5 best Halloween Cup teams for Pokemon GO Season of Adventures Abound

The season of spooks is here in Pokemon GO, and the Halloween Cup kicks off the celebrations on October 21. This format of GO Battle League will follow the Great League structure but with additional restrictions. Only creatures with Ghost, Dark, Bug, Poison, and Fairy as at least one of their types are allowed to participate in this Cup.

The Halloween Cup will be available from 1 pm PT on October 20 to 1 pm PT on November 3. It will be accompanied by the Ultra League for the first week and the Master League for the second. Those looking for team recommendations for this special Pokemon GO PvP format can refer to the lineups listed below.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions. Attacks marked with * are Legacy Moves and require an Elite TM.

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Top Halloween Cup: Great League edition teams in Pokemon GO Battle League

1) Carbink, Greninja, and Galarian Moltres

Carbink, Greninja, and Galarian Moltres (Image via TPC)

Pokemon	Role	Fast Attack	Charged Attacks
Carbink	Lead	Rock Throw	Moonblast and Rock Slide
Greninja	Switch	Water Shuriken	Hydro Cannon* and Night Slash
Galarian Moltres	Closer	WIng Attack	Brave Bird and Ancient Power

Carbink is a fantastic Great League pick in Pokemon GO, thanks to its massive bulk. With Rock and Fairy-type coverage, it can hit most meta picks in the Halloween Cup for at least neutral damage.

Greninja and Galarian Moltres are glassy sweepers. They have high damage output and shine when the team has a shield advantage. Therefore, depending on your opponent's Lead and Switch, try to save shields for the back end so that the attack-heavy critters can thrive in the end-game.

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2) Mawile, Drapion, and Shadow Alolan Marowak

Mawile, Drapion, Shadow Alolan Marowak (Image via TPC)

Pokemon	Role	Fast Attack	Charged Attacks
Mawile	Lead	Fairy Wind	Play Rough and Iron Head
Drapion	Switch	Poison Sting	Crunch and Sludge Bomb
Shadow Alolan Marowak	Closer	Fire Spin	Fire Blast and Shadow Bone*

Mawile is rarely seen in Pokemon GO, but with the Steel and Fairy-type combination, it thrives in the Halloween Cup. It can dish out severe chip damage with Play Roughs or Iron Head in the early game, leaving the opponent's team vulnerable to an Alolan Marowak sweep.

Drapion is an excellent offensive Safe Switch as it deals big chunks of damage between Crunch and Sludge Bomb. When using this composition, try to save shields for Alolan Marowak, as it has great potential to win you battles in the late-game phase.

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3) Mandibuzz, Golbat, and Nidoqueen

Mandibuzz, Golbat, and Nidoqueen (Image via TPC)

Pokemon	Role	Fast Attack	Charged Attacks
Mandibuzz	Lead	Snarl	Aerial Ace and Dark Pulse
Golbat	Switch	Wing Attack	Poison Fang and Shadow Ball
Nidoqueen	Closer	Poison Jab	Poison Fang and Earth Power

Mandibuzz got a buff in the Adventures Abound season of Pokemon GO Battle League, thanks to the increased damage of Aerial Ace. It has always been tanky, and the absence of many Electric-types from the format lets it thrive even more.

Both Golbat and Nidoqueen have a strong Poison-type presence to save Mandibuzz from a potential Fairy overhaul. Thanks to its secondary Ground-typing and access to Earth Power, the latter can also decimate spicy picks like Mawile and Alolan Marowak.

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4) Froslass, Charjabug, and Toxapex

Froslass, Charjabug, and Toxapex (Image via TPC)

Pokemon	Role	Fast Attack	Charged Attacks
Froslass	Lead	Powder Snow	Shadow Ball and Avalanche
Charjabug	Switch	Volt Switch*	X-Scissors and Discharge
Toxapex	Closer	Poison Jab	Sludge Wave and Brine

Frosslass is a strong pick in the open Great League and can thrive even more in the Halloween Cup since there aren't many Rock-type critters serving as threats. The recent Grubbin Community Day in Pokemon GO has also made Charjabug a highly favorable safe switch pick to deal with Dark-type Pocket Monsters.

Toxapex is the epitome of bulk, and with no bait moves in its kitty, this critter promises to hit hard with every Charged Attack. Overall, each member of this team covers others' weaknesses.

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5) Shadow Scizor, Hisuian Qwilfish, and Carbink

Shadow Scizor, Hisuian Qwilfish, and Carbink (Image via TPC)

Pokemon	Role	Fast Attack	Charged Attacks
Shadow Scizor	Lead	Bullet Punch	Iron Head and Night Slash
Hisuian Qwilfish	Switch	Poison Jab	Shadow Ball and Aqua Tail
Carbink	Closer	Rock Throw	Moonblast and Rock Slide

Shadow Scizor is a glass cannon in Pokemon GO, which means it hits very hard but cannot take much damage in return. Combining Bullet Punch, Iron Head, and Night Slash is enough to take down at least one enemy. Scizor's only weakness is Fire, so protect it from those Pocket Monsters.

Hisuian Qwilfish and Carbink cover for this weakness. The former is an offensive powerhouse, while Carbink can take hits for days, making it great for late-game scenarios where both teams have run out of shields.