The Psychic Cup is returning to thePokémon GOBattle League in September 2024, providing Trainers with another unique challenge to flex their best team compositions. As the name suggests, only Psychic-type Pokémon are allowed to enter this cup, and they’ve all got to be under the 1500 CP limit, so the pool of Pokémon to choose from is very slim compared to standard leagues.
To make things even more tricky, the newMax Out seasonushered in a host ofPokémon GOBattle League changes, meaning the teams you used in previous years might not cut it anymore. Some popular attacks have been buffed while others have been nerfed, so it’s important to keep up to date with the Pokémon that are worth powering up and the ones that should be left on the bench.
Best Team For The Psychic Cup In Pokémon GO
Galarian Rapidash & Slowbro Get A Chance To Shine
One of the best teams you can use for the Psychic Cup isGalarian Rapidash, Galarian Slowbro, and Malamar. These three Pokémon have a range of coverage options and should keep you prepared for most Pokémon you’ll end up battling. Of course, it’s impossible to say what an ‘ultimate’ team is because it always depends on what your opponent sends out, but this is a pretty good starting point.
A quick look atPvPoke’s early rankingsof the Psychic Cup will show you that – on paper, at least –Galarian Rapidashis the one to watch. As well as having an impressive Attack stat, its dual Fairy/Psychic typing means Galarian Rapidash doesn’t have to worry about Bug and Dark-type attacks, which are traditionally a Psychic-type Pokémon’s biggest weaknesses. Many Trainers will be focusing on these types when looking for counters for this cup, so this is a good way to take them off guard.
Don’t worry if you missed out on the recentPonyta Community Day, as you won’t need the featured attack from that event. A combination of Fairy, Bug, and Normal-type moves will help Galarian Rapidash shine in the Psychic Cup.
As with any league or cup, you’ll want a Pokémon that can comfortably counter the top threat, and that’s whereGalarian Slowbrocomes in. This Poison/Psychic-type creature has a great moveset that mixes Poison, Psychic, and Dark-type attacks, perfect for taking down Fairy-types and Psychic-types alike, while its high Stamina stat will help it stay on the battlefield longer. You will need to watch out for Ghost, Ground, and Dark-type attacks, though, so be aware of those.
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The final spot on your team is a little more flexible, but I’d recommend going withMalamar. This fearsome squid has become a must-have Pokémon since the Max Out season kicked off, thanks to a buff for Psywave buff that improves its Energy generation. This gives Malamar faster access to the Dark-type Charged Attack, Foul Play, which can take out most Psychic-type opponents, or the Normal-type Hyper Beam if you need some neutral coverage.
One important thing to consider when putting a team together for the Psychic Cup is that you’ll need counters for Psychic-type Pokémon. Their usual weaknesses areBug, Dark, and Ghost-type attacks. Not every Psychic-type Pokémon will have these weaknesses, especially if they have a secondary typing, but it’s a good starting point.
Another top team recommendation would beVictini, Bruxish, and Claydol. Victini is a longtime Psychic Cup champion, and that’s no different here, where it has key wins against big threats like Galarian Rapidash, Bronzong, and Gardevoir. Bruxish is an excellent addition to the team, with its varied moveset able to take down plenty of the meta. Finally, Claydol is a great choice for taking down the ever-present Malamar, as well as Galarian Slowbro and Victini.
Regardless of which team you end up using, the usual tips still apply: ensure they know their optimal movesets, especially if they benefit from Same-Type Attack Boost (STAB), and power them up as close to the 1500 CP limit as possible, but be careful not to accidentally go over. A good set of IVs is helpful, too, but not essential. You can check those using the Appraisal feature on an individual Pokémon’s information page.
Best Pokémon For The Psychic Cup
Look For The Dual-Type Pokémon
Although the rules of this cup state that only Psychic-type Pokémon are allowed to enter, those with dual typings are indeed eligible, such as the Psychic/Fire-type Victini or the Steel/Psychic-type Bronzong. It’s usually better to take dual types into a themed cup like this one, as there’s more chance of them having useful resistances and a range of attack types that mono-type Pokémon don’t have access to.
You can see some of the top-ranking Pokémon for the Psychic Cup, as well as their best movesets, in the table below:
Megahorn and Body Slam
Brutal Swing and Sludge Bomb
Foul Play and Hyper Beam
V-Create and Overheat
Payback and Heavy Slam
Aqua Tail and Psychic Fangs
Wild Charge and Trailblaze
Shadow Ball and Triple Axel
Surf and Shadow Ball
Dark Pulse and Rock Slide
Astonish
Shadow Ball and Energy Ball
Because the pool of eligible Pokémon is very small in the Psychic Cup, it’s more likely that you’ll need to have access to the top-rated Pokémon listed above for a chance of winning. If you don’t have any of them, it might be best to give this one a miss, especially as the Psychic Cup only tends to appear once a year and it could be quite a resource-heavy task to get a full team ready. It’s up to you whether the investment is worth the reward.
On a final note, it’s worth pointing out thatMew is banned from the Psychic Cup, meaning it’s the only Psychic-type Pokémon that cannot take part in this format. Other than that, feel free to let your Psychic-type Pokémon run wild.
When Does The Psychic Cup Start & End?
Time To Round Up Your Psychic-Type Pokémon
The Psychic Cup will return to thePokémon GOBattle League onTuesday, July 28, 2025, and run until Tuesday, August 09, 2025. This means you’ve got just one week to take part and show off your best Psychic-type Pokémon.
It will run alongside the traditional Master League, which is the GO Battle League’s most challenging format. There’s no CP limit meaning Legendaries and psuedo-Legendaries can run wild, but it also makes it a very expensive format because of all the Stardust, Candy, and XL Candy you’ll need to power up Pokémon high enough to be viable. If you want an easier challenge, stick to the Psychic Cup or wait for theGreat Leagueto return the following week.
