Pokemon Go: 5 annoyingly overpowered Pokemon in GO Battle League
Those who have played Pokemon Go’s GO Battle League will know some species are more effective than others. There are some powerful choices, though, that just don’t make sense.
Giratina being arguably the strongest Ultra League Pokemon makes sense. To a lesser extent, Dialga being the go to Pokemon for Master League makes sense.
However, there are some surprising species that are part of the GBL meta. If you hadn’t played the game before there’s no chance you’d think they’re among the very strongest Pokemon.
Here are five annoyingly overpowered Pokemon which just don’t make sense.
Bulbapedia5. Altaria
Altaria is by no means weak but its status as perhaps the best Great League Pokemon is questionable. That’s not questionable as to whether it’s true or not – it is – but whether it’s deserved.
Its dual dragon and flying type meaning it’s resistant to an array of frequently seen Pokemon. This coupled with its high defense stat within the confines of Great League can make Swablu’s evolution a nightmare to deal with.
Fortunately, it isn’t easy to obtain due to the 400 Candies you’ll need to evolve it. Nevertheless, trainers who haven’t played the competitive Pokemon Go mode may be surprised at how difficult it to beat.
Bulbapedia4. Togekiss
There is a litany of powerful dragon-types you’ll come across in GO Battle League. While their resistances may not be that great, they do come with some powerful and more importantly fast charging moves.
This can make them hard to deal with, especially considering a lot of them are Legendary. However, there’s no Pokemon better equipped to deal with them than the relatively little Togekiss.
The dual fairy and flying-type has double resistance to dragon-types and will decimate them in a one on one battle. It’s good that these legends can be overcome but having one answer for all of them seems a little bit too easy.
Other than Gardevoir there isn’t a fairy-type that comes close to matching Togekiss’ CP. Xerneas’ eventual release into Pokemon Go may change that, though.
Pokemon Fandom3. Swampert
It’s great to see the starter Pokemon final evolutions aren’t totally ineffective. There are only three per generation and it’s important each of them have a place when it comes to competitive battling.
Swampert standing head and shoulders above the rest (with the exception of Charizard) seems a bit ridiculous, though. It isn’t because Mudkip’s final form is more powerful than the likes of Blastoise, Sceptile and company, but because it has a superior moveset, perfect for GBL.
Mud Shot generates energy like few other moves, so when you combine that with Surf and Earthquake you have a formidable Pokemon on your hands. It also helps that the water type Hoenn starter also has a ground-typing. This means while it’s doubly weak to grass, it has no other vulnerabilities.
Pokemon Fandom2. Skarmory
Skarmory is a relatively common spawn in Pokemon Go and has no evolution. So why should it be so effective in GBL?
The answer to that is simple. It has a very high defense stat that can be utilized at the Great League level due to its max CP of 2,108.
Its typing also comes into play. Skarmory is both flying and steel-type which means it is weak to only electric and fire attacks.
Meanwhile, it is resistant to a massive 10 different types. Among them is bug, grass, and poison which Skarmory has double resistance to. Opening a GO Battle League match with Skarmory is therefore a wise choice.
Bulbapedia1. Azumarill
Azumarill – who would have thought this innocent looking Pokemon would be so effective? Sure, that effectiveness is limited to the Great League, but nevertheless, it is a meta changing species.
The Aqua Rabbit Pokemon may seem average on appearance but it has a few key factors in its favor. Firstly, while its max CP is 1,588, this does mean you can get a close to peak Azumarill at the Great League limit. Getting it to 1,500 CP can be costly, though, as there are some barriers to get there.
Similar to other Pokemon on this list, Azumarill has a dual typing in fairy and water that results in it having few weaknesses and a lot of resistance. Again, it’s another species with a double resistance to dragon attacks.
Finally, it has excellent moves. Ice Beam and Play Rough are both powerful and diverse. With the Fast Move Bubble providing fast energy gains you’ll be able to make the most of them, too.
It’s good to a degree that some random Pokemon make up the GO Battle League meta but a few others to keep the game fresh would be great. It seems a bit silly when the likes of Zapdos and Virizion don’t have a place at the top of PvP but Skarmory and Azumarill do.