Pokemon Go Tour: Spawn Guide

As long as PvP has existed and Azu has been a warping force on the Great League Meta, Meganium the Jolly Green Dino has been around to counter the Water/Fairy.  With coverage against basically anything that doesn’t fly, Meganium has been a cornerstone of many solid lines in GBL history, including the original Caleb Peng double grass. If you have played much Great League PvP, I probably don't have to sell you on the virtues of Meganium. What is new and interesting is the introduction of Shadow Meganium into the mix.  I’m not always the biggest fan of shadows, but easier and more consistent matchups against Bastidon and Azumaril are incredibly juicy pickups. The only catch is that you need the Community Day exclusive move, Frenzy Plant.  What a coincidence, we can evolve to Meganium with Frenzy Plant this weekend! Make sure to end the weekend with as good a Meangium as possible and evolve at least one Shadow Meganium.  While you’re at it don’t forget to stash away a Chikorita for Little League.

Meganium sees some play in Ultra but it seems like one of those situations where if you’re planning on doing that, you no longer need my advice.  Similarly, Bayleef (and the far more interesting Shadow Bayleef) is one of those mons that I’m not going to tell you not to have one of, but it is certainly not something I would tell you to worry about, and not something I would have a newer player building out their collection prioritize this Saturday.  That being said, if you need the XL get the XL.  Do it for Dylan

With the powerful combo of Incinerate into Blast Burn, access to Solar Beam as a nuke/way to beat Water types and the fast move Shadow Claw if you want to surprise opponents, Typhlosion is a powerful and versatile offensive Pokemon. Even when it's resisted Blast Burn hits hard, so it's tough to meaningfully wall Typhlosion.  Being slow and pretty frail makes it tough for Typhlosion to have as great an impact in any Great League formats so it is more of an Ultra League Premier  pick than anything else. Typhlosion needs the Community Day exclusive move Blast Burn, which you can evolve for this weekend so make sure you have at least a Typhlosion for Great and Ultra when all is said and done. 

Shadow Typhlosion is a new option whose prospects I am not super optimistic about. Damage output is not Typhlosion’s problem and being shadow doesn’t help Typhlosions lack of bulk.  Evolve one because why not, but I wouldn’t be shocked if you never used it.

When Niantic gave Noctowl access to Shadow Ball people really overhyped the iconic Johto bird. The things that held Noctowl back before still hold it back now, Normal subtyping doesn't help that much and Shadow Ball though a sizable improvement over Psychic or Night Shade does do much to pressure or swing bad matchups. It’s not a bad mon, there are just a number of better flying options you would use before the owl in Open Great.  This does mean that in more limited formats where those other fliers are ineligible, Noctowl becomes a great option, so you will want to have one for those metas. Hoothoot is a pretty common Pokemon, so even if you don’t already have a Noctowl built, you will probably be able to later.  Save your best one but there are higher priorities.  

Ariados is another mon that has benefited from Niantics recent and repeated attempts to make Poison relevant.  Poison Sting into lunge is a fast and deadly combo.  The lack of bulk, lack of a real second move (unless you get the Cross Poison boost), lack of coverage against Steel types and paper mache bulk hold Ariados back in ways that say, Nidoqueen, isn’t. It does represent an upgrade over Scolipede who already saw play in limited formats like Love Cup, so there’s that at least.  Ariados more than fills that role and anything that can spam Lunges like that should see play in most limited formats where it’s legal.  Spinarak isn't the rarest of spawns, but if you don’t have a good Ariados already, you should after this weekend.

Crobat is a really solid option in Ultra Premier Classic.  Poison Fang does Poison Fang things. Beats grass types, beats charmers, beats fighters. Very useful mon to solidify various Ultra Prem cores.  Not much play in Great League formats, where you would usually prefer Golbat. Zubat isn’t that rare so don’t worry about it, but save your best one if you remember.   

The sparky dolphin! Lanturn has long been a solid if not spectacular pick in Open Great league.  Where it tends to shine thought, is limited formats.  Water/Electric just tends to line up really well in limited formats and Lanturn with its good bulk and solid if slow moveset is often the best in class to fill that role. Chinchou has nested and been a featured spawn a number of times so most seasoned trainers probably have their chosen Lanturn already.  BUT if you either don’t have one built or yours has terrible IVs, make sure to save your best one from Saturday! It would probably be wise to save a Chinchou for Little League as well.

Togepi will be in 2k eggs which means they won’t evolve into Great League eligible Togekiss.  Togekiss is a force in basically every Masters format, so if you can hatch or trade for a hundo (bonus as always for the shiny) that would be great, but not something you can really control or stress over this weekend. What I would be especially concerned about is wild spawning Togetic that WILL be Great League eligible. Rare opportunity to catch low CP Toge with PvP IVs so don’t miss out!

Ampharos doesn't seem like it would be a great PvP mon, but formats like Ultra Premier where there is a solid place in the meta for Electric types and a lack of great Electric options give the Light Pokemon a great opportunity to strut its stuff.  Volt Switch is a good move. Thunder Punch is a solid cheap Charged move and Focus Blast is a great nuke to scare the Steel types that creep up in most metas. Mostly an Ultra League option, it still sees some Great League play in limited formats.

 I don’t need to tell anyone with PvP/GBL experience how good Azumarill, the blue egg bunny of death, is in trainer battles.  Amazing bulk, great typing, good coverage moves.  The main thing slowing Azu down is that everyone else knows how good it is too, and often come to battle with 1 or 2 solid counters.  Maril has been featured in a lot of events, and doesn't have to be the most XL intensive investment, so a lot of people won’t benefit much from Marill spawns, but if you either haven't found a good XL Azu or have not yet built up the XL to build it, make sure to do so on Saturday as Azu will probably continue to be a great pick in Open and Limited formats.

Access to counter? Check.  Amazing coverage with Rock Slide + Earthquake?  Check. Cute little happy tree dance charge move animation? CHECK.  Sudowoodo has a lot of things that are desirable in PvP.  It’s one of those mons that you see in the rankings for a cup and think “Why not Sudowoodo?” Well the reasons why not would be a non-stab counter, an abysmal defense typing, a dearth of better Counter users available and just generally struggles to overcome bad matchups. Still, When the right limited format comes along, Sudowoodo has the tools to really rock. 

The Weather Ball nerf hurt Politoed a little bit, but it is still a strong and incredibly spammy choice in both Ultra and Great League formats. The nerf probably hurt it more in Ultra than it did in Great, but I still recommend having one for both leagues. Poliwag has been super common this season so most trainers probably already have a Politoed ready but seemed worth mentioning just in case you didn't realize you needed one.  Poliwag sees some play in Little League so worth a stash if you get a good one and have the space.

Jumpluff is kind of a discount Tropius, but if you don’t live in that region or have access to someone who went to Safari Zone Montreal, then Jumpluff or Shadow Jumpluff is a solid answer to the many Water types of the Great League.  It’s Community Day exclusive move, Acrobatics, despite having an awesome animation, is somewhat of a sidegade over the Aerial Ace moveset, speed for power.  There’s no reason not to evolve to Jumpluff for the move this weekend, though, as you can always TM it away later and if you don’t evolve it this weekend, your next opportunity won’t be till December.  If you missed Hoppip day, or maybe had weather boosted spawns messing with your IV spreads, there’s no reason you can’t get a good Jumpluff this weekend.

I’m contractually obligated to remind everyone to acquire the sire this weekend.  Pretty meh mon in Open Great League, it just isn't fast or good enough to justify using it over other Mud Shot users like Swampert, Politoed, or either of the Fisks.  That being said, Stone Edge/Earthquake is “perfect” coverage and in Limited Cups where those other Mud Shotters aren't allowed, Quagsire is a great pick.  Just keep it away from those grass types.  Mostly a meme in Ultra, so just worry about getting one for the Great League. Wooper is a hefty investment for Little League, but it’s a solid pick and so hecking cute. Worth saving a good one for sure.

This weekend you will be able to evolve Eevee into Umbreon and learn the Community Day exclusive move, Last Resort.  Umbreon's natural moveset only has Dark type charge moves, so it is important to evolve for a coverage move when you can.  An amazing generalist in basically every format where it's legal in both Great and Ultra league, you NEED to evolve a Last Resort Umbreon if you don't already have one.

Slowbro is arguably the better of the Slowvolutions, but if you don't already have one of each for Great and Ultra go ahead and get that done this weekend. Slowpoke for Great League is expensive and niche, so I wouldn't recommend worrying about it until you have most things in this article done already, BUT save one for Little League.

WOB!  While not that great in Open, Wobbuffet with its great bulk and access to the incredibly strong fast move Counter can see great success in limited Great League metas  The hitch here is that you actually want a purified Wob due to its access to the Charged Move Return, and Wob is currently not in the Rocket pool.  monkaS. That being said, whether you already have a purified Wob ready or simply want to be ready for the future, this is a great opportunity to stock up on XL via catches and trades.  

Besides being the signature Pokemon of Silph World Champion SpeediestChief Forretress is truly an interesting mon in PvP.  To put it plainly, it's the rare Bug Bite user that doesn't suck.  Mirror Shot is a bad move but with Bug Bites poor energy generation, having a cheaper move to offset the nuke Earthquake has a lot of utility.  The debuff chance is just a bonus.  Probably more useful as a shadow where the increased Bug Bite damage can really add up, but that's no reason not to have at least a Forretress at your disposal.  Pineco hasn’t been a nesting or common spawn for a while so trainers who are newer to PvP very well might not have a Forretress built. Save your best one and remember to make it your buddy the next time Speediest is playing for a world title.

Gligar is yet another Johto Pokemon that is pretty mediocre in Open Great League but pretty decent in limited formats. Regular and shadow are both viable, but you can only worry about the regular version this weekend. Has some play in Ultra Premier as well. Gliscor is not a super common spawn so make sure you take advantage and get one with good PvP IVs for Great and Ultra this weekend

Steelix has good stats and great typing but an awkward moveset holds Steelix back from greatness. Doesn’t see a ton of play in Great or Ultra League, but Steelix is always lurking, one favorable meta or move rebalance away from becoming a must have mon, if only for limited formats. The real reason I bring up Steelix is because of how XL intensive an investment Steelix for Ultra League. Outside of one event, Onix has been a pretty hard to come by spawn since the GO Beyond update, being found most easily in Raids and Research. This weekend will represent the latest and best opportunity for trainers to stock up on Onix XL.

Although it requires an Elite TM, I would recommend saving an under 500 CP Onix if you get a good stat product species. Like I said, they don't spawn in the wild that often so getting a good one under the cap can be tough.  

Few pokemon benefitted from the Poison Sting buff like Qwilfish did. The ability to spam out Aqua Tails at a pace few mons can match and a Poison subtyping that helps against the likes of the feared Azumarill, this mon was built to be a thorn (or quill?) in the side of opposing trainers in limited formats. This mon is so much fun to play, especially when you get locked in against the water bunny. The lack of bulk makes it hard for this mon to really thrive in Open Great League, but trust me, you want to come away with a good PvP IV version of this mon.

It looks like Heracross will be a raid only mon for this event. Pretty interesting counter user in limited Great League formats. Being given to rock blast gave it a bait that isnt the bebuffing close combat to work with which opens up some play patterns. Being double weak to Flying moves is tough and having less tools to fight back against fliers than other Counter users do keep Heracross from being a great option in Open Great. Sees some play in Ultra Premier Classic but is definitely more of an anti-meta pick there. It’s a regional so if you don’t already have a Heracross, do at least a raid or two just in case, but I wouldn’t stress about past that. Bonus points if you get that pretty shiny!

Besides having a name that is no doubt the source of many HILARIOUS ligma jokes in Twitch chat, Slugma evolves into another mon that shines in limited formats, Magcargo. With access to Rock Throw and now Incinerate and an array of Charge moves in the debuffing Rock Tomb, solid Stone Edge and hard hitting Overheat, Magcargo and its Fire + Rock will be able to hit most things that aren’t mud bois with strong at least neutral damage. It’s defensive typing, though rare, is pretty bad and its stats aren't great but those moves have been enough to make it an incredibly meta option in limited formats like Love Cup. We had an event with tons of slug spawns pretty recently, but maybe you missed that event or never got a good one. Make sure you have a good Magcargo come the end of the weekend.

Slugma sees play in Little League formats where Charm or fliers are good, so I would recommend saving one under 500 if you can manage.  

Little Cup Swinub can be pretty good in limited formats. Great League Piloswine can be ok in limited formats especially when things like Froslass are banned. Master League Mamoswine performs fine in Premier Classic. Not an incredibly inspiring family of Pokemon but grab each to bolster your PvP collection.

Mantine has access to a lot of different viable and interesting movesets. Bullet Seed, Bubble, and Wing Attack are all solid fast moves. Bubble Beam, Ice Beam, and Aerial Ace make for an interesting assortment of coverage and debuff versatility. Still, the lack of real power and coverage in its charge moves put a real damper on this mons prospects in Open Great League. Still, as a key role player in stall teams and the ability to be a solid generalist in the right limited cups, you will want a good Mantine in your PvP arsenal. Not the most common spawn, I bet a lot of people don’t have high stat product versions of this mon, so while not a priority this weekend, make sure to check your Mantine and save your best one for PvP.

Everyone knows about Skarmory. It has been a powerhouse in SIlph and GBL since the beginning. However, it is very possible for newer players to either not have one with good PvP IVs or have the XL to build one for Ultra (where it needs to go to level 50) as Skarm has not been in nests for over a year now.  Though not the terror we had hoped it would be in Ultra, and certainly a not a future-proof investment with Corviknight coming someday, Skarmory continues to be one of the best mons in Open and Limited formats in the Great League. Overall, I would say getting one with good IVs for the Great League is incredibly important while stocking up on XL is far less important than other things you can do with your time and storage space.

Part of the inconic (and annoying) Empoleon Double Dragon team that plagued Ultra Prem for many seasons and in general one of the best safe swtiches (and coin flipper) in Ultra Prem. Less good now that Trevenant and Walerin exist but it turns out Dragon Breath and Octazooka are still pretty good. Horsea hasn't been super common lately so no reason not to save a good one for Great and especially Ultra if you haven't done so already.  

Hitmontop is kind of a “sim hero” where it does better in rankings and simulations than it ever seems to do in actual battle.  THAT BEING SAID, you ever wondered why you don’t see or think about Hitmontop that often? That’s because wild Hitmontop are very rare. It is more than likely that the way you get one is evolving a Tyrogue (assuming your Tyrogue will evolve into Hitmontop which is 1 in 3), trading for one that someone else already evolved, or getting one from research.  It is incredibly difficult to have a Hitmontop with good PvP IVs. Assuming they are wild spawns this weekend, it will be the best opportunity ever to get a high stat product Hitmontop. Even though I don't rate it that highly, it would be a huge mistake to not take advantage of this rare opportunity at wild Hitmontop spawns. Do your best to come away from this weekend as good a Hitmontop as possible.

Shadow TTar with the Community Day exclusive move Smack Down makes some noise every year in Halloween Cup and that's about it.  Will see some play in limited formats like that but is pretty bad in Open Great. Shadow TTar with Bite is an interesting Master League Classic option.  You see where this is going. The Larvitar you catch this weekend will mostly be XL candy fodder. The reason I bring it up is that you can evolve into Tyranitar and get Smack Down this weekend, so it is important to evolve one for Great League and one for Masters. If nothing else the Masters TTar will be useful for raids and Rockets. If you don't have a shadow to evolve, it wouldn't be terrible to evolve a regular one with Smack Down, but understand that it's not optimal.

The Ho-Oh and Lugia you get this weekend won’t be eligible in Great League. They are incredibly useful in Master League, but need legacy moves (Aeroblast for Lugia and then either Earthquake or Sacred Fire for Ho-Oh). Refer to this article for a more in depth look at that situation.