The “Nifty Or Thrifty” article series takes a comprehensive look at the meta for PvP Cup formats: our first Little League version of (Little) Holiday Cup, in this case. As is typical for the NoT series, I’ll cover not only the top meta picks, but also some spice and some ‘mons where you can save some dust with cheaper second move unlock costs. Because for those on a stardust budget — and/or folks trying to save up some dust for the future — it can be daunting trying to figure out where to spend or not spend it. We all want to field competitive teams, but where can we get the best bang for our buck and where should we perhaps channel our inner scrooge?
A quick reminder of what Little Holiday Cup is:
- Little League, 500 CP Limit.
- Only Electric, Flying, Ghost, Grass, Ice, and Normal type Pokémon are allowed.
- Smeargle is (thankfully!) banned. Whew!
As I try to usually do, I will start with those with the cheapest second move unlock cost and steam ahead until we finally arrive at the expensive 75k category. (No Legendaries or Mythicals in THIS meta.)
Okay, enough intro. Let’s dive in!
10,000 Dust/25 Candy
SKELEDIRGE
Skeledirge
FireGhost
Incinerate | Disarming Voice & Shadow Ball
You’ll find that almost everything with Incinerate is insanely powerful in this format, where even things that resist Fire damage have trouble standing up to it in a format where like 90% of the meta has only double digit HP. And while you’ll see several other Incinerate users in this article — including some ranked higher on PvPoke — I firmly believe Skeledirge is the best. That Ghost subtyping is much more boon than bust, with resistances to Normal and Fighting damage being more impactful than the weaknesses to Dark (though remember that even there, you have Disarming Voice to answer back if you have a little energy built up!) and Ghost that come with it. Thanks to that, Skeledirge can best things like Vigoroth and Dubwool that can cause trouble even for Incinerate users otherwise… and Skeledirge can overcome Talonflame (with decent Attack, at least) as a very nice bonus.
PYROAR & LITLEO
Litleo
FireNormal
Pyroar
FireNormal
Incinerate | Flame Charge & Dark Pulse/Crunch
These two have had some impact in Little League already, but that ratchets up quite significantly with the addition of (and now boost to) Incinerate. On the surface, PYROAR and its higher Attack seems like it wins the day over LITLEO, with extra wins over Skeledirge (thankd to wnning CMP ties) and Litleo itself. But I actually favor Litleo… if you have a Litleo with high Attack. Not only is it notably bulkier than Pyroar (even with that higher Attack and lesser-than-usual bulk), but it can hit key breakpoints that allow overcoming enemy Litleos AND Skeledirge, just like Pyroar can, without giving up any notable wins… and it can also beat out Talonflame, which Pyroar and its slower Dark Pulse (as opposed to Litleo’s Crunch) just cannot reliably replicate.
TALONFLAME
Talonflame
Fire
Incinerateᴸ | Flame Charge & Fly
The good news is that Talonflame is actually at its best here NOT with Brave Bird, but with Fly and its lack of self-nerfing. The bad news is that unless you are more forward-thinking than most of us, there’s a very good chance you don’t have one with Incinerate that fits in Little League, and to build one now is gonna require an Elite Fast TM. The other news that might be good OR bad has already been hinted at above… you either win CMP against things like Skeledirge and Litleo (and beat them) or you don’t (and lose) depending on the IVs on either side, as slight variations of Attack IV flip things around just enough to make or break.
Fletchinder
Fire
And again, the pre-evolution is at least decent, though FLETCHINDER lacks Incinerate and seems to actually prefer Steel Wing (rather than Ember) here, which can actually outrace many other Fire types (to include Skeledirge, Talonflame, Litleo, and Alolan Marowak) as well as Amaura and Aurorus thanks to the effectiveness of Steel. Could be a sneaky option on the right team.
CHARIZARD
Charizard
Fire
Fire Spin | Dragon Claw & Blast Burnᴸ
Yeah, often-preferred Wing Attack takes a back seat to Fire Spin in this meta, though that may be academic as the other Fires above are just better, if I’m being honest and unbiased in my review, especially with basically no Dragons to target with Dragon Claw and it being instead resisted by any Fairies that pop up. Speaking of which….
IGGLYBUFF
Igglybuff
NormalFairy
Feint Attack | Body Slamᴸ & Wild Charge/Shadow Ball
…wait, what? Yes, little baby Iggly isn’t ranked like it, but just might be the best Fairy in Little Holiday Cup. Or just okay. It all depends on the IVs, as some wins like Swinub, Alolan Marowak, and Ducklett are very close and IVs make all the difference. But either way, the Feint Attack that is often very lackluster is actually pretty good here, giving Iggly wins most Fairies can’t achieve like Skeledirge and Litwick, while Wild Charge is enough to bring down Flyers like Talonflame and Vullaby, while Shadow Ball is a fun option that can finish off things like Alolan Vulpix instead. Just note that the necessary Body Slam is a Legacy move.
Jigglypuff
NormalFairy
Big sibling JIFFLYPUFF is looking good too, running off the same Feint Attack and Legacy Body Slam combo, this time with Disarming Voice as a potent (in Little League, anyway) STAB closer.
WIGGLYTUFF (and Charmers in general)
Wigglytuff
NormalFairy
Charm | Icy Wind & Disarming Voice
Wiggly does NOT do particularly well with the Feint Attack strat, leaving it as a Charmer. Believe it or not, that disappointing record is one of the better Charmers. Charm in general just isn’t all that great in this meta. Even regular Little League superstar COTTONEE only makes very limited contributions in this meta. There IS one really good exception, however, which we’ll get to in the 50k section.
WHIMSICOTT
Whimsicott
GrassFairy
Razor Leaf | Seed Bomb & Moonblast
Poor Cottonee… even with Razor Leaf it just doesn’t cut it. But Whimsicott can, overpowering Alolan Vulpix, Alolan Ninetales (even the Ice-heavy variant), Gligar, and Shadow Ducklett where Cottonee falters, while its Fairy typing also conveniently allows beating Vigoroth and Dubwool and Obstagoon and such. This is a fun little dark horse that will probably lead to some ill-advised swaps by the opponent before they realize it’s Razor Leaf, not a Fairy fast move, coming their way.
DUBWOOL
Dubwool
Normal
Double Kick | Body Slam & Wild Charge/Payback
Don’t bother with Wooloo… it lacks the Double Kick that makes Dubwool so intriguing. Double Kick and Body Slam do most of the work, including besting fellow Normal “Fighter” Vigoroth along with most other Normal (and Ice and Rock) types. A second move can help shore up other wins, such as the big Fire types (Skeledirge, Talonflame, and Litleo) and Ducklett with Wild Charge or Litwick and other Ghosts with Payback. I lean Wild Charge personally.
RATTATA
Rattata
Normal
Quick Attack | Body Slam & Dig
Yes, I’m serious. And that includes ShadowRat too. Dig is actually a good move now, and Quick Attack/Body Slam is a great combo in and of itself that just overpowers a ton of stuff. Spoiler Alert: we’ll examine Eevee in the 75k section with the same moveset and a better overall record, but Rattata isn’t far off and can be had FAR cheaper and without Elite TM investment. I like it quite a bit here.
OBSTAGOON
Obstagoon
DarkNormal
Counter | Night Slash & Obstructᴸ/Cross Chop
In a format where not only does hardly anything resist Fighting, but several prominent typings (Normal, Ice, Rock) are all weak to it, something with Counter is going to have a good shot at greatness. Add to that a typing (and spammy Night Slash) that allows it to also contend with Ghosts on top of that, and yeah… you get Obstagoon. If you have one small enough, it is absolutely a contender in this meta, just as it is in non-Little Holiday Cup. Do beware Fairies, Bugs, and opposing quasi-Fighters though!
ALTARIA
Altaria
Dragon
Dragon Breath | Sky Attack & Moonblastᴸ/Dragon Pulse
The prospect of running Alt in a format stuffed full of Ices and Rocks (and even Electrics) certainly gives one pause, but a per usual, you can’t really count Altaria out. But keep in mind that — unlike most other Flyers — it does take “only” neutral damage from Electrics, and comes with the standard Dragon resistances to Grass, Water, and most importantly here, Fire. And thus it consistently beats all the big Fire types (except sometimes Charizard) as well as many bonuses like Dubwool, Gligar, Charjabug, Pikachus of all kinds, Eevee and others. On the right team it can make a great generalist and/or anti-Fire.
GOLBAT
Golbat
Poison
Wing Attack | Poison Fang & Shadow Ball
Lacking many of the inherent advantages enjoyed by Altaria, but still solid enough. Golbat also manages to overcome the big Fire types, and obviously hates especially hard on Grasses, Fighting (including a win over Vigoroth that Altaria can’t match), and Fairies.
ALOLAN ROCKS
Graveler (Alola)
RockElectric
Rock Throw | Rock Blast & Thunderbolt/Stone Edge/Wild Charge
Both Graveler (ideally the Shadow version, which can better take down Eevee) and Golem perform very similarly, but the key is to forgo the now-standard Volt Switch and lean into the power of Rock Throw in this meta. Without it, you lose several Ice types like Abomasnow, Alolan Ninetales and Vulpix, and Aurorus and Amaura. Both are currently ranked FAR lower than they deserve, as PvPoke currently has them running with Switch. These two are nasty in this meta, folks… do not overlook them. Heck, even Alolan Geodude is more than viable!
PIKACHU
Pikachu
Electric
Thunder Shock | Wild Charge/Thunder Punch & Flying Press/Surfᴸ/Fly
There are actually three solid versions of the world’s most famous Pokémon (sorry, Eevee fans) in this meta. Flying Pikachu has wincons over a few Grasses, for what that matters, and matches many (though not all) of the same wins as Legacy Surf Pikachu, but not things like Amaura, Aurorus, and Swinub that Surf can wash away. (Not to mention the extreme pressure it puts on Fire types, beating most of the big ones by the widest possible margin, from Skeledirge and Talonflame down to Litleo and Litwick.) But the best of the best is also the hardest to get: Pikachu Libre and its Flying Press that can’t handle Litwick, but does still beat Aurorus/Amaura and Swinub thanks to being super effective just like Surf, as well as tacking on Alolan Ninetales/Vulpix, Dubwool, and Eevee. Pika Pika!
CHARJABUG
Charjabug
BugElectric
Volt Switchᴸ | X-Scissor & Crunch/Discharge
The sims are rather harsh, in large part because of its tendency to roast like chesnuts on an open flame versus the format’s scary Fire types, but resistances to Fighting give it some very nice advantages, and getting to two X-Scissors after the first five Volt Switches is still incredible pressure versus a wide swath of the meta. I think players will find more success with it than the numbers show.
SHADOW TURTWIG
Turtwig (Shadow)
Grass
Razor Leaf | Body Slam & Seed Bomb
Grass in general isn’t great here, but with the comparatively low stamina of most things under 500 CP, Razor Leaf is still impactful (as we saw with Whimsicott above). In addition to the Waters and Electrics you would expect to beat, the Shadow version of Turtwig can chew through things like Vigoroth, Eevee, and then even scary half-Ices like Aurorus and Amaura, Walrein, and Swinub, half-Ground Gligar, half-Water Shadow Ducklett, and even Alolan Ninetales and Alolan Vulpix too. Make sure you save a shield for it, though… going in without one is ill-advised. 😬
There are other cheap Razor Leafers that can work too, such as the Shadow versions of BAYLEEF, Turtwig’s big bro GROTLE, or heck, check out IVYSAUR! But the other many Grass starters (BULBASAUR, CHIKORITA, CHESPIN, etc.) that normally make quite a mark in Little League just don’t work. There are just too many potent Ice and Fire types around for them to overcome with charge move pressure. Razor Leaf seems more impactful here… though I’d be happy for that to be proven wrong!
50,000 Dust/50 Candy
DUCKLETT
Ducklett
Water
Wing Attack | Aerial Ace & Brave Bird
I mean, would it even be Little League without Ducklett wreaking havoc? Basically its entire loss list is Electric and Rock types, with just a smattering of others (Swinub and Dunsparce with Rock Slide, Snorunt, Cetoddle and a handful of others). So uh… make sure you have one of those. Or multiple. Yeah.
Stupid Ducklett.
CHINCHOU
Chinchou
WaterElectric
Lanturn
WaterElectric
Spark | Bubble Beam & Thunderbolt
If you want to shut down Ducklett completely, here’s the best way to do it, as Chinchou resists literally everything The Duck Of Doom can throw at it. Thankfully it does quite a bit more than just that, dousing Fires and Rocks and many Ice types too, among other things. And if you happen to have one small enough, LANTURN works remarkably well too, able to beat a couple things Chinchou struggles with like Swinub and Alolan Ninetales (Chou handles Shadow Alolan Vulpix instead).
TOGEDEMARU
Togedemaru
ElectricSteel
Thunder Shock | Wild Charge & Fell Stinger/Gyro Ball
I still like Gyro Ball and its anti-Ice/Rock tech here even though the sims don’t show it making a big dent. Instead, they favor Fell Stinger bait-to-win tactics, which in fairness do put up pretty remarkable numbers with win potential over Pikachu Libre, A-Vulpix, A-Shrew, Eevee, and Dubwool. I just worry about what happens when the bait game doesn’t go to plan. But either way, the potential is certainly there, and I do expect the little ball of static electric floof to shock many players in this format. MAGNEZONE is fine too, if you have one that fits, but do keep in mind that you can’t use the Shadow version, as it’s just too big to sneak under 500 CP.
ALOLAN SANDSHREW
Sandshrew (Alola)
IceSteel
Powder Snow | Night Slash & Gyro Ball
Gyro Ball IS definitely the way to go here, with Blizzard offering little of particular note, while Gyro knocks out Ices like Aurorus, Walrein, and Alolan Ninetales, with Shadow Ducklett as a cherry-on-top bonus. And ShadowShrew can take down regular Ducklett too, as well as any Charjabugs that show up.
ALOLAN SANDSLASH
Sandslash (Alola)
IceSteel
Powder Snow/Shadow Clawᴸ | Ice Punch & Drill Run
Worth listing separately, as there are some notable differences between Slash and Shrew, mostly in Sandslash’s favor. Namely, Drill Run is quite excellent versus Electrics, enabling wins like Chinchou that Shrew can’t really replicate. Slash also outraces Eevee… as long as it’s running unresisted Powder Snow, whereas Legacy Shadow Claw is better versus opposing Ice types (adding on Walrein in particular). However, Slash falls short versus some Flyers like Ducklett (which Shrew can take out… though it’s well worth noting that ShadowShrew is able to punch out the Duck). Both have plenty of merit.
SHADOW ALOLAN NINETALES
Ninetales (Alola Shadow)
IceFairy
Charm/Powder Snow | Psyshock & Weather Ball (Ice)
So you remember how I said there was one worthy Charmer in this meta. Well here it is. Shadow A-Tails is quite a force in this meta, overpowering things other Charmers cannot like Abomasnow (resisting Ice damage helps!), Walrein, A-Shrew, Amaura, Pikachu Libre, Shadow Ducklett and others. It’s alo a fine Ice type with Powder Snow instead, it’s just that there are plenty of Powder Snow users already. I think if you want to run A-Tails here, generally it’s going to be with Charm.
Vulpix (Alola)
Ice
Shadow ALOLAN VULPIX is okay too, just nothing particularly special.
ABOMASNOW
Abomasnow
GrassIce
Razor Leaf?/Powder Snow | Weather Ball (Ice) & Icy Wind/Energy Ball
Might Aboma actually be best here as a Razor Leafer? I mean, when compared to Ice-heavy Aboma… yeah, maybe? While it’s surely no surprise that you only beat things like Golbat, Togekiss, Chikorita (and Grasses in general), and Charjabug, with Razor Leaf, ShadowBama can chew up Aurorus and Amaura, Eevee, Pikachu Libre, Alolan Ninetales, Alolan Vulpix, Walrein, Ducklett, Chinchou (and Lanturn) and more. Powder Snow with Energy Ball can’t do all that.
SWINUB
Swinub
IceGround
Powder Snow | Rock Slide & Body Slam/Icy Wind
Rock Slide is absolutely key in a meta with numerous Ice and Water/Flying types for it to hit super effectively, and while that alone does a lot of good (smacking down Ducklett, Charjabug, Golbat, Gligar, and even Chinchou!), Swinub greatly benefits from a second move. Icy Wind debuffs create paths to victory over Eevee, Alolan Ninetales, and the mirror, while Body Slam‘s spammy neutral coverage instead can better outrace Talonflame, Togekiss, Abomasnow, and Aurorus… and no, not just by baiting a shield and then finishing off with Rock Slide; Talon, Kiss, AND Abomasnow all fall to Body Spam Slam alone!
SNORUNT
Snorunt
Ice
Powder Snow | Icy Wind & Shadow Ball
Froslass is surprisingly so-so, and while not completely unviable (its Ghost subtyping notably allows it to overcome Vigoroth and Dubwool), Snorunt is notably bulkier and just works better in general. It has the bulk to outlast things that Lass can’t like A-Shrew, A-Vulpix, Chikorita, Amarua (with Powder Snow), Mareep, Togekiss, and sometimes Ducklett and/or Charjabug, depending on IVs.
SEALEO
Sealeo
IceWater
Water Gun | Body Slam & Aurora Beam/Return
If you’re going to run Sealeo, do it with Water Gun. In that way it can wash away Fires and most fellow Ice types, which is its best offering in this meta. Shadow Sealeo arguably does it a touch better.
WALREIN
Walrein
IceWater
Waterfall/Powder Snowᴸ | Icicle Spearᴸ & Earthquake
Similarly with Walrein, legit consider Waterfall rather than the customary Powder Snow. While Powder can freeze out Abomasnow and Shadow Ducklett, with Waterfall you douse all the Fires, Aurorus and Amaura, and the Alolan Ices too. Do note that Shadow Wally cannot sneak in even with 0-0-0 IVs, so don’t bother trying.
DEWGONG
Dewgong
WaterIce
Ice Shardᴸ | Icy Windᴸ & Liquidation/Drill Run
No Water fast move here, but Gong is so good that it does fine anyway, using Liquidation or Drill Run for coverage, though it DOES still fall short versus several of the big Fires (Litleo, Skeledirge, Talonflame), which is a shame, though it somewhat makes up for it by outlasting things like Eevee instead. Wouldn’t build a new Dewgong for this meta, but if you have one already set for Little League, you can use it.
CETODDLE
Cetoddle
Ice
Ice Shard | Body Slam & Heavy Slam
I mean, sure, you CAN run your newest toy, and Heavy Slam is at least theoretically good here against all the Ice and Rock types around. But even with top notch IVs, I still think you can do better overall.
SPINDA
Spinda
Normal
Psycho Cut | Icy Wind & Rock Tomb/Dig
Not an Ice type, but Spinda proudly runs Icy Wind, so we’ll allow it. So interesting is Spinda here that it even has options, able to run Dig to bury A-Shrew, A-Wak, Mareep, and Aurorus, or Rock Tomb to smash Talonflame, Walrein, Alolan Vulpix, Alolan Ninetales, and Shadow Ducklett instead.
DUNSPARCE
Dunsparce
Normal
Rollout | Drill Run & Rock Slide
While Spinda has to choose between Rock or Ground coverage, Dunsparce comes packing both and makes the most of it. That allows it to beat all Fire types in the meta, as well as the major Ice types except Swinub, CharmTales, Shadowbama and Shadow Walrein, plus stuff like Mareep, Golbat, and Ducklett (Shadow and regular).
GIRAFARIG
Girafarig
PsychicNormal
Double Kick | Psychic Fangs & Thunderbolt
You know in any meta where Geoffamafig is viable, ol’ JRE is gonna point it out. And guess what? Foofamarig IS viable! Double Kick (plus resistance to Fighting) is huge in taking down the quasi-Fighters (Vigoroth, Dubwool, Obstagoon, and most of the major Ice types go down hard too. Shadowrig is even more impressive, adding wins against Skeledirge, Alolan Marowak, and Charjabug. Garifirag for the win!
LICKITUNG
Lickitung
Normal
Lick | Body Slamᴸ & Power Whip
Yes, it’s here, and yes, people will absolutely be using it. And yes, it does its usual thing. At least you don’t need to invest all those XLs when we’re talking about Little League?
LURANTIS
Lurantis
Grass
Fury Cutter | Leaf Blade & Superpower
A fun wild card with Superpower for Normal and many Ice types, Leaf Blade for several of the big Rock and Water types, and resistance to Electric and Grass to beat most of them too.
ODDISH
Oddish (Shadow)
GrassPoison
Razor Leaf | Seed Bomb & Sludge Bomb/Moonblast
Really should be called “Oddish and Friends” because several of them are quite viable here, but Oddish is a standout. The biggest advantage they have other some earlier Razor Leafers mentioned is the resistance to Fighting, so things like Vigoroth and Dubwool are a breeze.
ALOLAN MAROWAK
Marowak (Alola)
FireGhost
Fire Spin | Bone Club & Shadow Boneᴸ
Already wrapped up most of the big name Fire types… but A-Wak might be the best of all. Like Skeledirge, A-Wak comes with the advantage of resisting Fighting and thus beating Vigoroth and Dubwool, but it also beats things that Dirge, Talonflame, nor Litleo can typically handle like Mareep, Pikachu Libre (though ironcally, regular Pikachu with Surf is still a problem), Gligar, and Golbat. Note that’s regular Alolan Marowak… the more easily Little League eligible ShadoWak is still very good, but loses all four of those matchups, overpowering Eevee and Chinchou instead. Still a couple of wins that the other Fires can’t copy, but less impressive overall.
GOLETT
Golett
GroundGhost
Mud Slap | Shadow Punch & Brick Break
And wrapping this section up with another spicy but potent Ghost. With the power of Mud Slap and some inexpensive charge moves, Golett can do some good things (despite the very real threats of Ice and Water damage all around it), like dominating non-Flying Fire, Electric, and Rock types, flexing its Ghost typing to beat Vigoroth, Dubwool, Eevee and the like, and felling even Golbat and A-Shrew and A-Slash for good measure. Nifty!
75,000 Dust/75 Candy
LITWICK
Litwick
FireGhost
Ember/Astonish | Flame Charge & Mystical Fire
One more major Fire type to break down, and while it IS quite viable, I’m not sure if it earns the #1 ranking that the Shadow version enjoys at the time of this writing. ShadoWik gets the special Vigoroth win that other Ghostly Fires do (and Pikachu Libre as a nice bonus), but it somehow manages to lose to Dubwool and Eevee, which is a bummer. With high rank IVs at least it can add on Mareep and Golbat, which are nice pickups. I do feel it’s also worth mentioning non-ShadoWik, which actually looks more intriguing with Astonish that can take down Skeledirge and A-Wak (and the mirror) with ease, though it gives up Vigoroth and things like Golbat, Charjabug, and Alolan Vulpix to do it. Litwick earns its keep here, just again… not sure about that current ranking.
Lampent
FireGhost
And while I’m not a huge fan of it myself, as its charge moves are rather lacking, I’d be a bad analyst to not at least point out that Shadow LAMPENT sims well. It’s basically ALL Shadow-boosted Ember.
AMAURA
Amaura
RockIce
Powder Snow | Weather Ball (Ice) & Ancient Power
Normally a very scary typing combination defensively, Ice/Rock is mostly a boon in this meta, and Amaura fully capitalizes. Its Ice side capably handles most Flyers and things like Swinub, Abomasnow, and Mareep as well, while its Rock side (mostly by means of Ancient Power) brings down the Fire types, several prominent Ice types (Walrein, A-Tails, A-Vulpix) and the otherwise elusive Ducklett too. Just watch out for double super effective Fighting damage! 🥶
AURORUS
Aurorus
RockIce
Rock Throw | Weather Ball (Ice) & Ancient Power
Worth covering separately, because if you’re going to run Aurorus, you want to do so with the one thing Amaura doesn’t have. No, not Meteor Beam (that’s mostly just overkill/showing off in Little League!), but fast move Rock Throw. While abandoning Powder Snow means giving up hope of outracing most Grass types, I think that gaining additional anti-Ice tech (and specifically new wins versus A-Tails, A-Shrew, and Amaura) is more than worth the tradeoff. 🪨
VIGOROTH
Vigoroth
Normal
Counter | Body Slam & Rock Slide
Not just in the Top 10, but comfortably in the Top 5 in this meta, and even a rookie can pretty easily figure out why: Counter for opposing Normal, Ice, and Rock types, Rock Slide for extinguishing (most, but not all) Fires, and Body Slam for everything else (which includes Chinchou, Charjabug, Chikorita and more). It is not wholly dominant by any means, and I would even argue it’s not quite as good here as it is in the OG Holiday Cup (at Great League level), but Vigoroth is always a tough out and earns its high ranking thanks to its flexability and relative safety in all three positions on one’s team.
CASTFORM
Castform
Normal
Hex | Weather Ball (Rock) & Energy Ball
When you look at its moves, the appeal of Normal Castform in this meta is almost as obvious as Vigoroth: Hex for Ghosts, Weather Ball (Rock) for Ices and Flyers, Energy Ball for Waters, Rocks, and Grounds. The problem is that it requires high rank IVs to achieve maximum greatness… with average IVs it misses out on stuff like Amaura, Abomasnow, and Gligar. But still, handling all the big Ghosts, numerous Ice types, and the majority of Fire and/or Flying types in the meta is reason enough to give Castform consideration.
MILTANK
Miltank
Normal
Rollout | Body Slam & Thunderbolt
In what’s becoming a mini-theme, here’s another Normal type that just has the right tools for success in Little Holiday Cup: Rollout for Ice, Fire, and Flying types, Thunderbolt for Waters and Flyers again, and Body Slam that’s even spammier than normal thanks to Rollout. Add it all up, and you have what I think may be one of the most criminally underrated Pokémon in this meta. Seriously, get mooooooving on building one of these for Little League! 🐮
EEVEE
Eevee
Normal
Quick Attack | Body Slamᴸ & Dig/Last Resortᴸ
Though with the caveat that it MUST have Legacy Body Slam, I am happy to report that Eevee is excellent here, making Little Holiday Cup a format where Eevee and Pikachu are both quite awesome. That should make The Pokémon Company happy! What the speedy combo of Quick Attack and Body Slam can’t handle, *Dig can, tacking on wins versus Chinchou, Alolan Sandshrew (and Sandslash), Aurorus and Amaura, and Fires like Skeledirge and Litwick (it already beats Talonflame and Litleo with its Normal-type moves).
LAPRAS
Lapras
WaterIce
Water Gun | Surf & Ice Beamᴸ/Dragon Pulseᴸ
Speaking of Legacy moves, I’m happy to point out that Lapras doesn’t need Legacy Ice Shard, running best (as many other Watery Ice types do in this meta) with its Water fast move Water Gun. The subtle differences as compared to Sealeo and Walrein is that Lapras has the bulk to also outlast Togekiss and beats Wally (even with Waterfall) straight up. I DO recommend Legacy Ice Beam or Dragon Pulse though.
ARCTIBAX
Arctibax
DragonIce
Dragon Breath | Avalanche & Dragon Claw
Sure, it works. I worry about it a bit more here than I do in GL Holiday Cup, though. A number of the things that it beats at that level thanks to Dragon’s resistances just aren’t present here, and there’s more Fairy and Rock damage around in this Little League version in addition to the prevalence Fighting and Ice it already has to contend with. If you have one you can use it, but I don’t feel great about it.
PACHIRISU
Pachirisu
Electric
Volt Switch | Thunder Punch & Thunderbolt
If you’re like me, you have long looked at our Canadian friends with envy as they bring out their regional Pachirisus in Great League from time to time. But good news! After it was passed out to many more folks in 2023’s GOFests, it’s much more likely that you have one to use on your own, and while it’s unlikely you’ve managed to accrue enough candy and XL candy to prep it for Great League, none of that matters here. You can run Pachirisu at last, in Little Holiday Cup, and reap massive benefits. It’s just as much of a bulkmeister in Little League as it is in Great. Have fun!
SKARMORY
Skarmory
Steel
Steel Wing | Sky Attack & Brave Bird
Skarmory still has much improved Steel Wing going for it, no longer secret but still great tech versus Ice and Rock types. Resisting Ducklett’s and Gligar’s Flying moves gives it nice bonus wins there as well. But beyond that and, of course, dominating Grasses, there’s actually not a ton it does for you here. Viable? Absolutely. Meta breaking? Nah.
GLIGAR
Gligar
Ground
Wing Attack | Dig & Night Slash/Aerial Ace
Double weak to Ice? Scary. But Gligar continues its breakout even at this level. I do think you may want to at least consider Night Slash over Aerial Ace in this meta, as Slash provides some nice neutral coverage, and things weak to Flying damage are actually in pretty short supply.
And we’ve made it… that’s all I got for today. Get out there and enjoy this little Cup to close out one year and bring in the next!
Until next time (year?), you can always find me on Twitter for regular GO 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, especially those of you who took the time to read it ALL! I sincerely hope this helps you master Little Holiday Cup, and in the most affordable way possible. Best of luck, and catch you next time… and Happy Holidays, Pokéfriends!
