5 best PvP picks to farm during Pokemon GO Taken Over event 

Pokemon GO's upcoming Taken Over event is easily one of the best Team GO Rocket events players have seen from Niantic in a long time. Not only does it mark the debut of Shadow Groudon, a long-anticipated powerful Ground-type, but Shadow Mewtwo as well. This has led to a lot of competitive players eagerly awaiting any more information regarding this occurrence.

Thankfully, there are several new Shadow Pokemon and wild encounters set to arrive during Pokemon GO's Taken Over event. Many of these creatures have some serious potential and will likely be popular in various competitive tiers in the game. Here are some of the best battlers players can pick up during the Taken Over event.

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5 best PvP Pokemon players can catch during Pokemon GO's Taken Over event

1) Groudon

Groudon is the mascot Legendary for this event (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Groudon is the big-ticket item a lot of players want access to during the Taken Over event. To catch Groudon in Pokemon GO, you need to complete the special research that will be distributed to all players when the event goes live. after completing it, you will receive a Super Rocket Radar, which will trigger a Giovanni encounter at the next Rocket Pokestop or balloon.

Groudon is one of the strongest Ground-types in the game, with its Primal form being the definitive strongest. This new Shadow form it is arriving in has the potential to mix up Groudon's playstyle, allowing players to go for a more offensive build with the support of the shadow boost.

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2) Mewtwo

Mewtwo is arguably one of the most popular monsters in the franchise (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Shadow Mewtwo will be returning to Pokemon GO through Shadow Raids, which will occasionally appear throughout the event's duration. Mewtwo is known for being one of the best creatures players can add to their party in the game's Master League, so those who are interested in competing here should pick one up while they can.

Mewtwo has a wide array of different attacks, with some very great coverage options thrown into the mix. Its high stats and diverse moveset make it one of the best and most adaptable battlers a trainer could ask for. Its shadow variant will also have higher damage output due to the shadow bonus.

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3) Vullaby

Vullaby evolves into Mandibuzz, one of the best Flying-types in the Great and Ultra League (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Vullaby is one of the many different 12-kilometer egg hatches that will be available during the Taken Over event. The monster can also spawn rarely in the wild. Vullaby is a valuable asset in the competitive scene thanks to its evolution, Mandibuzz. This evolution is perfect for Pokemon GO's battle system.

Mandibuzz is a defensive tank with a moveset that allows it to constantly fire off charged attacks, putting immeasurable pressure on the opponent to drop all of their shields. Its stats and easy-to-use moveset allow it to perform well in both the Great League and the Ultra League.

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4) Poliwag

Poliwag evolves into two popular Water-types in Pokemon GO's competitive scene (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Players can obtain a Poliwag by completing its respective 1-star Shadow Raid. In addition to being a good choice, it can also be encountered in its shiny variant after completing the battle. Both of Poliwag's final evolutions, Poliwrath and Politoed, are excellent choices for Pokemon GO's Great and Ultra Leagues.

Water-types are incredibly valuable in the Ultra and Great Leagues as they can effectively dispatch most Ground, Rock, Fire, and some of the notable Steel-types of the tier. The benefit of Poliwrath's additional Fighting typing makes it the preferred choice for many players, but Politoed does have Ice Beam and Blizzard for Ice coverage.

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5) Scraggy

Scraggy evolves into Scrafty, one of the best Dark-type battlers in Pokemon GO (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Scraggy is one of the wild encounters that can appear throughout the duration of the event. It too can also be found in its shiny variant if players get lucky. Scraggy is a Dark and Fighting-type that evolves into Scrafty, one of the best Fighting-types in the Great and Ultra Leagues.

Scrafty is a Fighting-type with balanced attack and stamina, but a massive wall of defense. Scrafty's resistances to Ghost and Psychic-type attacks, thanks to its Dark secondary typing, helps it stand out from other Fighting-types. It also possesses the move Power-Up Punch, which allows it to decimate weaker enemy teams.