Pokémon Go Galar Cup – Little Edition: Best Pokémon

With the introduction of a Galar-themed season to Pokémon Go comes the debut of Galar Cup – Little Edition, running from September 3 to 17, 2024.

There are no restrictions on what type of Pokémon you can field, though there is a maximum limit on competition points (CP) these creatures can possess. In Galar Cup – Little Edition, this is set at 500 CP. That also means that this competition is very easy on your Stardust and Candy XL budget, as you won’t have to power up your Pokémon all too much. In addition, only Pokémon found in Pokédex for Pokémon Sword and Shield are eligible to take part.

We’ve put together a list of the best Pokémon for Galar Cup – Little Edition to get you started on your team building process. Our choices are based on statistics and simulations provided by PvPoke.com.

Pokémon Go Galar Cup – Little Edition: Best Leads

The Pokémon in this class are aggressors, able to apply pressure on your opponent right from the start of a battle. They can also drag out tough battles for a long time thanks to their bulk. This allround effectiveness makes them perfect to open a match up, enabling you to score an early knockout or set up a strong counter play.

1. Pangoro (Karate Chop, Close Combat, Night Slash)
2. Shuckle [S][XL] (Rock Throw, Stone Edge, Rock Blast)
3. Shadow Barboach (Mud Shot, Aqua Tail, Mud Bomb)
4. Bronzor [XL] (Tackle, Payback, Heavy Slam)
5. Driftloon [S] (Astonish, Icy Wind, Shadow Ball)
6. Shadow Purrloin (Sucker Punch, Night Slash, Play Rough)
7. Shadow Machoke (Karate Chop, Cross Chop, Dynamic Punch)
8. Pawniard (Fury Cutter, Iron Head, Night Slash)
9. Shadow Machop (Karate Chop, Cross Chop, Brick Break)
10. Shadow Quagsire (Mud Shot, Stone Edge, Aqua Tail)

Pokémon marked with [S] perform comparably well in both their regular and Shadow forms. Pokémon marked with [XL] require Candy XL to reach their best performance levels.

Pokémon Go Galar Cup – Little Edition: Best Safe Switches

If you’re not happy with the initial pairing, you should consider switching out your lead for another Pokémon. That’s the role of a Safe Switch. They are either strong leads themselves or are specialized in countering some of the most popular leads. Putting them in will let you score an elimination, disrupt your opponent’s game plan, or at least preserve your lead for the later stage of the match.

1. Drapion (Poison Sting, Crunch, Aqua Tail)
2. Shadow Skorupi (Poison Sting, Cross Poison, Aqua Tail)
3. Inkay (Psywave, Night Slash, Psybeam)
4. Shuckle [S][XL] (Rock Throw, Stone Edge, Rock Blast)
5. Skorupi (Poison Sting, Cross Poison, Aqua Tail)
6. Swinub (Powder Snow, Icy Wind, Body Slam)
7. Galarian Zigzagoon [XL] (Tackle, Swift, Dig)
8. Quagsire [S] (Mud Shot, Stone Edge, Aqua Tail)
9. Hippowdon (Sand Attack, Weather Ball (Rock), Scorching Sands)
10. Barboach [S] (Mud Shot, Aqua Tail, Mud Bomb)

Pokémon Go Galar Cup – Little Edition: Best Closers

These Pokémon come in quite handy when there are no shields left in play on either side – they are incredibly tough thanks to their high bulk and many resistances or they can end battles quickly due to their access to powerful charge attacks.

1. Vullaby (Feint Attack, Brave Bird, Foul Play)
2. Pangoro (Karate Chop, Close Combat, Night Slash)
3. Scrafty (Counter, Power-Up Punch, Foul Play)
4. Umbreon (Snarl, Last Resort, Foul Play)
5. Mandibuzz (Snarl, Aerial Ace Dark Pulse)
6. Diggersby (Mud Shot, Fire Punch, Scorching Sands)
7. Bronzor [XL] (Tackle, Payback, Heavy Slam)
8. Galarian Zigzagoon [XL] (Tackle, Swift, Dig)
9. Whiscash (Mud Shot, Scald, Mud Bomb)
10. Bewear (Shadow Claw, Superpower, Stomp)

Pokémon Go Galar Cup – Little Edition: Best Attackers

This class is specialized in fighting an opponent who still has shields, while you no longer have any yourself. They combine strong resistances and potent fast attacks to compensate for this disadvantage. For that reason, you rarely see Shadow forms in this role – they take more damage than their regular counterparts, making them a risky card to pull out at this stage of a match.

1. Shuckle [S][XL] (Rock Throw, Stone Edge, Rock Blast)
2. Bronzor [XL] (Tackle, Payback, Heavy Slam)
3. Onix [S] (Rock Throw, Breaking Swipe, Rock Slide)
4. Wobbuffet (Counter, Mirror Coat)
5. Wynaut [XL] (Counter, Mirror Coat)
6. Cottonee (Charm, Energy Ball, Grass Knot)
7. Steelix [S] (Dragon Tail, Breaking Swipe, Crunch)
8. Stunky [S] (Bite, Crunch, Trailblaze)
9. Spritzee (Charm, Thunderbolt, Draining Kiss)
10. Shadow Wobbuffet (Counter, Mirror Coat)

Though Galar Cup is a new competition, the recent Max Out update left its mark on the rankings with Pokémon like Pangoro and Inkay being featured in prominent positions. Staples of the Little Edition competitions are still strong as well, so anyone with built Bronzor and Cottonee can field them as usual.

For more Pokémon Go, check our overviews for the weekly Spotlight Hours and 5-Star Raids.