Pokemon Go Holiday Cup Ultra League Edition: Best Teams & Meta Guide

The Holiday Cup: Ultra League Edition has returned to Pokemon Go‘s Battle League during the Precious Paths season, bringing a festive twist to competitive PvP. With strict type restrictions and a 2,500 CP cap, this limited-time Cup forces trainers to rethink their usual strategies and build teams tailored to a unique meta.

While the standard Great, Ultra, and Master Leagues form the backbone of Pokemon Go PvP, Niantic regularly spices things up with special Cups featuring unique ruleset restrictions. The Holiday Cup is one of the most challenging because only Normal, Grass, Electric, Ice, Flying, and Ghost-type Pokemon can participate—and they must stay at or below 2,500 CP.

With just one week to climb the ranks, picking the right team is crucial. Let’s break down the strongest Pokemon, optimal movesets, and strategies to dominate the Holiday Cup: Ultra League Edition.

Best Team for Pokemon Go Holiday Cup: Ultra League Edition

The best team composition for the Holiday Cup depends heavily on what your opponent brings to the battlefield. However, certain Pokemon consistently perform well across most matchups. Here are two top-tier team recommendations:

Team 1: Shadow Dusknoir, Lickilicky, and Aurorus

This trio offers excellent type coverage and can handle the most common threats in the Holiday Cup meta:

• Shadow Dusknoir – A bulky Ghost-type lead that applies shield pressure and deals solid damage.
• Lickilicky – A versatile Normal-type closer with minimal weaknesses and strong coverage moves.
• Aurorus – A Rock/Ice powerhouse that hits hard against Flying, Dragon, and Grass opponents.

Team 2: Skeledirge, Lickilicky, and Oranguru

This alternative lineup leans into offensive pressure with Skeledirge’s Fire/Ghost typing:

• Skeledirge – A Fire/Ghost attacker that shreds through Grass, Steel, and Ice threats.
• Lickilicky – Your reliable safe swap with broad neutral coverage.
• Oranguru – A bulky Normal/Psychic tank that can flip matchups with stat-boosting moves.

Both teams feature Lickilicky because it’s one of the most reliable safe swaps in the Holiday Cup. Its bulk, minimal weaknesses, and access to fast-charging moves make it a staple pick.

Now let’s dive into the individual Pokemon that make up the Holiday Cup meta, along with their optimal movesets and matchups.

Best Holiday Cup: Ultra League Edition Pokemon

Alolan Sandslash (XL)

• Fast Move: Powder Snow
• Charged Moves: Ice Punch and Drill Run
• Type: Ice/Steel
• Strong Against: Dragon, Psychic, Normal, Grass, Bug, Flying, Fairy, Ice, and Poison
• Weak Against: Fire, Fighting, and Ground

Alolan Sandslash’s dual Ice/Steel typing makes it a defensive powerhouse—just be careful of its double weaknesses to Fighting and Fire.

Powder Snow is the obvious Fast Move choice. While it doesn’t hit hard, it generates excellent energy per turn, letting you fire off Charged Moves with regularity. Ice Punch is your primary spam move—it’s cheap, fast, and perfect for burning through shields. Pair it with Drill Run for Ground-type coverage, which helps against Electric and Steel threats.

Jellicent (XL)

• Fast Move: Hex
• Charged Moves: Surf and Shadow Ball
• Type: Water/Ghost
• Resistances: Normal, Fighting, Water, Steel, Poison, Ice, Fire, and Bug
• Weaknesses: Dark, Electric, Ghost, and Grass

This gigantic jellyfish brings incredible bulk and a massive list of resistances that keep it alive in prolonged battles.

Both of Jellicent’s Fast Moves are solid choices. Bubble offers stronger Water-type damage, but Hex generates energy slightly faster and provides Ghost-type coverage. To balance Hex, run Surf as your primary Charged Move—it’s cheap, spammy, and benefits from STAB. For your nuke option, go with Shadow Ball to hit Ghost and Psychic threats hard. If you need Ice coverage instead, Ice Beam can replace Shadow Ball.

Dudunsparce

• Fast Move: Rollout
• Charged Moves: Rock Slide and Drill Run
• Type: Normal
• Resistances: Ghost
• Weaknesses: Fighting

Dudunsparce is essentially Dunsparce with better Attack stats, so take full advantage of that offensive edge.

Rollout is the clear Fast Move pick thanks to its high energy generation and synergy with Charged Moves. Both Rock Slide and Drill Run are relatively cheap and powerful, giving Dudunsparce excellent neutral coverage across the Holiday Cup meta.

Spiritomb

• Fast Move: Sucker Punch
• Charged Moves: Rock Tomb and Shadow Ball
• Type: Ghost/Dark
• Resistances: Normal, Psychic, Poison, and Fighting
• Weaknesses: Fairy

While Sableye typically ranks higher in most formats, Spiritomb shines in the Holiday Cup thanks to its similar typing, stats, and coverage—but without Sableye’s crippling weakness to Fairy.

Run Sucker Punch as your Fast Move—it vastly outperforms Feint Attack in terms of energy generation. Shadow Ball is your primary nuke for Ghost-type damage, while Rock Tomb expands your coverage and debuffs the opponent’s Attack stat by 20%.

Shadow Magnezone

• Fast Move: Volt Switch
• Charged Moves: Wild Charge and Mirror Shot
• Type: Electric/Steel
• Resistances: Bug, Dragon, Electric, Fairy, Flying, Grass, Ice, Normal, Poison, Psychic, Rock, and Steel
• Weaknesses: Fighting, Fire, and Ground

With a whopping 12 resistances and impressive Attack and Defense stats, Magnezone is a brilliant addition to any Holiday Cup team. Plus, many of its biggest counters aren’t eligible for this Cup, which gives it even more staying power.

Volt Switch is the ideal Fast Move—it’s balanced, dealing solid damage while generating decent energy. For Charged Moves, run Wild Charge and Mirror Shot for maximum STAB damage. Just keep in mind that Wild Charge decreases your own Defense by 33.3%, while Mirror Shot has a chance to debuff your opponent’s Attack by 20%.

Raikou

• Fast Move: Thunder Shock
• Charged Moves: Wild Charge and Aura Sphere
• Type: Electric
• Resistances: Electric, Flying, and Steel
• Weaknesses: Ground

Legendaries don’t have much of a place in the Holiday Cup due to the 2,500 CP limit, but Raikou is a notable exception.

Powering up Raikou and unlocking a second Charged Move is expensive, but if you can afford it, run Thunder Shock (fast energy gain) as your Fast Move, paired with Wild Charge (powerful and cheap) and Aura Sphere (spam/bait) for optimal damage and coverage.

Shadow Annihilape

• Fast Move: Counter
• Charged Moves: Rage Fist and Ice Punch
• Type: Fighting/Ghost
• Resistances: Bug, Fighting, Normal, Poison, and Rock
• Weaknesses: Fairy, Flying, Ghost, and Psychic

Annihilape has dominated Battle League competitions since its debut. As one of only two Fighting/Ghost Pokemon in the entire franchise (alongside Marshadow), its unique typing is a serious advantage.

Counter is a top-tier Fast Move in Pokemon Go, offering high damage and decent energy generation. For Charged Moves, Rage Fist—Annihilape’s signature move—is a must-have. It’s cheap, has excellent DPE (Damage Per Energy), and provides Attack boosts. When paired with Counter, it delivers nearly unresisted damage across the board. Add Ice Punch as your secondary Charged Move for additional coverage.

Oranguru (XL)

• Fast Move: Confusion
• Charged Moves: Brutal Swing and Trailblaze
• Type: Normal/Psychic
• Resistances: Psychic and Ghost
• Weaknesses: Bug and Dark

Oranguru might not be the first Pokemon that comes to mind for Go Battle League, but its Normal/Psychic typing, bulk, and spammy moveset make it a solid pick.

While all of its Fast Moves benefit from STAB, Zen Headbutt and Yawn are low-quality options, so stick with Confusion for solid damage output. For Charged Moves, use Trailblaze to boost your Attack stat by 25%, then follow up with Brutal Swing for heavy damage.

Bellibolt

• Fast Move: Sucker Punch
• Charged Moves: Parabolic Charge and Zap Cannon
• Type: Electric
• Resistances: Steel, Flying, and Electric
• Weaknesses: Ground

Bellibolt’s pure Electric typing and high Stamina make it ideal for facing many common opponents in the Holiday Cup meta.

While Thunder Shock offers maximum energy generation, Sucker Punch expands Bellibolt’s coverage while still providing good damage and energy gains. For Charged Moves, run Parabolic Charge to boost your Defense by 25%, then unleash the nuke Zap Cannon to debuff your opponent’s Attack by 20%.

Skeledirge

• Fast Move: Incinerate
• Charged Moves: Torch Song and Shadow Ball
• Type: Fire/Ghost
• Resistances: Bug, Fighting, Normal, Fairy, Fire, Grass, Ice, Poison, and Steel
• Weaknesses: Dark, Ghost, Ground, Rock, and Water

Skeledirge is the strongest Fire-type available in the Holiday Cup, and its secondary Ghost typing only enhances its value.

Incinerate is a high-quality Fast Move that pairs beautifully with Shadow Ball for devastating Ghost-type damage. Before unleashing the nuke, use Torch Song first to boost your Attack stat by 25%—this turns Skeledirge into an absolute monster.

Shadow Dusknoir

• Fast Move: Astonish
• Charged Moves: Shadow Punch and Dynamic Punch
• Type: Ghost
• Resistances: Normal, Fighting, Poison, and Bug
• Weaknesses: Dark and Ghost

Dusknoir works best as a lead or shield-pressure Pokemon. Its high Defense allows it to stand its ground while dealing consistent damage.

Astonish is a very spammy Fast Move that lets you access Charged Moves quickly while burning through your opponent’s shields. The key to Dusknoir’s success lies in Shadow Punch, an excellent low-cost Ghost move, and Dynamic Punch, which provides Fighting-type coverage.

Doublade (XL)

• Fast Move: Shadow Claw
• Charged Moves: Sacred Sword and Gyro Ball
• Type: Steel/Ghost
• Resistances: Normal, Poison, Bug, Dragon, Fairy, Flying, Grass, Ice, Psychic, Rock, Steel, and Fighting
• Weaknesses: Dark, Fire, Ghost, and Ground

Doublade boasts one of the best type combinations in the game, with 12 resistances thanks to its Steel typing.

Use Shadow Claw as your Fast Move for rapid energy generation. Run Sacred Sword to bait shields and expand coverage, then follow up with Gyro Ball for solid Steel-type damage.

Lickilicky (XL)

• Fast Move: Rollout
• Charged Moves: Body Slam and Shadow Ball
• Type: Normal
• Resistances: Ghost
• Weaknesses: Fighting

The bulky Lickilicky is a top-tier choice for the Holiday Cup. With only one weakness and access to Normal, Ghost, and Rock moves, it hits a wide range of types effectively.

Rollout offers fast charge generation, letting Lickilicky spam both Charged Moves. Use Body Slam as shield bait and Shadow Ball as your coverage nuke to target Ghost-types and Psychic threats.

Aurorus

• Fast Move: Powder Snow
• Charged Moves: Weather Ball (Ice) and Meteor Beam
• Type: Rock/Ice
• Resistances: Poison, Normal, Ice, and Flying
• Weaknesses: Fighting, Steel, Grass, Ground, Rock, and Water

Aurorus made the list primarily because of its outstanding Stamina (214) and Ice typing, which is offensively valuable in the Holiday Cup meta.

This dual Rock/Ice Pokemon works ideally as a lead. Use Powder Snow to apply shield pressure quickly, then devastate opponents with Weather Ball (Ice) or the nuke Meteor Beam, depending on the matchup.

Lapras

• Fast Move: Psywave
• Charged Moves: Sparkling Aria and Ice Beam
• Type: Water/Ice
• Resistances: Ice and Water
• Weaknesses: Electric, Fighting, Grass, and Rock

Besides its great bulk, Lapras has an impressive move pool with four Fast Moves and seven Charged Moves to choose from.

While focusing on Water and Ice moves for STAB seems logical, Psywave offers the best energy generation among all Fast Move options and expands Lapras’s coverage. For Charged Moves, use Sparkling Aria for solid Water damage (it costs the same as Surf but deals five more damage). Add Ice Beam as your secondary move for coverage against Grass, Dragon, and Flying opponents.

Pokemon Go Holiday Cup Rules & Restrictions

The Holiday Cup is one of the most restrictive Battle League formats. Here’s what you need to know:

• Allowed Types: Normal, Grass, Electric, Ice, Flying, and Ghost
• CP Limit: 2,500 CP or below
• Dual Types: Pokemon with dual typings (like Rock/Ice Aurorus or Fire/Ghost Skeledirge) are eligible as long as one of their types matches the allowed list.

This tight typing pool creates a unique meta where certain Pokemon shine that might not see play in standard Ultra League.

Holiday Cup: Ultra League Edition Start & End Date

The current Battle League season runs from December 2, 2025, until March 3, 2026. The Holiday Cup: Ultra League Edition appears during:

• December 23, 2025 – December 30, 2025 (alongside the Great League)

That means you’ll only have one week to dominate this Go Battle League Cup and climb the leaderboard. Make your team count!

Tips for Winning the Holiday Cup: Ultra League Edition

Here are some pro tips to help you succeed in the Holiday Cup:

• Lead with shield pressure – Pokemon like Shadow Dusknoir and Aurorus excel at forcing shields early.
• Save your safe swap – Lickilicky is an excellent safe swap that can flip bad matchups.
• Watch for stat boosts – Moves like Torch Song, Trailblaze, and Parabolic Charge can turn battles in your favor.
• Don’t sleep on XL Pokemon – Many top-tier picks (Lickilicky, Oranguru, Doublade) require XL Candy to reach their full potential at 2,500 CP.
• Practice team synergy – Make sure your team covers each other’s weaknesses. For example, pair Skeledirge (weak to Water) with Bellibolt (resists Electric, counters Water).

If you’re looking for more Pokemon Go events to participate in, check out the Pokemon Go January Piplup Community Day Classic event guide or grab some free Christmas 2025 Mystery Gifts and promo codes before they expire!

FAQ: Pokemon Go Holiday Cup Ultra League Edition

And there you have it—everything you need to dominate the Pokemon Go Holiday Cup: Ultra League Edition! With the right team composition, optimal movesets, and smart strategy, you’ll be climbing the leaderboard in no time. The event only lasts one week, so get out there and start battling!

Happy holidays, Trainers! 🎄