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How to Enter the Little Cup
When Does the Little Cup Start and End?
Best Pokemon for the Little Cup
The Little Cup is a Pokemon GO staple at this point, having been run several times in the past - in fact, it made its debut way back in Pokemon Stadium. It's a format that players will likely be more familiar with than other cups, but it still presents its own set of unique challenges.
Considering the ever-evolving meta of Pokemon GO, it can be hard to know exactly what tactics to employ and which Pokemon to battle with. Here's everything a Trainer needs to know about the Little Cup.
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How to Enter the Little Cup
Players that want to enter the Little Cup in Pokemon GO can take the following steps:
- Click the Pokeball in the bottom center of the Home/Map screen
- Select 'Battle'
- Choose either Basic or Premium Rewards (Premium Rewards are more valuable, but selecting them uses up one Premium Battle Pass)
- Select 'Little Cup'
From there, players will select their party and get to battling.
Pokemon GO Little Cup Rules
The Little Cup is one of the more unique cups in Pokemon GO, having occurred more than once before. The rules in the Little Cup are as follows:
- No Pokemon above 500CP.
- Only Pokemon that can evolve but haven't evolved are eligible.
- No Pokemon are banned this time around.
When Does the Little Cup Start and End?
The Little Cup starts Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 8 PM GMT and lasts a full week until Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 8 PM GMT.
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Best Pokemon for the Little Cup
As usual, there is no one party that can be recommended above all for the Little Cup. If that were the case, matchups would be incredibly boring, and there would be no variety in the teams.
Trainers also do not have the same access to Pokemon across the board. Instead, here is a list of Pokemon that can be used to make up the perfect party.
Ducklett
Move | Move Type | Base Damage | Effective vs. | Weak vs. |
Wing Attack (Fast) | Flying | 5 | Fighting, Bug, Grass | Rock, Steel, Electric |
Bubble Beam (Charged) | Water | 45 | Ground, Rock, Fire | Water, Grass, Dragon |
Brave Bird (Charged) | Flying | 130 | Fighting, Bug, Grass | Rock, Steel, Electric |
Ducklett is a spammy attacker that can charge moves very quickly, making it great for applying shield pressure on the opponent. It also has great attack and defense, being able to hit a great number of types effectively while resisting them too.
It is, however, doubly weak to Electric-type moves, and while these are not high in the meta for this cup, it should be considered when building a team.
Shelmet
Move | Move Type | Base Damage | Effective vs. | Weak vs. |
Infestation (Fast) | Bug | 10 | Grass, Psychic, Dark | Fighting, Flying, Poison, Ghost, Steel, Fire, Fairy |
Body Slam (Charged) | Normal | 50 | - | Rock, Steel, Ghost (immune) |
Bug Buzz (Charged) | Bug | 100 | Grass, Psychic, Dark | Fighting, Flying, Poison, Ghost, Steel, Fire, Fairy |
Shelmet might be a surprising contender for the Little Cup, but it has several attributes that make it a highly successful Pokemon in this meta. Its bulk means it can take hits well; it charges Charged moves very quickly and performs well overall. As it's a Bug-type, however, it may struggle to hit a wide variety of types.
Deino
Move | Move Type | Base Damage | Effective vs. | Weak vs. |
Dragon Breath (Fast) | Dragon | 6 | Dragon | Steel, Fairy (immune) |
Body Slam (Charged) | Normal | 50 | - | Rock, Steel, Ghost (immune) |
Crunch (Charged) | Dark | 70 | Ghost, Psychic | Fighting, Dark, Fairy |
Deino is an incredibly fast-moving Pokemon in Pokemon GO thanks to its short move animations, making it a fantastic Fast Move user that deals damage while charging up Charged Moves. It is doubly weak to Fairy-type moves, however, so watch out for Spritzee - a Pokemon that has done well in the Little Cup before and is completely immune to Deino's best Fast Move.
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Wynaut
Move | Move Type | Base Damage | Effective vs. | Weak vs. |
Counter (Fast) | Fighting | 12 | Normal, Rock, Steel, Ice, Dark | Flying, Psychic, Bug, Poison, Fairy. Ghost (immune) |
Mirror Coat (Charged) | Psychic | 60 | Fighting, Poison | Steel, Psychic, Dark (immune) |
Wynaut is a fantastic defensive option for the Little Cup - by far, its best quality is its Stamina. Its extremely high bulk means it can absorb multiple Charged Attacks. It has good matchups against many types and has access to Fighting and Psychic moves that cover a lot of ground.
Bronzor
Move | Move Type | Base Damage | Effective vs. | Weak vs. |
Confusion (Fast) | Psychic | 20 | Fighting, Poison | Steel, Psychic, Dark (immune) |
Psyshock (Charged) | Psychic | 65 | Fighting, Poison | Steel, Psychic, Dark (immune) |
Payback | Dark | 100 | Ghost, Psychic | Fighting, Dark, Fairy |
Bronzor is by far the best Pokemon for the Little Cup. It has great stats in both Attack and Defense, making it a great all-rounder. It also resists attacks from a variety of types and can take a hit if necessary, thanks to its bulk. The only downside to Bronzor is its lack of shield pressure - its move animations are rather slow, and it takes a while to charge Charged Moves.
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