What is the best team for Master Premier Cup in Pokemon GO? (April 2023)

One of the things that keeps the Pokemon GO player base returning to the game is its ever-evolving content. With a wide range of gameplay options, from challenging Raid Battles to events centered around catching Pokemon, Niantic's popular mobile game has something for everyone. However, nothing captivates the audience quite like the Battle League.

Although the Battle League can be a polarizing topic for many experienced players due to the stagnant metagame, Niantic has come up with a solution by introducing rotating specialty cups for interested players to participate in.

None of these special cups garner more excitement than the Premier Cup. By banning some of the game's most oppressive threats, a new metagame can emerge, leaving room for a much more engaging team-building experience. Here's what players can expect going into this rotation's Master Premier Cup.

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Pokemon GO's top contenders for the Master Premier Cup

Dragonite

Dragonite as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

With many of the Master League's biggest threats being those that can either outperform or completely wall off Dragonite, the original Dragon-type finally has room to spread its wings. Being incredibly bulky with an impressive Attack stat and several coverage options, Dragonite is the cup's best opening attacker.

However, the pick is not without its shortcomings. Despite its versatility, Dragonite still struggles against bulky Normal and Steel-type opponents. To overcome this, players should consider teaching Dragonite the move Superpower. However, as Superpower is a self-debuffing attack, players need to be cautious when using this move in battle.

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Florges

Florges as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

With the Pokemon GO metagame's most oppressive Steel-types gone, Fairy-types are free to take control and capitalize on the rise of Dragon-types in the tier of play. None of the Fairy-types in the game come close to being as well-equipped for the new competitive landscape as Florges.

With a moveset of pure Fairy-type moves, Florges can be a huge threat. It has access to some great Charged Attacks and a high Defense stat, so it does not lose to very many picks in the Master Premier tier of play. The only true viable counter to Florges is Magnezone, who is seen much less commonly than the Fairy-type flower queen.

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Shadow Snorlax

Snorlax as it appears in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

While Snorlax is a great Pokemon in Pokemon GO on its own, being in its shadow variant gives it the extra boost of power it needs to get ahead of some of the other contenders in the metagame. Since Snorlax is a stamina tank instead of a defense tank, the loss of defense from being a Shadow Pokemon matters very little to the peaceful giant.

Having great moves like Lick, Body Slam, and Superpower, Shadow Snorlax is a very potent Normal-type attacker that can be challenging to deal with without the right preparations in Pokemon GO. As such, Shadow Snorlax has earned its spot as one of the best creatures in the game's Master Premier Cup.