Pokémon Go Catch Cup – World of Wonders Little Edition: Best Pokémon

Top the competition with these monsters and moves

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The Catch Cup – World of Wonders Little Edition in Pokémon Go (say that title three times in quick succession) is running from May 17 to 24, 2024, and revolves around adapting and making the most of the Pokémon you’ve recently caught. That can make participating in this competition a little expensive, as any fighters will have to be upgraded from scratch. Fortunately, the event’s duration falls into a time window that quadruples all Stardust rewards for wins, so you should come out of this with a hefty profit.

Table of Contents

1. Pokémon Go Catch Cup – World of Wonders Little Edition: Best Leads
2. Pokémon Go Catch Cup – World of Wonders Little Edition: Best Safe Switches
3. Pokémon Go Catch Cup – World of Wonders Little Edition: Best Closers
4. Pokémon Go Catch Cup – World of Wonders Little Edition: Best Attackers

There are no restrictions on what type of Pokémon you can field, though there is a maximum limit on competition points (CP) these creatures can possess. In Catch Cup – World of Wonders Little Edition, this is set at 500 CP. That, in turn, keeps Stardust and Candy XL costs a little lower than in the accompanying Great League Edition of the Catch Cup.

This competition’s catch – call the pun police for this one – is that you may only use Pokémon caught during the duration of the ongoing Season of World of Wonders, so since March 1, 2024, at 10am local time.

We’ve put together a list of the best Pokémon for Catch Cup – World of Wonders Little Edition to get you started on your team building process. Our choices are based on statistics and simulations provided by PvPoke.com for Little Cup, the closest format to this one in terms of rules. Please be aware that the Pokémon listed here may not correspond to the selection you have at your disposal, as this depends on factors such as your region as well.

Pokémon Go Catch Cup – World of Wonders Little Edition: Best Leads

The Pokémon in this class are aggressors, able to apply pressure on your opponent right from the start of a battle. They can also drag out tough battles for a long time thanks to their bulk. This allround effectiveness makes them perfect to open a match up, enabling you to score an early knockout or set up a strong counter play.

1. Smeargle [XL] (Lock On, Flying Press)
2. Marill [XL] (Bubble, Aqua Tail, Body Slam)
3. Shuckle [XL][S] (Rock Throw, Stone Edge, Rock Blast)
4. Ducklett (Wing Attack, Bubble Beam, Brave Bird)
5. Bronzor [XL] (Tackle, Heavy Slam, Payback)
6. Wobbuffet (Counter, Mirror Coat)
7. Shadow Ducklett (Wing Attack, Bubble Beam, Brave Bird)
8. Wynaut [XL] (Counter, Mirror Coat)
9. Mandibuzz (Snarl, Dark Pulse, Aerial Ace)
10. Shadow Wobbuffet (Counter, Mirror Coat)

Pokémon marked with [XL] require Candy XL to reach their maximum potential, Pokémon marked with [S] perform comparably well in both their regular and Shadow forms.

Pokémon Go Catch Cup – World of Wonders Little Edition: Best Safe Switches

If you’re not happy with the initial pairing, you should consider switching out your lead for another Pokémon. That’s the role of a Safe Switch. They are either strong leads themselves or are specialized in countering some of the most popular leads. Putting them in will let you score an elimination, disrupt your opponent’s game plan, or at least preserve your lead for the later stage of the match.

1. Smeargle [XL] (Lock On, Flying Press)
2. Marill [XL] (Bubble, Aqua Tail, Body Slam)
3. Ducklett (Wing Attack, Bubble Beam, Brave Bird)
4. Drapion (Poison Sting, Crunch, Aqua Tail)
5. Skorupi [S] (Poison Sting, Cross Poison, Aqua Tail)
6. Bronzor [XL] (Tackle, Heavy Slam, Payback)
7. Chikorita (Vine Whip, Body Slam, Grass Knot)
8. Wynaut [XL] (Counter, Mirror Coat)
9. Paldean Wooper (Poison Jab, Body Slam, Dig)
10. Wobbuffet (Counter, Mirror Coat)

Pokémon Go Catch Cup – World of Wonders Little Edition: Best Closers

These Pokémon come in quite handy when there are no shields left in play on either side – they are incredibly tough thanks to their high bulk and many resistances or they can end battles quickly due to their access to powerful charge attacks.

1. Smeargle [XL] (Lock On, Flying Press)
2. Bronzor [XL] (Tackle, Heavy Slam, Payback)
3. Shuckle [XL][S] (Rock Throw, Stone Edge, Rock Blast)
4. Marill [XL] (Bubble, Aqua Tail, Body Slam)
5. Gallade [S] (Psycho Cut, Close Combat, Leaf Blade)
6. Annihilape (Counter, Ice Punch, Night Slash)
7. Shadow Wobbuffet (Counter, Mirror Coat, Frustration)
8. Pikachu (Flying/5th Anniversary) (Thunder Shock, Wild Charge, Fly)
9. Gligar (Wing Attack, Aerial Ace, Dig)
10. Wobbuffet (Counter, Mirror Coat, Frustration)

Pokémon Go Catch Cup – World of Wonders Little Edition: Best Attackers

This class is specialized in fighting an opponent who still has shields, while you no longer have any yourself. They combine strong resistances and potent fast attacks to compensate for this disadvantage. For that reason, you rarely see Shadow forms in this role – they take more damage than their regular counterparts, making them a risky card to pull out at this stage of a match.

1. Shuckle [XL][S] (Rock Throw, Stone Edge, Rock Blast)
2. Marill [XL] (Bubble, Aqua Tail, Body Slam)
3. Smeargle [XL] (Lock On, Flying Press)
4. Bronzor [XL] (Tackle, Heavy Slam, Payback)
5. Wobbuffet (Counter, Mirror Coat)
6. Wynaut [XL] (Counter, Mirror Coat)
7. Shadow Wobbuffet (Counter, Mirror Coat, Frustration)
8. Cottonee (Charm, Grass Knot, Seed Bomb)
9. Shadow Granbull (Charm, Close Combat, Crunch)
10. Shadow Gardevoir (Charm, Triple Axel, Shadow Ball)

This Little Edition meta differs quite substantially from what we usually find in this format – it isn’t even necessary to ban anything. Names like Shuckle and Smeargle tend to be very rare usually, but they’ve been available throughout this season and just happen to find a meta that’s ready to be their stomping ground. Of course, there are more familiar faces as well: Marill, Bronzor, Ducklett, Wobbuffet, or Cottonee are staples even in the regular Little Cup.

For more Pokémon Go, check our overviews for the weekly Spotlight Hours and 5-Star Raids.