It’s actually been a little while since we had a full-fledged “Nifty Or Thrifty”… the last one was Spring Cup over two months ago. The last few weeks of the spring were nutso with two kids finishing their last days of middle school and my wife teaching as well, so I’m very thankful we have arrived at summer… and appropriately, Summer Cup! Kind of ironic how I basically ended up going straight from Spring to Summer, but here we are! 🌞
Anyway, a quick reminder of what this format is:
- Ultra League, 2500 CP Limit.
- Only Pokémon with a Grass, Fire, Water, Electric, Bug, or Normal typing are allowed.
As per usual, we’ll start with Pokémon with the cheapest second move unlock cost and steam ahead until we arrive at the expensive Legendaries. I do try and put extra emphasis on the thriftier stuff… but this being Ultra League, there’s more to the costs than just that. While certainly not everything that’s good here requires XL Candy, several options do, so I’ll mark these with 💰s, with one 💰 being something that requires just a little investment (generally below Level 45), two 💰s being something that has to be pushed to about Level 45 or above, but not maxing completely out, and — you guessed it! — three 💰s being Pokémon that have to be pushed all the way to Level 50 to get up near 2500 CP (or as close as they can get to it, at least).
Alrighty, let’s get right to it!
10,000 Dust/25 Candy
VENUSAUR
Vine Whip | Sludge Bomb & Frenzy Plantᴸ
Yep, the longest-running JRE inside joke continues… gotta lead off with my boy Venusaur! And yeah, it does pretty well for itself here. You pretty consistently beat Waters and Grounds, of course, most Electrics, and a number of enemy Grasses thanks to Sludge Bomb. Shadow Venusaur drops Virizion, Feraligatr, and sometimes Lickilicky, but does get some big gains like Lapras, Golisopod, Cradily, and even Ferrothorn to more than make up for it. And not a single XL needed… unlike the next couple alternatives.
SERPERIOR 💰💰
Vine Whip | Aerial Ace & Frenzy Plantᴸ
Quite the opposite story here, as Serperior has to be very nearly maxed out to approach 2500 CP, with even a hundo going all the way to Level 47.5, but thankfully the hundo is just fine. It does much of what Venusaur does, with the main differences being that Venusaur is a bit better versus some Grass types (with wins Serp can’t usually get like Ferrothorn and Cradily, and Venusaur also wins the head-to-head) and Golisopod, while Serperior instead outlasts things that at least Shadow Venusaur cannot like Lickilicky, Feraligatr, and Virizion. As compared to non-Shadow Venusaur, the only big difference is that Serperior loses the H2H, but beats Lapras thanks to not being vulnerable to Psywave.
There’s also MEGANIUM 💰, which can actually be built much cheaper than Serperior and similarly outbulks Lapras, though it lacks any real anti-Grass capability and loses to things like Venusaur and Virizion. It’s okay, but less preferred. Or if you want to be really spicy, there’s SCEPTILE too, which can actually beat Venusaur straight up but loses Virizion. And also: no XLs!
CHESNAUGHT
Vine Whip | Superpower & Frenzy Plantᴸ
I wanted to break it out separately since I expect it will be more popular than most of the Grasses above, thanks to the allure of Superpower. And yes, that gives it some special wins, like Ferrothorn, but overall ‘Naught is relatively weak versus other Grasses (losing to Venusaur and Virizion, for example) and that holds it back a bit on roughly the same level as the others. Shadow Chesnaught when?
DECIDUEYE
Astonish | Spirit Shackle & Frenzy Plantᴸ/Brave Bird
The Grass starter that is the most different, with Deci relying largely on its Ghost side moreso than Frenzy Plant. In fact, it can run without Frenzy Plant and do just as well, trading away Lapras to overcome Tentacruel instead. Other special wins include Ferrothorn, Venusaur, and Golisopod, and things those other Grass starters can’t match like Zapdos and Skeledirge. That said, you’re giving up stuff like Lickilicky (and Ghost-resistant Normals in general), as well as Jellicent, Feraligatr, and Bellibolt (and their super effective Ghost/Dark damage). There’s always a trade-off!
SKELEDIRGE
Hex/Incinerate | Shadow Ball & Blast Burnᴸ/Torch Song
Might we have finally found a meta where newly improved Hex is actually a bit better than the mighty Incinerate? Eh, I still call it more of a sidegrade, though a good one, giving up stuff like Cradily and Golisopod to instead be able to outrace Lapras, Jellicent, and the mirror match. (Hex is able to get to charge moves ever so slightly faster than Incinerate.) Hex slightly outpaces in other even shield scenarios as well, getting the mirror again in 0shield and 2shield, and while it gives up Lapras in 2shield, it further adds on Talonflame and Zapdos. Hmmmmm.
INCINEROAR
Snarl | Blaze Kick & Blast Burnᴸ
It’s not the only combination of moves that can work, but Snarl plus double Fire charge moves does seem to work best. You might expect it to have a similar profile to Skeledirge, but that’s not as close as you may think. Skeledirge can take down enemy Fires (Ninetales, Typhlosion) more reliably, as well as stuff like Virizion, Golisopod, Poliwrath, and Tentacruel, while Incineroar instead outraces Lapras, Bellibolt, Talonflame, and Lickilicky, at least in part due to its Dark subtyping conveniently resisting Dark and Psychic damage that Skeledirge does not. I’m still not sure I’d call this a strong recommendation, as it relies rather heavily on Blaze Kick baits, but it certainly CAN work if you know what you’re doing, and I think many will completely overlook it at their own potential peril.
TYPHLOSION
Incinerate | Thunder Punch & Blast Burnᴸ
Yep, Typh has become a bit of a staple too since the addition of Thunder Punch. You can run Shadow (unique wins: Lickilicky, Stunfisk, Bellibolt) or non-Shadow (uniquely beats Zapdos, Ninetales, and Talonflame), though there’s one other advantage for Shadow to consider: high rank IVs can add on Poliwrath too, a very nice pickup!
TALONFLAME 💰💰💰
Incinerateᴸ | Brave Bird & Flame Charge/Fly
I mean, what else is there to say about Talonflame in PvP at this point? You know it’s good, you know you’re going to shield whenever it’s Flame Charge or Fly and NOT shield the knockout Brave Bird that’s needed to take out Poliwrath, Swampert, and the mirror match. The only real choice is what to run with Brave Bird: Fly to get those three wins, or Flame Charge to drop Shadow Typhlosion but gain Lapras instead?
PIDGEOT 💰💰💰
Gustᴸ | Brave Bird & Air Cutterᴸ/Feather Dance
Another big birb that has to be fully maxed, but yes, it’s worth the investment, especially with the big buff this season to long-neglected Air Cutter which can plow through Feraligatr and Shadow Scizor (and perhaps even more if that 30% Attack buff triggers!), though it does tend to drop Ninetales and Skeledirge that Feather Dance can debuff to victory instead.
ALOLAN GOLEM
Rolloutᴸ | Rock Blast & Wild Charge
One thing those Flyers (and/or Fires) definitely do NOT want to see coming their way is Alolan Golem, which beats all the big name Flyers and Fires except Scorching Sands Ninetales, and conveniently a number of Waters like Jellicent, Lapras, Tentacruel, and Blastoise, and situationally other Electrics like Shadow Magnezone and even Togedemaru, plus Shadow Scizor (with dangerous Bullet Punch!) as a very nice bonus. Even better if you have high rank IVs, which gains the bulk necessary to even outlast Golisopod and Feraligatr! A-Golem is sneaky good here, folks, and one of the cheapest options around with the super cheap second move and not even hitting Level 34 as far as candy and dust investment.
RAICHUS 💰💰💰
Thunder Shock | Wild Charge & Trailblaze/Brick Break
Both Raichus operate pretty similarly with Wild Charge and Trailblaze, with the few differences really being between having or not having the Psychic subtyping of Alolan Raichu, which is good for resisting Fighting and Psychic (allowing it to beat, for example, Oranguru that Original Recipe Raichu cannot), but a liability against Ghost and Bug damage, showing most clearly with occasional losses to certain opponents across various shielding scenarios, such as Jellicent in 0shield, Bug Bite Forretress in 1shield, and Fury Cutter Golisopod in 2shield. I slightly lean the OG Raichu, but that’s kind of a preference thing. You also have the option, in that case, of Brick Break instead of Trailblaze, which is very slightly worse in 1shield (gains Lickilicky but drops Gastrodon and Swampert) and with shields down (Trailblaze beats Swampert, BB does not), but Brick Break pulls ahead of Trailblaze a bit in 2v2 shielding (Trailblaze again beats Swampert, but Brick Break can take down Licki, Shadow Scizor, Shadow Typhlosion, and Ferrothorn instead).
SWAMPERT
Mud Shot | Hydro Cannonᴸ & Earthquake/Sludge
Since I mentioned it so many times just above, sure, let’s kick off the cheapo Water types with Swampert. I think I like it more here with old-school Earthquake (beats Bellibolt, Tentacruel, and Blastoise) rather than new-school Sludge (beats Virizion but generally still struggles versus Grasses). I also lean towards non-Shadow which can beat things Shadow Swampert struggles with like Zapdos and Shadow Scizor.
BLASTOISE 💰💰
Rollout | Hydro Cannonᴸ & Skull Bash/Returnᴾ/Ice Beam
Yep, Blastise is pretty good now with Rollout making Skull Bash very reachable, or Return if you have a purified one (which trades Poliwrath to outrace Lapras instead). And yes, similar to Swampert, I don’t recommend bothering with the anti-Grass trickery (Ice Beam, in this case) which really only gains Cradily, whereas the big Normal moves instead take out Golisopod, Tentacruel, Gastrodon, and the mirror. And bonus points if you have one wearing summer shades! 😎
FERALIGATR
Shadow Claw | Hydro Cannonᴸ & Returnᴾ/Crunch
Somewhat surprisingly, Feraligatr is very tepid for once, losing a ton of things Blastoise can beat like Poliwrath, Tentacruel, Gastrodon, Lickilicky, and Stunfisk. And it needs Return to avoid more losses like Lapras, Golisopod, and Blastoise itself. I dunno, chat… I’m not really feeling it with ol’ Gatr this time around, but you do you.
SHADOW SAMUROTT
Fury Cutter | Hydro Cannonᴸ & Megahorn
So it’s not often that you see this kind of disparity between non-Shadow and Shadow, but here we are. Only Shadow can reach for wins over Lapras, Skeledirge, Golisopod, Shadow Scizor, Venusaur, Cradily, and Virizion, while the only thing non-Shadow uniquely outlasts is Shadow Typhlosion. Like, dang. Makes perfect sense why Shadow Sammie sits just outside the Top 10 while non-Shadow is all the way down at #40.
GOLISOPOD
Fury Cutter | X-Scissor & Aerial Ace
Honestly, another surprisingly mediocre performance may be on tap here. Now it does get better in other even shield scenarios, but this is a Bug that needs Aerial Ace to even handle Grass types with consistency, losing things like Victreebel in 0shield and 1shield and Venusaur and Virizion in 2shield without Ace. It’s really more of an anti-Water option than anything. Kind of awkward to think of what it does so much better than other Waters (or Bugs) in this particular meta.
CRUSTLE
Fury Cutter | Rock Slide & X-Scissor
I think it’s time for Crustle to finally be granted a real, decent Rock-type charge move, because it would be a great option now with one after the Fury Cutter buff. But alas, here we sit with this humble performance instead. A decent mix of Flyers, Fires, Grasses, Ices, and bonuses like Stunfisk, Golisopod, and Lickilicky, but frustratingly short of the performance you’d really want.
SCOLIPEDE 💰💰
Poison Sting | X-Scissor & Megahorn
Finishing up the 10ks with a spicy Bug. Scolipede has to be built up pretty far into XL territory, and really only works with Megahorn (other closing options just fall far short with losses Megahorn can blow up like Cradily, Swampert, Stunfisk, Bellibolt, and Blastoise), but it does perform better than most would probably expect. I had to throw SOME spice in here, right?
50,000 Dust/50 Candy
CRADILY 💰💰💰
Acid/Bullet Seed | Rock Tomb & Grass Knot
Now this is what a good Rock type should be doing, Crustle. Cradily can beat literally everything Crustie can and add Talonflame, Ninetales, Bellibolt, (Volt Switch) Forretress, and of course Feraligatr, Swampert, and Gastrodon on top of it. And yes, I really do think Acid is the clear favorite fast move now, beating everything Bullet Seed can except Tentacruel, plus Venusaur, Victreebel, Golisopod, and Bullet Seed Cradily too. I wish I had one, because Cradily has to be pushed all the way to Level 50 to hit 2499 CP exactly. Are YOU able to prep one?
VICTREEBEL 💰💰
Acid | Leaf Blade & Sludge Bomb
Here, too, I think Acid is your new frontrunner over the traditional Razor Leaf or even new-ish Magical Leaf Vic variants. Magical Leaf does everything Razor Leaf can and adds Bellibolt and Lapras, while Acid does all of that and further adds Venusaur, Virizion, Ferrothorn, Lickilicky, Zapdos, and with good PvP IVs, Acid Cradily as well. The good news is that it doesn’t the extra expense of being a Shadow, but the bad news is that it DOES need to pushed into the upper 40s. Do you have one?
TENTACRUEL 💰💰
Acid | Scald & Blizzard/Sludge Wave
Yep, Acid again! Perhaps the more surprising recommendation is actually with the charge moves, as I’m gonna push the unusual Blizzard over the mostly-now-standard Sludge Wave, as Blizzard can freeze out Ferrothorn and otherwise beats all the same stuff as Wave in 1shield, and Venusaur and Zapdos with shields down (as opposed to the sole unique win Sludge Wave gets there against Lapras). Unfortunately, though, we’re talking another close-to-Level-50 investment. 😬
BELLOSSOM 💰💰
Acid | Leaf Blade & Returnᴾ/Dazzling Gleam
Another Acid user, another heavy investment, though at least in this case it comes recommended as a slightly cheaper purified version so you can utilize Return as a closer rather than Dazzling Gleam, gaining Venusaur and Zapdos. But still, we’re talking Level 47 even for a hundo, so can’t pretend this is “thrifty” even with the purified 10% power-up discount!
ROSERADE
Poison Sting | Weather Ball (Fire)ᴸ & Leaf Storm
Finally, something Poisonous that doesn’t rely on Acid for its top performance, and can achieve its highest success and stay way out of XL investment too! And what a performance it is, too… provided you land that amazing Leaf Storm at the most opportune moment. You can play it safe with Grass Knot instead and still many big Grass-weak things, but you also miss out on a fair few like Lapras, Poliwrath, Jellicent, Blastoise, and Golisopod. Rose isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, as this IS a flimsy Pokémon that can fall off quite a bit when the baits don’t work out. But the ceiling is so high I have trouble not trying to hype it up. Don’t overlook its potential, especially as a truly affordable option.
BELLIBOLT
Sucker Punch | Parabolic Charge & Zap Cannon/Discharge
I know this is an abrupt change from all the 50ks so far, but I simply cannot go any further without showing you how amazing Bellibolt looks now. It can beat over two thirds of the core meta, including not just all the big Flyers and Waters (even Swampert!) that you’d expect, but things like Skeledirge (thank you, Sucker Punch!), Lickilicky, Forretress, and Shadow Scizor. and Forretress. That last one is made far easier with Zap Cannon, which is actually the move I recommend running alongside the now-amazing Parabolic Charge, but the sims sometimes show losses with it that are actually wins if you commit fully to Parabolic and its Defense buffing, such as the mirror and things that make no sense for an Electric type to be beating, like Swampert and Ferrothorn! I myself just built a Belli for this meta. Will you too? 🤔
TOGEDEMARU 💰💰💰
Thunder Shock | Wild Charge & Gyro Ball/Fell Stinger
Yes, it’s crazy expensive, but at least you get good return on investment! That Steel typing is sometimes a liability (looking at you, Fire types), though the resistances it brings (particularly to Poison, Grass, and Bug) comes in handy more often than not, leading to some nice and perhaps unexpected wins like Cradily, Victreebel, Shadow Scizor and more. That said, however….
MAGNEZONE
Volt Switch/Metal Sound | Mirror Shot & Wild Charge
…Togedemaru is just a much more expensive Shadow Magnezone, if I’m being completely honest. Does basically all the same stuff except for losing to Incinerate users Talonflame and Shadow Typhlosion, though it more easily takes out Venusaur and Ferrothorn in exchange, so still not bad. You also have the option now of running Metal Sound which makes some of those Grass wins easier, such as Venusaur and Victreebel with shields down, or Cradily in 2v2 shielding. And did I mention that, as something that doesn’t even cross Level 30 (much less 40), it is far, FAR more thrifty?
LANTURN 💰💰💰
Spark | Surf & Thunder
But yeah, if saving stardust and XL candy isn’t your thing, may as well max out some Great League staples, like Lanturn here. The results certainly justfy it, with wins over not just Flyers and (most) Waters, but also now all the big Fire types too. It’s a steep investment, but at least Lanturn has UL value beyond just this format….
MORPEKO 💰💰💰
Thunder Shock | Psychic Fangs & Aura Wheel
So too does another Great League staple: mighty mouse Morpeko, with plenty of value in this format and, yes, beyond as well. Anyone who’s played Great League in recent times knows the hugely disruptive presence that Morpeko and its seriously overpowered Aura Wheel can be (especially when it gets Hangry!). But I don’t know… I just have trouble strongly recommending something that doesn’t even 2200 CP. I’m old fashioned like that, I guess… but perhaps I’m just stuck in ye olden days of Ultra League Classic and such and need to let the past go. Invest away if it makes your heart happy!
GALVANTULA 💰💰💰
Fury Cutter/Volt Switch | Lunge & Energy Ball/Discharge
The Electric type that perhaps most ideally doesn’t actually run ANY Electric moves? With Energy Ball rather than the customary Discharge, Shadow Galvantula flips the tables on Gastrodon, Jellicent, Lapras, and Blastoise, though Discharge still has its merits with wins like Zapdos, Golisopod, and potentially Scizor instead. Most of the damage, however, is done with the Bug moves Lunge and buffed Fury Cutter, the latter in particular allowing for wins where other Electrics struggle such as Swampert, Stunfisk, Cradily, Venusaur, and sometimes even big bad Bellibolt. Volt Switch can still do some nice things, such as opening up a path to victory over Tentacruel, but I think it generally takes a back seat now, at least in Summer Cup.
LURANTIS 💰💰
Fury Cutter | Leaf Blade & Superpower
Honestly? I was expecting a bit more after the Fury Cutter buff from Lurantis. I mean, it’s fine enough, but you’d hope it would beat a decent number of Grass types, and while it can beat down Ferrothorn and Cradily, that is more thanks to self-nerfing Superpower than anything. Mostly it just plays as an okay Grass type with mostly standard Water and Ground wins. Doesn’t seem worth the steep investment, but maybe that’s just me.
AMOONGUSS 💰💰💰
Astonish | Foul Play & Grass Knot
Conversely, I did NOT expect much of Guss and have been left pleasantly surprised. I would say the investment IS worth it here, even as steep as it is. Astonish seems to be here to stay, and Guss has the bulk, typing, and good charge moves to put together a solid performance here and moving forward, I would say. Even without Sludge Bomb it does a better job versus enemy Grasses than even Lurantis, with Ferrothorn still in the win column and Venusaur and Virizion joining it. This is also a Grass type that flips the narrative by taking down Steely Bugs Forretress and Scizor. Nice!
ABOMASNOW 💰💰
Leafage/Powder Snow | Icy Wind & Energy Ball
Aboma, of course, has little issue freezing out other Grasses… at least when run with Powder Snow. But I daresay that Leafage is very worthy as well, if not outright better. While Powder takes down Venusaur, Cradily, and Ferrothorn, Leafage could shock opponents with its own wins over Blastoise, Jellicent, Lapras, Lickilicky, and even Poliwrath! Some teams will benefit from one much more over the other, but yes, there are TWO very good choices to pick from here!
POLIWRATH
Counterᴸ | Icy Wind & Scald
Other than a win for ShadoWrath against Lapras, Dynamic Punch just doesn’t do anything particularly special that the combination of Icy Wind and Scald can’t do on their own. Normal Poliwrath and ShadoWrath hold similar win/loss records, but get there slightly different ways, with non-Shadow having the bulk necessary to outlast Volt Switch Forretress and consistently beat Lapras (yes, even with two resisted charge moves) and is much more reliable versus Talonflame (Shadow has to debuff with Icy Wind and then finish it with Scald as its only solid wincon). Meanwhile, Shadow alone has the punch to reliably knock out Skeledirge (in the same way it takes out Talonflame) and Golisopod.
There’s also the new AQUA TAUROS, if you have one to use. While it’s slightly worse than Poliwrath overall (unable to match its wins versus Virizion, Ferrothorn, Cradily, or Volty Forretress, it does manage to get its own nice wins (thanks at least in part to self-boosting Trailblaze) like Jellicent, Golisopod, and Shadow Scizor. Not at all without its merits!
JELLICENT 💰💰
Hex | Surf & Shadow Ball
While it represents perhaps Poliwrath’s worst day possible at the office (resisting its Fighting, Ice, and Water moves), JelliBelli does much, MUCH more than just that, with one of the most impressive winrates in the format. But the spread of WHAT it beats is perhaps even more impressive: fellow Waters (Blastoise, Tentacruel, Gastrodon, Swampert, Fury Cutter Golisopod), of course Fire and Ground types (even scary, electrifying ones like Typhlosion and Stunfisk), and then the impressive bonuses like Virizion, Acid Cradily and Acid Victreebel, and Shadow Scizor too.
GASTRODON 💰💰
Mud Slap | Body Slam & Earth Power/Water Pulse
Yep, the terror of Great League Cups has made its way to Ultra League Cups as well! Obviously Mud Slap wreaks havoc on most all Electric (even Zapdos), Poison, and Fire types (with Talonflame being the rare exception unless you want to try out Water Pulse, that move’s only solid use case), but it is the wins Gastroboy gets against stuff like Forretress, Swampert, Feraligatr, Blastoise, and Lickilicky that really elevate its standing. Even better, if you can afford high rank IVs, you usually win the mirror and Ice Beam Lapras as slick bonuses.
KANGASKHAN
Mud Slap | Brick Breakᴸ & Outrage/Crunch
Another Mud Slapper that probably does NOT come to mind, but should! Kanga is very quietly a great option, replicating most of what Gastrodon can do with just a couple exceptions (Talonflame, Lapras, Forretress) while picking up paths to victory over new things like Venusaur and Victreebel! It’s a sneaky choice that could really shock and awe unprepared opponents, as many still don’t even know what moves it runs!
LICKILICKY 💰💰
Rollout | Body Slamᴸ & Solar Beam
PvPoke (and most everyone else) recommends Shadow Ball. But not me… I say go for broke with Solar Beam. At the cost of giving up only Skeledirge of particular note, Solar Beam gains Lapras, Gastrodon, Blastoise, Stunfisk, and the mirror. It’s just a much better fit in this meta, and makes Licki an even more menacing threat than it seems otherwise. GetBeamed!
SHADOW NINETALES 💰💰
Emberᴸ/Fire Spin | Overheat & Weather Ball (Fire)/Psyshock
Yes, I recommend the Shadow version, even as cost-averse as I tend to be, because non-Shadow just misses key wins like Lickilicky, Bellibolt, and Stunfisk. Overheat is important, the fast move slightly less so (though Legacy Ember is a tad better with extras like Bellibolt). The other question is Weather Ball for general spam, or Psyshock to try and turn the tables on other Fire types (specifically Skeledirge and Talonflame, at least with shields down).
RAPIDASH 💰💰
Incinerate | Flame Charge & Wild Chargeᴸ
As compared to Ninetales, you have a better fast move in Incinerate, better coverage with Wild Charge, and can even build it much cheaper and get more out of it too! Why is Ninetales ranked higher? You got me! 🤷♂️ Wild Charge can bring in special wins like Tentacruel, Jellicent, Talonflame, and Typhlosion.
KINGDRA
Dragon Breath | Octazooka & Outrage
I have spent years downplaying — almost mocking at times — Kingdra. Too squishy, too ineffective, too boring. But you know what? I’m finally impressed with Kingdra in this meta! Double resisting Fire and Water means it has a LOT of good wins over both, as well as Licki, Fisky, and even Venusaur.
75,000 Dust/75 Candy
Another JRE analysis, another case of running right up against Reddit’s character limits! 😅 So we’re gonna go with rapid fire bullets from here on out. Hang on!
Toxtricity
ElectricPoison
- Back to Acid with TOXTRICITY, who has loads of potential, but a word of caution: with charge moves Power-Up Punch and Wild Charge driving those numbers, your mileage could vary wildly depending on how and when the opponent uses their shield(s). Don’t get me wrong, I like Tricity’s potential here a lot as an Electric that also takes out stuff like Virizion, Ferrothorn, Venusaur, Victreebel, Typhlosion, and Scizor, but it could be a wild ride for anyone trotting it out there.
Pawmot
ElectricFighting
- It’s amazing what a good fast move can do for a previously floundering Pokémon, isn’t it? One of our most recent — and drastic! — examples is PAWMOT, who can kick the butts of all the normal Waters and Flyers plus many bonuses that include Typhlosion, Ninetales, Forretress, Scizor, Lickilicky, and Skeledirge, and all without a single XL candy needed, what’s not to like?
Shadow Electivire
Electric
- For Shadow ELECTIVIRE, put simply, directly comparing it to Pawmot shows losses against Ninetales and Lickilicky, but a pickup of Victreebel thanks to Ice Punch. A nice performance, but as a Shadow, obviously we’re getting more expensive.
Stunfisk
GroundElectric
- Even MORE expensive for STUNFISK 💰💰💰, and while it obviously has a big leg up versus other Electric types (beating Bellibolt, for example), the Ground subtyping is perhaps more curse than blessing, as Fisky becomes the Electric type that suffers dubious losses like Lapras, Jellicent, and Blastoise.
Lapras
WaterIce
- As a long-time LAPRAS fanboy (it was once my favorite gym attacker and a long-time frontline PvP option on multiple teams in the early days), I’ve been SO happy to see it surging with the addition of Psywave. Here’s another meta for it to thrive in, particularly with high rank IVs to bring Poliwrath into the win column. Sims prefer Skull Bash, but Legacy Ice Beam is fine too, trading away Lickilicky and the mirror to freeze out Venusaur and Virizion instead.
Drampa
NormalDragon
- Not a ton of Dragons sneak into this meta, making this a relatively rare opportunity for DRAMPA to shine. Keep in mind that Dragon resists all the elements (Grass, Fire, Water, and Electric), giving Drampa a nice spread of wins from each of those typings while wailing away with mostly unresisted damage. Its biggest trouble areas are Fighting (obviously preying on its Normal typing) and the few things that do resist Dragon and/or Normal damage. Pretty decent and fun generalist material here.
Turtonator
FireDragon
- Less of a generlist, but still definitely an option, is fellow Dragon TURTONATOR 💰💰💰. There’s a little too much Water around for it to get too comfortable in this meta, and it loses to some unfortunate other big names like Licki, Stunfisk, Talonflame, Skeledirge, and even Cradily. But on the right team, it could certainly do some major damage. Too bad it has to be fully maxed out.
Ferrothorn
GrassSteel
- FERROTHORN 💰💰 certainly wants no parts of a Fire type like Turtonator, but it feasts on much of the rest of the meta. Thunder doesn’t do a lot for you in this meta, so I recommend a Steel move alongside Power Whip, and probably Mirror Shot which can beat everything that Flash Cannon can (like Venusaur) plus Victreebel and the mirror.
Forretress
BugSteel
- FORRETRESS 💰💰 is an expensive build, but a good one. Volt Switch has some obvious applications here versus the big Water and Flying types, showing most clearly with a big win over Jellicent. But honestly? I think buffed Bug Bite is more where it’s at these days, with its own special wins over Cradily, Stunfisk, Swampert, and Gastrodon. Not all of those are wins in Great League, but they are up here in Ultra!
Scizor
BugSteel
- In the case of SCIZOR, I think the Bug fast move also wins out. Even though Bullet Punch is quite amazing now, remember that it’s resisted by Fire, Water, Electric, and Steel, all of which are prevalent here, whereas Fury Cutter is resisted by more typings, but less present in this meta ones… it’s a better overall fit here. The only decision beyond that is Shadow to potentially outrace Poliwrath, or non-Shadow to hold up better in matchups like the mirror.
Oranguru
Normal
- Last one for this section is kinda spicy. ORANGURU 💰 looks crazy expensive… until you realize that you can build the hundo and barely dip your toes into XL territory and still get the same performance as more “ideal” IVs. Note that I also recommend Foul Play over previous favorite Brutal Swing, as Foul Play beats all the same things plus Skeledirge.
100,000 Dust/100 Candy
Zapdos
Electric
- Just a couple things to cover here, but ZAPDOS is the best by far, in either Shadow (adds Virizion, Gastrodon, and Swampert!) or non-Shadow (outlasts Blastoise and Feraligatr) form.
Virizion
GrassFighting
- Just name dropped it, and yes, VIRIZION is very good too. Strongly recommend Leaf Blade, and probably actually Close Combat over Sacred Sword, as CC can reach out and beat Typhlosion and the mirror. Stone Edge is really only for Zapdos… a viable alternative, but not my top recommendation.
Genesect
BugSteel
- And finally, a shout-out to GENESECT. Shock (zaps Poliwrath and Lapras) and Chill (puts Stunfisk, Gastrodon, and Virizion on ice) are your best bets.
And we’re done! As always, I hope this helps you balance the cost of where to save yourself some hard-earned dust (and candy!) and put together a competitive and FUN team. If I was successful in that, then it was all worth it.
Until next time, you can always find me on Twitter for regular PvP analysis nuggets, or Patreon. And please, feel free to comment here with your own thoughts or questions and I’ll try to get back to you!
Thank you for reading! I sincerely hope this helps you master Summer Cup, and in the most affordable way possible. Best of luck, and catch you next time, Pokéfriends!
