Best team for the Sunshine Cup in Pokemon GO
The Sunshine Cup is a limited-time format in the Pokemon GO Battle League with specific rules, so here are some best team recommendations to help you win.
The Sunshine Cup is returning to the Pokemon GO Battle League, so you’ll need to put together the best team possible if you want to shine brighter than your opponents.
Even if it’s raining outside, the Sunshine Cup is back to lighten things up. This themed Pokemon GO Battle League challenge only allows Fire, Grass, Ground, and Normal-type Pokemon under 1,500 CP to enter, which means you’re going to have to rethink your usual team-building strategies to stand a chance of winning.
So if you’re looking for a break from the standard Great League, Ultra League, and Master League formats, give the Sunshine Cup a try with our best team recommendations below.
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Best team for the Sunshine Cup in Pokemon GO
One of the best teams you can use in the Sunshine Cup is Pidgeot, Steelix, and Swampert. This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, as these three Pokemon are very popular choices in the Great League too.
As well as being three of the top-performing Pokemon in PvPoke’s ranking for the Sunshine Cup, they have a wide range of coverage between them. This means you should have a counter for most opponents you’ll come up against in this cup.
Another great team option would be Rufflet, Gligar, and Abomasnow. Rufflet and Gligar fulfil similar roles as Pidgeot and Swampert, while Abomasnow is a spicy pick that can take down most of the birds that will be common in this cup.
Regardless of what team you use, the main points to remember are: Teach your Pokemon their optimal movesets, power them up as close to 1,500 CP as possible, and make sure you're covering a variety of types between them.
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Best Pokemon for the Sunshine Cup
Here are some of the best Pokemon and movesets you can use in the Sunshine Cup:
| Pokemon | Fast Move | Charged Moves | Sprite |
| Pidgeot | Wing Attack | Brave Bird & Feather Dance |  |
| Steelix | Dragon Tail | Breaking Swipe & Earthquake |  |
| Swampert | Mud Shot | Hydro Cannon & Earthquake |  |
| Rufflet | Wing Attack | Aerial Ace & Brave Bird |  |
| Gligar | Wing Attack | Aerial Ace & Dig |  |
| Abomasnow | Powder Snow | Energy Ball & Weather Ball (Ice) |  |
| Vigoroth | Counter | Body Slam & Bulldoze |  |
| Victini | Quick Attack | Overheat & V-Create |  |
| Obstagoon | Counter | Cross-Chop & Night Slash |  |
What are the rules of the Sunshine Cup in Pokemon GO?
Here’s the full list of rules and restrictions of the Sunshine Cup:
- Only Fire, Grass, Ground, and Normal-type Pokemon are allowed to compete
- All Pokemon on your team must be 1,500CP or below
- Charizard is banned from competing
Because this is a themed cup, there are more restrictions than you’d find in the main leagues. This can make forming a team quite difficult, as you won’t necessarily be able to rely on your GO Battle League favourites.
The good news is there are still a few Great League standouts that are eligible in the Sunshine Cup, so you might already have a strong competitor in your collection.
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When does the Sunshine Cup run in Pokemon GO?
The Sunshine Cup begins on Friday, September 29, 2023, at 1PM PDT / 4PM EDT / 9PM BST and ends on Friday, October 6, 2023, at 1PM PDT.
It will then return to the GO Battle League a week later, where it will run from Friday, October 13, 2023, at 1PM PDT / 4PM EDT / 9PM BST until Friday, October 20, 2023, at 1PM PDT.
This means you’ve got two opportunities to take part in the Sunshine Cup, with a nice week off in between them to optimise or switch up your teams based on things you’ve learned in the cup’s first run.
That’s everything you need to know about the Sunshine Cup! While you’re here, check out our Ultra League best team guide or visit our Pokemon homepage for the latest news and guides.
About The Author
Daniel Megarry
Daniel is GGRecon’s Deputy Guides Editor. He graduated from university with a degree in Journalism & English Language before covering video games and LGBTQ+ culture at publications including Gay Times and Dexerto. His favourite games include Pokemon, Kingdom Hearts, Resident Evil, and anything Nintendo. You can reach him on daniel.megarry@ggrecon.com.
