Trainers, Season 1 of Go Battle League is upon us!!  It officially kicks off on Friday, March 13, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PDT (GMT −7).  To celebrate this momentous occasion, we’ve got an event that will help usher in Season 1!!

The Go Battle League launch celebration will run from Friday, March 13, 2020, at 8:00 a.m. until Monday, March 16, 2020, at 10:00 p.m. local time.  Altered Forme Giratina in five-star raids will make its return to 5-star raids, along with other strong PVP Pokémon. Also, we will see an increase in wild Fighting-type Pokémon, including the release of Shiny Timburr!!

You can read all about the details of Season 1 of Go Battle League here.

If you’re new to the Go Battle League

• Read all about the different leagues here.
• Read all about the rating system here.

Event Highlights

• Increased Fighting-Type Spawns & Shiny Timburr release!
• Go Battle League Bonuses
• Raid Shakeup!  Altered Forme Giratina in 5-star raids along with other strong PVP Pokémon

Here’s a handy infographic that explains everything you need to know about the celebration.

Increased FIghting Spawns

Fighting-type Pokémon will be spawning in the wild more frequently, this will probably mean at the very least Machop, Makuhita, and the newly shiny Timburr.

Shiny Timburr, Gurdurr, and Conkeldurr

Go Battle League Bonuses

• During the event, you’ll have a chance to encounter Altered Forme Giratina as your encounter reward!
• If you use a Premium Battle Pass in Go Battle League and win all 5 of your matches you will receive a Premium Battle Pass as one of your rewards!
• You’ll be able to complete seven sets of GO Battle League battles every day of the event, instead of the regular 5.  That’s 35 battles a day!
• Go Battle League will also be awarding bonus stardust!

Raid Lineup Shakeup

Altered Forme Giratina will make its return to 5-star raids during the event, and if you are lucky you may even find yourself a shiny one!  Other strong PVP Pokémon will also be in raids of various levels.

Shiny Altered Forme Giratina

You can check out the full Altered Forme Giratina Raid guide here

What to Focus on!

Curious about what to focus on in this event?  We’ve got you covered!

Best Fighting Types

There’s a good chance that we see increased spawns of Machop and Makuhita, Timburr will at the very least be in 1-star raids and might be spotted in the wild.  Chances are we won’t see Riolu spawning in the wild, but hey… we can dream right?

Riolu	Chances are we won’t see Riolu spawning in the wild, however, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the base form of the king of the fighters.  If you do spot one in the while, nab it and Share it!
Timburr	Timburr evolves into Conkeldurr (Did we mention that?).  Conkeldurr outperforms Lucario in certain situations, so having a small army of some good ones could serve you well, especially with how rare Riolu’s are.
Machop	The basic form of the former king of the fighters, still a very solid option.  Can hold its own, and worth catching all you can for the candies and the high IV chance.
Makuhita	Makuhita evolves into Hariyama, which is a solid fighter in his own right.  Worth collecting a few to try and find a good one.
Breloom	Breloom comes in 4th in the DPS list for fighters, but it’s very very squishy.
Meditite	Meditite is a top pick for Great League PvP, getting a high IV one is crucial so grind out a good one!

Go Battle League Prep

Depending on what League you’re looking to participate in, here are some great picks to focus on during the event to beef up that Go Battle League Team

All Rankings mentioned in this article are courtesy pvpoke.com

Great League

Here is a list of some of the Pokémon that are available during the event that are very good in the Great League Division of Go Battle League.

Check out our article on the strongest Great League Pokémon Here.

Shieldon	Smack Down & Stone Edge / Flamethrower
Shieldon’s evolution, Bastiodon, is ranked #3 Great League Attackers, and #9 Overall.   It’s a bit of an investment as you need to get it to a high level to make it viable, so if you’re looking to invest in one this is a good time to get some candies.
Skarmory	Air Slash & Sky Attack / Flash Cannon
The fabled flying steel beast.  Skarmory is able to tear through some of the more popular Great League picks like Venusaur and Tropius.  With 10 resistances, it’s a force to be reckoned with in Great League.
Whiscash	Mud Shot & Mud Bomb / Blizzard
Whiscash is a great Pokémon to look at picking up as well for Great League.  An excellent Water/Ground-type ranked #7 overall.
Umbreon	Snarl & Foul Play / Last Resort
Umbreon is a beast in great league.  It might not look like much, but it can take a beating with the best of them.  If you get one this time around, it will take a bit of a dip in usefulness as it won’t have the Community Day move Last Resort.  However, it’s still a solid option.

Ultra League

Here is a list of some of the Pokémon that are available during the event that are very good in the Ultra League Division of Go Battle League.

Check out our article on the best Pokemon for Ultra League Here.

Giratina (Altered)	Shadow Claw & Ominous Wind / Shadow Ball
The king of Ultra League, and Altered Forme Giratina is the #1 ranked Pokémon.  With a solid move-set, and amazing stats is a force to be reckoned with, and with Ominous wind’s chance to increase its attack and defence you better watch out!
Swampert	Mud Shot & Earthquake / Surf or (Hydro Cannon)
No matter what league you’re looking at, Swampert is an excellent choice.  However, for Ultra league, it’s #4 overall.  With its dual typing and great move-set, Swampert is an excellent pick.  Having the CD move would help, but Surf is a useful alternative
Muk (Alola)	Snarl & Dark Pulse / Gunk Shot
Alolan Muk is an excellent Ultra league pick.  Snarl generates energy very quickly, and Dark Pulse is an excellent dark charge move.   Alolan Muk comes in at #8 overall on the Ultra League list.
Snorlax	Lick & Body Slam / Earthquake
Snorlax is a big, tanky beast that walls some of the top picks in Ultra League like Giratina, Alolan Muk and Togekiss.  Superpower and Outrage are good options for charge moves as well.
Clefable	Charm & Meteor Mash / Psychic
As a hard counter to the dragons of the Ultra League, Clefable is a solid choice.  It does well against some of the more popular choices in Giratina and Dragonite, as well as Togekiss and Poliwrath.

Master League

Master League PvP Guide

Giratina (Altered)	Shadow Claw & Ominous Wind / Shadow Ball
Altered Forme Giratina is the #3 ranked Pokémon in Master League.  With a solid move-set, and amazing stats is a force to be reckoned with, and with Ominous wind’s chance to increase its attack and defence you better watch out!
Togetic	Charm & Ancient Power / Flamethrower
Togetic evolves into Togekiss, which is a top pick for Master league.   Togekiss is an excellent lead, as it destroys Dragon Pokémon and can take down Giratina, Snorlax and Swampert.  All top Master League picks.
Swampert	Mud Shot & Earthquake / Surf
Swampert again is an excellent choice for Master League.  Having the CD move would help, but Surf is a useful alternative
Snorlax	Lick & Body Slam / Earthquake
Again, same as Ultra League.  Snorlax is a big, tanky beast that walls some of the top picks in Master League like Giratina, Dialga and Metagross.  Superpower and Outrage are good options for charge moves as well.
Conkeldurr	Counter & Dynamic Punch / Stone Edge
If you are after a fighting type, look no further than Timburr’s final evolution, Conkeldurr.  Conkeldurr is the top fighting type in Master League and is 31 overall.   Stone edge gives it a counter to flying types.
Mamoswine	Powder Snow & Avalanche / Bulldoze
Mamoswine does well against Dialga, Togekiss and Snorlax.  Some of the top Master League Picks.