The Psychic Cup is returning to the Pokémon GO Battle 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 new Max Out season ushered in a host of Pokémon GO Battle 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.

Top Teams For The Psychic Cup

One of the best teams you can use for the Psychic Cup is Galarian 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.

Galarian Rapidash – The Top Threat

A quick look at PvPoke's early rankings of the Psychic Cup will show you that – on paper, at least – Galarian Rapidash is 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 recent Ponyta 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.

Galarian Slowbro – The Counter

As with any league or cup, you'll want a Pokémon that can comfortably counter the top threat, and that's where Galarian Slowbro comes 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.

Malamar – The Versatile Option

The final spot on your team is a little more flexible, but I'd recommend going with Malamar. 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.

Choosing The Right Team

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 are Bug, 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 be Victini, 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.

Mastering The Cup

Regardless of which team you end up using, the usual tips still apply: Make sure 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.

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.

The Best Moves For The Psychic Cup

You can see some of the top-ranking Pokémon for the Psychic Cup, as well as their best movesets, in the table below:

| Pokémon | Fast Attack | Charged Attacks | |---|---|---| | | Galarian Rapidash | Fairy Wind | Megahorn and Body Slam | | Galarian Slowbro | Poison Jab | Brutal Swing and Sludge Bomb | | Malamar | Psywave | Foul Play and Hyper Beam | | Victini | Quick Attack | V-Create and Overheat | | Bronzong | Feint Attack | Payback and Heavy Slam | | Claydol | Mud Slap | Scorching Sands | | Bruxish | Bite | Aqua Tail and Psychic Fangs | | Alolan Raichu | Volt Switch | Wild Charge and Trailblaze | | Gardevoir | Charm | Shadow Ball and Triple Axel | | Galarian Slowking | Hex | Surf and Shadow Ball | | Beheeyem | Astonish | Dark Pulse and Rock Slide | | Chimecho | 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.

Final Thoughts

On a final note, it's worth pointing out that Mew 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.

The Psychic Cup will return to the Pokémon GO Battle League on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, and run until Tuesday, September 24, 2024. 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 the Great League to return the following week.

Source: PvPoke