move: Rock Throw
- Charged Moves: Rock Slide and Moonblast
- Resistances: Dragon, Normal, Flying, Fire, Dark, and Bug
- Weaknesses: Steel, Grass, Ground, and Water
Obtaining Carbink in the game may be challenging, but it is essential to include this dual Rock/Fairy-type creature in your Catch Cup team.
Carbink excels with its Fast Move, Rock Throw. For Charged Moves, Rock Slide is a cost-effective choice for a Rock-type attack, while Moonblast offers potent (though pricey) Fairy-type damage. This moveset benefits from STAB, enhancing its overall strength.
keep
- Fast Move: Wing Attack
- Charged Moves: Aerial Ace and Ice Beam
- Resistances: Ground, Water, Steel, Fire, Fighting, and Bug
- Weaknesses: Electric and Rock
Mantine, which possesses the Water/Flying typing, is a valuable choice for a lead in any Pokemon Go Catch Cup team. This is due to its favorable type pairing, providing a strong array of resistances, as well as its solid Attack and impressive Defense stat.
Mantine has three different Fast Moves to choose from, and among them, Wing Attack stands out as the most cost-effective option. Not only does it receive STAB, but it also boasts a high speed, allowing Mantine to quickly charge up its Charged Move. For the Charged Moves, Aerial Ace is a well-rounded choice, while Ice Beam can be kept as a useful coverage attack at a higher cost.
Skarmory
- Fast Move: Steel Wing
- Charged Moves: Brave Bird and Sky Attack
- Resistances: Poison, Grass, Bug, Steel, Psychic, Normal, Ground, Flying, Fairy, and Dragon
- Weaknesses: Electric and Fire
Skarmory is a versatile Pokemon with a well-balanced stat distribution. Its typing provides excellent coverage in battle, with only two weaknesses to Electric and Fire types. Additionally, all of its moves benefit from STAB.
Skarmory’s top choice for a Fast Move is Steel Wing due to its superior energy generation and effectiveness against Fairy, Ice, and Rock types. When selecting a Charged Move, Sky Attack should be your primary consideration as it deals significant damage while requiring a low amount of energy. Additionally, for a powerful finishing move, you can pair Sky Attack with Brave Bird.
Pokemon Go Catch Cup start & end date
Both Catch Cup: Little Edition and Catch Cup: Great League Edition will be starting on Friday, May 17, 2024, at 1 PM PST and will continue until Friday, May 24, 2024, at 1 PM PST.
The upcoming GO Battle League season will conclude with the reappearance of the Great, Ultra, and Master Leagues from May 24, 2024, to May 31, 2024. You will have to wait for the release of the next season’s schedule to find out if the Catch Cup will make a comeback.
Pokemon Go Catch Cup Rules & Restrictions Explained
The Catch Cup is a highly distinctive cup in the Go Battle League, as it restricts your team options to only Pokemon that were caught during the current season, making it a challenging competition.
All Pokemon participating in the Little Edition must have a CP limit of 500 or less, while those competing in the Great League Edition must not exceed 1500 CP. Mythical Pokemon are not permitted in either case, and all creatures must have been caught after March 1, 2024.
One way to broaden your experience in this cup is by prioritizing Raid Battles, hatching Eggs, and completing Field Research tasks. These activities can provide you with powerful Pokemon that are not currently found in the wild.
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