The Premier Cup for the Ultra League is back on Pokémon Go. It will take place August 9-23, and you must have the option to participate if you are not looking to participate in any of the Master League competitions. The Ultra League Premier Cup works a little differently than the traditional Ultra League. You cannot yet use any Pokémon stronger than 2.500 CP and all players are prohibited from using any Mythic or Legendary Pokémon. Other than that, all Pokémon are available.
This guide details the best teams we can recommend for the Ultra Cup Premier League. We have another guide that shows a tier list for the best Pokémon that you can use if you are looking to make your own combinations.
The best Pokémon teams for the Premier Ultra League
Nidoqueen (Shadow), Zangoose and Skarmory
Season 8 saw more managers reliably use Nidoqueen, the shadow version, much more often. Most players use it in the Great League, but it has great use in the Ultra League. We highly recommend using it. In the exchange role, you want to use Zangoose, a Pokémon that can spam most of its attacks. But it's a glass cannon. To support him, you want to use Skarmory and rely on his Steel-type to keep him in combat.
- Nidoqueen (Shadow): Poison jab (fast moving), earth power, and poison fang
- Zangoose: Shadow Claw (fast move), close combat and night rift
- Skarmory: Flash of air (fast move), brave bird and sky attack
Abomasnow, Bouffalant and Electivire (Shadow)
A favorite of Ultra League players is Abomasnow. He is a powerful Ice and Grass-type, with a huge weakness to most Fire-type attacks. You want to be careful using this Pokémon as your main choice, but it has what it takes to beat it. In the Switch role, you want to use the Normal-type Bouffalant. For the latest Pokémon Closer, Electivire, the shadow version, can hold the line.
- Abomasnow: powder snow (fast moving), weather ball (ice type) and energy ball
- Bouffalant: Mudstrike (fast movement), trampling and skull blow
- Electivire (Shadow): Shock Thunder (fast move), Ice Fist, and Wild Charge
Primeape, Dragalge and Stunfisk (Galarian)
If you prefer to use a Fighting-type starter, you'll want to have Primeape ready for your main role. He has a lot of attacks that can send spam and even better pressure for quick movements. Although it's a glass cannon, you can make sure you have Stunfisk, Galarian's form, as the closest Pokémon. Stunfisk is one of the best choices for this competition and will be hard to beat. For the Switch, we will recommend Dragalge.
- Primeape: Counterattack (quick move), close combat and night slash
- Dragalge: Dragon tail (fast move), water tail and outrage
- Stunfisk (Galarian): Mudstrike (fast moving), landslide and earthquake
Swampert, Jellicent e Venusaur
An old favorite for many PvP players is Swampert, the reliable Land and Water type. It is only weak to Grass-type moves, so unless your opponent has one ready, Swampert will be a challenging Pokémon to beat. As the Switch, Jellicent can do some reliable damage, but it's a little risky to put these two together. If your opponent has a counter for both Pokémon, you want to use Venusaur as the Closer.
- Swampert: Mud Shot (quick move), hydraulic cannon and earthquake
- Jellicent: Hex (fast move), bubble beam and shadow ball
- Venusaur: Vine whip (fast moving), hectic plant and mud bomb
Scrafty, Goodra and Steelix
For the ultimate team, we recommend using the Dark and Fighting-type Pokémon, Scrafty. It is a bulky and fast paced Pokémon that can deal quite heavy damage against most opponents. For the Switch role, you want to use Goodra, a Dragon-type that is on the same wavelength as Scrafty, but with a variety of Dragon, Water, and Grass-type attacks. The latest Pokémon, Steelix, is a defensive Steel-type that can hold the line as the last Pokémon on your list.
- Scrafty: Counter (quick move), foul play and power punch
- Goodra: Dragon's Breath (fast move), powerful whip, and muddy water
- Steelix: dragon tail (fast move), crunch and earthquake
