5 must-try spice picks in Pokemon GO's Ultra League

Pokemon GO's Ultra League is the intermediary PvP format between the entry-level Great League and the heavyweight fighters of the Master League. Like its contemporaries in the PvP space, the Ultra League has its own defined competitive meta, but players can often find a surprising amount of success by tossing in a few out-of-the-box Pokemon picks in their teams.

Variety is the spice of life, and some spicy Ultra League picks in Pokemon GO can carry a team a surprisingly long way. With that in mind, it doesn't hurt to examine some of the best picks to spruce up a team and potentially catch opponents off guard.

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Five of the best spicy Ultra League picks in Pokemon GO

1) Clefable

Clefable is surprisingly well-rounded in Pokemon GO's Ultra League (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Thanks to a sizable base Stamina stat of 216, Clefable can regularly fire off its Charged Moves like Dazzling Gleam and Meteor Mash much more reliably than in the Great League. Its Fairy-typing counters many of the popular Dragon-types in the Ultra League meta like Giratina, and its dependable Stamina stat allows it to take some punishment even against legendaries.

Clefable does have its weaknesses though. Steel-types can easily cause trouble for it, and meta picks like Registeel, Galarian Stunfisk, Shadow Skarmory, and Shadow Steelix are very much worth avoiding. Still, Clefable can be a surprisingly bulky brawler in the Ultra League.

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2) Alolan Ninetales

Alolan Ninetales' solid type combination and defensive stats serve it well in Pokemon GO (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Thanks to a base Defense of 192 and a Fairy/Ice type combination, Alolan Ninetales can be a nightmare for any Dragon-type in Pokemon GO's Ultra League. Despite being pretty expensive to power up in the long run just for Ultra League, once Alolan Ninetales has maximized its potential, it has several excellent matchups.

Thanks to moves like Weather Ball (Ice), Psychic, and Charm, Alolan Ninetales can be a problem for multiple meta-picks including Giratina, Pidgeot, Poliwrath, and Virizion.

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3) Rapidash

Rapidash is a surprisingly solid Fire-type attacker in Pokemon GO PvP (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Countless Fire-types are regarded highly in Pokemon GO's Ultra League meta including Charizard, Talonflame, and Skeledirge, but trainers shouldn't overlook Rapidash either. With an Attack stat of 207 and access to Ground-type moves like Scorching Sands and Drill Run, Rapidash can surprise opponents when they expect the Pokemon to only lean on a Fire-type arsenal.

Although its Ground-type moves give it sneaky type coverage, Rapidash still has dependable Fire-type attacks like Incinerate, Fire Spin, and Flame Charge. The damage production might be surprising if trainers adequately use this Kanto Pokemon.

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4) Galvantula

Galvantula can buck assumptions about Bug-types in Pokemon GO PvP (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Most Pokemon GO players likely don't have the best opinion of Bug-type Pokemon. Although some Bug-types defy expectations, countless others are often considered too weak to be viable. However, Galvantula proves to be an interesting Ultra League pick in PvP thanks to its partial Electric-typing and a base Attack stat of 201 that gives it some unexpected firepower against multiple meta darlings.

As a Bug/Electric-type with respectable damage output, Galvantula matches up well against Poliwrath, Tapu Fini, Jellicent, and Cresselia. However, it isn't particularly sturdy, so trainers must provide it with a safe switch and/or a solid defensive anchor to step in for it.

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5) Blastoise

Blastoise can help fight back against the Fire-type meta in the Ultra League (Image via The Pokemon Company)

As previously mentioned, Fire-types are heavily involved in the Ultra League meta. This is also true of Flying and Dragon-types, and Blastoise can cause problems for all of these opponent types thanks to its solid Defense stat of 207 and access to powerful Water-type moves like Hydro Cannon and Ice-type attacks like Ice Beam.

With a maximum CP of 2466, some bulkiness, and the ability to take on Fire, Flying, and Dragon-types with its move selection, Blastoise may not be the strongest Water-type in the Ultra League, but it has some tricks up its sleeve. With a trainer who knows their type matchups well, Blastoise can be an effective team anchor that can wash away unshielded opponents.