Best teams for the Fossil Cup in Pokémon Go

A new round of competition has arrived for Pokémon Go players, allowing trainers to bring unique Pokémon to battle it out in the Fossil Cup. This is a limited-time competition pitting Pokémon Go players against each other to prove who has the best ancient Pokémon.

The Fossil Cup is available to all Battle League players and kicks off during Pokémon Go‘s Adventure Week 2024 event. Starting on Aug. 2 at 3pm CT, the competition will continue until Aug. 16, giving you plenty of opportunities to increase your Battle League rank and earn various rewards before the end of the Shared Skies season. To ensure you do your best in these battles, we’ve created a list featuring some of the best Pokémon teams you can use when facing off against others in the Fossil Cup.

Best Fossil Cup teams in Pokémon Go

The Fossil Cup is a Great League competition, which means you won’t be able to use any Pokémon that exceeds 1,500 CP. They have to meet or be below this power threshold. Any chosen Pokémon must also be a Rock, Steel, or Water-type. If they are not, you won’t be able to add them to your Pokémon Go team for this event.

Given these limitations, Water-type Pokémon have the strongest chance of being some of the most powerful choices in these battles. Don’t be afraid to try any version of Water-type Pokémon you have, but we believe some choices are better than others. These are some of the best Pokémon teams we’ve compiled that you can use during the Pokémon Go Fossil Cup.

Kartana, Jellicent, and Magnezone

The first team we have features the Ultra Beast, Kartana. Although Kartana does not have a high defense power, it does have a fantastic attack power, making it perfect for your second Pokémon. For your first, we recommend you use Jellicent. You want to ensure your first Pokémon can handle a few attacks, and Jellicent is a robust choice, with Magnezone as the final option to round out your team.

• Kartana: Razor Leaf (fast move), Leaf Blade, and Night Slash
• Jellicent: Hex (fast move), Surf, and Shadow Ball
• Magnezone: Volt Switch (fast move), Wild Charge, and Mirror Shot

Poliwrath, Ludicolo, and Escavalier

With our second team, we have the always-powerful Poliwrath, a Water and Fighting-type. Poliwrath is an ideal choice for taking out many of the Steel-type Pokémon with its Fighting-type moves. For backup, there’s Lucidolo, a Water and Grass-type Pokémon capable of taking several attacks. Both are solid choices, and you can switch who you want to use as your first choice. But, for your final one, Escavalier is capable of holding back your opponent to ensure you can push forward to victory.

• Poliwrath: Counter (fast move), Dynamic Punch, and Icy Wind
• Ludicolo: Razor Leaf (fast move), Ice Beam, and Leaf Storm
• Escavalier: Counter (fast move), Drill Run, and Aerial Ace

Ferrothorn, Quagsire, and Registeel

This next squad features some notable favorites that Pokémon Go fans know from other Great League competitions. The first Pokémon you want to use is Ferrothorn, a robust Pokémon that can take down multiple Water-types in the Fossil Cup. If it falls, Quagsire can swap in to deal some heavy damage. The real star of this team is Registeel, the Legendary Steel-type Pokémon, as it’s one of the best Great League Pokémon you can use and is perfect as your final choice.

• Ferrothorn: Bullet Seed (fast move), Power Whip, and Thunder
• Quagsire: Mud Shot (fast move), Mud Bomb, and Stone Edge
• Reigsteel: Lock On (fast move), Focus Blast, and Zap Cannon

Pelipper, Lanturn, and Togedemaru

Pelipper is the headline Pokémon for this team, a capable Water and Flying-type choice. The one thing you need to worry about is Electric-types, and if you encounter any of them, swap to Lanturn, who can handily put them in their place. Lanturn won’t take too much damage from Electric-type moves, and it’s a perfect choice to defeat any incoming Water-types. The final Pokémon for this team is Togedemaru, a capable fighter with a steady defense. This team features many crossover Pokémon types, but it’s fantastic for this Pokémon Go competition.

• Pelipper: Wing Attack (fast move), Weather Ball (Water-type), and Hurricane
• Lanturn: Spark (fast move), Surf, and Thunderbolt
• Togedemaru: Thunder Shock (fast move), Wild Charge, and Fell Stinger

Swampert, Cradily, and Toxapex

Our final team features Swampert, one of the more reliable Water-type Pokémon who regularly appears in Great League battles. Swampert is a great choice but it does fall against any Grass-type Pokémon. You can swap out to Cradily to help with that, and Toxapex is the final Pokémon, ready to hold the line with a hefty defense power in Pokémon Go.

• Swampert: Mud Shot (fast move), Hydro Cannon, and Earthquake
• Cradily: Bullet Seed (fast move), Rock Slide, and Grass Knot
• Toxapex: Poison Jab (fast move), Brine, and Sludge Wave