Pokémon Go's Battle League is divided into three divisions. There is the Great League, the Ultra League and the Masters League. They are similar, but a bit different when it comes to the rules of which Pokémon they allow you to use to battle. For the Great League, you can only use Pokémon that have a maximum CP of 1 or less. If you have Pokémon above this limit, you cannot use them. You have to think a little more about your team when you want to participate.
You have a variety of choices to choose from, and a big deal is figuring out what the place is together. Importantly, you won't know what you're up against until you encounter another trainer in PvP mode. We've created a handful of potential teams of some of the best Pokemon to choose from and their best moves. You may want to familiarize yourself with the terms of the battle leagues to help you climb the ranks of each league. You can only take three Pokémon with you.
Some of these Pokemon vary in cost to unlock their second charge move using Stardust and Candy. Consider picking and choosing your team based on your limited resources. You might want to mix and match these picks to better match what you've faced in the Great League. Also, be sure to remember that 1500 CP max cap.
Marshtomp, Skarmory, Medicham
Marshtomp has some pretty heavy defenses and a decent offense to back it up using abilities like Mud Kick, Surf, and Mud Bomb. The only weakness is Grass-type attacks, but unfortunately it's a double weakness to Water and Ground-types, making it extremely vulnerable to those moves. If you can activate your Steel and Flying type Skarmory, you should be able to handle it. This Pokemon is capable of doing heavy damage with an air bar, sky attack, and flash cannon. But you can also go about it with your Fighting and Psychic-type Medicham, which can know meter, dynamic punch, and psychic. You might want to save Marshtomp or Skarmory for last, depending on what your opponents are using.
Deoxys (Defense), Azumarill, Marowak (Alola)
Deoxys Defense Form is a powerful Pokemon to have in your pocket with its ability to use Counter, Psycho Boost, and Slide. He's a great choice if you're willing to pay the high costs to get his second charge move, you're in good shape to take him with you to the Great League. You have to watch out for any type of bugs, darkness, or ghosts against him, with the Water and Fairy-type Azumarill backing him up. This Pokémon can use bubbles, hydraulic pumps and play hard, to inflict massive damage on your opponents. To top it off, you might want to use a Marowak (Alola), a Fire and Ghost type capable of using hex, shadow ball, and bone club.
Altars, Quagsire, Skarmory
A powerful Pokémon to bring to the Great League is Altaria, the Flying and Dragon type. You want it to know Dragon Breath, Sky Attack, and Dragon Pulse to deal heavy damage, but you probably want a sturdy starter Pokemon, like Quagsire or Skarmory. Quagsire, the Water and Ground type works much like Marshtomp in that its only weakness is Grass type attacks, so you want to want it. You want it to know Mud, Stone Edge, and Earthquake to deal the most damage. To top it all off, having Skarmory as an adaptable choice can still come in handy when you're in a corner.
Whiscash, Beedrill, Registeel
Another Water and Ground-type, Whiscash, has little to fear other than Grass-type Pokemon. You want him to know that Mud, Blizzard, and Mud Bomb have high firepower in the Great League. If you can swing it, the steel-type Registeel would be a good choice to back it up. Registeel comes with high costs for his second charge move, but if you can do that, you want him to know how to lock on, light the barrel, and detonate the focus. When you're in the raw and need an adaptable fighter who can damage almost anything with his moveset, the Bug and Poison-type Beedrill never hurt to have. It is an extremely specific Pokemon that can know Bug Sting, Fallen Stinger, and Mud Bomb. Due to Beedrill's uniqueness, you might want to have an alternate option, but feel free to experiment with your options.
Steelix, Azumarill, Medicham
The Steel and Ground type Steelix is a decent starter option, but it has a handful of weaknesses you need to think about, namely Fighting and Water type. If you can teach him Dragon Tail, Earthquake, and Tighten, he can give you plenty of optional attacks. To back it up, you want Medicham to cover his Fighting type weakness, especially if you can max out his Fighting and Psychic Strike and Attacks. Rounding out the team, Azumarill is a heavy hitter with a lot to offer offensively. You might want to consider leaving Steelix in reserve or using them immediately, depending on how you fare against your opponents in this league.
