This was an exciting collaboration article between new Hub analyst JTizzler and… uh… old analyst JRE. 😅 You’ll hear shades of us both of us throughout as we split various sections up to cover it all extensively. Hope you enjoy, folks!
G’day PoGO lovers. The Pokémon World Championships event is coming up soon, running from 10am August 11 to 8pm August 15 local time. Although you may be tired from your recent search for a shiny Petilil, this is looking like an excellent event for those interested in PvP. Let’s take a look at the new release Passimian, which wild encounters to prioritize, the new shiny, the featured attacks obtainable through evolution, which raids to prioritize and other features for battling throughout the event!
NEW Release – Passimian
Passimian
Fighting
Throughout the event, you will be able to obtain the newly released Passimian, a mono Fighting-type Pokémon. Keeping with recent trends of new releases, you won’t be able to catch this lemur in the wild – only in field research and 3-star raids. This means that you won’t be able to obtain one with optimal IV’s unless you roll the trading dice and hope for a high stat product (low Attack, high Defense and HP), and even then, only those from research will fit in Great League at all, as even with (impossible-to-get now) 0-0-0 IVs, Passie has to be under Level 20 to squeeze under 1500 CP.
The good with Passimian is the bulk, which is better than most other popular mono-Fighters like Machamp, Sirfetch’d, Primeape and others. It’s still not great though, trailing truly bulky Fighters like Medicham, Scrafty, Hakamo-O (and Kommo-O), and on-the-rise Poliwrath (and others in Ultra League too like Cobalion, Virizion, and even Buzzwole). That, and being blessed with Counter, the best fast move in PvP.
The rather obvious bad is NO coverage moves whatsoever. The only non-Fighting move it has at all is Take Down, a truly dreadful fast move (2.67 Energy Per Turn and an AWFUL 1.67 Damage Per Turn… blech!) that doesn’t even deal super effective damage to anything ever.
And so we’re left with Counter and typically Brick Break for baits (35 energy, but only 40 damage, 10 less than Cross Chop for the same cost), which then sets up a self-nerfing closer of either Superpower (40 energy, 85 damage, but slashes user’s Attack and Defense) or typically-more-preferred Close Combat (45 energy, 100 damage, but debuffs user Defense twice).
A mixed bag to be sure, but you CAN do a lot worse. Passie actually does some nifty things as compared to other popular Fighters. Here is a chart from PvPoke showing some of the differences between them. Keep in mind that for the first chart, any score under 500 is a loss for the Fighter in question, anything over 500 is a win, and 500 exactly results in a tie.
This second chart is a little easier to understand… other Fighters are put side by side with Passimian and any differences are noted. Those in blue (with a +) are gains as compared to Passimian, and those in purple (with a -) are new losses.
Note in particular the wins Passimian gets versus Carbink and Lanturn, which several others struggle with (to include even Medicham). Passimian also squeaks by with a win versus Skarmory that most of the other Fighters (understandably) also struggle with. Now of course, these are assuming perfect baiting and then finishing off with Close Combat, but still… some nice wins in there. But also, of course, some notable losses, such as Noctowl, Venusaur, Froslass, Mandibuzz, Toxicroak and others that some of those big-name, established Fighters can handle thanks to their coverage moves… and Passie simply can’t replicate.
And similar story in Ultra League, where Passimian actually does decently well, but is simply outclassed by more seasoned Fighters with coverage, like Machamp, Sirfetch’d, XL Primeape, Virizion, and rising Poliwrath. Passimian is fine, but if we’re being honest, just completely unremarkable.
The shame of it is that Passie DOES have plenty of coverage moves available in MSG, from the same Rock Slide found on Machamp to decent (and thematic) Grass moves like Seed Bomb and Grass Knot, to Body Spam Slam, to big closers like Earthquake and Acrobatics and Shadow Ball. And at least some of those would allow it to stand out in exciting and unique ways. Maybe one day, but for now, we can only dream.
There’s enough good — and enough potential! — there to say that sure, it’s worth scooping Passimian up while you’re able. But it will need some help to really separate itself from an increasingly crowded pack.
Wild Encounters
It shouldn’t come as a complete surprise, but the selection of wild spawns throughout this event is an absolute delight for PvP battlers. All are highly relevant in PvP, and there’s some nice synergy with the exclusive moves available through evolution (which we’ll go into further detail later in this review). We’ll take a detailed look at each of these here but the main callout is that there is not a lot of crossover in typing for XL candy hunting to build the maxed out versions – so consider which builds are your priorities and focus on your mega evolutions for those (Wooloo for me!).
Machamp
| Ideal Moveset | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Counter | Cross Chop & Rock Slide / Payback* | GL, UL & ML | Yes (ML) |
Machamp is the OG Fighting type king of PvP. The champ still sees a large amount of play, but its presence in the Great League has been reduced due to the rise of Medicham and flyers such as Noctowl and Charizard. It still has a lot of play, particularly in limited metas as a lead or sweeping teams with shields down. The shadow variant is arguably more impactful in the Great and Ultra leagues in the sweeper role, Counter-ing down teams with devastating power.
Machamp with Payback is an interesting sidegrade to the typical Rock Slide coverage move. This non-STAB move can potentially be more impactful on the Shadow version, as the shadow-boost can sometimes give it the additional power that Payback needs to hit back against Psychic and Ghost types that it typically struggles against. That said, it’s probably overall having a similar impact if you can manage to land one with the non-shadow… landing one overall is the key. It’s worth evolving one for each of the leagues during this event for the legacy move and saving for a potential future build.
Machoke is also a spice pick for the Fighting-type cup, but it lacks any real coverage moves to have open meta relevance. It also needs its legacy move Cross Chop, which will require an Elite TM to obtain. However, it’s not a bad pick if you don’t have one yet and are willing to shell out to build one.
Lanturn
| Ideal Moveset | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Water Gun / Spark | Surf & Thunderbolt | GL & UL | Yes (UL) |
Lanturn recently went from a spice pick to instant meta with the introduction of the move Surf into its movepool. With the rise of Charizard and other flyers, Lanturn is now a priority build in the Great League for PvP players. Lanturn also has some play in the Ultra League, though its lack of power can hold it back a little in the higher CP territory. It also has to be maxed out to be viable, so this is your time to accumulate the XL candy you need.
Chinchou is an excellent anti-Ducklett pick in the Little Cups, and sees a lot of play. Little leagues look like they’re here to stay, so this is a good time to pick up a decent one.
Quagsire
| Ideal Moveset | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Mud Shot | Mud Bomb & Stone Edge | GL | No |
Quagsire was a recent beneficiary of the introduction of the newly buffed move Mud Bomb into its movepool. It now has a cheaper Ground move that it spam out quickly, plus excellent coverage with Stone Edge to hit anything that’s flying. However, in my view the Wooper-hunt is a lower priority for this event, because Quagsire’s Shadow variant is an absolute beast in the 1-shield scenario – I would recommend hunting down the Ground type Rockets for your Quagsire build instead.
Wooper is a really nice pick for the Little Cup, although it’s a fairly expensive one (and it’s still pretty fragile).
Sableye
| Ideal Moveset | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Shadow Claw | Foul Play & Return* | GL | Yes |
Sableye is arguably the best safe swap in the Great League (ranked #2), and is an excellent pick in the open meta (ranked #11 overall). However, it really needs to be purified with the move Return to be at its most impactful. It also prefers to be slightly bulkier, so it’s a good opportunity to hunt them down for the XL candy and the premium stardust, but I wouldn’t necessarily build one from this event.
Medicham
| Ideal Moveset | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Counter | Ice Punch & Psychic | GL | Yes |
Medicham is the best Fighting type Pokémon in the Great League. With the best fast move in the game in Counter and excellent charged moves at its disposal, Medicham puts up a fight, even in its losing matchups. If you don’t have one built, or you don’t have the XL candy for a bulkier build, now is your opportunity.
Walrein
| Ideal Moveset | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Powder Snow* | Icicle Spear* & Earthquake | GL, UL (& ML spice) | Yes (ML) |
Walrein was a massive beneficiary of its community day, receiving the incredible moveset of Powder Snow and Icicle Spear upon evolution. It was so impactful that Icicle Spear was subsequently nerfed, and has most recently been re-buffed again. Today, Walrein is an excellent open meta pick in the Great and Ultra Leagues, and even better if you managed to keep a good shadow variant during the Spheal Rocket circulation. In Master League, Wally faces stiff competition from Mamoswine, but it can still be effective in the Premier Cup. If you don’t have a decent one built yet for the lower leagues in particular, now is your chance as you can also obtain its legacy moves through evolution throughout this event – which are mandatory for Walrein to be effective.
Sealeo is a decent limited meta pick due to its insanely fast access to Body Slam spam, so it’s worth keeping a decent one with good bulk for the future.
Excadrill
| Ideal Moveset | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Mud Shot | Drill Run & Rock Slide | GL, UL & ML | Yes (ML) |
Excadrill sees the most play in the Master League, but it also has a decent amount of play in the lower leagues. It has a powerful and fast moveset which offers excellent coverage against most opponents on land and in the air – which is required because it is super fragile! Drilbur has been a recent enough spawn that many players will already have some of these at their disposal, but if not, now is your opportunity – in particular, grinding the XL candy needed for the maxed out version for the Master League.
Scrafty
| Ideal Moveset | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Counter | Power-Up Punch & Foul Play | GL & UL | Yes (UL) |
Scrafty is a very strong Fighting and Dark type pick, particularly in the Ultra League. A fighter that can hit Ghost and Psychic types for super effective damage is quite unique, and gives it a lot of play in a variety of roles. Don’t stress too much about finding a bulky version, as the Ultra League version should be built using hatch IV variants, and it loses no matchups from being attack weighted in the Great League. Given it has been part of the 10 and 12km egg pool for a while, you may already have some ready to go, so this may render Scrafty less of a priority during this event… but don’t sleep on its awesome new shiny release!
Diggersby
| Ideal Moveset | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Mud Shot / Quick Attack | Fire Punch + Earthquake / Hyper Beam | GL | Yes |
Diggersby is a very decent open Great League pick. It has fast access to strong nuke moves, decent coverage, and good bulk. Its Normal and Ground typing isn’t all that synergistic, but it can be a real nuisance in the right scenarios. It likes greater bulk, meaning you can use this time to hunt for XL candy, but overall this is probably a lower priority hunt for this event.
Dubwool
| Ideal Moveset | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Double Kick | Body Slam & Payback / Wild Charge | GL & UL | Yes (UL) |
Dubwool has shot into open meta stardom with the introduction of Double Kick into its movepool, currently ranked #12 in the Great League and #19 in the Ultra League open metas. Wooloo has barely been sighted in the wild until very recently, and Dubwool needs to be maxed out (and hundo) for the Ultra League – so now is the time to grind for the XL candy!
Lickitung
| Ideal Moveset | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Lick | Body Slam* & Power Whip | GL | Yes |
Lickitung has a lot of play in Great League as a bulky safe swap that can withstand hit after hit. Even in matchups it doesn’t win, it typically takes soft losses and is an excellent pick in the open meta, currently ranked #10 overall. It operates better with additional bulk, so take advantage of the available spawns to try and farm for XL candy.
Lickitung’s evolution Lickilicky is a less common pick in the Great League due to having comparatively less bulk than its pre-evolution. It does have some spice play in the Ultra League, but also requires XL candy to be at its most effective. If you do happen to find a good Lickilicky pick, save it for evolution during the Global GOFest for access to Body Slam – which is required for Licky to have any play, so this can save you an Elite TM down the line. Note, Lickitung won’t get the same treatment, so you’ll need to use an Elite TM for the OG tongue.
Steelix
| Ideal Moveset | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon Tail | Psychic Fangs & Crunch / Earthquake | GL & UL | Yes (UL) |
Steelix is another good pick that kinda prefers its Shadow variant. It can play a number of roles and can be devastating in ramping up its Dragon Tail damage through debuffing its opponents defense with Psychic Fangs. Ultimately, I would recommend the shadow variant which can be obtained right now through the Rocket circulation, but the non-shadow is also a good pick.
Onix is also very handy in the Little Leagues in a similar role – spamming out powerful Rock damage and debuffing its opponents with Sand Tomb to ramp the damage up.
Field Research
In general, the field research encounters are slightly less important for your PvP grinding, but there are still some decent options available. Spheal and Passimian are already covered in earlier sections, so we won’t go into these again here.
Sandslash (Alola)
Sandshrew (Alola)
| Ideal Movesets | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| A-Slash: Shadow Claw* | Ice Punch & Drill Run
A-Shrew: Powder Snow | Night Slash & Blizzard |
GL & UL
GL |
Yes (UL)
Yes (GL) |
Alolan Sandshrew is available via field research, which offers two opportunities – an attack weighted A-Slash for the Ultra League, and the hundo A-Shrew for the Great League. Both require XL candy, and neither are the shadow variant (which you arguably want), so this is probably a less important grind for this event. However this is still a great opportunity to get a good A-Slash if you don’t have one – and you absolutely want one. This season A-Slash obtained access to the move Drill Run, which has lifted its potential in the open meta substantially.
Dewgong
| Ideal Movesets | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Ice Shard* | Icy Wind* & Drill Run | GL | No |
Seel will be available via special research, but this won’t produce the optimal IV spread for your Dewgong, so I would probably skip this one unless you are desperate for any Seel you can get your hands on. An evolved Dewgong will learn its legacy moveset during the event, which is an absolute must for Dewgong to have any play in the Great League. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to evolve any of your good IV Seel’s you’ve been hanging onto, then move onto other priorities.
Gyarados
| Ideal Movesets | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon Breath | Aqua Tail & Crunch | GL, UL & ML | Yes (ML) |
Similar to Dewgong, there’s not a lot of incentive hunting Magikarp throughout this event – unless you’re hoping for a hundo Gyarados for the Master League (and for raiding). However, there are more important things to prioritize throughout the event – Magikarp are a fairly constant rotation through 2km eggs and in the wild. Also, you want as much bulk as possible for your Gary’s in the lower leagues. Save the hunt for another time.
Obstagoon
| Ideal Movesets | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Counter | Night Slash & Cross Chop / Obstruct* / Gunk Shot | GL & UL | Yes (UL) |
Obstagoon actually likes to have a bit of an attack weight in its IV spread, so now could be a good time to take advantage of its availability through field research, and also its community day move Obstruct, which will be available during the event through evolution. Note that Obstruct typically works better in the Ultra League in a sweeping role, where Goon can draw out fights a bit longer and keep ramping up its defense, making it super hard to take down in the right matchups. We’ll go into more detail on that below.
Golisopod
| Ideal Movesets | League/s | XL Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Shadow Claw | Liquidation & X-Scissor | GL & UL (& ML spice?) | No |
Golisopod has recently risen to greater prominence through the addition of Liquidation to its moveset. Unfortunately, being available only through field research means you won’t be able to obtain one with optimal IVs, and you’ll need 400 candy to evolve it, so now probably isn’t the ideal time to prioritize this field research. I would wait for the next rotation through the wild.
Raids
Cresselia
As recently written in our August PvP guide, if you don’t have a Cresselia for both Great and Ultra League yet, now is your time to pick one up. Cresselia prefers running Grass Knot, as this is a cheaper move and allows it to more effectively handle the many Water and Ground types pervading the Great League. You could use this opportunity to get the candy you need to build a Cress with double nukes in Moonblast and Future Sight. Note that you’ll need to trade with a friend to get one at Great League level (it needs to be around level 19) but it’s absolutely worth it.
Stunfisk (Galarian)
Maxed out and best-buddied at level 50, Galarian Stunfisk is a bulky monster that has a lot of play in the open Ultra League meta. However, G-Fisk is more of a Great League pick, and it wants to have high bulk to be most effective. Given it’s only going to be available through raids for this event, it’s probably worth a pass this time around.
Skarmory
Skarmory has moved down the Great League ranks due to the most recent meta shifts, but it still has its place in many teams. Unfortunately, you do want to have a bulkier variant, and it will only be available via raids. If you’re looking for an Ultra League project there are worse things to build! This could be your time to try and obtain a hundo, but otherwise it’s probably worth a pass.
Gligar
Both Gligar and Gliscor have play in the Great League (and Ultra League for Gliscor), but Gliscor prefers to be a shadow, and Gligar prefers to have as much bulk as possible. If you’re desperate for the candy due to Gligar’s relative rarity, it’s an easy solo raid. Otherwise prioritize the other options throughout the event.
Exclusive Moves
ALOLAN SANDSLASH
Sandslash (Alola)
IceSteel
SHADOW CLAW (Ghost-type fast move, 3.0 DPT, 4.0 EPT)
⌛ Previously Available: 13 March 2022, 17-18 Dec 2022
⚔️ Great League Priority: HIGH
⚔️ Ultra League Priority: HIGH
⚔️ Master League Priority: n/a
🥚 PvE/Raid Priority: n/a
This one is very easy to explain: Shadow Claw allows A-Slash to beat Ghosts and other Ice types (and some others that resist Ice damage), while non-Legacy Powder Snow is better for Ghost-resistant Normal types (or types where Ice is super effective and Ghost is not).
Examples:
- In Great League, Powder Snow A-Slash (making its best showing as a Shadow) can freeze out Dunsparce and Lickitung, who resist Shadow Claw. However, Shadow Claw is “better” overall by instead slashing through Cofagrigus, Jellicent, Lanturn (with Spark), and Shadow Walrein… two Ghosts and three Ice-resistant Pokemon.
- Similar results in Ultra League, with Powder Snow taking out Greedent (resists Shadow Claw) and Nidoqueen (weak to Ice), while Shadow Claw instead rips through Jellicent and Cofagrigus again, as well as Ice-resistant Scizor and Empoleon.
In short, Alolan Sandslash CAN operate without Shadow Claw, and well. But Claw is definitely a move you want to have available, so get them while you can!
DEWGONG
Dewgong
WaterIce
ICE SHARD (Ice-type fast move, 3.0 DPT, 3.33 EPT)
ICY WIND (Ice-type charge move, 60 damage, 45 energy, 1.33 DPE, Decreases Opponent Attack)
⌛ Previously Available: Launch – 16 Feb 2017, 5 March 2022
⚔️ Great League Priority: HIGH
⚔️ Ultra League Priority: LOW
⚔️ Master League Priority: n/a
🥚 PvE/Raid Priority: n/a
Here we have TWO Exclusive Moves at once! Available during a GO Battle Day last March (for the first time in over five years), opportunities like this don’t come along often, and since this is not a Community Day Pokémon, this could very well be the LAST chance to land both moves at once before they are forever locked away behind Elite TMs.
And yes, Dewgong needs both Ice Shard and Icy Wind to work properly… it gets the vast majority of its total wins with just those moves alone. Similar to Alolan Sandslash with Shadow Claw providing some specific coverage (versus Ice and Water types, for example), Drill Run is most useful for things that resist Ice damage, and leads to wins over Shadow Walrein and Toxapex specifically. Certainly far better than anything previous “best” coverage move Water Pulse could do!
Even with the very welcome addition of Drill Run, Dewgong isn’t quite as intimidating as it used to be, but it’s still very much a player in Great League, particularly in Limited/Cup metas. And again, possible last chance to land both Legacy moves without special TMs. Get it while it’s hot! Or uh… cold, I guess. 🥶
WALREIN
Walrein
IceWater
POWDER SNOW (Ice-type fast move, 2.5 DPT, 4.0 EPT)
ICICLE SPEAR (Ice-type charge move, 60 damage, 40 energy)
⌛ Previously Available: 16 Jan 2022, 17-18 Dec 2022
⚔️ Great League Priority: VERY HIGH
⚔️ Ultra League Priority: HIGH
⚔️ Master League Priority: MODERATE-HIGH
🥚 PvE/Raid Priority: n/a
Same as Dewgong, just newer and generally more accepted as still part of the Open GL meta, particularly the Shadow form which shows up regularly on the Play! Pokémon circuit. Unlike Dewgong (which is fringe at best in Ultra League), Walrein’s usefulness doesn’t end below 1500 CP, but it remains excellent (and very much a part of the meta) in Ultra League with lots of Ice- and/or Earthquake-weak targets to terrorize, and I continue to argue that it’s still worth having a maxed one around for Master League usage too, where Ice types are perhaps at their absolute best (especially with the eventual rise of new overlord Zygarde Complete on the horizon!). Wally has been written off multiple times since its big debut last year, but it just keeps hanging around and is likely to remain a fixture for many seasons to come. Yes, you’ll likely have one more shot at its double Exclusive moves during this December’s Community Day rehash, but why wait? If you have a good one now — especially a Shadow — that you just haven’t been able to throw two Elite TMs at, here’s your shot to get its move “for free” instead!
OBSTAGOON
Obstagoon
DarkNormal
OBSTRUCT (Dark-type charge move, 15 damage, 40 energy, Increases User Defense & Lowers Opponent Defense)
⌛ Previously Available: 13 Aug 2022, 17-18 Dec 2022
⚔️ Great League Priority: MODERATE-HIGH
⚔️ Ultra League Priority: MODERATE
⚔️ Master League Priority: n/a
🥚 PvE/Raid Priority: n/a
Kind of a trickier one to explain here, as the priorities above would likely both be “HIGH” if we were talking just having a good Obstagoon for Great and Ultra Leagues. But the priorities here are on the importance of having an Obstagoon with Obstruct, and that is, in my opinion, a lesser priority.
Unlike Dewgong and Walrein, who really are nothingburgers in PvP without their Legacy/Exclusive moves, Obstagoon runs just fine without Obstruct, and many players even prefer it without Obstruct. The sims are not as much help here as they usually are, since Obstruct’s effectiveness largely relies on how the opponent chooses when to shield or not shield, but it CAN be amazing in both Great and Ultra Leagues. But even with those high bar numbers, that kind of success is not unique. And that’s exactly my point: other than Night Slash, which Obtagoon basically always wants, there are multiple ways to trick out your Goonie, and there’s no “wrong” answer. Is it good to snatch up Obstruct while you can? Absolutely. But this just isn’t as much of a “must” as other Pokémon higher on this list. Not everybody is going to want or need it. But if you lack it, sure, go for it. Obstruct IS particularly annoying in Ultra League, for what that’s worth, as Obstagoon can seemingly hang around forever after a couple applications of Obstruct’s stat-altering tomfoolery. But even there, I think perhaps the threat of having Obstruct could be more effective and pressuring than actually having Obstruct, you know?
MACHAMP
Machamp
Fighting
PAYBACK (Dark-type charge move, 110 damage, 60 energy)
⌛ Previously Available: 16 Jan 2021, 18-19 Dec 2021, 17-18 Dec 2022
⚔️ Great League Priority: MODERATE
⚔️ Ultra League Priority: MODERATE
⚔️ Master League Priority: MODERATE
🥚 PvE/Raid Priority: n/a
Similar story with the priorities here as with Obstagoon: Machamp is absolutely something you want to have for ALL Leagues, just maybe not with Payback.
It’s not that Payback is bad. It actually provides a couple of things that synergize well with Machamp: a true closing-power move that doesn’t self-nerf, and coverage it craves versus Psychic and especially Ghost types. Sure, it can nail them with Rock Slide instead, but that’s usually just a parting gift in still-losing battles. Payback sneaking past shields at the right time can blow otherwise unbeatable opponents away and flip a match completely around.
Very generally, I still lean Rock Slide for the understandably popular Shadow Machamp (in Great League, at least), as it just doesn’t usually have the bulk to make proper use of Payback. For non-Shadow Champ, Payback becomes more of a viable alternative to Rock Slide, simply because it’s able to absorb enough punishment to still reach Payback in meaningful situations. And that’s generally true in Ultra and even Master Leagues as well, though it’s worth noting that Payback and Rock Slide remain a lot closer in performance (including for Shadow Machamp) than they were in Great League. Ultra League may overall be its best place to shine, with a number of highly relevant Ghost and Psychic types that otherwise have a field day with Machamp.
Another thing to consider: unlike A-Slash, Walrein, and Obstagoon, Machamp has already been featured in two December Community Day curtain calls, so it’s very likely this is your last shot at it without burning an Elite TM.
I would recommend trying to get a decent Ultra League Payback Machamp at the very least, or ideally two if you have a Shadow one prepped as well. Great League is a lesser priority but still worth it if you can afford to make it happen, particularly for non-Shadow Champ. Master League… meh, I guess, if you’ve already gotten ones ready at other levels first.
Event Bonuses
A number of other bonuses will be available during the event, which PvP players shouldn’t sleep on:
- The maximum number of sets you can play per day in the GO Battle League will go up from 5 to 10. This can be a great chance for those pushing forward in their climb up the leaderboard to get even higher!
- World Championships–themed Timed Research will be available throughout the event. This is an excellent opportunity to earn additional stardust, a starpiece, a Premium battle pass and, most importantly, an Elite Charged TM, which is always a useful thing to keep for the future.
Additionally, pokémon encountered via GO Battle League rewards will have a wider variance of Attack, Defense, and HP. I’m feeling fairly mixed about this – this could help or hinder your cause, depending on whether you are lucky enough to land something with the right IVs.
Summary
This is an excellent event for PvP players, so don’t sleep on the opportunity to land yourself some great IV mons, PvP relevant XL candy, exclusive movesets through evolution, an Elite Charged TM, additional Go Battle League sets per day, plus watching the world championships of course! Good luck with your shiny hunting, see ya later!
JT & JRE
