Mastering the Great League in the competitive Pokemon Go Battle League is no easy feat, as it’s the most popular out of the PvP format. To help you win every match, here are the best Pokemon to include in your Great League team.
The Go Battle League is Pokemon Go’s PvP mode that allows you to compete with Trainers from all across the globe. Through the course of Season 15, players rise through the ranks and earn some great rewards along the way.
It’s not as simple as taking your most powerful Pokemon into each battle, though. There are three main leagues to compete in – Great League, Ultra League, and Master League – and each one has its own rules and optimal teams.
The Great League differs from the Ultra League and Master League because of one simple rule: Only Pokemon lower than 1500 CP can enter, which rules out many of the most powerful Pokemon from the competition.
So let’s take a look at the best Pokemon to take into the Great League. This is typically the first league of each season, and it usually appears again later down the line, so there are plenty of chances to take part.
Best team for Pokemon Go Great League
Pokemon Go’s Great League has a max CP of 1500.
One of the best teams Trainers can use in the Great League is Azumarill, Galarian Stunfisk, and Walrein, as these are three of the strongest fighters and they’ll offer good coverage against most of the major Great League opponents.
It’s hard to say what a definitive ‘best’ team for the Great League looks like, though, as you’ll never know what types you’ll be up against. For example, a strong Azumarill can make light work of Bastiodon, but it will likely fall against Venusaur.
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Despite this, there are some Pokemon that are solid options in almost any situation. Choose a few different types from our recommendations below for optimal coverage, and you should be on your way to victory.
Best Pokemon for Pokemon Go Great League
Galarian Stunfisk
Galarian Stunfisk has an incredible amount of type resistances.
- Fast Move: Mud Shot
- Charged Moves: Rock Slide and Earthquake
- Resistances: Dragon, Psychic, Normal, Steel, Bug, Flying, Fairy, Electric, Rock, and Poison
- Weaknesses: Fighting, Fire, Ground, and Water
As a regional variant, this is quite a difficult Pokemon to get hold of in Pokemon Go, but if you’re able to get your hands on a Galarian Stunfisk and power it up enough, it is – in our humble opinion – the number one choice for the Great League.
A unique Ground/Steel-typing means it’s resistant to most major Great League types and is particularly good at taking down Fairy-types. With Mud Shot as a Fast Move alongside Rock Slide and Earthquake as Charged Moves, Galarian Stunfisk is a winner.
Carbink
Carbink is a fresh contender for the Great League.
- Fast Move: Rock Throw
- Charged Moves: Rock Slide and Moonblast
- Resistances: Bug, Dark, Dragon, Fire, Flying, and Normal
- Weaknesses: Grass, Ground, Steel, and Water
A brand-new addition to this list is Carbink, which has quickly shot straight to the top of the Great League rankings. Only Trainers who purchased a Go Fest 2023 ticket before July 5, 2023, will have access to this Pokemon, though, so it’s going to be a fairly rare encounter for now.
Carbink’s best Fast Move is Rock Throw. When it comes to Charged Moves, go with Rock Slide for a relatively cheap Rock-type attack and Moonblast for some huge (albeit expensive) Fairy-type damage. This entire moveset has STAB, which makes it extra powerful.
Azumarill
Azumarill is an unexpected big-hitter.
- Fast Move: Bubble
- Charged Moves: Hydro Pump and Ice Beam
- Resistances: Bug, Fighting, Water, Ice, Fire, Dark, and Dragon
- Weaknesses: Electric, Grass, and Poison
It’s fair to say the dual Water/Fairy-type Azumarill is probably a Pokemon you wouldn’t expect to see near the top of this list. However, its impressive bulk and diverse moveset make it one of the best options for the Great League.
Azumarill’s best Fast Move is Bubble. As for Charged Moves, Hydro Pump hits hardest while Ice Beam will help negate its weakness against Grass. Azumarill can be quite costly to power up, but it’s worth it.
Registeel
Registeel has great Defense capabilities.
- Fast Move: Lock-On
- Charged Moves: Focus Blast and Zap Cannon
- Resistances: Dragon, Ice, Psychic, Normal, Grass, Bug, Steel, Rock, Flying, Fairy, and Poison
- Weaknesses: Fire, Ground, and Fighting
The Steel-type Legendary titan Registeel is an interesting choice for PvP. Its incredible Defense stat makes it very durable, and its type means it has a ridiculous amount of resistances, so it can take plenty of hits.
Registeel should have Lock-On as its Fast Move, as it has a very high Energy-per-Second (EPS) of 16.67 which is required to break out its powerful (and expensive) Charged Moves: Focus Blast and Zap Cannon.
Scrafty
- Fast Move: Counter
- Charged Moves: Foul Play and Power-Up Punch
- Resistances: Dark, Ghost, Psychic, and Rock
- Weaknesses: Fairy, Fighting, and Flying
Scrafty is capable of taking down a huge chunk of the Great League’s biggest hitters including Galarian Stunfisk, Swampert, Trevenant, and Walrein. Being part Dark type also lets it take on Ghosts and Psychic-types, which Fighting types normally struggle against.
Counter is a great Fast Move in Pokemon Go, so make sure you have that. When it comes to Charged Moves, you’ll want Foul Play for big Dark-type damage, and Power-Up Punch as a cheap alternative to bait shields with the added bonus of an Attack boost.
Swampert
Swampert is great for taking down Steel types.
- Fast Move: Mud Shot
- Charged Moves: Hydro Cannon and Earthquake
- Resistances: Electric, Steel, Rock, Poison, and Fire
- Weaknesses: Grass
This is a well-rounded Water/Ground-type Pokemon, meaning it only has one weakness and is a great counter to the Fire and Steel types that dominate the Great League. However, Swampert is doubly weak to Grass, which can be dangerous.
Mud Shot is the best Fast Move here, but where Swampert really excels is when it has access to Hydro Cannon, a deadly Community Day Charged Move that can quickly be charged and spammed. Earthquake is a good second choice for massive damage.
Walrein
Walrein now has the moves it needs to be a standout.
- Fast Move: Powder Snow
- Charged Moves: Icicle Spear and Earthquake
- Resistances: Fighting, Water, Electric, Fairy, and Grass
- Weaknesses: Fire, Flying, Ice, and Psychic
The latest addition to this list is Walrein, which may come as a surprise to some Trainers – but following the arrival of Community Day-exclusive moves Powder Snow and Icicle Spear, it’s a massive threat in the Great League.
You’ll need these two moves to stand a chance with Walrein, though, as Powder Snow finally gives it a Fast Move that can generate energy quickly enough, while Icicle Spear is a low-cost Charged Move that benefits from STAB.
Bastiodon
Bastiodon is a strong wall.
- Fast Move: Smack Down
- Charged Moves: Stone Edge and Flamethrower
- Resistances: Dragon, Ice, Psychic, Fairy, Bug, Rock, Flying, Normal, and Poison
- Weaknesses: Ground, Fighting, and Water
Even when compared to Legendaries and other powerful Pokemon, Bastiodon still has one of the best Defense stats in Pokemon Go. Its Attack stat pales in comparison, but that doesn’t stop it from excelling in the Great League.
Smack Down as a Fast Move hits hard, while Stone Edge is a powerful Rock-type Charged Move that takes advantage of Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB), and Flamethrower can be used against other Steel-types.
Skarmory
Skarmory is a popular Great League choice.
- Fast Move: Air Slash
- Charged Moves: Sky Attack and Flash Cannon
- Resistances: Ground, Dragon, Psychic, Normal, Steel, Flying, Fairy, Grass, Bug, and Poison
- Weaknesses: Fire and Electric
This is a Pokemon you’ll be seeing a lot of in the Great League. Skarmory is fairly well-rounded and its typing makes it resistant to several others. Its only real weaknesses are Electric, Fire, and other Steel types.
Air Slash is Skarmory’s preferred Fast Move, as it has better energy generation and is effective against more types. Sky Attack and Flash Cannon are clearly its best Charged Moves, as Brave Bird isn’t that great.
Altaria
Altaria is hard to take down.
- Fast Move: Dragon Breath
- Charged Moves: Sky Attack and Dragon Pulse
- Resistances: Fighting, Water, Bug, Fire, Grass, and Ground
- Weaknesses: Ice, Fairy, Dragon, and Rock
It takes 400 Candy to evolve Swablu into Altaria, but it’s definitely worth the effort, as it’s got bulk and impressive damage capability. Altaria’s only major flaw here is its double weakness to Ice-type attacks.
Dragon Breath is one of the best Fast Moves in Pokemon Go, so definitely use that. As for Charged Moves, Sky Attack is relatively quick to generate and does decent damage, while Dragon Pulse benefits from STAB.
Umbreon
Umbreon is the best eeveelution for the Great League.
- Fast Move: Snarl
- Charged Moves: Last Resort and Dark Pulse
- Resistances: Ghost, Dark, and Psychic
- Weaknesses: Fairy, Fighting, and Bug
Despite its lack of good moves, and having fewer resistances than other Great League recommendations, Umbreon does make up for that with a very high Defense stat and a solid Stamina stat.
Snarl has quicker energy generation than Feint, so we’d recommend using that Fast Move. Umbreon’s best Charged Move is the Community Day special Last Resort, but if you don’t have that, both Foul Play and Dark Pulse are decent – and they have STAB.
Lickitung
- Fast Move: Lick
- Charged Moves: Body Slam or Power Whip
- Resistances: Ghost
- Weaknesses: Fighting
Pokemon like Lickitung, with bulky HP and a strong DEF stat, are a must in any team, as they will endure tough and long battles.
Another strong characteristic of this particular ‘mon is its move pool, which thanks to its variety, can provide wide coverage. While Lick is the default Fast Move, players can go for Body Slam if they use an Elite TM or Hyper Beam which deals a lot of damage. More so, in case of needing a Grass move, Lickitung can learn Power Whip.
Whiscash
Whiscash has quick access to Charged Moves and only one weakness.
- Fast Move: Mud Shot
- Charged Moves: Mud Bomb and Blizzard
- Resistances: Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock, and Steel
- Weaknesses: Grass
The happy Whiscash is a really solid choice for the Great League, as it’s resistant to common types including Steel, Fire, and Rock, and only has one weakness: Grass. As a result, it can take down big players like Galarian Stunfisk, Altaria, and Bastiodon.
Mud Shot has incredible energy generation, so you’ll want that as your Fast Move. This will then give you access to two great Charged Moves: Mud Bomb, which is cheap and can be spammed, and Blizzard, which deals huge damage.
Lanturn
- Fast Move: Spark
- Charged Moves: Surf or Thunderbolt
- Resistances: Flying, Fire, Water, Ice, and Steel
- Weaknesses: Ground and Grass
Lanturn has been gaining popularity in the League thanks to having a good amount of resistances and only a couple of weaknesses for enemies to exploit. Its offensive coverage can take down fan favorites like Azumarril and Skarmory.
The move combination of Spark and Surf gives Lanturn the perfect balance: it gains energy quickly with Sparks and spends only a low amount while using Surf, which is the perfect move to take down the many Ground-type Pokemon roaming around Great League.
Venusaur
Venusaur is the best Grass-type Pokemon for Great League.
- Fast Move: Vine Whip
- Charged Moves: Frenzy Plant and Sludge Bomb
- Resistances: Fighting, Water, Electric, Fairy, and Grass
- Weaknesses: Fire, Flying, Ice, and Psychic
If you have a Venusaur still under 1500 CP, then it’s a superb tank for the Great League. Weaknesses to Flying and Psychic types can be dangerous, but it’s still a great counter against the likes of Azumarill and Swampert.
Vine Whip is the best Fast Move here. Combined with Venusaur’s Community Day move Frenzy Plant, it easily becomes the best Grass type in the Great League. If you don’t have that, Sludge Bomb and Solar Beam are still decent Charged Moves.
Medicham
Medicham is making waves across the Go Battle League.
- Fast Move: Counter
- Charged Moves: Psychic or Ice Punch
- Resistances: Fighting and Rock
- Weaknesses: Flying, Ghost, and Fairy
The dual Fighting/Psychic-type Medicham has been at the top of the Great League list for quite a while now and it’s due to the combination of strong stats and good moves.
With Counter as its Fast Move, and Psychic as its Charged Move, a powered-up Medicham is a perfect choice to finish up a battle. However, be particularly wary of its weakness to Fairy and Flying types, though, as those are constantly exploited in the league.
Pokemon Go Great League start & end date
The latest Pokemon Go Battle League season will run from December 1, 2023, at 1 pm (PST) until March 1, 2024, same time.
Before the season ends, the Great League will appear alongside both Ultra and Master Leagues from February 23, 2024 until March 1, 2024 with x4 Stardust from win rewards.
You can see the current Pokemon Go Battle League Season schedule and rewards here.
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Those are the best Pokemon you can take to the Great League.