Pokemon Go Battle League – Best Holiday Cup: Ultra League Edition team

The Holiday Cup is coming to Pokémon Go Battle League as part of the Precious Paths season! This special competition offers a fun, festive way to battle and a fresh strategy to learn – all in just one week.

The Great, Ultra, and Master Leagues remain the core of Pokémon GO PvP battles, but Niantic frequently adds temporary Cups to keep things interesting. These Cups have unique rules that challenge players to come up with new battle plans.

The holiday Cup is back, and this time it’s played with Ultra League rules! That means only certain types of Pokémon can compete, and all Pokémon must be 2,500 CP or lower. Because fewer types are allowed, choosing the best team is crucial, so we’ve put together a list of the most powerful Pokémon to help you win.

Best team for the Pokemon Go Holiday Cup: Ultra League Edition

For the Holiday Cup, a strong team consists of Shadow Dusknoir, Lickilicky, and Aurorus. These Pokémon are powerful and cover weaknesses against many common opponents, giving you a good chance of winning.

Another team that players could try out is Skeledirge, Lickilicky, and Oranguru.

Just like any tournament, it’s hard to say which team is truly the best in the Holiday Cup. It all comes down to what Pokémon your opponent chooses, and you won’t find that out until the battle starts.

However, some Pokémon are consistently strong and adaptable, so we’ve included a list of them below, along with the best moves to teach them and what they’re weak against.

Best Holiday Cup: Ultra League Edition Pokemon

Alolan Sandslash (XL)

Fast Move: Powder Snow
Charged Moves: Ice Punch and Drill Run
Type: Ice/Steel
Strong against: Dragon, Psychic, Normal, Grass, Bug, Flying, Fairy, Ice, and Poison
Weak against: Fire, Fighting, and Ground

Alolan Sandslash, an Ice and Steel-type Pokémon, is quite durable in this competition, but be careful – it’s especially weak against Fighting and Fire-type attacks.

For Alolan Sandslash, Powder Snow is the best Fast Move to use. While it doesn’t deal a lot of damage with each hit, it builds up energy quickly, letting you use your Charge Moves fairly often.

Ice Punch is a low-cost, quickly-usable attack that can break down your opponent’s defenses, allowing you to follow up with a stronger attack. If you have the resources, adding Drill Run as a second Charged Move will give you more versatile attack options.

Jellicent (XL)

Fast Move: Hex
Charged Moves: Surf and Shadow Ball
Type: Water/Ghost
Resistances: Normal, Fighting, Water, Steel, Poison, Ice, Fire, and Bug
Weaknesses: Dark, Electric, Ghost, and Grass

This huge jellyfish significantly increases a trainer’s strength and has many resistances, helping it survive battles.

Jellicent has two excellent Fast Moves, both of which get a damage boost because they match its type. Bubble is powerful for Water-type attacks, but Hex charges attacks a little quicker and also lets Jellicent use Ghost-type moves.

For the best Hex performance, use Surf as your Charged Move. It’s quick to use, does a lot of damage, and gets a bonus from STAB. Shadow Ball is a great second Charged Move for powerful attacks. If you need to hit different types of Pokémon, you can swap Shadow Ball for Ice Beam instead.

Dudunsparce

Fast Move: Rollout
Charged Moves: Rock Slide and Drill Run
Type: Normal
Resistances: Ghost
Weaknesses: Fighting

Dudunsparce is very similar to Dunsparce, but it has a stronger attack, so focus on using that to your advantage.

When building Dudunsparce’s moveset, Rollout is an excellent choice for its Fast Move. It generates energy quickly, which is a big advantage in player-versus-player (PvP) battles, and pairs well with its Charged Moves. For those, Rock Slide and Drill Run are both strong and don’t cost much energy. Together, these moves give Dudunsparce a diverse range of attacks, allowing it to handle many different opponents.

Spiritomb

Fast Move: Sucker Punch
Charged Moves: Rock Tomb and Shadow Ball
Type: Ghost/Dark
Resistances: Normal, Psychic, Poison, and Fighting
Weaknesses: Fairy

Although Sableye is usually considered stronger, Spiritomb is actually a better choice for this specific Cup. They share a similar type and have comparable stats and moves.

When building Spiritomb’s moveset, Sucker Punch is the best Fast Move – it’s much better than Feint Attack. For Charged Moves, Shadow Ball is Spiritomb’s strongest option, and Rock Tomb provides wider coverage and lowers the opponent’s Attack by 20%.

Magnezone (Shadow)

Fast Move: Volt Switch
Charged Move: Wild Charge and Mirror Shot
Type: Electric/Steel
Resistances: Bug, Dragon, Electric, Fairy, Flying, Grass, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Rock, and Steel
Weaknesses: Fighting, Fire, and Ground

Magnezone is a fantastic Pokémon to use in battle thanks to its twelve resistances and strong Attack and Defense. It also has an advantage in the Catch Cup because many Pokémon that would normally cause it trouble aren’t allowed in this competition.

When building its moveset, choose Volt Switch as the Fast Move. It’s a well-rounded option that deals damage and builds up energy quickly. For Charged Moves, use both Wild Charge and Mirror Shot to maximize damage, as both moves benefit from STAB (Same-Type Attack Bonus).

Just so you know, using Wild Charge lowers your defense by about 33%, but Mirror Shot can reduce your opponent’s attack by 20%.

Raikou

Fast Move: Thunder Shock
Charged Moves: Wild Charge and Aura Sphere
Type: Electric
Resistances: Electric, Flying, and Steel
Weaknesses: Ground

Legendary Pokémon aren’t often used in the Holiday Cup because of the CP restrictions, but Raikou is a strong choice and can really boost your team’s performance.

Unlocking a second Charged Move for Raikou will cost a lot of resources, but if you have them, the best combination is Thunder Shock as your Fast Move, and Wild Charge and Aura Sphere as Charged Moves. This setup provides a good balance of power, speed, and coverage against different Pokémon types.

Annihilape (Shadow)

Fast Move: Counter
Charged Moves: Rage Fist and Ice Punch
Type: Fighting/Ghost
Resistances: Bug, Fighting, Normal, Poison, and Rock
Weaknesses: Fairy, Flying, Ghost, and Psychic

Since its release, Annihilape has become a frequent competitor in the Battle League. As one of only two Fighting and Ghost-type Pokémon—along with Marshadow—it presents a specific weakness that opponents can take advantage of.

In Pokémon Go, Counter is a fantastic Fast Move because it deals a lot of damage and builds up energy at a good pace, so it’s a move you’ll definitely want to learn.

Okay, so when it comes to Charged Moves for Annihilape, you need Rage Fist. It’s its special move, and it absolutely crushes Ghost-types. What I love about it is it doesn’t cost much energy, has great damage per energy used, and even boosts my attack! Plus, if I use it with Counter, it’s like nothing can resist the damage – seriously, it’s a powerhouse combo.

If you need extra coverage, use Ice Punch as the secondary Charged Move.

Oranguru (XL)

Fast Move: Confusion
Charged Moves: Brutal Swing and Trailblaze
Type: Normal/Psychic
Resistances: Psychic and Ghost
Weaknesses: Bug and Dark

Oranguru, a Normal and Psychic-type Pokémon, isn’t usually the first choice for Go Battle League battles. But its unique type combination, diverse moves, impressive durability, and ability to repeatedly use moves have made it a surprisingly effective fighter, earning it a spot on our list.

All of this Pokémon’s quick attacks are strong, but Confusion is the best choice for dealing damage. For powerful charged attacks, use Trailblaze to boost your attack power by 25%, then follow up with Brutal Swing.

Bellibolt

Fast Move: Sucker Punch
Charged Moves: Parabolic Charge and Zap Cannon
Type: Electric
Resistances: Steel, Flying, and Electric
Weaknesses: Ground

Bellibolt, a purely Electric-type Pokémon, is a strong choice against many common opponents right now. It boasts solid stats, especially high Stamina, and has access to a diverse and powerful move set that players can utilize effectively.

Okay, so Thunder Shock is great for building up energy, but honestly, I think Sucker Punch is the way to go with Bellibolt. It doesn’t just hit hard, it also gives you a decent amount of energy and lets you cover more types of opponents. It’s just a more well-rounded move, in my opinion!

The Pokémon should learn Parabolic Charge, a move that boosts its own Defense by 25%, and Zap Cannon, a powerful attack that lowers the opposing Pokémon’s Attack by 20%.

Skeledirge

Fast Move: Incinerate
Charged Moves: Torch Song and Shadow Ball
Type: Fire/Ghost
Resistances: Bug, Fighting, Normal, Fairy, Fire, Grass, Ice, Poison, and Steel
Weaknesses: Dark, Ghost, Ground, Rock, and Water

Skeledirge is currently the most powerful Fire-type Pokémon players can use in the Holiday Cup, and its Ghost typing gives it an added advantage.

Incinerate is a strong Fast Move, and using it with Shadow Ball creates a powerful attack combination. But before unleashing Shadow Ball, it’s best to use Torch Song first, which boosts the attacker’s Attack stat by 25%.

Dusknoir (Shadow)

Fast Move: Astonish
Charged Moves: Shadow Punch and Dynamic Punch
Type: Ghost
Resistances: Normal, Fighting, Poison, and Bug
Weaknesses: Dark and Ghost

This Pokémon is most effective when used at the beginning of a battle or as a powerful attacker. It’s also durable enough to withstand hits while dishing out significant damage.

Astonish is a move that quickly charges up special attacks and breaks down the opponent’s defenses. Dusknoir is a strong contender thanks to its powerful Ghost-type move, Shadow Punch, and its versatile Fighting-type attack, Dynamic Punch, which gives it an advantage against many opponents.

Doublade (XL)

Fast Move: Shadow Claw
Charged Moves: Sacred Sword and Gyro Ball
Type: Steel/Ghost
Resistances: Normal, Poison, Bug, Dragon, Fairy, Flying, Grass, Ice, Psychic, Rock, Steel, and Fighting
Weaknesses: Dark, Fire, Ghost, and Ground

Doublade is a strong Pokémon thanks to its Steel typing, which gives it resistance to twelve different types of attacks.

To really make the most of this Pokémon, you need to choose the right attacks. Specifically, teach it Shadow Claw as its quick attack – it builds up energy very fast, letting you use your powerful attacks sooner. Then, use Sacred Sword to hit a wider range of Pokémon and trick your opponent into using their shields, leaving them vulnerable. Finally, use Gyro Ball for strong attacks against Steel-type Pokémon.

Lickilicky (XL)

Fast Move: Rollout
Charged Moves: Body Slam and Shadow Ball
Type: Normal
Resistances: Ghost
Weaknesses: Fighting

Lickilicky is a strong Pokémon to consider for your team. It only has one type weakness and can effectively battle many different Pokémon thanks to its diverse moves, including Normal, Ghost, and Rock-type attacks.

Rollout lets Lickilicky charge up its attacks quickly, allowing it to use its Charged Moves more often. Body Slam can draw out opponents’ shields, and Shadow Ball is a powerful attack that’s effective against popular Pokémon like Giratina and Cresselia.

Aurorus

Fast Move: Powder Snow
Charged Moves: Weather Ball (Ice) and Meteor Beam
Type: Rock/Ice
Resistances: Poison, Normal, Ice, and Flying
Weaknesses: Fighting, Steel, Grass, Ground, Rock, and Water

Aurorus is a strong contender thanks to its incredibly high Stamina (214) and its Ice typing, which allows it to effectively counter certain opponents.

This Pokémon, which is both Rock and Ice type, is a great choice to start battles. It can quickly deplete the opponent’s shields using its rapid ‘Powder Snow’ attack, then follow up with a powerful ‘Weather Ball’ or ‘Meteor Beam’ to deal significant damage, depending on what types of Pokémon the opponent is using.

Lapras

Fast Move: Psywave
Charged Moves: Sparkling Aria and Ice Beam
Type: Water/Ice
Resistances: Ice and Water
Weaknesses: Electric, Fighting, Grass, and Rock

Lapras is a large Pokémon, but it’s also versatile in battle thanks to its wide range of moves – it has four Fast Moves and seven Charged Moves available.

While it makes sense to focus on Water and Ice attacks for maximum damage, Psywave is the best choice for Lapras’s Fast Move. It generates energy faster than other options and gives Lapras more diverse attack types.

Moves like Skull Bash, Blizzard, and Hydro Pump are costly to use, and there are better alternatives. Sparkling Aria is a strong Charged Move that deals significant damage, and it’s actually cheaper than Surf while doing more damage.

The secondary Charged Move, Ice Beam, will be useful against Grass, Dragon, and Flying-type Pokémon, and it will also get a damage boost because it matches the Pokémon’s type.

Pokemon Go Holiday Cup rules & restrictions explained

The Holiday Cup in Pokémon Go Battle League is special because it has strict Pokémon requirements. Only Normal, Grass, Electric, Ice, Flying, and Ghost-type Pokémon can compete, and all participating Pokémon must be at 2,500 CP or lower.

Keep in mind that while these specific types restrict your choices compared to the open League, Pokémon with two types, such as Rock/Ice Aurorus, are still allowed, giving you a bit more flexibility when building your team.

Holiday Cup: Ultra League Edition start & end date

The newest season of Battle League has begun and will last from December 2, 2025, to March 3, 2026. During this time, you can participate in the Holiday Cup, which will be featured as follows:

December 23, 2025 – December 30, 2025: along with the Great League.

You’ll only have one week to excel in this Go Battle League cup and climb the ranks.

Here are the top Pokémon to use in your team for the Holiday Cup in Pokémon Go’s Ultra League this season. You can find more helpful information in our guide to the Battle League schedule and rewards, and see rankings for the best attackers, defenders, and PvP players.

2025-12-23 22:23