Pokémon GO PVP Tier List: Best Pokémon for Battles

Pokémon GO has expanded on its PVP mechanics heavily since its release. Players can enjoy PVP events and special Battle Leagues with rare rewards for victory. Choosing which Pokémon to use on a team can be difficult with so many options, but here are a few great choices.

Best PVP Pokémon in Pokémon GO

Mewtwo

Best League: Master League
Max CP: 4,178 (with 100 IV)

Mewtwo has a great DPS and can really hold its own in most League battles. This Pokémon is also extremely useful in gym battles against most opponents. The real threats to Mewtwo are Bug, Dark, and Ghost-type attacks which you can avoid for the most part since these aren't overly common typings in PVP battles.

Best Offensive Moveset: Confusion (Quick Attack), Psystrike (Charged Attack)
Best Defensive Moveset: Confusion (Quick Attack), Psystrike (Charged Attack)

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Metagross

Best League: Master League
Max CP: 3,791

Metagross is a great option for nearly every battle due to its long list of resistances. The biggest threats to Metagross in battle are Ground, Fire, Dark, and Ghost-type attacks. The biggest downside to this Pokémon is that its strongest move, Meteor Mash, can only be obtained using an Elite TM at the time of writing.

Best Offensive Moveset: Bullet Punch (Quick Attack), Meteor Mash (Charged Attack)
Best Defensive Moveset: Zen Headbutt (Quick Attack), Meteor Mash (Charged Attack)

Dragonite

Best League: Master League
Max CP: 3,792

Dragonite is one of the most powerful Dragon-type Pokémon in the game, and that's saying something. Dragon-type Pokémon are reliably strong and can usually go toe-to-toe with most foes. Players should avoid Ice, Rock, Fairy, and other Dragon-type Pokémon. If players want to use Dragonite as an attacker, which it is most suited for, they'll need to use an Elite TM to get the move Draco Meteor.

Best Offensive Moveset: Dragon Tail (Quick Attack), Draco Meteor (Charged Attack)
Best Defensive Moveset: Dragon Tail (Quick Attack), Outrage (Charged Attack)

Slaking

Best League: Master League
Max CP: 4,431

It is easy to overlook Normal-type Pokémon like Slaking, but players could benefit from adding this defender to their team. Slaking has the highest CP and HP in the game and can really soak up damage. Its Quick Attack can be a pain as it does no damage, but it makes up for this with its tanky defense.

Best Offensive Moveset: Yawn (Quick Attack), Hyper Beam (Charged Attack)
Best Defensive Moveset: Yawn (Quick Attack), Play Rough (Charged Attack)

Swampert

Best League: Great League
Max CP: 2,974

Swampert is a great choice for the Great League. It has fantastic resistances and strengths, but its best Charged Attack (Hydro Cannon) can only be obtained using an Elite TM at the time of writing. This is one of the easier Pokémon to come by and can often be found in the wild during events.

Best Offensive Moveset: Mud Shot (Quick Attack), Hydro Cannon (Charged Attack)
Best Defensive Moveset: Mud Shot (Quick Attack), Hydro Cannon (Charged Attack)

Interested in other helpful Pokémon GO guides and want to read more? Check out How to evolve Wurmple into Cascoon or Silcoon in Pokémon GO on Pro Game Guides!