Update, October 12, 2026: the Evolution Cup: Great League Edition ended on August 18, 2026. We rewrote this page with the verified rules and turned it into a guide to building teams for any restricted cup. For the current format, see our Great League meta report.
Recap: What Happened
The Evolution Cup: Great League Edition ran in the Forever Forward season of the GO Battle League. Niantic’s schedule places it from 1:00 p.m. PDT on August 11, 2026 to 1:00 p.m. PDT on August 18, 2026, in the same week as the Master League. Win rewards gave 4x Stardust (end-of-set rewards were excluded).
| Rule | Details |
|---|---|
| CP limit | 1,500 CP or lower |
| Evolution requirement | Only Pokémon that have evolved at least once and can still evolve again |
| Type restriction | None listed |
| Banned Pokémon | None listed |
In practice, the rule leaves out Pokémon at either end of an evolution line: fully evolved Pokémon cannot evolve again, and unevolved ones have not evolved yet. What remains are middle stages of three-stage lines, such as Gabite (Gible, Gabite, Garchomp), Haunter (Gastly, Haunter, Gengar) or Dragonair (Dratini, Dragonair, Dragonite).
What To Do Now That It Has Ended
The cup is over, but its logic is useful for any restricted format.
Why the middle stages matter
The Great League limit is 1,500 CP. Middle-stage Pokémon have lower base stats than their final forms, so they can sit under the CP cap at higher levels, but powering them up still costs Candy and Stardust. Use the Stardust calculator and candy calculator before committing, and the evolution calculator helps plan which stage you want.
A repeatable method for any restricted cup
- Read the rule exactly. Take the CP cap, type list, evolution rule and banned list from Niantic’s season post, not from memory.
- Build your pool. Look through your storage for Pokémon that fit. For an evolution rule, look for ones you have kept at a middle stage.
- Check the CP cap. A Pokémon needs to be at or below 1,500 CP. The CP calculator shows what level a given IV spread reaches. For a refresher on stats, read IVs explained.
- Cover each other’s weaknesses. Your team is three Pokémon, one lead and two reserves, with two Protect Shields per battle. Switching is limited to once every 60 seconds. Use the type chart tool to avoid three Pokémon that share a weakness.
- Simulate it. The team builder and PvP calculator help compare options. PvPoke’s Team Builder also lists potential threats and alternatives and grades coverage, bulk, safety and consistency.
- Check moves. Middle-stage Pokémon may not have the moves you want. Elite TMs can teach some legacy moves, as covered in our Elite TM guide.
This page does not list the best Pokémon for the cup. Rankings change from season to season, and we could not confirm a cup-specific ranking from an official source. For the open formats, see the Great League meta report.
Will It Return?
This cup has repeated before. Niantic’s official Rising Heroes season post lists the Evolution Cup: Great League Edition for April 12 to April 19 (2023, according to Leek Duck’s listing). Niantic’s Timeless Travels season post lists it too, around February 9 to 16, 2024 (the page’s year is inferred from the season timeline). Niantic announces its cup schedule each season, so no further date is known.
Related Guides
- Great League meta report 2026
- Great vs Ultra vs Master League
- Team builder
- Evolution calculator
- IVs explained
- Elite TM guide
- Pokémon GO PvP hub
Sources: Pokémon GO: GO Battle League, Forever Forward; Leek Duck: Master League and Evolution Cup; Pokémon GO: GO Battle League, Rising Heroes; Leek Duck: Rising Heroes Evolution Cup; Pokémon GO: GO Battle League, Timeless Travels; Pokémon GO: PvP basics; PvPoke Team Builder.
