The Hisui Cup offers a fresh challenge in the Pokemon Go Battle League, so we’ve put together our best team recommendations to take you straight to victory.
To coincide with the Hisuian Discoveries event, which features the debut of Hisuian Growlithe, Hisuian Sneasel, and Hisuian Qwilfish, a brand new cup called the Hisui Cup is appearing in the Pokemon Go Battle League.
As the name suggests, only Pokemon that first appeared in the Hisui region (or the Sinnoh region) will be able to compete, which means you’ve got quite a narrow pool of Pokemon to choose from when forming a team.
If you’re struggling to decide which Pokemon to power up for the Hisui Cup, we’ve got some best team recommendations below as well as the optimal movesets for each Pokemon featured.
Best team for the Hisui Cup in Pokemon Go
One of the best teams for the Hisui Cup is Lucario, Hisuian Electrode, and Gastrodon, as these are three of the strongest eligible Pokemon that will provide you with coverage against most opponents.
As always, it’s kind of impossible to say what the ultimate ‘best’ team is for every scenario, as your opponent could end up surprising you by sending out the perfect counters to your top-tier team.
Having said that, there are some Pokemon that should serve you well in most scenarios, which we’ve featured below alongside their best movesets as recommended by PvPoke.
Best Pokemon for the Hisui Cup
Lucario
- Fast Move: Counter
- Charged Moves: Power-Up Punch and Shadow Ball
- Resistances: Bug, Dark, Dragon, Grass, Ice, Normal, Poison, Rock, and Steel
- Weaknesses: Fighting, Fire, and Ground
Lucario is a fan-favorite Pokemon for a reason; it’s got a huge Attack stat, loads of resistances against some of the most common elemental typings, and access to some great moves that help it rise to the top of the Hisui Cup.
The best Fast Move for Lucario is Counter – in fact, it’s one of the best Fast Moves in Pokemon Go full stop – so make sure you have it. Then, go for Power-Up Punch and Shadow Ball for some great Charged Move coverage.
Bastiodon
- Fast Move: Smack Down
- Charged Moves: Stone Edge and Flamethrower
- Resistances: Dragon, Ice, Psychic, Fairy, Bug, Rock, Flying, Normal, and Poison
- Weaknesses: Ground, Fighting, and Water
When it comes to bulk, you won’t get much better than Bastiodon. It’s an absolute tank that can even beat out Legendaries when it comes to Defense, giving it enough time to save up for its powerful Charged Moves.
Speaking of moves, you’ll want Smack Down as a Fast Move for its impressive STAB power. As for Charged Moves, go with Stone Edge for STAB damage and Flamethrower as an alternative when that move is resisted.
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Hisuian Electrode
- Fast Move: Thunder Shock
- Charged Moves: Wild Charge and Energy Ball
- Resistances: Electric, Grass, Steel, and Water
- Weaknesses: Bug, Fire, Ice, and Poison
Hisuian Electrode hasn’t made too many waves in the Pokemon Go Battle League since its debut at the start of 2022, but it finally gets a chance to show off its power in the Hisui Cup where it’s a standout competitor.
Thunder Shock gets STAB and has decent energy generation, so choose that as your Fast Move. Pair this with Wild Charge and Energy Ball as Charged Moves, and you’ve got a powerful moveset that can cover most opponents.
Abomasnow
- Fast Move: Powder Snow
- Charged Moves: Weather Ball (Ice) and Energy Ball
- Resistances: Electric, Grass, Water, and Ground
- Weaknesses: Fire, Flying, Poison, Rock, Bug, Steel, and Fighting
Abomasnow is already a top choice in the Great League, with a good stat spread and a solid moveset, but it becomes even better in the Hisui Cup where a lot of its biggest threats aren’t eligible to compete.
Powder Snow is the best Fast Move for Abomasnow thanks to its quick energy generation. This will give you faster access to the low-cost Weather Ball (Ice) to bait shields and Energy Ball for some huge Grass-type STAB damage.
Gastrodon
- Fast Move: Mud Slap
- Charged Moves: Body Slam and Earth Power
- Resistances: Electric, Fire, Poison, Rock, and Steel
- Weaknesses: Grass
Just like in the Sinnoh Cup, Gastrodon gets a rare chance to step into the spotlight during the Hisui Cup, where it’s capable of countering quite a few of the top-tier choices including Lucario, Bastiodon, and Toxicroak.
You’ll want a Ground-type build for Gastrodon in the Hisui Cup, so go with Mud Slap as a Fast Move and Body Slam as your primary Charged Move for baiting shields. Earth Power is a great second option for huge STAB damage.
Pokemon Go Hisui Cup rules & restrictions
The main rule of the Hisui Cup is that only Pokemon first discovered in the Hisui region or with a Pokedex number between #387 and #493 are allowed to compete.
All Pokemon on your team must also be below the maximum 1,500 CP limit to be eligible.
Pokemon Go Hisui Cup start & end date
The Hisui Cup will go live in the Pokemon Go Battle League on Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 1PM PT / 4PM ET / 9PM BST and run until Wednesday, August 3, 2022, at 1PM PT.
It will appear alongside the traditional Master League, and we’ve got a best Master League team guide to help you out with that one.
