It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of Go Battle League. In early seasons I would play until getting to rank 20 and then Ace, and then call it a season.
Then Pokemon Go introduced the season-long Go Battle League research that provided a raid-free way to get rare candy XL for every 100 wins, and that got me to do more battles for the rare XL candy. I’d sometimes get to expert within those 500 battles but never could make that last push for legend even after continuing to play. At a certain point it became clear that I should put down the game for my sanity instead of malding my way back down to Ace.
During the season of Shared Skies (summer 2024) I decided to liven things up in the early ranks, with the knowledge that it was likely to screw up my entering elo. No, I didn’t do auto rekt. I did the GBL Nuzlocke-ish challenge.
I didn’t treat it as a true Nuzlocke because I refused to transfer years-long investments. Instead, I set a few rules:
- I tagged everything I built before the start of the season in advance with
gblchallenge. Later, I could search for!@3move&cp1200-1500&!gblchallengeto find the fallen warriors. Newly built Pokemon during the challenge are ineligible. I started with 222 double-moved Great League Pokemon at the start of the Shared Skies season so that’s what I was stuck with. - Choose 3 Pokemon per battle.
- Using regular TMs on Pokemon before a battle is allowed. Using Elite TMs on Pokemon is not. This allows the use of new or improved moves since the last time you used a Pokemon.
- If I had multiple versions of a Pokemon built, I could use each of them, but each one is subject to fainting and removal from the challenge, so take note of which one you’re using. Looking at you, every punch+Shadow Ball variant of Hypno. (I’m not TMing them, screw that.)
- If I top left to quit a battle, all my Pokemon faint and cannot be used again.
- If my opponent top lefts to quit a battle, any of my surviving Pokemon are still considered alive and may be used again.
- If a Pokemon faints, remove the gblchallenge tag from that Pokemon. It cannot be used again for this challenge. This means losing the battle makes all three Pokemon ineligible for future battles.
- If a Pokemon survives the battle, it may be used in a future battle.
There was not a strict end to the challenge, but I continued the challenge for as long as it’s feasible, which turned out to be rank 17.
You know what? These were my weirdest and most fun battles. I didn’t want to lose, say, an Annihilape at rank 3, so I found myself digging through the history of Pokemon I’ve built for limited metas years ago and never reused to get through the low ranks before breaking out the open Great League viable Pokemon.
There were some great moments in the lower ranks that remind me why I still play this game:
- The very first match ended with some Bee on Bee violence: I was worried Vespiquen wouldn’t be able to carry me through the end of the game, and then my opponent’s third Pokemon was Beedrill. Vespiquen has Power Gem, which does about 80% to the Beedrill, and I was up a shield. Easy peasy.
- My Hisuian Qwilfish throwing a Shadow Ball at Poliwrath only for my opponent to catch it… on their Dusknoir.
- Learning that Ariados can learn Trailblaze… on my Barbaracle. Ouch.
- Wishing I had chosen my Ice Shard/Ice Beam Lapras instead of the Water Gun one in a rank 1 battle, where I may have been able to finish off the Razor Leaf Vileplume and the last of the Kingdra.
- Bewear farming down a Raichu and throwing double Superpower at Empoleon.
- Miltank, Mawile, and Vaporeon winning with a 3-ball flex against a somewhat meta team for rank 4 (Razor Leaf Ivysaur, Wigglytuff, Mandibuzz). Accomplishing this with two of my favorite Pokemon together was the chef’s kiss.
- Xatu is just bad. Why did I build this? Maybe that’s why I did so badly in the one meta I built it for.
Doing this challenge made me me think of how I teambuild, what types tend to succeed in Go, and about the variety of Pokemon I’ve built over the years (and what I haven’t).
I also find myself playing toward keeping a good Pokemon for future battles. Sometimes this doesn’t work in my favor, like the time Lanturn was waiting in the back for Sealeo and Gligar without Dig. (Remember when Return was the preferred option?) Ouch. Sometimes I forgot just how hard a glass cannon can hit and lose a battle for that reason.
Here’s a type breakdown of what I’ve built for Great League. Multiple types are counted under each type, and I’ve noted species I’ve built 3 or more specimens of:
- Grass 21 (3 Venusaur)
- Fire 13 (3 Charizard)
- Water 44 (4 Poliwrath, 3 Lapras, 3 Swampert, 3 Walrein)
- Electric 19
- Ground 26 (3 Gligar, 3 Swampert)
- Rock 11
- Bug 14
- Poison 31 (3 Venusaur)
- Normal 21
- Fighting 21 (4 Poliwrath)
- Psychic 23 (6 Hypno)
- Ghost 17
- Dark 23 (4 Umbreon)
- Ice 18 (3 Alolan Ninetales, 3 Lapras, 3 Walrein)
- Fairy 16 (3 Alolan Ninetales)
- Steel 20
- Dragon 12
- Flying 33 (3 Charizard, 3 Gligar)
tl;dr water is OP, no wonder Hoenn is full of it
Ahem. There was another point to make here. This is a pretty uneven distribution, even after subtracting all the water duplicates. Yes, water is one of the most common types, but it’s a very good offensive and defensive type. If water is combined with a second good defensive typing (looking at you, ground or fairy), then the typing alone can make the Pokemon worth considering.
First, let’s crown the hall of champions. All of these Pokemon survived three or more battles.
And now, all the teams, since you came here for it:
F – fainted, A – alive
rank 1 3-2
Victini F Shelgon A Vespiquen A W
Honchkrow F Nidoking F Bronzong F L
Breloom F Raikou F Lapras (WG/S/SB) F L
Luxray (shadow) A Decidueye (noFP) F Alomomomomola A W
Electrode F Shiftry (S/LB/FP) A Alomomomomola A W positive set!
rank 2 2-3
Noctowl F H-qwilfish F Piloswine A W
A-Raticate F Oranguru F Xatu F L
N-Castform Haunter Venomoth L
Barbaracle Dragonite Vespiquen L TIL Ariados learns Trailblaze
Litleo A Gourgeist F Umbreon A darkwalk W
rank 3 5-0
Bewear F Hypno-regular c/ip/sb A Moltres F W
Haxorus A Forretress F Runerigus A W
Hippowdon1408G A Luxray_shadow A Linoone A W everyone’s alive!
Magneton F Milotic A Gligar A (NS/R) W
Bibarel A Flygon F Scizor_shadow A W
rank 4 2-3
Swalot F Linoone F Golbat (pvp#155) F L
Qwilfish683G F Zapdos A Hitmonchan A W
Kingdra F Venipede F Runerigus F L
Sealeo F Gengar F Gligar (NS/R)F L
Miltank A Mawile (nonshadow) A Vaporeon A W
rank 5 3-2
Gastrodon Roserade double dark Umb L
Aurorus A Gliscor (regular) F Hypno (s) Tp/Fp F W
Lucario A Hippow1408G F Hypnoc/fp/sb#133 A W
Sudowoodo Jumpluff reg Gyarados reg L
Malamar A Sneasler F Hippowdon SA/WBR F W
rank 6 3-2
G-Weezing A Greninja F wormadampink A W
Samurott A Hypnoc/fp/sb F Dragalge F W
Lurantis F Politoed F Skuntank F L
Awak Sbone A Lapras IS/S/SB A Flygon F W
Heracross F Dusclops crown F Amuk5G F L
rank 7 5-0
Tyrunt F Drifblim A Escavalier F W
Hitmonchan A Drapion F Diggersby A W
Blaziken A Drifblim A Alomomola F W
G-Rapidash A Diggersby F Tentacruel A W
Rhyperior A Poliwrath MS/IW/DP A Gliscor_Shadow F W
rank 8 3-2
A-Sandshrew F Poliwrath MS/IW/DP F Emolga F L
SHypno TP/FB F Houndoom F Tropius A W
Primeape F SparkCharja A Bibarel F W
Piloswine A Haxorus F Tentacruel A W
Litleo F Vaporeon F Machamp reg F L
rank 9 1-4
Perrserker F Lapras IS/SB/S F G-Rapidash F L
Gallade (shadow) F G-Weezing F Crustle F L
Aurorus F Dragonair F Hypno (FP/FB) F L
Charjabug Sp A A9 PS#82 (regular) F Castform_rainy 394 F W
Mew (regular) F Toxapex F Shiftry Snarl F L
rank 10 2-3
Registeel FC Mantine BB Cofagrigus L
Clodsire A Lapras IS/IB/S A Obstagoon F W
Drifblim F Unova Stunfisk F Whimsicott F L
K-Ninetales FS A Swampert-regular F Hitmonchan A W
Shadow Jumpluff F Munchlax F Tentacruel F L
rank 11 4-1
Raichu (santa) A Venusaur (shiny) F Graveler (Alola) F W
Scizor (shadow) F Samurott F Umbreon (psychic) A W
Jirachi A Zweilous F Golbat (shadow) A W
Rhyperior A Charjabug (spark) F Abomasnow (regular) A W
Melmetal F Milotic F Charizard (Fire Spin) F L
rank 11, part 2 3-2
Shiftry BS F Pelipper F Jirachi A W
Luxray (shadow) F Lapras IS/IB/S F Wormadam lucky F L
Mew (shiny) F Minun A Sirfetch’d F W
Snorlax A Dedenne F Victreebel A (regular, rl) W
Piloswine F Altaria (the dp one) F Kanto Muk F L
rank 12 3-2
Alola-Raichu A Miltank A Attack-Wiggly F W
Lucario F Nidoqueen (regular) F Umbreon psychic F L
Malamar F Rhyperior F Victreebel (regular) F L
Snorlax A Minun A Froslass96G (old one) F W
Hitmonchan A Jirachi A Miltank F W
rank 12 part 2 3-2
Mawile A Azumarill (old) A Alolan Marowak (Shadow Ball) A W
Raichu (Santa) A Tropius F Azumarill (old) A W
Alolan Golem F Hypno (tp/sb regular) F Alolan Marowak (Shadow Ball) F L
Muk (Alola) snarl F Cradily F Poliwrath (Mud Shot) F L
Walrein (shiny) F Shadow Beedrill A Raichu (Santa) A W
rank 13 3-2
Walrein shiny A Shelgon F Raichu (Santa) A W
Jirachi A Tapu Fini A Shadow Beedrill A W 3ball flex
Bastiodon (old) A Medicham (old) F Alolan Ninetales (Charm) A W
Walrein (shiny) F Jirachi F Blaziken (Blaze Kick/Stone Edge) F L
Snorlax F Minun F Alolan Ninetales 1490 F L
rank 13, part 2 5-0
Kanto Ninetales A Greedent F Azumarill (old) F W
Empoleon A Trevenant A Hitmonchan F W
Ampharos F Noctowl A Sableye F W
Mawile (regular) F Swampert shiny (Sludge Wave) A Noctowl forestking F W
Ferrothorn A Clodsire F Jellicent A W
rank 14 3-2
Alolan Raichu F Dubwool F Tapu Fini F L
Gardevoir F Bastiodon (old) A Golbat shadow A W
Defense Deoxys F Clefable F Galar-Stunfisk F L
Bastiodon (old) F Jellicent A Gligar-regular A W
Toxicroak A Umbreon flower A Swampert-shiny SW A W
rank 14, part 2 4-1
Raichu (Santa) F Venusaur-shiny A Umbreon flower A W
Abomasnow-regular A Toxicroak A Whiscash-regular A W
Whiscash-regular F Umbreon flowerfox F Beedrill-regular F L
Abomasnow-regular A Cresselia fs/mb F Kanto Ninetales A W
Zapdos A Medicham F Quagsire-1431 A W
rank 14, part 3 2-3
Mandibuzz 1022G F Nidoqueen-shadow F Ferrothorn F L
Walrein-regular F Toxicroak F Gligar-regular F L
Zapdos F Poliwrath-regular-Counter A Registeel A W
Quagsire 1431G A Golbat-shadow A Scrafty F W
Abomasnow-regular F Quagsire 1431G F Kanto Ninetales F L
rank 15 3-2
Talonflame F Guzzlord F Swampert (shiny) F L
Galvantula F Vigoroth (shiny) A Whiscash (shadow) F W
Empoleon F Beedrill (shadow) F Vigoroth (shiny) F L
Shadow Magnezone A Shadow Gligar A Cresselia A W
Registeel F Quagsire (MB/SE) A Charizard (regular) A W
rank 16 5-0
Walrein (shadow) A Poliwrath (shadow) A Quagsire (1499 reg) A W
Swampert (shadow) A Vigoroth F Charizard (regular) A W
Venusaur (shiny) A Walrein (shadow) F Quagsire (MB) A W
Annihilape A Abomasnow (shadow) F Charizard (regular) F W
Golbat (shadow) F Quagsire (MB) A Dewgong A W
rank 16 part 2 4-1
Serperior F Feraligatr (shadow) A Charjabug A W
Carbink F Jellicent A Gligar-shadow A W
Swampert-Shadow A Alola Ninetales (shadow) A Lickitung F W
Golbat-shadow F Swampert-shadow F Hypno (IP/SB) F L
Magnezone-shadow A Jellicent A Gligar-shadow A W
rank 16 part 3 5-0
Umbreon (andriss96) A Venusaur (shiny) A Shadow Charizard A W
Poliwrath-shadow F Froslass A Jellicent F W
Feraligatr-shadow A Alolan Marowak-Shadow bone F Wigglytuff F W
Mantine F Quag(MB/SE) A Froslass A W
Lanturn A Gligar-shadow A Dewgong F W
rank 17 part 1 3-2
Quagsire (mb/se) F Registeel F Charizard shadow F L
Magnezone-shadow A Gligar-shadow F Feraligatr-shadow A W
Charjabug F Poliwrath A Alolan Ninetales-shadow F W
Umbreon (andriss96) A Skarmory A Skeledirge F W
Magnezone-shadow F Altaria F Azumarill F L
rank 17 part 2 3-2
Machamp (shadow) F Lanturn F Venusaur (shiny) F L
Poliwrath (regular Counter) F Cresselia F Trevenant A W
Mandibuzz A Venusaur (shadow) A Annihilape F W
Froslass F Umbreon F Skarmory F L
Mandibuzz A Feraligatr (shadow) F Venusaur (shadow) F W
And that’s it, only Mandibuzz and Trevenant remained but I did use them in the next match. I could no longer build a team of 3.
Considering how long it took to complete the challenge, I’m not sure if I’ll do it again. I had to wait until Open Great League was back in the rotation and be in the mood to do my sets, and the challenge almost got me to rank 20 and obtaining elo. I did this challenge last summer and the meta shifted significantly since then. As a result, I’ve built more Pokemon in the past three months, so the challenge is likely to take longer.