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Best Great League Team in Pokemon GO (Image via The Pokemon Company)
The best Pokemon GO Great League Team will help you climb through the The Delightful Days meta in Pokémon GO’s Great League has brought forward a strong and well-rounded team: Shadow Gligar, Shadow Drapion, and Lapras.
This trio offers excellent coverage, fast energy generation, and reliable shield pressure, making it one of the Best Pokemon GO Great League Teams for both casual and competitive players.
Best Pokemon GO Great League Team: Roles and Battle Strategy
• Shadow Gligar (Lead) – Pressures Fighters and Steels with speedy charge moves. • Shadow Drapion (Safe Switch) – Punishes Psychic and Ghost-types, while offering flexible coverage. • Lapras (Closer) – Bulk and Ice-type coverage make it the perfect late-game finisher.This team composition thrives due to its ability to adapt, bait shields, and maintain pressure across different phases of battle.
Optimal Movesets for the Best Pokemon GO Great League Team
Shadow Gligar (Lead)
Gligar in Pokemon GO (Image via The Pokemon Company)
• Fast Move: Wing Attack • Charged Moves: Night Slash, Aerial Ace
Shadow Drapion (Safe Switch)
• Fast Move: Poison Sting • Charged Moves: Crunch, Sludge Bomb (Aqua Tail as an alternative)
Lapras (Closer)
• Fast Move: Ice Shard • Charged Moves: Surf, Ice BeamThese movesets maximize energy generation, provide strong baiting opportunities, and counter most meta threats effectively.
Why These Pokémon Dominate the Meta
Shadow Gligar’s Lead Pressure
Shadow Gligar’s Flying/Ground typing makes it a reliable opener, countering Fighters and applying steady pressure with fast Night Slashes. The Shadow boost amplifies its offensive threat, forcing opponents to respect its charge moves.
Shadow Drapion’s Safe Switch Utility
Drapion’s Poison/Dark typing allows it to resist many common meta moves. It punishes Psychic and Ghost-types with Crunch while threatening Fairies with Sludge Bomb. Aqua Tail is also an option for Ground and Rock matchups, giving Drapion versatility as a pivot.
Lapras’s Bulk and Closing Power
Lapras is a bulky closer with strong Ice + Water coverage, making it a nightmare for Dragons, Flyers, and Grass-types. Its Surf spam adds consistent damage output, while Ice Beam provides nuking potential in endgame scenarios.
Key Strengths of the Best Pokemon GO Great League Team
• Core synergy: Covers Bug, Dark, Ghost, Ground, Ice, Poison, and Psychic-types effectively. • Fast pressure: Energy-efficient moves create constant shield pressure. • Role flexibility: Bad leads can be flipped using Drapion or Lapras as pivots.
Best Pokemon GO Great League Team: Major Weaknesses and Counters
Drapion in Pokemon GO (Image via The Pokemon Company)
• Shadow Primeape & Golisopod: Dangerous due to their fast and neutral coverage. • Alolan Sandslash: Threatens Gligar and Drapion with Ice-type moves. • Rock-type users (e.g., Crustle): Can break the core if not managed with shields. • Bulky Waters (Blastoise, Shadow Blastoise): Difficult for Drapion and Lapras to handle without alignment.
Common Matchups in the Delightful Days Meta
Strong Matchups
• Fighters (dominated by Gligar’s Flying attacks) • Psychic & Ghosts (Drapion checks them effectively) • Dragons & Flyers (Lapras’s Ice-type moves secure wins)
Problematic Opponents
• Shadow Primeape, Golisopod, Alolan Sandslash • Rock-type attackers and bulky Waters
Team Performance Statistics
Key Team Stats
Pokemon | Role | Win Rate (Core Meta) | PvPoke Rank | Charge Move Timing | Usage Rate |
Shadow Gligar | Lead | ~50-55% | Top 10-15 | Night Slash: 35 energy (9T) | Very High |
Shadow Drapion | Safe Switch | ~52-57% | Top 10-20 | Aqua Tail: 35 energy (5T) | Very High |
Lapras | Closer | ~50-52% | Top 10-15 | Surf: 45 energy (15T) | High |
Best PvP IVs For This Team
Pokemon | Best PvP IVs (Atk / Def / Sta) | CP at PvP Level | Notes |
Shadow Gligar | 0 / 15 / 15 | ~1500 (Lv. 32.5) | Thrives with max Defense & Stamina while Shadow boost amplifies damage. This spread improves survivability and key matchups vs Lanturn, Lickitung, etc. |
Shadow Drapion | 0 / 14 / 11 | ~1500 (Lv. 23.5) | Prioritizes Defense and moderate Stamina to tank while spamming charged moves. Low Attack IV maximizes bulk. High Attack Drapion is niche. |
Lapras | 0 / 15 / 7 | ~1483 (Lv. 22) | Bulk-oriented spread with low Attack to stay under CP cap. Max Defense ensures durability, making it a reliable closer in tight battles. |
Attack Timings and Efficiency
Lapras in Pokemon GO (Image via The Pokemon Company)
Pokemon | Fast Move | Turns per Move | Energy per Turn | Charged Moves | Efficiency |
Shadow Gligar | Wing Attack | 4 | 3 | Night Slash (35), Aerial Ace (45) | High |
Shadow Drapion | Poison Sting | 2 | 4.5 | Crunch (45), Aqua Tail (35), Sludge Bomb (50) | Very High |
Lapras | Ice Shard | 3 | 3 | Surf (45), Ice Beam (55) | High |
Matchup Overview
Pokemon | Best Matchups | Struggle Against | Why Effective |
Shadow Gligar | Fighters, Grounds, some Steels | Alolan Sandslash, Rock-types, Ices | Fast spam, lead control |
Shadow Drapion | Ghosts, Psychics, Fairies, Flyers | Bulky Grounds, Dark/Fighting cores | Wide coverage |
Lapras | Dragons, Flyers, Grass, Fire | Electric-types, Fighters, Steels | Bulk and closing power |
Simulation Success Rates of the Best Pokemon GO Great League Team
Role | Pokemon | Success Rate | Safe Swap Reliability | Closer Potential |
Lead | Shadow Gligar | ~55% | Moderate | Medium |
Safe Switch | Shadow Drapion | ~57% | High | Medium |
Closer | Lapras | ~52% | Low | High |
Pro Tips for Using This Team
1. Shield Management: Save shields for Drapion or Lapras in the endgame. 2. Charged Move Timing: Avoid giving opponents free energy - time your charge moves precisely. 3. Pivot Smartly: Swap Drapion or Lapras into unfavorable leads to flip matchups. 4. Leverage Shadow Boosts: Play aggressively with Gligar and Drapion to maximize their offensive pressure.The Shadow Gligar, Shadow Drapion, and Lapras lineup makes one of the Best Pokemon GO Great League Teams in the Delightful Days meta. It offers a balance of speed, bulk, and coverage, while delivering entertaining battles with high shield-bait potential. While it struggles against specific counters like Primeape, Golisopod, and Rock-type users, proper shield use and alignment can turn many of these matchups into winnable fights.This team is recommended for players who want a mix of consistency and fun gameplay in the current Pokémon GO PvP season.