Pokemon GO: Best Pokemon for Sunshine Cup

Pokemon GO Trainers can regularly look forward to new and rotating battle opportunities. This includes the likes of Raids and Max Battles, as well as PvP matches during GO Battle League and the various Cups available to enter. These Cups all tend to have unique rulesets and restrictions to set them apart, which gives Trainers more of a challenge when it comes to preparing a viable team.

One of these many events is the Sunshine Cup, which is making its most recent appearance in July 2025 as part of the Delightful Days Season. Just as any other themed Cup, the Sunshine Cup also has restrictions regarding the type of monsters that can be entered, as well as the CP range. If you find yourself looking to enter the Sunshine Cup in Pokemon GO, the ruleset and the best choices for your team have been explained in the guide below.

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Sunshine Cup Rules in Pokemon GO

The Sunshine Cup will be available for players to join and battle between July 15, 2025, at 1 PM PT, and July 22, 2025, at 1 PM PT. The Sunshine Cup falls under the Great League format, which restricts Pokemon above 1500 CP from being eligible as a member of your team. In addition to this, the Sunshine Cup only allows Trainers to build a team from Pokemon of the Fire, Normal, Grass, or Ground types, meaning players will need to be very careful when building a team that synergizes well and covers as many bases as possible.

Pokemon must be at or below 1,500 CP to enter.
Only Normal, Fire, Grass, and Ground Type Pokemon are eligible.
Charizard is prohibited.

Best Pokemon for the Sunshine Cup in Pokemon GO

Best Sunshine Cup Lead Pokemon

Lead Pokemon are the first sent out on the battlefield, applying early-game pressure and inflicting quick hits for a strong start to damage. Selecting the perfect opening monster for your setup is crucial for setting the pace of the battle, making this part of your team highly important.

Pokemon	Fast Move	Charged Move
Gligar Shadow Gligar	Fury Cutter	Aerial Ace Dig
Talonflame	Incinerate	Fly Brave Bird
Magcargo	Incinerate	Rock Tomb Overheat
Cradily	Acid	Rock Tomb Grass Knot
Jumpluff Shadow Jumpluff	Fairy Wind	Aerial Ace Acrobatics
Gliscor Shadow Gliscor	Fury Cutter	Earthquake Aerial Ace
Furret	Sucker Punch	Swift Brick Break
Ursaring Shadow Ursaring	Shadow Claw	Swift Close Combat
Zangoose	Fury Cutter	Close Combat Night Slash
Ninetales Shadow Ninetales	Ember	Weather Ball // Fire Overheat

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Best Sunshine Cup Safe Switch Pokemon

Safe switch Pokemon, as the name indicates, are usually swapped in if your lead faces a disadvantage. This enables players to pivot out of unfavorable situations or tough matchups to help preserve valuable shields and avoid knockouts.

Pokemon	Fast Move	Charged Move
Cradily	Acid	Rock Tomb Grass Knot
Gligar Shadow Gligar	Fury Cutter	Aerial Ace Dig
Furret	Sucker Punch	Swift Brick Break
Armarouge	Incinerate	Psyshock Flame Charge
Gliscor Shadow Gliscor	Fury Cutter	Earthquake Aerial Ace
Runerigus	Shadow Claw	Rock Tomb Shadow Ball
Spinda	Sucker Punch	Rock Tomb Icy Wind
Arcanine Shadow Arcanine	Fire Fang	Wild Charge Psychic Fangs
Diggersby	Quick Attack	Fire Punch Scorching Sands
Ursaring Shadow Ursaring	Shadow Claw	Swift Close Combat

Best Sunshine Cup Attacker Pokemon

Attackers are Pokemon with strong offensive stats, enabling high damage output. They are usually the primary DPS of the team and are often used for breaking through the opponent's Shields. In addition to this, Attackers use powerful moves that have the potential to change the outcome of the entire battle, paired with smart type advantages and resistances to further strengthen your lineup.

Pokemon	Fast Move	Charged Move
Magcargo	Incinerate	Rock Tomb Overheat
Gligar	Fury Cutter	Aerial Ace Dig
Diggersby	Quick Attack	Fire Punch Scorching Sands
Cradily	Acid	Rock Tomb Grass Knot
Quagsire	Mud Shot	Aqua Tail Stone Edge
Runerigus	Shadow Claw	Rock Tomb Shadow Ball
Spinda	Sucker Punch	Rock Tomb Icy Wind
Arcanine Shadow Arcanine	Fire Fang	Wild Charge Psychic Fangs
Diggersby	Quick Attack	Fire Punch Scorching Sands
Ursaring Shadow Ursaring	Shadow Claw	Swift Close Combat

Best Sunshine Cup Closer Pokemon

Closers bring value to the late-game of a battle, particularly when both sides have used up their Shields. These Pokemon bring value through their well-rounded stats, solid typing, and heavy-hitting moves, meaning they have the ability to thrive without needing to rely on the protection of Shields that other roles need for safety.

Pokemon	Fast Move	Charged Move
Staraptor Shadow Staraptor	Quick Attack	Fly Close Combat
Swampert Shadow Swampert	Mud Shot	Hydro Cannon Sludge
Cradily Shadow Cradily	Acid	Rock Tomb Grass Knot
Staravia Shadow Staravia	Quick Attack	Brave Bird Fly
Clodsire	Poison Sting	Earthquake Stone Edge
Gligar Shadow Gligar	Fury Cutter	Aerial Ace Dig
Mamoswine Shadow Mamoswine	Powder Snow	Icicle Spear High Horsepower
Lileep Shadow Lileep	Acid	Grass Knot Ancient Power
Piloswine Shadow Piloswine	Powder Snow	Icicle Spear High Horsepower
Diggersby Shadow Diggersby	Quick Attack	Fire Punch Scorching Sands