Pokémon Go Willpower Cup: Best Pokémon

Whether you’re fighting a battle of the mind or the body, a strong will to win is equally important – but to triumph in the Pokémon Go Willpower Cup, which is happening from November 12 to 19, 2024, you’ll also need the necessary knowledge to create a powerful team.

The upper limit for competition points (CP) in this format is 1,500 CP and there are a few rules in regards to which types of Pokémon you may field – only Dark-, Psychic-, and Fighting-types are allowed.

We have collected all the best Pokémon for the Willpower Cup in Pokémon Go based on statistics and simulations provided by PvPoke.com, so you can fully focus your mind on winning.

Pokémon Go Willpower Cup: Best Leads

You’ll want one of these Pokémon to open up the battle on your side. Their aggressiveness puts pressure on your opponent right from the beginning, while they are tough enough to survive a bit of punishment. This gives you time to think over your next steps and might give you an advantage in a battle of attrition. Ideally, of course, you achieve a quick first knockout.

1. Drapion (Poison Sting, Crunch, Aqua Tail)
2. Hisuian Qwilfish (Poison Sting, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam)
3. Overqwil (Poison Jab, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam)
4. Shadow Drapion (Poison Sting, Crunch, Aqua Tail)
5. Skuntank [S] (Poison Jab, Crunch, Trailblaze)
6. Shadow Hisuian Sneasel (Poison Jab, Close Combat, Aerial Ace)
7. Primeape (Karate Chop, Rage Fist, Close Combat)
8. Claydol (Mud Slap, Scorching Sands, Ice Beam)
9. Mandibuzz (Snarl, Dark Pulse, Aerial Ace)
10. Shadow (Charm, Shadow Ball, Triple Axel)

Pokémon marked with [S] perform comparably well in both their regular and Shadow forms.

Pokémon Go Willpower Cup: Best Safe Switches

Should the initial pairing be to your disadvantage, you need to consider switching out your lead monster for another Pokémon. This is where Safe Switches come into play. They are either strong leads themselves or are specialized in countering some of the more popular members of that category. In any case, a switch will preserve your original lead to fight later on in the battle and perhaps force your opponent to also adapt their strategy on the fly, equalizing the battle once again.

1. Shadow Drapion (Poison Sting, Crunch, Aqua Tail)
2. Overqwil (Poison Jab, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam)
3. Hisuian Qwilfish (Poison Sting, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam)
4. Drapion (Poison Sting, Crunch, Aqua Tail)
5. Shadow Alolan Muk (Poison Jab, Dark Pulse, Acid Spray)
6. Skuntank [S] (Poison Jab, Crunch, Trailblaze)
7. Mandibuzz (Snarl, Dark Pulse, Aerial Ace)
8. Alolan Muk (Poison Jab, Dark Pulse, Acid Spray)
9. Shadow Gardevoir (Charm, Shadow Ball, Triple Axel)
10. Alolan Grimer [XL] (Poison Jab, Crunch, Sludge Bomb)

Pokémon marked with [XL] perform at their best only when upgraded with Candy XP.

Pokémon Go Willpower Cup: Best Closers

Once no shields are left in play on either side, you’ll want to use one of these Pokémon. They are incredibly tough thanks to their high defense and plenty of useful resistances or can knock out an opponent in one blow with their powerful Charged Attack.

1. Cresselia (Psycho Cut, Grass Knot, Moonblast)
2. Claydol (Mud Slap, Scorching Sands, Ice Beam)
3. Morpeko (Full Belly) (Thunder Shock, Aura Wheel, Psychic Fangs)
4. Galarian Moltres (Sucker Punch, Ancient Power, Brave Bird)
5. Sableye [XL] (Shadow Claw, Foul Play, Return)
6. Shadow Cresselia (Psycho Cut, Grass Knot, Moonblast)
7. Shadow Primeape (Karate Chop, Rage Fist, Close Combat)
8. Alolan Raticate (Quick Attack, Crunch, Return)
9. Shadow Sneasler (Shadow Claw, Close Combat, Aerial Ace)
10. Mandibuzz (Snarl, Dark Pulse, Aerial Ace)

Pokémon Go Willpower Cup: Best Attackers

If you’re left without shields while facing an opponent who still has that option available, these Pokémon are your best friends. They combine important resistances and powerful Fast Attacks to compensate for this disadvantage. For this 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. Shadow Gardevoir (Charm, Shadow Ball, Triple Axel)
2. Drapion (Poison Sting, Crunch, Aqua Tail)
3. Mandibuzz (Snarl, Dark Pulse, Aerial Ace)
4. Gardevoir (Charm, Shadow Ball, Triple Axel)
5. Hatterene (Charm, Psyshock, Power Whip)
6. Shadow Drapion (Poison Sting, Crunch, Aqua Tail)
7. Skuntank (Poison Jab, Crunch, Trailblaze)
8. Shadow Gothitelle (Charm, Rock Slide, Future Sight)
9. Guzzlord (Dragon Tail, Brutal Swing, Dragon Claw)
10. Pawniard [XL] (Fury Cutter, Night Slash, X-Scissor)

Willpower Cup features several Great League mainstays among its highest rankers, meaning that it requires little initial investment for players who are already actively participating in Battle League’s most popular format. Names like Drapion and Mandibuzz are among that group, but some recent rising stars are visible as well, such as Primeape – that Community Day move is doing a lot of heavy lifting for it.

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