Pokémon GO's Ultra League has undergone a lot of changes with the update that raised the maximum level to 50. Many good Pokémon in the Great League that couldn't compete in the 2500 league now have a CP boost that allows them to go head-to-head with Registeel , Giratinas and others. Check out the updated list of the 29 best Pokemon in the Ultra League below!
1. Registeel
Grade: 10
Registeel is even better in the Ultra League than it is in the Great League, and it's definitely worth the expensive investment of Stardust and Candy to power it up. Since the addition of Mirar to its moveset, the Pokemon is able to press shields very effectively and thus require an immediate counter.
best attacks
Agile: Aim, as it provides all of the power generation needed for Registeel to use its slow charged blows.
loaded: Flash Cannon and Focused Burst. Use this second only in extreme cases.
2. Giratina (Altered Form)
Grade: 10
Giratina is still considered the god of PvP in Pokémon GO due to its high popularity. With an incredible Dragon and Ghost typing, Giratina has unique characteristics that make it effective against most of the Ultra League's relevant Pokémon. To complement, the pokémon still has the 11th highest Stamina in the game! Its main characteristics are the high energy generation and the strong pressure on the shields that it can exert with fast charged attacks. Fortunately, the pokemon suffered a certain nerf after the Ancestral Power's damage decrease.
best attacks
Agile: Both Shadow Claw and Dragon Breath are viable. The former generates energy faster and makes you win the charge attack race against almost everyone. The second generates slower energy, but deals very high damage even without needing energy.
loaded: Ancestral Power and Dragon's Claw. The first offers a 10% chance to increase the Pokemon's Attack and Defense while the second is the best combination with Shadow Claw to press shields.
3. Galarian Stunfisk
Grade: 10
Galarian Stunfisk, or Stunfisk of Galar, was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the increased level cap in Pokémon GO. Now all its qualities are very well applied in the Ultra-alloy: great resistance, great moveset, amazing coverage and so on.
best attacks
Agile: Mud Shot, as it has one of the highest power generations in the game.
loaded: Rockslide and Earthquake. The first one has one of the best cost-benefits in the game with great damage and very low energy costs. The second is responsible for Galarian Stunfisk destroying Registeel and being a major threat to anyone who isn't tough against Terra.
4. Skarmory
Grade: 10
Like Stunfisk, Skarmory has increased in health with the max level upgrade. Top tier in the Great League, the steel bird now reaches the full Ultra-alloy with its 10 resistances and only 2 weaknesses, both of which are very uncommon in this league (Focus and Electric). Its best performance is against the many Plant Pokémon in this league, which can be defeated even without using Charged Attacks.
best attacks
Agile: Air Strike, as it generates a little more energy and grants advantages against Fighting, Grass, and Insect Pokémon.
Loaded: Air Strike and Flash Cannon. The first is the fastest option and still does great damage. The second should only be used in occasional situations where Flying blows are resisted.
5. Swampert
Grade: 9
Like Registeel, Swampert performs much better in the Ultra League, as there are far fewer Plant Pokémon here. Its advantages against Steel and great movesets put it at an advantage against several top tiers, and it can even beat Giratinas in certain scenarios.
best attacks
Agile: Mud Shot, as it is the attack with the highest energy generation in the entire game.
loaded: Hydro-cannon (event attack) and Earthquake. The former is a much stronger option than Surfing and requires very little more energy. Earthquake requires more energy, which is not a problem considering the quality of the Mud Shot.
6. Sirfetch'd
Grade: 9
Sirfetch'd has directly entered the list of the best Pokémon in the Ultra-League since its launch in the game. While he doesn't have the best stats, his moveset couldn't be more versatile and his coverage fits like a glove against the other top tiers in this league. Undoubtedly one of the most useful pokémons in all of the Pokémon GO leagues.
best attacks
Agile: Counter as it is the best Fighting-type agile move in the game with great damage and power generation.
loaded: Night Slash and Leaf Blade. The former is the best option for dealing with Giratinas and any Pokemon that take neutral damage, as it has the possibility to buff Sirfetch'd's Attack. The second is used against very spare opponents like Swampert and Fighters who resist Night Slash.
7. Muk (Forma de Alola)
Grade: 9
Muk in Alola Form is a consistent and safe choice for Ultra Alloy. With great stamina and multiple Shadow moves, he's capable of wresting tight wins from Giratinas and other top tiers. Another interesting feature is that it has two equally viable movesets depending on the opponents it faces.
best attacks
Agile: Roar or Poisoned Strike. The first has great power generation and the second has a more restricted use, but does more damage and can be devastating if combined with Acid Spray.
loaded: Dark Pulse and Mud Wave/Acid Spray. The first is Muk's mandatory move, as it requires very little energy and deals a lot of damage. The second attack can vary between Mud Wave (very high damage) or Acid Spray, which deals almost insignificant damage but lowers the opponent's Defense. In the latter case, the Poisoned Blow becomes the Pokemon's biggest source of damage.
8. Cresselia
Grade: 9
One of the toughest Pokemon in the game. Cresselia is ranked 12th for highest Defense in the game and 18th for highest Stamina. These attributes help him a lot to survive the various Ultra League Dark Pokemon, to which Cresselia is vulnerable. in addition to being extremely durable against many other opponents. His access to Confusion allows him to deal massive damage without needing a charged attack.
best attacks
Agile: Confusion, because even generating less energy, it does much more damage.
loaded: Future Vision and Moonbeam. The first is Cresselia's mandatory move and the second offers cover against Dark Ones and Dragons.
9. Snorlax
Grade: 9
Snorlax gets its place in the sun due to the fact that the Ultra-League metagame revolves around Giratina. With insane resistance, Snorlax is only countered by Fighters while dealing neutral damage to most Pokemon in the game. However, Snorlax is terrible at pressing shields and needs a lot of energy farm. Lucky for him, he has enough life for that.
best attacks
Agile: Licking is the only viable option here.
loaded: Body Slam and Earthquake. The former is the best option for Snorlax to press shields while the latter offers great cover against Steel Pokemon.
10. Lickilicky
Grade: 9
Lickilicky has many characteristics similar to Snorlax. Its ability to deal with Giratinas and the fact that it is only countered by Fighters puts it in exactly the same place as the fat pokémon. The only practical difference between the two is that Lickilicky has access to Shadowball.
best attacks
Agile: As with Snorlax, Licking is the only viable option here.
loaded: Shadowball and Earthquake. As already mentioned, Shadow Ball is one of the best charged moves in the game because it deals very high damage and doesn't take long to charge. Earthquake is used to counter Steel Pokemon.
11. Charizard
Grade: 8
Charizard is an amazing option for dealing with Steel Pokémon for the Ultra Alloy, especially Registeel. In addition, the pokémon has a very varied moveset that allows it to adapt well to many other opponents. However, Charizard doesn't have a good resistance besides having some very dangerous vulnerabilities.
best attacks
Agile: Calls Hurricane, as it generates more energy.
loaded: Explosive Burn (event hit) and Dragon's Claw. The former offers all the damage Charizard needs, while the latter requires very little energy to use, making it the perfect move for pressing shields.
12. Escavalier
Grade: 8
Shortly after entering the game, Escavalier has already earned his place in the Ultra-league. While his attributes aren't impressive at all, his very high coverage against important types in this league (mainly Steel and Dark) make him a very difficult pokémon to deal with for players who follow the metagame.
best attacks
Agile: Counterattack as it deals more damage, has more important cover and still generates energy faster
loaded: Ace of Ares and Megahorn. The former has the lowest energy cost of all Escavalier's charged attacks and deals good damage. Megahorn is your strongest move and should be used whenever you have an energy advantage (except against Bug resistant Pokemon, of course).
13. Gyarados
Grade: 7.5
Even with very low resistance, Gyarados remains relevant in the Ultra-league due to the type of its attacks, which allow it to deal very well with several top tiers present in this list.
best attacks
Agile: Dragon Breath, as it is one of the best agile attacks in the game due to the very high damage. That's the main reason Gyarados is good.
loaded: Chewed and Water Jet. The first requires little energy and counters Giratinas, while the second is Gyarados' highest damage attack.
14. Scrafty
Grade: 8
One of the most recent Pokemon included in Pokemon GO. Scrafty is the evolution of Scraggy, which can only be obtained through rewards in ranked PvP. The pokémon has a curious combination of Fighter and Dark and its metagame is not yet fully established. However, Scrafty has access to an extremely useful combo of moves.
best attacks
Agile: 100% personal preference. Both Roar and Counter are great moves relevant to the Ultra League. The first generates a lot of energy while the second deals more damage.
loaded: Dirty Play and Empowering Punch are the only viable options.
15. Poliwrath
Grade: 8
Poliwrath is a surprisingly good choice for the Ultra Alloy. Its Fighting and Water types allow it to counter a lot of Steel and Dark Pokémon present in the League metagame well, while also being able to resist some very powerful and common attacks. Its presence on this list is also due to the fact that several Pokemon that would destroy it are not viable in the Ultra League.
best attacks
Agile: Mud Shot, as it is the attack with the highest energy generation in the entire game. Basically, whenever this move is available, it should be chosen.
loaded: Dynamic Punch and Ice Punch. The former is the best option for dealing massive damage to Shadows and Steel in the meta, while the latter offers great coverage against Poliwrath's 2 counters: Flying and Grass, as well as dealing good damage to Giratinas and Togekiss.
16. Flavoring
Note: 8
Aromatisse is a Fairy-type and came to be something of a competitor to Togekiss, who for a long time was the only relevant Fairy in the Ultra-League. Now, Aromatisse has stolen its spot with more evenly distributed stats and a slightly more versatile set of moves.
best attacks
Agile: Enchant, as it deals a lot of damage and counters Giratinas, Fighters, and Shadows.
loaded: Psychic and Thunder. The first offers cover against Poisons (one of Aromatisse's weaknesses) and the second is great against the Steel Pokemon on this list.
17. Talonflame
Note: 8
Talonflame is a Flying/Fire type and is a real nightmare to play against. Despite not having unusual attributes, its extremely offensive moveset and absurdly high energy generation make it the perfect pokémon to dictate the course of combat.
best attacks
Agile: Incinerate, because despite being very slow, it does great damage and generates energy VERY fast.
loaded: Flame Attack and Flying Bird. The first is Talonflame's standard attack which, in addition to the great damage, provides a guaranteed attack bonus that, added to the high damage of Incinerate, already starts to scare the opponent. Flying Bird, on the other hand, deals exceptionally high damage, but causes a very strong debuff, and should be used just before dying, or before a trade.
18. Giratina (Origin Form)
Grade: 8
Giratina in its Origin Form has dropped a lot in popularity, but it still deserves its spot on this list as it is extremely similar to its Altered Form. The only difference between the two is the Altered's slight advantage in coverage and resistance. Other than that, they both benefit from their awesome typing and movesets. Even so, Origin Form's lower toughness makes it less relevant in a meta full of Togekisses, Nightcrawlers, and Dragons.
best attacks
Agile: Shadow Claw, as it deals great damage and still has great energy generation.
loaded: Shadowball and Menacing Wind. The first is one of the best charged moves in the game because it's cheap and deals very high damage. The second charges even faster and can buff Giratina.
19. Uxie
Grade: 8
Another tank. Uxie is in the 11th place with the highest Defense in the game. Even though he is purely psychic, Uxie manages to resist in combats against big names like Giratina or Registeel due to his high resistance. Against other, more neutral opponents, Uxie can do damage without needing to use her expensive charged moves.
best attacks
Agile: Confusion is the only viable option.
loaded: Future Vision and Thunder. The first deals devastating damage and should be used when the opponent has no more shields, as it is very expensive. The second is the only viable second option.
20. Togekiss
Grade: 8
Togekiss performs well in the Ultra League as it is able to counter Giratinas and all of the Dark Pokemon it attracts into the metagame. These are basically all the reasons that make the pokémon stand out, since Togekiss doesn't have great resistance and suffers against Steel-type pokémon.
best attacks
Agile: Enchant deals very high damage against several top tiers of the Ultra-League, without the need for charged moves. Power generation, however, is below average.
loaded: Ancient Power and Flamethrower. Togekiss doesn't need a Fairy-type charged attack as all necessary Fairy-type damage is dealt by Enchant. As such, Ancestral Power is a great deal of damage for a fair cost, as well as offering a chance to buff Togekiss. Flamethrower, on the other hand, offers cover against Steel-type Pokémon.
21. Zangoose
Note: 8
Despite the very low resistance, Zangoose has become one of the best Pokémon in the Ultra-League for being able to deal very well with Giratinas and Registeel. Its Normal typing also benefits from the absence of many Fighting Pokemon in this league, and its moveset is also not to be thrown away.
best attacks
Agile: Shadow Claw, as it is one of the best agile attacks in the game due to its very high energy generation.
loaded: Night Slash and Melee. The first is extremely useful against the League's Dark Pokemon (Giratinas and Muk), while the second is the best option for destroying the other Normals (Snorlax and Lickilikci) besides Registeel.
22. Shiftry
Grade: 8
The most recent pokémon in the game on this list, Shiftry has arrived in the meta with everything. Even though it doesn't have amazing attributes (mainly its Defense, which is very low), the pokémon has access to an enviable moveset that makes it a very difficult tool to deal with at the highest levels of the game. Certainly an anti-meta Pokemon that can be a headache for those who just want to play Giratina and Swampert!
best attacks
Agile: Growl, due to very high power generation.
loaded: Leaf Blade and Foul Game. The former does a lot of damage compared to its very low energy cost and still heavily counters Swampert and Poliwrath. The second makes Shiftry viable against Giratinas and Psychics in general.
23. Steelix
Grade: 7.5
Steelix has a similar role to Registeel in the metagame, but doesn't have access to Mirar. Even so, Steelix has an extremely high Defense (it is in 10th place in the entire game), as well as a long list of resistances due to its Steel and Earth types. In addition, the pokémon has access to great moves that have a big impact against several top tiers of the Ultra-league.
best attacks
Agile: Dragon Tail due to more consistent damage and slightly higher power generation.
loaded: Bite and Earthquake. The first provides a great win chance against Giratinas and the second deals super effective damage against 5 types, including Steel.
24. Blastoise
Grade: 7.5
Blastoise has great tools for dealing with the most popular Pokemon in the Ultra League. With good stamina and access to great moves, Blastoise still benefits from the lack of good Grass Pokemon in the 2500 league. However, as its max CP is 2466, the Turtle requires a good amount of Stardust and Candy to power up. for the Ultra-alloy.
best attacks
Agile: Water Revolver as it does more damage.
loaded: Hydro-cannon and Freezing Ray. The first is one of the best charged moves in the game with very high damage and low cost. The second provides coverage against the league's Dragons.
25. Typhlosion
Grade: 7.5
Typhlosion is an extremely aggressive Pokemon that does a lot of damage but also dies fast. His access to good moves that are useful against popular Ultra League Pokemon is the only reason he makes this list, as his results are inconsistent due to his "all or nothing" character.
best attacks
Agile: Shadow Claw, as high energy generation is a condition without which Typhlosion is not viable.
loaded: Explosive Burn (event hit) and Sunbeam. The former is all the damage source Typhlosion needs, while the latter is the only viable option.
26. Meganium
Grade: 7.5
As in the Great League, Meganium stands out among the Plant Pokémon because it has access to the Earthquake move, which offers great coverage against common Fire and Poison counters. Meganium also has above-average toughness, but with a max CP of 2410, it's also an expensive investment to become viable in the Ultra Alloy.
best attacks
Agile: Vine Whip.
loaded: Plant Wrath (Event Hit) and Earthquake. The former is possibly the best Plant attack in the game and Earthquake provides great coverage.
27. Mew
Grade: 7.5
The famous Pokemon 151 makes its appearance in the Ultra League with its incredible stamina and absolutely unpredictable moveset. In all, Mew has no less than 14 (CA-TOR-ZE) available agile attacks of the most varied types and absurd 25 (TWENTY-FIVE!!) charged attacks, which also encompass almost all types of the game. Although Mew has serious problems against the Giratinas, he is capable of rivaling most of the other top tiers in the Ultra-League.
best attacks
Agile: Shadow Claw is the most relevant in the Ultra League metagame.
loaded: Psychic Shock and Shadow Pulse. The former gains bonus damage for being psychic while the latter is a tool for dealing with Giratinas.
28. Articuno
Grade: 7.5
The cutest legendary bird managed to enter the metagame with Frost attacks capable of countering dragons. Additionally, his Freezing Wind debuff is even more valuable in many Ultra League situations.
best attacks
Agile: Ice Shard, as it generates energy much faster.
loaded: Freezing Wind and Hurricane. In addition to the first Ice-type being (which counters several pokemons on this list), it still causes a very difficult debuff to deal with. The second, much less used, is indicated for when you have a lot of energy advantage.
29. Lapras
Grade: 7.5
The majestic turtle Lapras arrives in the 2500 league with his very high Stamina (14th highest in the game). His main role in the Ultra League is to counter the Giratinas. Other than that, Lapras only has to Fear the Fighters and the few Plant Pokémon present in the league. As for the latter, at least, Lapras has access to some great Ice moves capable of providing the necessary cover.
best attacks
Agile: Water Revolver, as it is the most balanced option in terms of damage and power generation.
loaded: Surfing and Freezing Ray. The first is mandatory as it deals high damage and requires little energy. The second also gains bonus damage for being Ice-type, which provides great coverage against the league's Dragons and Flyers.
