The Sunshine Cup is currently taking place in Pokémon GO. Which monsters are particularly strong here is shown to you by MeinMMO.
What kind of cup is this? In the Sunshine Cup, only monsters of the Normal, Fire, Grass, or Ground types are allowed. They may also have a second type, but must show at least one of the mentioned types. Furthermore, Charizard is not allowed to be used in this competition.
As the Sunshine Cup is currently taking place in the Super League edition, monsters may not exceed 1,500 CP.
When does the competition run? The Sunshine Cup runs from January 6, 2026, at 10:00 PM to January 13, 2026, at 10:00 PM.
The strongest monsters for the Sunshine Cup
Gligar
What kind of monster is this? Gligar comes from the 2nd generation and has the types Ground and Flying. It can evolve into Gliscor.
Which attacks are optimal? Fury Cutter as a fast attack, Night Slash and Dig as charge attacks.
What IV values are the best? 0/15/12.
What is this Pokémon good for? Gligar not only has good durability but can also quickly use charge attacks. With its charge attacks, it can hit a wide range of enemy types. However, Gligar is susceptible to attacks against which it has a weakness.
Cradily
What kind of monster is this? Cradily, the Rock-Grass monster, comes from the 3rd generation. It is the evolution of Lileep.
Which attacks are optimal? You should use Cradily with the fast attack Acid and the charge attacks Rock Tomb and Grass Knot.
What IV values are the best? 0/15/15 are the optimal IV values for this monster.
What is this Pokémon good for? Cradily is a monster that can take a lot of damage and receives only little damage from many types.
(Shadow-)Toucannon
What kind of monster is this? The Normal-Flying monster comes from the 7th generation. It is the final evolution of Pikipek. You should ideally use the shadow variant of this monster.
Which attacks are optimal? Peck, Beak Blast, and Drill Peck. To learn Beak Blast, you need to use an Elite Charge TM on Toucannon.
What IV values are the best? If you have a Toucannon with the values 0/14/13, then you have the perfect specimen.
What is this Pokémon good for? Toucannon can deal good damage with its fast attack. Additionally, it can quickly charge up its charge attacks, forcing the opponent to use their shields.
However, it does not sustain a lot of damage and should ideally be protected with shields.
Furret
What kind of monster is this? If you evolve Sentret, you will receive Furret. This monster comes from the 2nd generation and is of the Normal type.
Which attacks are optimal? Use Sucker Punch as a fast attack and Swift and Trailblaze as charge attacks.
What IV values are the best? 1/15/14.
What is this Pokémon good for? Furret can quickly charge its charge attacks and pressure the opponent with them.
Miltank
What kind of monster is this? The Normal monster Miltank comes from the 2nd generation. It has no pre-evolutions or evolutions.
Which attacks are optimal? The attack combination Rollout, Body Slam, and Ice Beam works exceptionally well for Miltank.
What IV values are the best? 0/14/14 are the IV values you need to get a perfect Miltank for the battle league.
What is this Pokémon good for? Miltank can not only quickly charge its charge attacks but also withstand a good amount of damage.
Coalossal
What kind of monster is this? Since the 2nd part of the Winter Holidays 2025, you can obtain Coalossal in Pokémon GO. This is the final evolution of Rolycoly. Coalossal has the types Rock and Fire.
Which attacks are optimal? Fire Spin, Rock Slide and Flame Charge.
What IV values are the best? 1/15/14.
What is this Pokémon good for? If Coalossal does not encounter attacks against which it is weak, it can withstand a lot of damage. Additionally, it can increase its attack with Flame Charge.
Dodrio
What kind of monster is this? Dodrio is the evolution of Doduo. The monster comes from the 1st generation and has the types Normal and Flying.
Which attacks are optimal? The best attacks for Dodrio are Peck, Drill Peck, and Brave Bird.
What IV values are the best? 0/12/15.
What is this Pokémon good for? Dodrio does not have high durability and may suffer against some types. However, it charges its charge attacks quickly, deals high damage with its fast attack, and can thus force the opponent to react and use their shields.
Tips and other strong monsters
What should I pay attention to when assembling a team? When assembling your team for the competition, pay attention to a balanced team so that not all have the same type weaknesses. You should also not only include monsters that cause a lot of damage but also those that can take a hit.
What should I pay attention to in battle? After you have fought some matches with your Pokémon, you should develop a feel for which of your monsters are good against which opposing monsters and when to switch them out.
Furthermore, you need to learn which attacks you must absolutely use shields against and which attacks deal you little damage. Not every enemy charge attack requires the use of a shield, and a shield later in the match can greatly influence the course of the battle.
Other good monsters: The monsters mentioned above are among the strongest monsters in the Sunshine Cup. In the following table, we have put together some alternatives for you that are harder to acquire or more expensive to level up.
| Pokémon | Attacks | IV | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diggersby | Quick Attack, Fire Punch, and Scorching Sands | 0/15/13 | requires XL candy |
| Drampa | Dragon Breath, Swift, and Dragon Pulse | 2/15/15 | rare to acquire |
| Gliscor | Fury Cutter, Earthquake, and Night Slash | 1/15/14 | weaker than Skorgla |
| Trumbeak | Peck, Brave Bird, Fly | 0/15/15 | requires XL candy |
Beyond the Sunshine Cup, there are many other contents currently waiting for you in Pokémon GO. These include not only events but also spotlight hours or various raids. If you want to know what is currently upcoming, feel free to take a look at our overview with all events in January 2026 in Pokémon GO.
