Best team for the Evolution Cup in Pokemon GO
If you're looking to dominate the competition in the Pokemon GO Battle League's Evolution Cup, we've got the best team recommendations for you.
The Evolution Cup is a unique challenge in the Pokemon GO Battle League, as only middle-stage evolutions are eligible to take part. This means forming a 'best team' is going to be tricky.
While the traditional Great League allows you to choose any Pokemon under the 1,500 CP limit, the Evolution Cup: Great League Edition adds an evolution-based twist to this format, so many of your favourite Pokemon won't be able to enter.
Best team for the Evolution Cup in Pokemon GO
One of the best teams you can use for the Evolution Cup is Vigoroth, Primeape, and Golbat.
Vigoroth is currently sitting pretty at number one on PvPoke's rankings for this cup, which doesn't come as much of a surprise. The Normal-type Pokemon has long been a standout in the open Great League, with an excellent moveset and a lack of major weaknesses, so it makes sense it would reign supreme here.
With Vigoroth expected to be the star of the show, you'll want something to counter it. Now that Annihilape has arrived in Pokemon GO, its pre-evolution Primeape is perfect for taking down the Wild Monkey Pokemon with Fighting-type moves - while access to an Ice-type attack means it can take out Dragons too.
Finally, a strong Golbat will be a great asset to your team, as it's got the potential to take out both Primeape and Vigoroth, as well as other threats like Dragonair and Togetic (as long as you've got the right moveset).
With such an unusual set of rules, the Evolution Cup is a great time to experiment with Pokemon you wouldn't normally use. It's probably not worth spending all of your resources getting the 'perfect' team as many of the top choices won't have much usability once this cup comes to an end.
Best Pokemon for the Evolution Cup
Here are some of the best Pokemon you can use in the Evolution Cup alongside their optimal movesets:
| Pokemon | Fast Move | Charged Moves | Sprite |
| Vigoroth | Counter | Body Slam & Rock Slide |  |
| Primeape | Counter | Ice Punch & Night Slash |  |
| Golbat | Wing Attack | Poison Fang & Shadow Ball |  |
| Dragonair | Dragon Breath | Aqua Tail & Body Slam |  |
| Togetic | Fairy Wind | Aerial Ace & Ancient Power |  |
| Zweilous | Dragon Breath | Body Slam & Dark Pulse |  |
| Charjabug | Volt Switch | X-Scissor & Discharge |  |
| Marshstomp | Mud Shot | Surf & Mud Bomb |  |
| Piloswine | Powder Snow | Avalanche & Stone Edge |  |
Many of the Pokemon featured in the table above are middle-stage evolutions of Pokemon that already thrive in the GO Battle League in their final evolutions, like Marshtomp, Togetic, and Dragonair.
If you don't have any of these Pokemon, don't worry - just make sure you have a range of coverage between your team, and that all three of them are powered up as close to 1,500 CP as possible.
I'd also recommend checking out PvPoke to see if you have any Pokemon on their list!
Rules & restrictions explained
The main rule of the Evolution Cup is that you can only enter Pokemon who have evolved once and can evolve again - often referred to as middle-stage evolutions.
Every member of your team must also be under 1,500 CP, which can make forming a team pretty tricky!
When does the Evolution Cup run?
The Evolution Cup will arrive in the Pokemon GO Battle League on Friday, February 9, 2024, at 1PM PT / 4PM ET / 9PM GMT and run until Friday, February 16, 2024.
It will appear alongside the traditional Master League. We've got a best Master League team guide which might help you out if you want to compete in that challenging league as well!
That's everything you need to know about the Evolution Cup! Make sure you visit our Pokemon homepage for more guides, like the latest promo codes, the current Raid Bosses, and the upcoming events you can enjoy.
About The Author
Daniel Megarry
Daniel is GGRecon’s Deputy Guides Editor. He graduated from university with a degree in Journalism & English Language before covering video games and LGBTQ+ culture at publications including Gay Times and Dexerto. His favourite games include Pokemon, Kingdom Hearts, Resident Evil, and anything Nintendo. You can reach him on [email protected].
