As Pokemon Go Ultra League zooms into the Go Battle League, players are looking forward to building a solid PvP strategy with the best Pokemon in the format. Here’s all you need to know about the second Ultra League tournament from the current season.
Pokemon Go has set the stage for the return of the Ultra League format in the Hidden Gems season. This time, it promises to be more fun and challenging than ever with several new Pokemon rising the ranks in recent months.
Players are eager to find out the best Pokemon to use in Ultra League that can help them seal more victories and improve their Go Battle League Rank this season.
Here’s every single detail about the Pokemon Go Ultra League including the event date & time and the best Pokemon to use in the format.
Pokemon Go Ultra League date & time
Pokemon Go Ultra League will be active from Friday, July 28, 2023, to Friday, August 18, 2023.
In the last week of the Ultra League from August 11 to August 18, Pokemon Go players can enjoy 3× Stardust from win rewards (this does not include end-of-set rewards) in the Go Battle League.
Best Pokemon Go Ultra League species
Here are the best Pokemon you can use in the Pokemon Go Ultra League format:
Registeel
Registeel is an excellent lead as well as a closer.
- Weaknesses: Fighting, Ground, Fire
- Resistances: Normal, Flying, Rock, Bug, Steel, Grass, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, Fairy, Poison
- Best moveset: Lock-On and Focus Blast / Zap Cannon
Registeel has always been a top-tier Legendary Pokemon in the Ultra League. Many Pokemon Go players consider Registeel to be the go-to Pokemon to use in PvP as it is not only bulky but also has resistance against some of the top Pokemon in this format.
Coming to the moveset, Lock-On helps Registeel quickly generate energy and get to its powerful Charged Moves like Focus Blast and/or Zap Cannon. Because of Lock-On’s tremendous energy gains, Registeel is the most feared user of the dreaded Focus Blast.
Cresselia
Cresselia is one of the toughest Pokemon to take down in PvP.
- Weaknesses: Bug, Dark, Ghost
- Resistances: Ghost
- Best moveset: Psycho Cut and Moonblast / Grass Knot
Cresselia combines excellent Defense and HP stats to turn into an unbreakable wall in PvP. Regardless of how difficult the situation is, you can count on Cresselia to tank hits consistently.
Psycho Cut gives Cresselia quick energy gains and also chips in some damage, making you ready to deliver a devastating Moonblast or an unexpected Grass Knot. Players should remember that Grass Knot can be taught to Cresselia only by using an Elite Charged TM.
Cobalion
Cobalion became a top threat in PvP after GBL Season 12.
- Weaknesses: Fighting, Fire, Ground
- Resistances: Bug, Poison, Rock, Dark, Dragon, Grass, Ice, Normal, Steel
- Best moveset: Double Kick and Sacred Sword / Stone Edge
Cobalion has a lot of positives in the Ultra League. A solid type combination, balanced stats, many resistances, and an excellent moveset help Cobalion pack a serious punch in PvP. After Double Kick received a buff, Cobalion became one of the biggest winners of the upgrade. Sacred Sword is one of the best PvP moves to use while Stone Edge gives Cobalion the coverage it needs against Fire and Flying Pokemon.
Regirock
Regirock has one of the highest Defense stats in the game.
- Weaknesses: Fighting, Grass, Ground, Steel, Water
- Resistances: Fire, Flying, Normal, Poison
- Best moveset: Lock-On and Stone Edge / Earthquake
Regirock is extremely bulky thanks to its jaw-dropping 309 Defense in Pokemon Go. So even if there are no shields left, it can tank an Earthquake from the opponent!
With the high energy gains of Lock-On, it can deliver Stone Edge and Earthquake quicker than most PvP players can imagine. This Legendary Pokemon works best when shields are no longer available in the battle.
Swampert
Swampert is the best ‘mud boi’ in PvP.
- Weaknesses: Grass
- Resistances: Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock, Steel
- Best moveset: Mud Shot and Hydro Cannon / Earthquake
Swampert is one of the few Pokemon that is relevant in all three PvP leagues of Pokemon Go. In Ultra League, there are only a few Grass Pokemon so Swampert has hardly any super-effective damage to be worried about.
It can deliver a lot of damage with Hydro Cannon, which it can also use to bait shields because of the excellent energy gains of Mud Shot. The powerful Earthquake is better used as a nuke move when shields are down. These moves make Swampert a reliable Pokemon to break any teams built around Registeel or Regirock.
Giratine (Altered)
Giratina (Altered) has the best attacking type combination in Ultra League.
- Weaknesses: Dark, Dragon, Fairy, Ghost, Ice
- Resistances: Fighting, Normal, Bug, Electric, Fire, Grass, Poison, Water
- Best moveset: Shadow Claw and Dragon Claw / Ancient Power
Giratina (Altered) was once the top Pokemon in the Ultra League but the nerf to Ancient Power somewhat hurt its ability to beat Togekiss, one of the best Fairy Pokemon in Pokemon Go PvP. But this Legendary Pokemon is still a dangerous threat because of its amazing attacking ability as well as its huge bulk.
Shadow Claw is one of the best Fast Moves in Pokemon Go and it combines very well with Dragon Claw to put shield pressure on opponents. Players are aware of how a lucky stat boost from Ancient Power can make Giratina (Altered) nearly unbeatable.
Another major positive for Giratina (Altered) is its near-perfect neutral coverage against every Pokemon in this format. This Pokemon is highly recommended for any Ultra League team, and it can be used as a lead, switch-in, or closer.
Pidgeot
Pidgeot needs to be XL and Best Buddy for best performance.
- Weaknesses: Electric, Ice, Rock
- Resistances: Ghost, Ground, Bug, Grass
- Best moveset: Gust and Brave Bird / Feather Dance
Pidgeot was once unusable in any PvP format. But the addition of Gust and Feather Dance to its moveset has made this bird Pokemon deadly in Pokemon Go Ultra League.
Gust gives good damage output as well as high energy gains to help Pidgeot use the powerful Brave Bird. But players should be careful in using this Charged Move because it leads to a Defense self-debuff by two stages. On the other hand, Feather Dance is a very useful move to bait shields and debuff the opponent’s Attack stat by two stages. So, it takes some practice to use Pidgeot properly but it’s all worth it.
Walrein
Walrein is one of the few Pokemon to receive two moves on Community Day.
- Weaknesses: Electric, Fighting, Grass, Rock
- Resistances: Ice, Water
- Best moveset: Powder Snow and Icicle Spear / Earthquake
The addition of Powder Snow and Icicle Spear turned Walrein into one of the best Ice Pokemon in PvP. Along with Swampert, Walrein can also be used in all three Pokemon Go PvP Leagues but it’s at its best in Ultra League.
Powder Snow has one of the best energy gains in PvP, letting Walrein use Icicle Spear and Earthquake to take down top-notch Pokemon like Giratina (Altered) and Registeel. Earthquake is an amazing coverage move to deal with Steel Pokemon that can trouble Walrein.
Tapu Fini
Tapu Fini is a Fairy Pokemon without the usual weakness of Steel Pokemon.
- Weaknesses: Electric, Grass, Poison
- Resistances: Dragon, Bug, Dark, Fighting, Fire, Ice, Water
- Best moveset: Water Gun and Surf / Moonblast
Tapu Fini is one of the best defensive species in the Pokemon Go Ultra League format. It resists attacks from some of the best PvP Pokemon and also doesn’t take super-effective damage from the common Steel Pokemon. Even offensively, Water and Surf form a great damaging pair while Moonblast can eliminate Dark, Dragon, and Fighting Pokemon easily.
For these reasons, Tapu Fini can fit into most Ultra League teams effortlessly. It is a very good partner for any Dragon Pokemon in Ultra League.
Buzzwole
Buzzwole can become bulkier by spamming Lunge in PvP.
- Weaknesses: Flying, Fairy, Fire, Psychic
- Resistances: Bug, Dark, Fighting, Grass, Ground
- Best moveset: Counter and Superpower / Lunge
This Pokemon Go Ultra Beast can do a great job at forcing switch-outs in the opponent’s team. Counter is the best PvP Fast Move and Buzzwole gets STAB damage out of it. It pairs incredibly well with Lunge, as it not only baits shields but also debuffs the opponent’s Attack stat. This can help Buzzwole go unshielded against most moves if it can deliver at least two Lunge attacks.
Superpower can be devastating for the opponent if it is left unshielded. But Pokemon Go Ultra League players should be careful in using Superpower as it self-debuffs both the Attack and Defense stat of Buzzwole. So we recommend using Counter and Lunge throughout the battle and using Superpower only if the opponent no longer has shields.
Charizard
Charizard is a great counter to Dragon and Steel Pokemon in PvP.
- Weaknesses: Rock, Electric, Water
- Resistances: Bug, Grass, Fairy, Fighting, Fire, Ground, Steel
- Best moveset: Wing Attack and Blast Burn / Dragon Claw
The iconic Charizard is one of the most reliable Pokemon in the Ultra League format. While Fire Spin or Dragon Breath is the common Fast Move for Charizard in PvE, it prefers to use Wing Attack in PvP. This Flying-type Fast Move gets STAB and gives Charizard the best energy gains possible. With this, it can spam Dragon Claw to bait shields and deliver a powerful Blast Burn.
Charizard can pose a huge threat to powerful Ultra League Pokemon like Giratina (Altered), Registeel, and Cobalion. If shields are up, it can even do well against Swampert. This Pokemon is best used as a switch-in during the middle of the battle.
Guzzlord
Guzzlord has one of the highest HP stats in the game.
- Weaknesses: Fairy, Bug, Dragon, Fighting, Ice
- Resistances: Psychic, Dark, Electric, Fire, Ghost, Grass, Water
- Best moveset: Dragon Tail and Dragon Claw / Brutal Swing
This terrifying Pokemon Go Ultra Beast has become one of the most sought-after Pokemon in Ultra League because of its excellent moveset. It is currently the best user of the popular Dragon Tail and Dragon Claw combination, and it gets even better because Guzzlord can also use Brutal Swing. These three moves work very well together to dish out a lot of damage to opponents in the Ultra League.
Players need to know that while Guzzlord has a massive HP stat of 440, its Defense stat is very low at 99. So in situations where Guzzlord is taking a lot of damage, it is recommended to switch out this Pokemon and save it for the end of the battle.
There you have it! These are the best species to use in the Pokemon Go Ultra league format. For more on Pokemon Go, be sure to check out our other guides:
Pokemon Go Great League: Best Pokemon & team to use | How to connect Pokemon Go to Pokemon Scarlet & Violet | How to heal Pokemon in Pokemon Go | How many Pokemon are there? | Best Pokemon for PvP battles in Pokemon Go | How to get revives in Pokemon Go | Pokemon Go best attackers ranked | How to get the Master Ball in Pokemon Go | How to get different Vivillion patterns in Pokemon Go & Scarlet and Violet