On April 8th, a new competitive Pokémon battling platform called Pokémon Champions will launch on the Nintendo Switch, and players are already gearing up their teams. Pokémon Champions lets you build your team by catching Pokémon within the game, as well as transferring Pokémon from Pokémon Home. However, not all Pokémon are allowed in Champions, which means one popular competitive battling style won’t be possible to play.
The biggest appeal of Pokemon Champions is the opportunity to battle with both single and double Pokemon teams, featuring some of the strongest Pokemon in the series. Players can also use Mega Evolution during battles, a feature that hasn’t been available since Generation 7, and includes 45 new Mega Evolutions from Legends: Z-A. However, Champions focuses on powerful Pokemon, so fans who enjoy the Little Cup format—which uses weaker Pokemon—won’t find it supported in this game.
The Little Cup Format Won’t Be Playable in Pokemon Champions
While official Pokémon VGC tournaments use double battles, competitive players enjoy experimenting with different rules to keep things fresh. Single battles are another popular option that will be available in Pokémon Champions, and players can even create their own challenges, like battling with only one type of Pokémon. However, despite offering a lot of team-building options, Pokémon Champions doesn’t allow the use of Pokémon that haven’t fully evolved, so the Little Cup format won’t be playable.
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Rules for Competitive Pokemon’s Little Cup Format
- All Pokemon must be level 5, any Pokemon that can be obtained at level 5 is banned
- Only Pokemon that haven’t evolved can be used
- Banned moves: Baton Pass, Sticky Web
- Banned Abilities: Moody
- Banned Items: Heat Rock
Little Cup is a battle format where players compete using only basic, level 5 Pokémon that haven’t evolved yet. This creates a unique strategic challenge because players can’t rely on fully powered-up Pokémon. It also lets less commonly used Pokémon get a chance to shine and gives players the opportunity to enjoy battling with their favorite weaker Pokémon in a competitive environment.
Some of the Best Pokemon for Little Cup in Gen 9
- Vullaby
- Mienfoo
- Foongus
- Mudbray
- Alolan Diglett
- Glimmet
- Mareanie
- Tinkatink
- Toedscool
In the Gen 9 Pokemon Little Cup format, Vullaby and Mienfoo are the most powerful choices. This is largely due to their ability to use the move Knock Off. Because Little Cup battles only allow unevolved Pokemon, the Eviolite item—which boosts Defense and Special Defense—is essential. This makes Pokemon that can use Knock Off very strong, as they can remove the opponent’s Eviolite. Both Vullaby and Mienfoo are excellent team members thanks to Vullaby’s high defenses and Mienfoo’s strong attack power.
Okay, so when I’m building my Little Cup team, there are a few other Pokémon I really like. Foongus is surprisingly tanky and that Spore move is a game-changer. Mudbray is awesome for setting up Stealth Rock and hitting hard with Earthquake. Alolan Diglett is super fast and can also Earthquake, which is always good. And Glimmet? It can lay down all sorts of traps like Stealth Rock, Spikes, and Toxic Spikes with its ability. A core team of Mareanie, Tinkatink, and Toedscool can be really strong too. Toedscool is great for removing hazards with Rapid Spin, and it can even Knock Off an opponent’s Eviolite. Tinkatink is a solid Steel-type wall and can take down Vullaby with Draining Kiss. Finally, Mareanie is super bulky thanks to Recover and Regenerator, and its Ice Beam can handle Toedscool and Foongus pretty easily.
Pokemon Champions Requires Fully-Evolved Pokemon (With One Major Exception)
Competitive players who enjoy the Little Cup format will continue to use Pokemon Scarlet and Violet for now. The new game, Pokemon Champions, will only allow fully evolved Pokemon in battles. While not every Pokemon will be available in Pokemon Champions at launch, all included Pokemon must be in their final evolutionary stage. The main exception is Pikachu, which can be used alongside both Alolan and Kantonian Raichu – a nod to Pikachu’s popularity as the face of the franchise. Other mascot Pokemon, like Eevee, might also be playable. However, the Eviolite item won’t be available at launch, making Pikachu a less viable competitive choice despite being usable.
Not All Hope is Lost for the Future of Little Cup in Pokemon Champions
When Champions launched, it only featured fully evolved Pokémon. However, the developers are considering adding Pokémon that haven’t fully evolved later on. Producer Masaaki Hoshino explained that they started with only fully evolved Pokémon to make the game easier for new players, as having access to over 1,000 Pokémon can be overwhelming. The team plans to add more Pokémon as players get used to how the game works.
While it’s reasonable that Pokemon Champions didn’t launch with every Pokemon available to avoid confusing new players, some fans—especially those who enjoy Little Cup battles—are a bit let down by the limited selection. Pokemon Champions will offer plenty of strategic depth, particularly with the introduction of Mega Evolutions in competitive play. However, players who prefer unique battle styles might want to continue playing Pokemon Scarlet and Violet for now.
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2026-04-03 12:04