5 most picked Pocket Monsters from Pokemon GO NA International Championships 2023

Pokemon GO competition hit center stage at last weekend's Pokemon North American International Championships (NAIC). Top players from around the world converged in Columbus, Ohio, to battle for the highest rankings and the dream of becoming the NAIC champion. To that end, trainers formulated some of the highest-performance teams of Pocket Monsters.

As many Pokemon GO players might expect, a large collection of the top creatures seen in the GO Battle League meta played a big part in the NAIC. From the trainers in pools to the Top 8 finalists, many Pocket Monsters loomed large over the three-day tournament.

If Pokemon GO fans missed out on the NAIC, it doesn't hurt to cover which species were the most utilized during the competition.

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The five most-used picks during the Pokemon GO North American International Championships

1) Registeel

Registeel's popularity in Pokemon GO's Battle League is unquestioned, thanks in part to its incredible tankiness and ability to charge energy quickly. The legendary Steel-type creature has a sturdiness that is almost unparalleled in the standard GBL formats, and it can fire off Charged Moves at an alarming rate.

Registeel may have weaknesses to Fighting-type Pocket Monsters, which also happen to be quite popular in the competitive meta. However, a well-built team around Registeel can still contend with the best, as players like Reis2Occasion and HouseStark93 clearly showed.

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2) Medicham

It's tough not to love what Medicham brings to the table in competitive Pokemon GO, at least in the Great League format that the International Championships utilize. It has quality maximum Defense IV stats, a fairly unique Fighting/Psychic-typing, and good type coverage, with moves like Ice Punch to catch opponents off guard.

Although Medicham lost a little steam as the Pokemon GO NAIC continued, it was nonetheless a reliable and incredibly capable choice among many of the top players (as well as two finalists).

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3) Shadow Swampert

There are few starter Pokemon more capable in PvP than Shadow Swampert, which benefits from nearly every aspect of its kit in Pokemon GO. It has an excellent Water/Ground-typing, high Attack and Stamina IVs, as well as the ability to use the Poison-type move, Sludge Wave, for additional type coverage.

Thanks to Mud Shot's attack speed and energy generation, Shadow Swampert can deliver a hard-hitting Hydro Cannon attack at regular intervals. Sludge Wave also gives this Hoenn starter the ability to take on Fairy-type creatures like Azumarill with relative ease.

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4) Altaria

Durability pays dividends in Pokemon GO PvP, and Altaria is a shining example of this in both the Great and Ultra Leagues. It may not have the firepower of some other Dragon/Flying-type creatures, but it does have access to Fairy-type moves, which makes it a spectacular option.

Even better, Altaria excels in most type matchups that are both favorable or on neutral ground. It won't win every battle, but its high defensive capabilities and solid offensive output are part of what made it a lock in many teams in the NAIC. Plus, it's cheap to level up with regard to Stardust cost!

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5) Lickitung

With the exception of Wdage's championship-winning team, Lickitung was essentially ubiquitous in the NAIC tournament. It sports a high health total, thanks to its Stamina IVs, Normal typing to protect it from super-effective damage from all sources except Fighting-type foes, and a diverse move collection.

Since it is both tanky and versatile with access to Ghost, Grass, Normal, and Psychic-type moves, Lickitung became a go-to option as a closer and safe switch in the North American International Championships. It may have been a joke in the past, but an XL Lickitung can be one of the most dangerous assets on any player's team.