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The best Pokémon teams for the Retro Cup in Pokémon Go

The Retro Cup mixes up the Pokémon Go Battle League.

The Retro Cup in Pokémon Go is one of the final competitions to close out the game’s Battle League Season 7. It will be available from May 10 to 17. The special competition restricts players to only using any Pokémon that does not exceed the 1,500 CP. Only the original 15 Pokémon Types are allowed, which removes Dark, Fairy, and Steel-type Pokémon. For those who have been having trouble with any Steel-types, you can avoid them in this cup.

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These are some of the best teams you can use in the Retro Cup.

The best Pokémon Teams for the Retro Cup

Lickitung, Drifblim, and Castform (Rainy)

The best Pokémon you can use in the Retro Cup is Lickitung, a Normal-type that is only weak to Fighting-types. It has an excessive amount of defenses, and plenty of health to make it difficult to defeat, and a superior lead Pokémon. We recommend using Drifblim, a Ghost and Flying-type Pokémon, along with Castform in its Rainy form.

  • Lickitung: Lick (fast move), body slam, and power whip
  • Drifblim: Hex (fast move), icy wind, and shadow ball
  • Castform (Rainy): Water gun (fast move), weather ball (Water-type), and thunder

Froslass, Machamp, and Hypno

Froslass is a Ghost and Ice-type Pokémon, perfect for taking out many of the Psychic-type Pokémon that will be showing up in the Retro Cup. The problem with it is that it will be vulnerable against a variety of Pokémon, such as Dark, Fire, Ghost, and Rock-types. We recommend you team it up with Machamp, a powerful Fighting-type with a high amount of damage, with the bulky Hypno, a Psychic-type. Hypno should be at the front, with Machamp as the switch Pokémon, and Froslass can be the last line of defense.

  • Froslass: Powder snow (fast move), avalanche, and shadow ball
  • Machamp: Counter (fast move), cross chop, and rock slide
  • Hypno: Confusion (fast move), shadow ball, and thunder punch

Abomasnow, Jellicent, and Regirock

For those who regularly compete in the Great League in Pokémon Go, Abaomsnow continues to be an ideal Pokémon for any competition in the 1,500 CP category. It’s an optimal choice, but it has a variety of weaknesses. You’ll want to place Regirock, a legendary Rock-type, as your first Pokémon and keep Jellicent as your switch or as the closing Pokémon for this team. Regirock might struggle a little bit, but Jellicent can make it up, and Abomasnow’s ridiculous attack power will help quite a bit.

  • Abomasnow: Powder snow (fast move), weather ball (Ice-type), and energy ball
  • Jellicent: Hex (fast move), ice beam, and shadow ball
  • Regirock: Lock on (fast move), stone edge, and focus blast

Medicham, Lapras, and Venusaur

Another staple of the Great League is Medicham, a Fighting and Psychic-type Pokémon. Despite being a Fighting-type, it has plenty of defenses, making it an ideal starting Pokémon for a team. If you want additional bulk and round out your choices, we’re going to recommend Lapras and Venusaur. Lapras is extremely flexible, so you can swap it out to use at the start or final choice. Venusaur is in the same boat but as a Grass and Poison-type. All three are extremely flexible, making them battles of attrition.

  • Medicham: Counter (fast move), ice punch, and psychic
  • Lapras: Ice shard (fast move), surf, and skull bash
  • Venusaur: Vine whip (fast move), frenzy plant, and sludge bomb

Whiscash, Marowak (Alolan), and Zapdos

Whiscash is another great Water-type Pokémon, and it’s also a Ground-type, which means it’s only weak to any Grass-type move. There are numerous Grass-type Pokémon that will likely rare their heads in the Retro Cup, but if you plan to protect against them using Marowak (Alolan), you can handle them pretty well. The final choice we’re going to recommend for this team is Zapdos, the Flying and Electric-type Pokémon capable of dealing plenty of damage against other 1,500 CP Pokémon. You want to use Whiscash as the first choice, Marowak as the switch, and Zapdos as the final Pokémon.

  • Whiscash: Mud shot (fast move), mud bomb, and blizzard
  • Marowak (Alolan): Fire spin (fast move), shadow bone, and bone club
  • Zapdos: Thunder shock (fast move), drill peck, and thunder

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Zack Palm
Zack Palm is the Senior Writer of Gamepur and has spent over five years covering video games, and earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Oregon State University. He spends his free time biking, running tabletop campaigns, and listening to heavy metal. His primary game beats are Pokémon Go, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy XIV, and any newly released title, and he finds it difficult to pull away from any Star Wars game.