This GO Battle League event has special rules. Pokémon can only have up to 1,500 battle points (CP). Since this is a Halloween-themed event, you can only use Pokémon that are Poison, Bug, Ghost, Dark, or Fairy types.

To help you scare your opponents, here are the best Pokémon for the Halloween Cup – Great League Edition in Pokémon GO, based on data and game simulations from PvPoke.com.

Top Pokémon to Start With

These Pokémon are great for starting a battle. They put pressure on your opponent right away and can last a long time, helping you get an early win or set up a good strategy for the rest of the fight.

1. Clodsire (Poison Sting, Earthquake, Stone Edge)
2. Nidoqueen (Mud Slap, Stone Edge, Poison Fang)
3. Scizor [S] (Bullet Punch, Night Slash, Trailblaze)
4. Runerigus (Shadow Claw, Rock Tomb, Brutal Swing)
5. Shadow Dusclops [XL] (Hex, Ice Punch, Shadow Punch)
6. Morpeko (Full Belly) (Thunder Shock, Aura Wheel, Psychic Fangs)
7. Klefki (Astonish, Foul Play, Play Rough)
8. Shadow Sableye [XL] (Shadow Claw, Foul Play, Power Gem)
9. Dusknoir (Astonish, Dynamic Punch, Shadow Punch)
10. Jellicent (Hex, Surf, Shadow Ball)

Pokémon marked with [S] are similar in both their normal and Shadow forms. Pokémon marked with [XL] need extra Candy XL to be their best.

Good Pokémon for Surprise Switches

If your first Pokémon isn’t doing well against your opponent’s, you’ll want to switch it out. These Pokémon are good for that. They can either be strong starters themselves or are good at beating the Pokémon that many players choose to start with. Switching can save your original Pokémon for later and might make your opponent change their plan too.

1. Clodsire (Poison Sting, Earthquake, Stone Edge)
2. Drapion [S] (Poison Sting, Crunch, Aqua Tail)
3. Shadow Qwilfish (Poison Sting, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam)
4. Crustle (Fury Cutter, X-Scissor, Rock Wrecker)
5. Runerigus (Shadow Claw, Rock Tomb, Brutal Swing)
6. Shadow Dusclops [XL] (Hex, Ice Punch, Shadow Punch)
7. Golisopod (Shadow Claw, Aqua Jet, X-Scissor)
8. Swalot (Mud Shot, Sludge, Ice Beam)
9. Qwilfish (Poison Sting, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam)
10. Shadow Sableye [XL] (Shadow Claw, Foul Play, Power Gem)

These Pokémon are especially useful when neither player has any shields left. They are either very tough or can end battles quickly with powerful attacks that can’t be blocked without a shield.

1. Aegislash (Shield) [XL] (Psycho Cut, Shadow Ball, Gyro Ball)
2. Clodsire (Poison Sting, Earthquake, Stone Edge)
3. Galarian Moltres (Sucker Punch, Fly, Brave Bird)
4. Carbink [XL] (Rock Throw, Rock Slide, Moonblast)
5. Tentacruel (Acid, Scald, Sludge Wave)
6. Galarian Corsola [XL] (Astonish, Night Shade, Power Gem)
7. Klefki (Astonish, Foul Play, Play Rough)
8. Azumarill [XL] (Bubble, Ice Beam, Play Rough)
9. Tinkaton (Fairy Wind, Play Rough, Flash Cannon)
10. Crustle (Fury Cutter, X-Scissor, Rock Wrecker)

These Pokémon do best when you have no shields left, but your opponent still does. They have good defenses and strong quick attacks to make up for this. You usually don’t see Shadow versions of these Pokémon because they take more damage, making them a riskier choice.

1. Carbink [XL] (Rock Throw, Rock Slide, Moonblast)
2. Clodsire (Poison Sting, Earthquake, Stone Edge)
3. Nidoqueen (Mud Slap, Stone Edge, Poison Fang)
4. Galarian Corsola [XL] (Astonish, Night Shade, Power Gem)
5. Tinkaton (Fairy Wind, Play Rough, Flash Cannon)
6. Mandibuzz (Air Slash, Foul Play, Aerial Ace)
7. Klefki (Astonish, Foul Play, Play Rough)
8. Kingambit (Metal Sound, Foul Play, Iron Head)
9. Dusclops [XL] (Hex, Ice Punch, Shadow Punch)
10. Azumarill [XL] (Bubble, Ice Beam, Play Rough)

Clodsire continues to be a top choice in this event, which is pretty similar to past years even with new Pokémon like Nidoqueen and Scizor becoming more popular.

If you’re not into battling other players and prefer fighting Team GO Rocket, check out our guides on the best Pokémon to use against Giovanni, Arlo, Cliff, and Sierra.

Powerful Attackers

Strong Pokémon to Finish Fights