The Fossil Cup is a unique challenge in thePokémon GOBattle League, where only Rock, Steel, and Water-type Pokémon are eligible to take part. It follows the Great League format, which means all of your team members must be no higher than 1,500 CP. All of these restrictions mean forming the best team possible could be quite tricky, especially because so many popular Pokémon aren’t allowed to enter.
While the Great League, Ultra League, and Master League typically rotate on a three-week schedule,Pokémon GOBattle Leaguefans can also compete in special themed cups that appear less frequently. The latest one to return to the League is the Fossil Cup, which ties in nicely with 2024’s Adventure Week, an event that’s focused on fossilized creatures like Omanyte, Cranidos, and Kabuto.
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Best Team For The Fossil Cup In Pokémon GO
Try To Have A Counter For Everything
One of the best teams you can use for the Fossil Cup inPokémon GOisRegisteel, Poliwrath, and Swampert. Registeel and Poliwrath are looking like the ones to watch in this cup, with both of them having plenty of wins between them.
Registeel is a long-time champion in the classicGreat League format, so it comes as no surprise to see this Legendary Pokémon make an appearance in the Fossil Cup meta. It has a huge amount of type resistances including Rock and Steel-type attacks, takes neutral damage from Water-type attacks, and has impressive bulk, all of which puts it in good standing against the majority of opponents you’ll face in this cup.
Poliwrath, meanwhile, is resistant to all three Pokémon types that are eligible to enter this cup (Rock, Steel, and Water) and has access to strong Fighting-type attacks that can take down Registeel, which is its biggest competitor for the Fossil Cup crown. The final slot on your team isn’t quite as clear-cut as Registeel and Poliwrath, but Swampert is a nice option as it’s generally an excellent performer in the Great League format.
The Fossil Cup meta inPokémon GOis going to revolve heavily around Registeel and Poliwrath, so those are the most important Pokémon to focus on if you have limited resources.
Best Pokémon For The Fossil Cup
Registeel & Poliwrath Are The Stars Of This Show
Like many themed cups in thePokémon GOBattle League,most of the top-performing Pokémon in the Fossil Cup have a secondary typingwhich gives them extra type resistances and access to some very useful attacks. The main exception to this is the mono Steel-type Pokémon, Registeel, which gets by on bulk, a great moveset, and an impressive list of resistances.
you may see some of the top Fossil Cup recommendations and their best movesets in the table below:
Bullet Seed
Grass Knot & Rock Slide
If you don’t have any of these Pokémon, or you don’t have enough Candy and Stardust to power them up and teach them a secondary attack, you might struggle to get wins in the Fossil Cup. However, if you still want to take part, take a look atPvPoke’s rankingsand focus on putting together a team that can counter the three eligible types: Rock, Steel, and Water-type Pokémon.
Pokémon GO Fossil Cup Start & End Date
Two Weeks To Take Part
The Fossil Cup will kick off onFriday, July 23, 2025, at 1 PM PST / 4 PM EST / 9 PM BST. It will be available for two weeks before coming to a close on Friday, July 13, 2025. In the first week, the Fossil Cup will run alongside the traditionalUltra League. In the second week, it will run alongside the traditional Master League, meaning there’s a range of challenges for all experience levels to enjoy.
Themed cups like this one don’t return to thePokémon GOBattle League very often, so it’s usually not the best idea to spend your resources powering up Pokémon and teaching them new moves for a specific cup. There are some exceptions here, though, such as Swampert, Registeel, and Lanturn. These three Pokémon are highly ranked in the traditional Great League, so your investment will pay off in the long run.
