The Kanto Cup is returning to the Pokemon Go Battle League, and we’ve got the best team recommendations you need to rise to the top of the ranks in 2022.
While the Great League, Ultra League, and Master League are the bread and butter of the Pokemon Go Battle League, Niantic often introduces special limited-time cups with unique rules to keep trainers on their toes.
During Season 11 of the Go Battle League, the Kanto Cup is returning once again. As the name suggests, only the original 151 Pokemon are eligible to take part, which puts a huge limit on your team options.
If you’re struggling to figure out which Pokemon to use in the Kanto Cup, we’ve put together our best team suggestions below, as well as details on the rules and restrictions and when the cup ends.
Contents
- Best team for the Kanto Cup
- Best Pokemon for the Kanto Cup
- Kanto Cup rules & restrictions
- Kanto Cup start & end date
Best team for the Kanto Cup in Pokemon Go
One of the best teams for the Kanto Cup in Pokemon Go is Lickitung, Nidoqueen, and Hypno, as these are three of the strongest eligible competitors that can offer coverage for most opponents.
That’s not to say that this team will always lead you to guaranteed victory, as it always depends on the types of Pokemon your opponent sends out – and you’ll never know that until a battle has already begun.
There are a few Pokemon that are good in pretty much any scenario, though, so we’ve listed six of them below alongside their best movesets and the weaknesses to watch out for.
Best Pokemon for the Kanto Cup in Pokemon Go
Lickitung (XL)
- Fast Move: Lick
- Charged Move: Body Slam and Power Whip
- Resistances: Ghost
- Weaknesses: Fighting
Lickitung was a standout in the Love Cup, and it gets another chance to shine in the Kanto Cup. You’ll need XL Candy and a Legacy Move (you can use an Elite Charged TM for that) but it’s definitely worth the cost.
Lick is the only decent Fast Move, so go with that. Body Slam is the Legacy Move we mentioned before, and it deals some solid damage for a low cost. Then, if you can afford it, Power Whip offers extra coverage.
Nidoqueen
- Fast Move: Poison Jab
- Charged Move: Poison Fang and Earth Power
- Resistances: Bug, Electric, Fairy, Fighting, Poison, and Rock
- Weaknesses: Ground, Ice, Psychic, and Water
Nidoqueen is a brilliant contender for the Kanto Cup, with key wins against Machamp, Alolan Marowak, and pretty much all Normal-types. Regular Nidoqueen has a slight edge here, but Shadow Nidoqueen isn’t far behind in the rankings, so either is good.
Poison Fang has the best energy generation of Nidoqueen’s Fast Moves, so make sure you have it. Poison Fang should be your primary Charged Move, with low cost and decent STAB damage, then back it up with Earth Power for extra coverage.
Pidgeot
- Fast Move: Gust
- Charged Moves: Feather Dance and Brave Bird
- Resistances: Bug, Ghost, Grass, and Ground
- Weaknesses: Electric, Ice, and Rock
Pidgeot isn’t a Pokemon you often see as a standout recommendation for niche cups in the Go Battle League, but in the Kanto Cup it’s actually one of the top performers, with potential wins against Lickitung, Snorlax, Hypno, and Wigglytuff.
Pidgeot performs best with Gust as a Fast Move, so it’s worth using an Elite Fast TM if you don’t have it. As for Charged Moves, Feather Dance is weak but offers a guaranteed -2 Attack debuff while Brave Bird can follow up with some great STAB damage.
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Hypno
- Fast Move: Confusion
- Charged Moves: Fire Punch and Shadow Ball
- Resistances: Fighting and Psychic
- Weaknesses: Bug, Dark, and Ghost
Hypno has one of the most diverse movesets in Pokemon Go, which means it has the ability to excel in quite a lot of the sub-1,500 CP cups. In the Kanto Cup, it rises to the top with good bulk and the best performance of any Psychic-type.
First of all, you’ll need Confusion as a Fast Move to make Hypno viable. There are plenty of Charged Moves to choose from, but for the Kanto Cup, it’s recommended that you go with Fire Punch and Shadow Ball for the best coverage options.
Alolan Sandslash
- Fast Move: Shadow Claw
- Charged Moves: Ice Punch and Bull Doze
- Resistances: Dragon, Psychic, Normal, Grass, Bug, Flying, Fairy, Ice, and Poison
- Weaknesses: Fighting, Fire, and Ground
There aren’t many Ice-types eligible for the Kanto Cup, but Alolan Sandslash is definitely one to look out for. Shadow is preferable, but even regular Alolan Sandslash with its nine resistances can win against Nidoqueen, Dragonair, Alolan Ninetails, and Wigglytuff.
Shadow Claw has slightly better potential than Powder Snow, although both are great Fast Moves, so either is fine. As for Charged Moves, Ice Punch is pretty much essential for dishing out quick damage, while Bull Doze offers some extra coverage as a backup option.
Dragonair
- Fast Move: Dragon Breath
- Charged Moves: Aqua Tail and Dragon Pulse
- Resistances: Electric, Fire, Grass, and Water
- Weaknesses: Dragon, Fairy, and Ice
Although Dragonite can be eligible for the Kanto Cup if its CP is low enough, the best Dragon-type Pokemon to use here is actually its pre-evolution Dragonair, which is great news for trainers on a budget as it’s a lot cheaper to evolve.
Dragon Breath is a brilliant Fast Move, with good STAB damage and energy generation. As for Charged Moves, go with Aqua Tail for a low-cost option to bait shields, followed up with Dragon Pulse for some huge damage potential.
Pokemon Go Kanto Cup rules & restrictions
The main rules for the Kanto Cup are that only Pokemon with a Pokedex number of #1 to #151 are allowed to enter, and they must be below the maximum 1,500 CP limit.
Although the list of eligible Pokemon were all originally found in Kanto, other regional variants are allowed to enter – for example, Alolan Sandshrew and Hisuian Electrode are both eligible.
Pokemon Go Kanto Cup start & end date
The Kanto Cup returns to the Pokemon Go Battle League on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at 1PM PT / 4PM ET / 9PM BST and runs until Wednesday, July 6, 2022, at 1PM PT.
It will appear alongside the traditional Ultra League, and we’ve got a set of best team recommendations for that league too.
That’s everything you need to know about the Kanto Cup! Check out some of our other Pokemon Go guides below:
Best Pokemon in Pokemon Go | Type chart | How to catch Ditto | Best Eeveelutions | Field research rewards and tasks | Promo Codes for free items | How to get Pinap Berries | Spotlight Hour schedule
