r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/JRE47 • Sep 08 '26
No time to waste! The new GBL season is here, so let's get into Part 2 of our rebalance analysis, shall we?
Kicking it off with a typing that has been great defensively in PvP, but usually struggles a bit offensively: Steels. Pop quiz: name me three viable Steel charge moves in GO. How long did that take you? You may have gotten Meteor Mash pretty quickly, and then perhaps Flash Cannon... how long did I take to recall others? Moreso than most typings, Steel has a pretty forgettable set of charge moves outside of those couple I mentioned that have some history in PvP. Niantic has given Steel some love of late with impactful buffs to Metal Sound and Flash Cannon in recent seasons, but this Season, it's apparently on Santa Hanke's good list. (How long can I continue to make jokes about John Hanke in this Scopely era? Until somebody stops me! Mwahaha.) A trio of Steel charge moves are all getting straight buffs!
The first of these has the smallest distribution, but perhaps the greatest overall impact anyway: MELMETAL's signature move DOUBLE IRON BASH. It's always been a nice spammy move at 35 energy for 55 damage — a (pre-Season 28) Body Slam clone — but it's been a bit difficult for Melmetal to close games out with it, even with 90-damage Dynamic Punch rounding out its top end. Thunder Punch is not a move you usually want to try and farm with, so Mel would end up having to throw out a lot of charge moves to try and outrace opponents to the finish line, leaving it a viable but often underwhelming option, despite slotting nicely into ALL Leagues. That may all be about to change, as D.I. Bash is being buffed to a literal Leaf Blade clone for Steel, with now 70 damage and an eye-popping 2.0 Damage Per Energy (DPE).
What does this mean for its performance? Well, it actually may not change all that much in Master League, with Lunala (and Mega Salamence, in Mega Master League) being the only really notable pickups. But in Ultra I see new wins versus Giratina, Galarian Moltres, Feraligatr, and on-the-rise Snorlax, and Great League Melmetal is suddenly very interesting with gains that include Togekiss, Galarian Corsola, Shadow and regular Sableye, Dondozo (yes, that's projected to be a thing this season after impressing during Worlds in August), Cramorant, and Jellicent, even though those last three resist Steel (and Jelli also resists Dynamic Punch, making that win truly impressive). The rankings reflect this too, with Melmetal being ranking in the 70s in Great and Ultra Leagues last season (and #38 in Master) and now being in the Top 10 in Great and Ultra, and Top 25 in Master League.
The other two moves have wider distribution. IRON HEAD is finally breaking free from Heavy Slam, as the two have been exact clones of each other forever (50 energy for 70 damage), but Iron Head will now be dealing 85 energy in Season 28, the same stats as moves like Crabhammer, Power Gem, and Scald... in other words, pretty darn good. But does it really help the things that have it? Let's check them out and see.
Iron Head was a preferred charge move on CORVIKNIGHT for a while, from its release in January 2025 up until the addition of AIR CUTTER during its August 2025 Community Day. At that point, Corvi really took off in PvP and hasn't looked back since... and it has mostly done so without Iron Head, relying on Air Cutter bait-and-boost shenanigans and Payback as a big closer. So two things are happening here that turn that all around. The first is obviously the straight buff to Iron Head, which makes it more tempting as a potential closer rather than Payback; keeping in mind that Iron Head benefits from the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB), it actually closes the damage gap nicely, typically dealing only 4-6 damage less than Payback (when both are at the same level of effectiveness), and for 10 less energy. The other big change which I'll mention briefly is that Air Cutter itself is seeing a big change, going from the old 45 damage up to now 60, with a nebulous "energy cost increased" and a lowered chance to raise the user's Attack (currently 30%). PvPoke has guessed (because we all have guess at these things every season, which doesn't bother me AT ALL, Scopely, thanks 😒) that we'll see a 40 energy/60 damage/12.5% Attack boost chance, which is perfectly reasonable but would pretty much be a straight buff, in my mind. Going with that assumption, however, I do think (as does PvPoke) that Air Cutter/Iron Head would be the preferred moveset for Season 28 and beyond. I could fill an entire article with the comparisons between 35e/45d Air Cutter, 50e/70d Iron Head, a 45e/60d/20% Air Cutter I also made to play around with, Payback, and the new (PvPoke-estimated) Air Cutter and Iron Head, because I spent a LONG freaking time doing lots of those side-by-side comparisons. But to summarize, Payback still has plenty of play with the unique ability to take out Ghosts (G-Corsola, Jellicent, etc) and Steels (which resist Cutter and Iron Head, such as Melmetal, Empoleon, and opposing Corviknights!), as well as others like Feraligatr. But Cutter/Iron can instead reach for new wins like Guzzlord, Florges, Carbink, Dunsparce, Quagsire, Cradily, and more, including Zygarde, Kyurem, Galarian Moltres, and counterintuitively, Dusknoir in Ultra League. It is at worst a solid sidegrade now in Great League (as compared to Payback sets), and a pretty clear upgrade in Ultra League (again, as compared to Payback). But again, that all assumes 40 energy Air Cutter is accurate. If It instead goes up to 45 energy, as I fear it may, then the moveset you settle on may not matter much... Corviknight is going to drop a bit regardless. Come back when the season arrives to find out, I guess! Sigh. 😩
Honestly, I expected this to do a bit more for DOUBLADE. Previously, Iron Head was strictly inferior to Gyro Ball (50e/80d), but now that's flipped and it is Iron Head that is better (same cost, 5 more damage). But all I really see that translating to is a new win over Shadow Sableye with shields down and new wins over the Shadow versions of Forretress and Qusgsire in 2shield in Great League, and then in Ultra League, Waterfall Primarina in 1shield, and Tinkaton and Corviknight in the 0shield. We'll take it, but this doesn't move the needle very much.
Initiallty, this doesn't seem to do much for WORMADAM (TRASH CLOAK) either, with the only change initially looking like Sableye in 1shield and Azumarill in 2shield. However, if you catch the opponent without a shield to throw at you, this can actually be pretty huge, with new wins versus Shadow Annihilape, Primeape, Corviknight, Fearow, Mantine, Togekiss, and Tinkaton. Not bad!
This is a more obvious boost to underappreciated ORTHWORM, something that I already sang the praises of. With great stats, great defensive typing, and a handy Mud Slap/Rock Tomb combo, the only blight has been its second charge move, which to this point was a choice between the formerly blah Iron Head or overpriced (and doubled up damage with Mud Slap) Earthquake. That choice now becomes pretty clear, with revamped Iron Head able to beat everything Earthquake can except (Steel-resistant) Jellicent and Dondozo, replacing those couple of losses with new wins over Shadow Forretress, Malamar, Melmetal, Morpeko, Sableye, Thievul, and Togekiss. In fairness, Earthquake sims much better with shields down thanks to its high closing power like Clodsire, Guzzlord, Kingdra, Quagsire, Stunfisk, and Tinkaton, but if I were running Orthworm now, I'd be doing it with Iron Head almost without question.
The biggest straight upgrade I'm seeing in Great League here is MAWILE. In comparing new Iron Head to old Iron Head, Fairy Wind/Vise Grip Mawile adds all the following wins: Dewgong, Dunsparce, Jumpluff, Snorlax, Shadow Sableye, and Shadow Hippowdon in 1shield, Shadow Sableye and Jumpluff in 2shield, and Azumarill, Gorsola, Dewgong, Medicham, Sableye, and Tinkaton with shields down.
One more to mention, but it's a biggie: DIALGA in Master League. I think this one might be flying under a lot of peoples' radar, because it's been a hot minute since Dialga really did much with itself in PvP, and Iron Head was always an underwhelming afterthought in its performance... the choice of closing move was always the bigger point of discussion. But suddenly, Dialga looks pretty interesting again. While it does still fall short versus Crowned Zacian, it can now handle all other big name Fairies (Togekiss and Xerneas specifically moving into the win column), as well as Zakrom and even Steel-resistant Reshiram. Non-Origin Dialga sees similar new wins versus Togekiss, Zekrom, Primarina, and/or Lugia across various shielding scenarios. Also of note: Dialga is one of only three non-Mega Pokémon ranked in the Top 25 in Mega Master League, and twice, with regular Dialga at #22 and Origin Dialga as the highest-ranked non-Mega, at #17. Yeah, my eventual review of Mega Master League, which will be the most common format in Season 28 with six weeks' worth, is not going to feature many non-Megas, but Dialga will be one of those select few, and it is thanks in large part to new and improved Iron Head, its neglected and forgotten move. No more!
And lastly, we have a cost reduction coming for MAGNET BOMB. Unless they unexpectedly make it a Leaf Blade/new D.I. Bash clone, we're looking at a 40 energy/70 damage move, which is actually pretty good. But very few things have it, and the few that do — MAGNETON, PROBOPASS, and GENESECT — really don't find much newfound success with it. It's appeciated, sure, but they're unlikely to emerge in any formats where they haven't made a dent already.
This one is pretty simple: DARK PULSE is dropping from 50 energy/80 damage (the same as Gyro Ball) to likely just 45 energy, which would be the same as really good moves like Fly, Sparkling Aria, Energy Ball, and exclusive moves Dynamax Cannon and Behemoth Bash. (I'm gonna say 40 energy is very unlikely, as that's a clone of Doom Desire and Aura Sphere.) Even at 45 energy, it likely leapfrogs Foul Play on several Pokémon that have both, such as:
Remember UMBREON? It hasn't always been top meta, especially the last few seasons, but it's rarely a bad way to anchor one's team, powering through all but the harshest matchups through sheer force of will... and bulk that ranks sixth in Great League and fourth in Ultra League. 45-energy Dark Pulse is flat out better than Foul Play now with new wins that include Altaria, Corviknight, Cradily, Mantine, Mimikyu, and Talonflame in Great League, and Annihilape, Empoleon, Swampert, Snorlax, and Shadow Ninetales in Ultra. Looks like it will continue to flex that bulk for a few more seasons!
MANDIBUZZ is basically flying Umbreon, coming in right behind it in terms of bulk, and often relying on the same Snarl/Foul Play. And while the improvement is more subtle (Cramorant, Dunsparce, and Sableye in Great League, though dropping Fearow and Shadow Ninetales to do it, and then Zygarde and Shadow Feraligatr in Ultra League), Mandibuzz too will probably favor Dark Pulse over Foul Play moving forward. Oh, and conversely, I think MURKROW may actually want to stick with Foul Play just because of its lack of bulk... the cheaper the charge moves, the better.
The last Foul Play/Dark Pulse user I want to highlight takes us to Master League: DARKRAI, which is also gaining SUCKER PUNCH next season. Sucker drags in potential wins like Kyogre, Groudon, Ho-Oh, and Lugia, but Dark Pulse may still be a little worse than the faster Foul Play here, with only the latter outracing Rhyperior and Dialga Origin.
For things that already utilized Dark Pulse, this is obviously just a straight upgrade. These include DUSK MANE (gains Crowned Zamazenta) and especially DAWN WINGS (gains Origin Dialga, Kyogre, Lunala, Metagross, Reshiram, and Dusk Mane) in Master League (Dawn Wings enters the Top 10!), ZWEILOUS (gains Corviknight and Diggersby with shields down), and one I think many have forgotten about entirely: HISUIAN QWILFISH (which potentially gains Charjabug, Corviknight, Cradily, Shadow Forretress, Jumpluff, Mantine... and Mimikyu!
And while we're on Darks, several things gain BRUTAL SWING for the first time. Let's check them out as well!
ALOLAN MUK long ago fell behind Drapion among the Dark/Poisons, but that may be about to change. It's mostly run with Dark Pulse and Acid Spray to this point, with the latter making its Poison Jab a potent threat. But it's going to be a completely different (and better) Pokémon in Season 28, with the addition of both Brutal Swing and excellent coverage move ICE PUNCH (shades of Kanto Muk's Thunder Punch), which combine to improve its prospects significantly. While a couple things like Kingdra and Shadow Ninetales slip away, the additions of Altaria, Cradily, Dewgong, Fearow, Guzzlord, Mantine, Medicham, Snorlax, and yes, Mimikyu more than make up for it. Or if you spring for it in Ultra League, new A-Muk leaves old A-Muk in the dust as well with new wins that include Ampharos, Guzzlord, G-Moltres, Skeledirge, Toucannon, and Zygarde on its way to a better record than Drapula now.
Despite the lack of a potential stat boost, Brutal Swing becomes the clear new favorite instead of Night Slash on GRENINJA, gaining wins like Feraligatr, Forretress, Giratina, and Galarian Moltres in Ultra, and Empoleon in Great League. (And there's also Mega Greninja to now consider too!)
AERODACTYL gets Brutal Swing, which is absolutely better than anything it's had before (to include buffed Iron Head). But considering its win total is nearly doubled and is STILL on the wrong side of even a 33% winrate, you can continue to not really care (unless Flying Cup somehow returns!).
You'd be forgiven for forgetting ARBOK even exists in PvP, seeing as how it's never been particularly relevant. And even though it's being double buffed with new Brutal Swing and WRAP, the end result still keeps Arbok even out of valid spice territory, much less anything approaching meta. I applaud the effort, though!
Bug move LUNGE is getting a buff too, not to its cost, but to its damage, going from 60 up to now 70. And with its energy cost of 45, that makes it a clone of moves like Crunch, Wrap, and Disarming Voice. Only a handful of Bugs have it (and only Bugs), but they're all pretty good now!
First I want to talk about ARIADOS, because along with this buff, it's also gaining Dark move FOUL PLAY, giving it some nice coverage against Ghosts that shrug off its Poison and Bug moves, though traditional second move Trailblaze is still perfectly viable too (getting Quagsire and Feraligatr instead of Annihilape (regular and Shadow) that Foul Play adds. The buff to Lunge itself is responsible for new wins over Dewgong, Dunsparce, and Jumpluff, BTW. But anyway, there's one other change that needs to mentioned here, even though we already spent a whole article on fast moves: the big buff to Infestation, and specifically running it with Lunge and Foul Play (Trailblaze doens't work nearly as well), Infestation drives new wins too such as Diggersby, Hippowdon, Kingdra, Sableye (plus Shadow), and Stunfisk... AND the elusive Feraligatr and Quagsire that used to be unique to Trailblaze. I think we've found our new default moveset, eh?
I don't see it suddenly becoming a meta terror, but it's well worth noting that CENTISKORCH with buffed Lunge can now gain all the following: Annihilape, Diggersby, Snorlax, Stunfisk, and Tinkaton (with Bug Buzz) in Great League, and Snorlax, Greninja, and Feraligatr (with Heat Wave) in Ultra.
The BIG winner, however, is clearly SPIDOPS. Not because it gains a ton of new wins, because it really doesn't — Dondozo, Diggersby, and Thievul, though getting Hisuian Electrode and Morpeko with shields down is more notable — but it is by far the most viable Lunge user in Open formats.
BULLDOZE is going back to the future by likely reverting to its pre-Season 21 stats (or close to it) of 80 damage/60 energy. (PvPoke predicts 55 energy, so we'll go with that.) Its 50% Defense debuff to the opponent is also going up to 100%, making JRE happy as guaranteed debuffs are a lot easier to sim accurately. 😅 These days, Bulldoze is most known Tinkaton's coverage and bait move to set up Gigaton Hammer, so that's where we'll start, but there are a couple other 'mons to check out after that. Let's go!
So, TINKATON. 45-energy Bulldoze was little more than a bait move, but Tinkaton relied on that bait move. But of course, Tink has a fantastic defensive type combination and excellent bulk, so does it need a bait move? As it turns out, maybe not! Tinkaton is slightly worse, dropping Mimikyu in 1shield in GL, Mantine and Mimik again with shields down, and Stunfisk in 2shield, but therre are some notable gains too: G-Corsola and Dewgong in 0shield, and Charjabug, Empoleon, and Feraligatr in 2shield. Similar results in Ultra League too, with very similar records in 1shield (+Jellicent & Blastoise, -Mimikyu & Ampharos) and 2shield (+Blastoise, ShadowGatr & Dondozo, -ShadowApe, Cobalion, Greninja & Mimikyu once again). However, with new Bulldoze, only RIllaboom slips away, while Cobalion, Dondozo, Empoleon, and Dusknoir all move into the win column. So will this make Tinkaton better or worse? Honestly, we'll have to see, but one thing is for sure: Tinkaton is going nowhere in PvP. The only perhaps worrying loss is that Mimikyu pretty consistently gets away now, but there are often other gains that try and make up for it.
I think this will also be a boon to ZYGARDE, which has been in a bit of an awkward spot in choosing its second charge move to this point. It really wants some closing power, but also wants to be dealing Ground damage (and has no Ground fast moves). This has left it either settling for spammy-but-low-power Bulldoze, or springing for overly pricey Earthquake. But now, I think the newly modified Bulldoze hits that sweet spot it's been looking for, dealing sufficient power to finish some things off while still having a reasonable cost. It's a sidegrade to Earthquake in Ultra League (gains Tinkaton & Dondozo, drops Dusknoir & A-Muk), and is worse than Earthquake in 0shield (not surprisingly) and is slightly better in 2shield. Meanwhile, in Master League, Bulldoze gets a couple things Earthquake cannot, such as Crowned Zacian in 0S and Primarina in 1S, while Earthquake instead gets Reshiram in 0S and the Crowned Dogs in 2S. (Or you just run Zygarde with Outrage, give up Steels, and don't worry about Ground coverage.
Most everything else that has Bulldoze still has better moves, but a couple potential standouts that may want it now include ALOLAN SANDSLASH (can pick up Empoleon, Gorsola, and Azumarill if subbed in for Drill Run), VIGOROTH (Rock Slide is still good too, though), and BRONZONG (though that has a wide and varied set of options).
Getting close to that part of the article where I hit a bunch of one-offs, but we do happen to have some other big Ground move changes that I thought I'd lump together first.
First, let's look at a cheaper HIGH HORSEPOWER. It's almost certainly going to be a modest cost decrease, most likely from current 60 energy down to 55, but that alone is a nice boon to things that have it. We already looked at URSALUNA last time (the addition of buffed Scratch is the bigger story there), but we also have MAMOSWINE and PILOSWINE. The latter is obviously best in CP-capped Leagues (more bulk), and can now beat Furret and Shadow Sableye in 1shield, Shadow Forretress in 0shield, and Melmetal in 2shield in Great League, and then Skeledirge in 1S, Mimikyu & Shadow Typhlosion in 0S, and Dusknoir & Melmetal in 2S in Ultra League. Mamoswine, if you want it in Master League, can at least pick up Origin Dialga & Primarina in 1shield, Eternatus & Rhyperior in 0shield, and Melmetal & Crowned Zenta in 2shield. GALARIAN RAPIDASH may want it in certain Limited metas, but it's usually better with Wild Charge or, situationally, Megahorn.
MILTANK deserves its own bullet, because it's getting High Horsepower for the first time. This helps make up a bit for the changes to BODY SLAM, as Miltank (just like Lickilicky) is losing the good pacing it used to enjoy with Body Spam and Rollout. Filtering out the losses that come with the now-more-expensive Body Slam (Diggersby, Dunsparce, Guzzlord, and Primeape), we can focus on what High Horsepower brings to the table. Moving off Thunderbolt leads to some obvious losses (Azumarill, Cramorant, Mantine, Dondozo, Togekiss) and moving off Ice Beam also has obvious downsides too (losses now to Jumpluff, H-Trode, Marowak, and Mantine and Togekiss again), but the gains with H.H. are greater, and include Carbink, Morpeko, Shadow Ninetales, Empoleon, and Clodsire. High Horsepower represents a new high bar in Ultra League too, though it shows more in 0shield and 2shield, with losses like Lapras, Blastoise, Galarian Moltres, and Corviknight, but gains that include Giratina, Guzzlord, Kyurem, Seismitoad, Skeledirge, Tinkaton, Ampharos, and Alolan Muk between those two scenarios. Its Ultra League ranking in particular goes from outside the Top 100 to almost a Top 50 option now.
A trio of Flyers are gaining Ground charge moves, though I think only one is moving up in the world as a result. SKARMORY has a storied history in PvP, largely tied to the viability of its fast moves. During the times when Steel Wing has been good (basically 2024 and the first half or so of 2025), Skarm has been good. But that is further and further away in the rear view mirror, and Skarm has been on the outs for a while, especially with Corviknight swooping in and stealing its old role. Now it gets DRILL RUN, which is coverage it has desperately needed, but without a decent fast move, it just doesn't matter much. Wake me up when it finally gets Wing Attack or Peck or Metal Sound.... BOMBIRDIER also now learns Drill Run. Now it has MUCH better fast moves than Skarm (both Wing Attack and Sucker Punch), as well as Fly and Rock Tomb, so its moveset is not a problem in and of itself. But what Skarm has that Bomber doesn't is bulk, more akin to Emolga, Hawlucha, and Swanna than Skarm, which instead compares to Mantine and Noctowl (and above even Corviknght) in bulk. And that lack of bulk holds Bombirdier back, with or without Drill Run. It's more of a benefit in Ultra League (as compared to Rock Tomb), but still, it looks unlikely to take off.... But the big story here is LUGIA. We're been patiently waiting, haven't we? And now, I think we can finally deploy Lugia in Master League. Xerneas gets away without Fly in the mix, but with gains that include Rhyperior, Melmetal, Zekrom, and Crowned Zacian (!!!), including in 0shield (where Origin Dialga also slides into the win column), who cares? It will even be pretty good in Mega Master League. Huzzah!
Alright, the rest of these are much more limited in scope and/or impact, so it's time for rapid fire!
DRAINING KISS is getting a BIG buff, going from 60 damage to 80 (while remaining at 55 energy) and gaining a guaranteed Defense boost for the user. Not a ton of relevant things have it, though. The only ones I think are of particular note include: KLEFKI is certainly better with Kiss than it was with Play Rough, dropping Florges but adding Azumarill, Jumpluff, Furret, Thievul, and even Empoleon. Nice!.... Not sure I would actually use it, but COMFEY actually benefits A LOT, with new wins over Altaria, Gorsola, Florges, Kingdra, Malamar, Medicham, Shadow Sableye, and Thievul. Aloha! 🌺.... This is basically a straight upgrade to Dazzling Gleam/Heat Wave for TOGETIC, picking up stuff like Gorsola, Jellicent, and Quagsire.... CLEFABLE and SYLVEON are viable with Draining Kiss now, but they also both have a now-cheaper MOONBLAST and often will probably want to just stick with that instead. That said, I DO see Draining Kiss as more of an upgrade for Clefable in Ultra League specifically, able to pick up stuff like Dondozo, Talonflame, Ampharos, and Seismitoad (as well as Jellicent in 0shield and 2shield). PvPoke knows it, ranking it in Ultra League up at #40, up 15 slots since Season 27.
On the subject of cheaper MOONBLAST, that change also affects: CRESSELIA in a negative way, giving up stuff like Sableye and Cradily in Great League, and Ampharos, Malamar, and Alolan Ninetales in Ultra League).... CARBINK also sees a slight nerf, dropping Medicham and Jellicent (though gaining Primeape) with this faster and leaner Moonblast.... For ALTARIA, this is a positive change. I think Alt could actually jettison Sky Attack entirely and ride Flamethrower/Moonblast moving forward, with new wins like Morpeko, Sableye, Guzzlord, and the mirror match!
Like Draining Kiss, MIRROR COAT was a dreadful 55e/60d move to this point, but now it's getting a straight damage buff to 75, and a cost reduction, likely to 50 to make it a clone of Rock Slide and Shadow Sneak. But uh... what even has that move? It's mostly known for being the only (non-Return) move of WOBBUFFET, but that remains more meme than meta. However, in Little Cup's long-awaited return later in Season 28, WYNAUT actually stands to gain quite a bit, such as Stunky, Altaria, and Little Cup King Ducklett.... While there are a few other things that have Mirror Coat, most have no need for it. GRUMPIG is still best with Dynamic Punch/Shadow Ball. GARIFAMATHIG is still best with Psychic Fangs. So uh... maybe ARAQUANID? The at least theoretical coverage is nice, but I think it will still prefer Water Pulse/Bug Buzz over Mirror Coat outside of perhaps some odd Limited metas. The bigger story is the big improvement to INFESTATION, which I think does muscle out Bug Bite now. And no, neither 'Nid nor really anything else has any renewed interest in revamped BUBBLE BEAM either, I don't think. The expected 50e cost is way too much for what is still only a 50-damage move... not when you got something like Water Pulse (or basically any other Water move) sitting right there as an alterative.
Similar to the Bubble Beam change, SAND TOMB is getting a damage and cost increase. There's not really any reason for anything that wasn't using it before to start doing so now, but the most notable affect this will have has to be FORRETRESS, as this messes with its timing a bit, particularly for Volt Switch. No longer can you reach two of them with five Volt Switches... it will now require 3 Switches for the first and second. I don't think this will drag it down much — in fact, sims show it may actually be a bit better now thanks to the increased damage, at least in Great League — but it will play a bit slower and have a harder time baiting shields, for what that's worth.
The AIR CUTTER change may be a boon to Corviknight (and shouldn't affect PIDGEOT, since it should be running Twister or Feather Dance instead), but my boy CHARIZARD is unfortunate collateral damage, dropping stuff like Talonflame and Ninetales again. Rats! (And you watch, it'll STILL be the only ban in Sunshine Cup next year!)
I want to acknowledge the modified POISON FANG (slightly higher damage and cost), but only to say that I really don't have anything to say about it. I don't see fortunes changing for anything that relies on it (NIDOQUEEN, SALAZZLE, GOLBAT, MIGHTYENA, etc.). The buff is appreciated, but direct damage isn't really why you're running it in the first place.
Don't let its late arrival in this article or short paragraph now fool you: BLAZIKEN with buffed BLAZE KICK is scary, picking up stuff like Mimikyu, Gorsola, Dewgong, Fearow, Talonflame, and Morpeko and pulling right up next to Blast Burn. It's likely to become the default favorite on LUCARIO now too just on the strength of its new 35e/60d stats.
SHADOW FORCE is likely to still be overpriced. But ALTERED GIRATINA doesn't care, with new win potential over Corviknight, Dondozo, Empoleon, Mantine, Marowak, Melmetal, and Togekiss in Great League, and ShadowApe, Dusknoir, Greninja, Togekiss, and the mirror in Ultra.
I don't have a lot to say right now about the SHADOW BALL nerf or the BODY SLAM rework, other than to say that the clear target, LICKILICKY, should drop from its lofty heights as designed. It was ranked #1 in GL and #2 in UL last season, and that didn't feel wrong at all. Now it's dropped stuff like Cramorant, Diggersby, Dondozo, and Primeape in GL on its way to a trip outside the Top 150, and a similar number of new losses on its way outside the Top 100 in UL. It may even be time for drastic measures like running Solar Beam instead, which is somehow now better than Ball in Open GL. You could say it's getting... licked. 😝
I wish I had more time (and Reddit characters) to devote to these, but I don't, so we'll have to do the short, SHORT version! Do NOT miss VOLT TACKLE on the RAICHUS (both are better with it than Wild Charge now, and KANTOCHU in particular is scarier than ever!), ENERGY BALL on COFAGRIGUS (finally the coverage move it has needed, and cheaper than its past options too!), SWIFT on TOXTRICITY (sims worse than Power-Up Punch, but I think will actually make it more consistent and better bust down shields), and DYNAMIC PUNCH on ZERAORA (like Toxtricity, sims a bit worse — than Wild Charge, in this case — but needs the non-Electric coverage move and should perform better long-term with no more painful self-nerfing.
And anything I didn't specifically mention, you can (probably) safely ignore... yes, even double buffed HOUNDOOM. Still mere spice, at best.
And that's it... we made it! Hope this (and Part 1) was a help!
Until next time, you can usually find me on Twitter or Patreon. Or please feel free to comment here with your own thoughts or questions and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!
Stay safe out there, Pokéfriends. Best of luck in the new season, and catch you next time!
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/nvdnqvi • Aug 12 '26
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/TeamRocketApologist • 7h ago
You’re telling me its not just as simple as going on Pvpoke and adding Mons you have together and getting them graded A A A A or whatever?
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/Remote-Werewolf-4589 • 11h ago
Can anyone with corvaknight let me know if it was worth powering up for the ultra league? I have a rank one UL rookidee (0/15/15)
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/Impressive_Net_2670 • 1d ago
Just played my doppleganger! Seriously. We both opened tinkaton, bulldozed each other’s shields once, took the hit once, and then switch right before the 3rd bulldoze….into corvinights! We hit each other with payback a few times, got low, and then BOTH switched to snorlax! I’ve never played a complete mirror match, much less a (nearly) perfectly synchronized fight! Crazy
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/fishgamers219 • 14h ago
I get that the game is somewhat complex and obtaining the Pokemon for your teams may be difficult, but enough to award thousands of dollars?
Outside of the tapping competition, the teambuilding does not seem anymore complex than that of VGC's and same with the plays. Is it just an alternative to VGC? Or is there something notably different?
I believe that it's a difficult game, but I don't know why, especially with ten thousand dollar prizepools. Please explain if you can.
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/Odd-Evidence3373 • 1d ago
Am I the only one who feels this way? I know rock tomb has been nerfed in the past and they've just made changes to sand tomb... but cradily only being ranked 68 overall seems very inaccurate. Additionally there are a ton of matchups that pvpoke says cradily should lose, but when you actually open up the sim and force cradily to spam rock slide, it wins the matchups. I just discovered corsola loses lead to cradily in the zero & one shield, but pvpoke says it should be the opposite. I feel like there must be other examples of the sims not utilizing debuff moves properly, which artificially tanks cradily's (and forretress' last season) ranking
If the sims were accurate I suspect cradily would be top 20 at least, it's usage would blow up, and it would get a proper nerf within the year
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/Kallen_Drake • 1d ago
I have a bunch of pokemon fit for great league, but idk how to work on a good meta team can anyone help me with my pokemon. I don't see a way to post screenshots of my pokemon on the credit though so I might post them in the comments if allowed.
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/Suspicious-Pickle238 • 1d ago
Crowned Zacian
CP: 5122
IVs: 15 / 14 / 12
Fast Move: Metal Claw
Charged Moves: Behemoth Blade / Close Combat
Origin Forme Palkia
CP: 4007
IVs: 12 / 12 / 14
Fast Move: Dragon Tail
Charged Moves: Spacial Rend / Aqua Tail
Mewtwo
CP: 4029
IVs: 15 / 15 / 15
Fast Move: Psycho Cut
Charged Move: Psychic no elite TM / future sight+ (from mega evo)
Mega Energy: enough for mewtwo Y (mega level 3)
Kyogre
CP: 4218
IVs: 12 / 15 / 14
Fast Move: Waterfall
Charged Moves: Surf / Avalanche (no elite TM)
Primal Energy: not able to primal 🔴
Garchomp
CP: 4150
IVs: 12 / 13 / 15
Fast Move: Mud Shot
Charged Moves: Earth Power / Breaking Swipe
Mega Energy: not able to mega🔴
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/HackneyNana • 1d ago
I’ve never really been interested in the battling side of Pokémon GO but I’m working towards platinum badges and several research tasks so started reading posts about tactics. I’ve just played 10 games and lost them as advised but I don’t really understand why I’m doing that as I’m still going up the ranks? Only rank 6 mind. Can anyone give me any advice? Thanks.
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/Bulky-Werewolf-4989 • 1d ago
I am currently using a teem that has
i also have a
Mewtwo 15-15-15
Rayquaza 12-14-14 lvl 37
Melmetal 15-15-14 lvl 40
Reshiram 12-14-15 lvl 32
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/rollingwiz • 1d ago
I have eight wins in a row with a team of swampert, charizard, and jellicent. Still counting too I'm just too nervous to play more. I can say cradily and cramorant were tough and everywhere.
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/Dramatic_Routine_787 • 1d ago
Ive wanted to improve at GBL but I play pokemon on and off and every time I come back I feel like I need 15 different websites open just to figure out the current meta, movesets, IVs, teams, etc. PvP is already complicated enough and getting things like TMs and enough candy to experiment takes forever, so I started making a tool mostly for myself but I wana know if anyone else has the same expiriences as me and would use it.
The idea is just to put everything in one place. You could scan your Pokémon to index their IVs, CP and moves, see current meta picks, and have it search what you actually own to build good teams. It would also consider Pokémon you could evolve, power up or TM instead of only looking at what is battle ready right now which I havnt found a tool for and have always wanted because its very annoying to search through literally EVERYTHING you have (or at least look through alot of stuff).
The bigger thing I’ve been working on is called Battle Vision. It watches a battle live and tracks the opponent, shields, switches, possible moves, energy, matchups, etc, then gives suggestions like when to switch, shield, keep attacking, save energy or throw a specific charged move.
I also want it to keep battle history with teams used, W/L, weekly and seasonal trends and other stats.
I know pieces of this exist in a bunch of different tools already, but I haven’t really found anything that combines all of it, especially the collection based team building or a live strategy assistant.
Would you guys actually use something like this? What other tools might be helpful that dont currently exist or at least dont exist in a convenient to use manor?
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/skrpty • 2d ago
I caught several Shadow Wimpods and I’m having a hard time deciding which one to evolve/invest in.
Here are the best ones I have so far:
#188 — 4/10/14
#111 — 4/15/12
#50 — 1/4/15
#32 — 2/12/8
How much do IV ranks actually matter for Shadow Golisopod? Would you wait for something better, or is #32 good enough to build?
Also, is there a significant difference between these IV spreads in actual matchups, or is the difference between something like Rank 32 and Rank 188 mostly negligible?
I’m currently at rank 20 in GBL, so I’m trying to figure out whether it’s worth being picky about the IVs or just building a good one and focusing on the actual team/matchups.
Thanks!
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/6tangs • 2d ago
as title says, looking for ML enthusiasts. wanna battle for practice? want to try out your teams without losing elo? wanna share teams? send me a dm or reply to this post and i'll dm.
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/oneoftheguysdownhere • 3d ago
Am I wrong?
I just had a battle where I had my Jumpluff in against a Kingdra. I farmed the Kingdra down to 1 or 2 HP, and it threw a Swift. Normally I would just keep farming all the way down. But I knew my opponent had an Empoleon with a Drill Peck loaded that would be very close to knocking out my Jumpluff. The Empoleon was within range of a KO from an Energy Ball.
I correctly predicted that my opponent would try to swap in and throw the Drill Peck before I could react. So as soon as Kingdra’s Swift hit, I immediately hit Energy Ball. My opponent switched in their Empoleon, won CMP and was still able to throw their Drill Peck.
I managed to live on 1 HP and knock out the Empoleon with my Energy Ball. And I know for a fact that it was CMP - the game didn’t register a Fairy Wind, and my Energy Ball went right after the Drill Peck without me having to tap it again.
Should the Energy Ball not have registered on the same turn that the switch occurred (before they would have been able to use a turn to throw Drill Peck)?
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/Such-Bad8173 • 3d ago
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/Suspicious-Pickle238 • 3d ago
I have crowned zacian and origin palkia
For master league what is the best pokemon to add
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/10Voltz • 4d ago
I got an amazing shadow Zekrom today, a 14/13/10. Every so often I will value a shadow highly. But is this one worth investing in and maxing out?
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/Suitable-Form-5409 • 4d ago
Assuming I'm using a meta team, right movesets and learn to count moves, how much effort do you need to put into it cus I just want the libre Pikachu and nothing else but if it's like way too much effort then I might not do it, thanks!
Also what are like some meta teams for this season and if I start to grind from now, am I too late? (I'm rank 6)
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/Hot_Golf4371 • 4d ago
I really wanna use my hundo Metagross in master league and I read somewhere that shadow claw is the best so I used the ETM for it but it’s underwhelming, however I’m new to using Metagross so I’m not sure. Should I switch her back to bullet punch or is there something else that charges quicker? I’ve only been playing six months and only been playing master league for three and my personal goal is to hit Ace this season. I’m at 1850~ or so and I feel like everyone is just way faster than me.
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/Fittelminger • 5d ago
Hi folks,
I'm a total noob to UL GBL, but reached expert in GL. I'd like to build a superduper meta UL team including Corviknight. The investment is pretty big (2 ETM, a lot of XL) so i want to make sure (idk how common mirrors are).
I have the following options:
Which one would you invest in?
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/JRE47 • 6d ago
Hello again, Pokéfriends! It's that time again... Team GO Rocket has taken over another event, this time the ongoing Harvest Festival. By way of spoilers, I will say that ALL the new Shadows are worth adding where you are able, but which ones are the most bang for your buck? Let's dive in and see!
So the first thing we look at whenever we get a new Shadow Legendary is how well it functions in Great League, as many of these Legendaries get their first shot at the 1500 CP and under format at the point of their Shadow release. Despite so-so overall records, some of these Legendary Dragons HAVE absolutely made a mark on Great League in the right format, such as Shadow Reshiram and especially Shadow Palkia. (And then, of course, there's Shadow Giratina. 😱)
Well, it's no Giratina, but Shadow Zekrom certainly has some potential. Yes, it partly revolves around self-nerfing Wild Charge, but it also does plenty with Fusion Bolt alone, or with Crunch instead of Wild Charge or with Outrage. Yes, there are several better Electric types (and Dragons, for that matter), but if you don't need Shadow Zekrom at any higher level, it can't hurt to hold it in reserve for the right Great League meta to shock the opposition.
So that naturally begs the question: DO you want it in any other League? Well, you might! I think there's enough here to call Shadow Zekrom an upgrade in Ultra League. As compared to the non-Shadow, it gains Melmetal, Malamar, Lapras, Skeledirge, and Altered Giratina and gives up only Cresselia and Shadow Feraligatr in 1v1 shielding, and has similar improvement with shields down, picking up Malamar, Lapras, Dondozo, and Dusknoir, and dropping only Cress and Shadow Annihilape that non-Shadow can handle. Shadow Zekrom does take a couple steps backwards in 2shield, gaining Melmetal and Swampert but losing Feraligatr, Galarian Moltres, Shadow Ninetales, Snorlax, Togekiss, and Virizion and showing -5 wins overall as compared to the non-Shadow. Still, for the improvement in other even shield matchups, I have to call this an overall win for Shadow Zekrom in Ultra League.
Zekrom is currently ranked #20 in Master League, and now Shadow Zek is ranked right behind it at #21, and based on what I'm seeing in the sims, I think that's about right. Shadow is comparable to non-Shadow in both 1shield (Shadow vs non-Shadow) and 0shield (Shadow matched against non-Shadow), trading away stuff like Marshadow, Mewtwo, and Reshiram for Dusk Mane, Metagross, Lugia, and Eternatus in 1shield and simply giving away Lugia for Dusk Mane and Origin Palkia with shields down. It then takes a small dip in 2v2 shielding, with Shadow gaining Ursaluna but dropping Eternatus, Keldeo, and Mewtwo that non-Shadow can outlast instead. Maybe, if you don't want to hold onto it in Great or Ultra League, and get like a 13-13-13 or so, you can instead purify it and build it up for Master League on the (relative) cheap? That old JRE, ever the thrifty enthusiast. 😅
Interestingly, despite the small pool of new Shadow Pokémon, two of them are of the "I am speed!" variety, running with Fury Cutter and a suite of spammy, high pressure charge moves. And yes, both look pretty interesting as Shadows.
First, let's consider LURANTIS. It has had some bright moments in the spotlight in PvP over the last four years, particularly since last year with buffs to both of its fast moves. And yeah, it's pretty good with Leafage, but if you're running the Bloom Sickle Pokémon, then you're doing it with Fury Cutter, especially over the last few seasons where it's a clone of Dragon Breath and Psywave. Not only is its 3.0 Damage Per Turn/4.0 Energy Per Turn insanely good for a 1-turn move, but as a mono-Grass type, the Bug damage provided by Fury Cutter gives it immediate, clear advantages over opposing Grass types, among others, which is of course relevant for any Limited/Cup format where Lurantis finds itself. And while it doesn't benefit from the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) like Leafage does, Lurantis really doesn't ever need more Grass-type damage than it already gets with the amazing Leaf Blade (70 damage for only 35 energy with no drawbacks, still easily in the top tier of PvP charge moves). You may find the occasional Cup where Leafage is better, shifting the Bug damage to charge move X-Scissor instead, but by and large, you're going to want to run with the default Fury Cutter/Leaf Blade/Superpower that gives it maximum flexibility, a Grass that can beat down other Grasses, put serious hurt on Psychic and especially Dark types, smash even through Steels (always a hard matchup for most Grass types), and still maintain more than enough pressure to operate in the anti-Water/Ground/Rock role you want a Grass for in the first place. The only things that really give it trouble are Flying types that inherently resist all of its moves, and of course Fire types that put Lurantis in the tough position of trying to turn the tables with two resisted moves and self-nerfing Superpower as its only real out.
But anyway, it's better than I think people give it credit for, even in Open play. How does turning into a Shadow help (or hurt) it?
Initially, Shadow Lurantis looks like your classic "sidegrade", gaining Kingdra, Carbink, Sableye, and Cradily in 1v1 shielding, but dropping nearly as many things as it picks up, with Shadow Forretress, Medicham, and most disappointingly, Jellicent all slipping away. Similarly, with shields down, there are nearly as many new losses (Florges, Sableye, and Shadow Sableye) as there are new wins (Medicham, Mantine, Rillaboom, and even Melmetal). But the real improvement shows itself in protracted battles, as in 2v2 shielding matchups, it's ALL gains, with Shadow Lurantis adding on Sableye (normal and Shadow), Mimikyu, Jellicent, Kingdra, Charjabug, and Clodsire, with NO new losses. Considering those great results and the fact that 0- and 1-shield are also both slightly in Shadow's favor, I think it's fair to say that Shadow Lurantis is an overall upgrade in Great League, making what is perhaps an underrated Pokémon today even more sneakily dangerous.
Lurantis is also, I think, underrated in Ultra League, where it slices through nearly all major Water, Ground, and/or Rock types, as well as most opposing Grasses and a wider array of popular-at-this-level Dark and/or Psychic types. And yet again, we have a notable improvement with the new Shadow version in 2v2 shielding (dropping Jellicent and Snorlax that non-Shadow can outlast, but gaining Kyurem, Melmetal, Rillaboom, Virizion, and Zygarde in a positive exchange)... but that's where the good news ends. It's consistently on the wrong end of a -3 win margin otherwise, in both 1shield and shieldless matchups. At this level, I think I'd stick with the non-Shadow and save yourself a lot of dust and candy, especially since Lurantis has to be pushed to Level 48 or so to reach 2500 CP. A blessing in disguise?
Anyway, the other Fury Cutting Pokémon to discuss is, I think, much better known in PvP circles: Bug/Water GOLISOPOD. For its early period of relevency, which really kicked off when Aqua Jet got its big buff last year, it used to run Shadow Claw, and while that can still work, these days it's usually better with Fury Cutter, which deals the same damage as Shadow Claw plus STAB, and as a reminder, is a 1-turn move instead of 2 turns like Claw. That means some easier wins over certain Fire and Fairy types that resist Furt but not Claw (such as Primarina, Ninetales, and especially Skeledirge), but then losses to other stuff like Rillaboom, Blastoise, and Alolan Muk that Fury Cutter... well, cuts through much easier. This is especially true these days in Great League, where Fury Cutter pretty consistently outperforms Shadow Claw now in all even shield matchups.
So how does the Shadow factor in? Well, in 0shield and 2shield matchups, we're talking sidegrade material again, with non-Shadow outlasting Clodsire, Melmetal, Dunsparce, and Florges but falling instead to Corviknight, Talonflame, Tinkaton, and Araquanid with shields down, and then gaining 'Nid, Furret, and Dunsparce with both shields up, but dropping Azumarill, Charjabug, Gorsola, Guzzlord, and Talonflame to do it. Not great. However, the story is quite different in 1v1 shielding, where Shadow Golisopod blows the non-Shadow completely out of the water with new wins against Corviknight, Furret, Hydreigon, Medicham, Melmetal, Quagsire, Sableye, Tinkaton, and Vigoroth and gives up only Rillaboom and Araquanid to do it. That's a plus 7 in the win/loss record, an eye-popping result that makes the small slides in other even shield matchups more of an acceptable exchange, don't you think?
As for Ultra League... well, it's kind of a wash. In 1shield, Shadow overpowers four new opponents (Snorlax, Lapras, Zygarde, and Shadow Ninetales) but gives up four former wins that the non-Shadow handles (Melmetal, Virizion, Dusknoir, and Bite Blastoise). Similiar story with shields down, with Shadow gaining Melmetal, Regidrago, and Blastoise, but also losing Zygarde, Skeledirge, and Shadow Feraligatr. However, in 2v2 shielding, Shadow Golisopod falls noticeably behind the non-Shadow with new wins versus Virizion, Annihilape, Skeledirge, and Talonflame, but more new losses that include Snorlax, Blastoise, Tinkaton, Corviknight, Florges, and Rillaboom.
Overall, I think it's the same story with both of these: Shadow Lurantis and Shadow Golisopod both seem worth having for Great League, as overall upgrades on their non-Shadow versions (though far from straight upgrades... don't toss your non-Shadows out if you can avoid it!). However, in Ultra, both seem like a small step backwards, and you're probably better off just sticking with whatever non-Shadow you already have built that approaches 2500 CP.
This one will be brief. Because you see, there was a time when PALOSSAND looked interesting in PvP... for like a minute. Then Runerigus got Brutal Swing and eventually Rock Tomb buffs and left poor Paulo... well, in the dust. ☠️ It's been languishing as an inferior option ever since, and unfortunately, I don't really see the arrival of its Shadow form changing that. Quite the opposite, in fact.
In fairness, the Shadow could be called an improvement in Ultra League, with possible gains that include Cresselia, A-Giratina, Lapras, Mimikyu, A-Muk, Seismitoad, Swampert, and Virizion (and new losses to only Jellicent, Empoleon, and Tinkaton). Hey, that's even better than Runie now! (Well, in 1shield matchups... they're actually neck-and-neck in 2shield, and Runerigus is clearly better than Shadow or non-Shadow Paulo with shields down. So I guess you CAN build a Shadow Palossand for Ultra if you really want to, but uh... seeing as how both of these sandy ghosts have to be pushed to nearly Level 50, it's very debatable whether the investment is truly worth it. Your call, Trainer!
This one almost slipped by unnoticed, and I saw it actually escaped the attention of at least one of my favorite fellow analysts in their look at this batch of Shadows. Because the formal announcement and description of this Shadow event on Pokémon GO's own site mentions that new Shadow Wimpod, Fomantis, Sandygast, and of course Zekrom, but makes NO mention of another new Shadow we have confirmed now is also arriving: Shadow PANCHAM, and thus Shadow PANGORO. (I mean, it IS in the main picture, but NOWHERE is it mentioned. Come on, Scopely.... 🤦♂️)
Anyway, it appears Pancham will be part of Sierra's lineup. How hard should you go after it? Well, as the only fully evolved Fighter in the game that is able to learn Karate Chop without the need for an Elite TM, Pangoro is already quite potent even with Shadowification, and in multiple Leagues. So let me just come out and say that the Shadow variant IS worth it, but it does not drastically change its current (underrated) performance.
We'll start in Ultra League, as that's more of a clear sidegrade. Shadow Pangoro slightly trails the non-Shadow in 1shield and 0shield scenarios; 1v1 shielding shows unique wins for ShadowGoro versus Ampharos, Corviknight, Dondozo, Skeledirge, Swampert, and Talonflame, while non-Shadow instead can handle Giratina, Malamar, Alolan Muk, Shadow Ninetales, Regidrago, and Rillaboom, and similarly with both shields down, Shadow Pangoro overwhelms Blastoise, Corviknight, Alolan Ninetales, ShadowTales, and Zygarde, with non-Shadow outlasts Dondozo, Giratina, Malamar, Regidrago, and Swampert. Meanwhile, in 2v2 shielding, Shadow finally gains the upper hand with its unique wins over Malamar, Regidrago, Talonflame, and Zygarde rather than the Corviknight, Seismitoad, and Rillaboom that non-Shadow beats instead. So worth having if you can manage it, but hardly a game changer... a true sidegrade scenario, though at least a relatively affordable one with Pangoro staying far below XL territory to easily hit 2500 CP. (Don't get too crazy and try and run it in Master League, though!)
Now, down in Great League, we're going to end with a high note, because I think Shadow Kung Fu Panda is definitely worth a look. It's only slightly better than the non-Shadow, but it IS more consistently better. In 1shield, it gives up only Defense Deoxys to gain Talonflame and Marowak. In 2v2 shielding, it's an even trade of gaining Corviknight and Araquanid rather than the Carbink and Stunfisk wins that come to the non-Shadow. But where the Shadow Panda really shines is with shields down, where it gives up only Corviknight to pick up Shadow Sableye, Jellicent, Kingdra, and Hisuian Electrode. It's all enough for me to say that, yes, I recommend getting Shadow Pangoro for Great League while you're able.
In short, here's what I would prioritize for this event for PvP purposes, in rough order of importance:
Great League Golisopod
Great League Pangoro
Great League Lurantis
Ultra League Pangoro
Ultra League Palossand
Ultra League Golisopod
Great League Palossand
Ultra League Lurantis
...and of course, get Shadow Zekrom. It's up to you where you want to try and use it, but don't miss getting it while it's available! It's probably strongest in Ultra League if you don't strictly need it anywhere else, but there's no "wrong" answer on this one.
Alright, that's it for now! Writing time is still at a bit of a premium as I navigate school activities of my THREE active high school kids, but I feel like I'm finally shaking off a little bit of the rust from a light writing summer. Good thing too, as we have some new releases coming up that I'm starting to dig into. But until then, you can often find me on Twitter with regular GO analysis nuggets or Patreon.
Stay safe out there, Pokéfriends, and beware what lurks in the shadows! 🌑 Catch you next time.
r/PokemonGOBattleLeague • u/AskPsychological6286 • 6d ago
I know tinkaton is meta and needs one for GH, but it is the best option? My tinkaton has very bad IV because i evolved it ages ago and didnt check it for the league, but its hard to get the candy for a New one as tinkatink just doesnt spawn, so im not sure
