What is the best team for Great League in Pokemon GO? (January 2023)

Each month in Pokemon GO brings changes that might have a noticeable impact on the metagame. These sorts of adjustments can often lead players astray if they do not keep up. This could very well result in a ranking loss.

One of the most popular ranked ladders that trainers can pursue in the mobile game is the Great League. This bracket has the easiest entry point as it only allows creatures up to a combat power score of 1,500 to participate. This is often the most used format in the professional scene, having been seen at the Pokemon World Championships.

Knowing the optimal team build for the Great League can help players by giving them a blueprint on how to construct a successful party. They will also get insight as to how they can counter the meta to bag more wins.

So, what creatures should trainers expect to see during this month's Great League in Pokemon GO?

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer

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Medicham and other top contenders for Pokemon GO's Great League

Registeel

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

Having been a top performer in the tier since its debut, Registeel has only gotten better with time.

Defense Deoxys is being seen less and less since it has not appeared in Raid Battles. Meanwhile, Dark and Ghost-type creatures like Trevenant and Scrafty are seeing more usage. As a result, Registeel has only gotten better.

Thanks to its access to the move Lock-On, Registeel is the only popular creature in the tier to have the ability to spam charged attacks. This allows it to put a large amount of pressure on its opponents to either waste all their shields in the first turn of battle or take all the damage.

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Medicham

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

Pokemon GO's metagame can be stagnant at times, but it often shifts around the kind of Pocket Monster players can use to spice things up. This allows for some unusual choices to rise in popularity, which is the case for Medicham.

As more Dark and Steel-type Pokemon are seeing usage, Fighting-type creatures are becoming more prevalent. Medicham's bulk, paired with its access to spammable charged attacks, seems to be its claim to fame. These quick-executed charged Fighting-type attacks allow it to make quick work of top Steel-type creatures like Registeel and Galarian Stunfisk.

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Swampert

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

Always the best choice for a competitive Water-type in Pokemon GO, Swampert is the reason why the term "bulky water" still holds relevance in the main series. The creature only has one weakness: Grass-type attacks. This means it is free to roam the Great League, where Grass Pokemon are significantly less common than in other tiers.

While it can be incredibly tanky in the right circumstances, Swampert may struggle to deal the finishing blow to weak targets. This is because its fast attack damage is a little subpar compared to other picks in the Great League.

Nevertheless, Swampert is still one of the best choices players can bring to their ranked battles in Pokemon GO.