The Willpower Cup has started in Pokémon GO. We have selected some monsters that should not be missing from your team for this mode.
What kind of Cup is this? The Willpower Cup is a Super League variant where all participating monsters must have the Fighting, Psychic, or Dark type. It doesn’t matter if they have another type as well. What matters is that they possess at least one of the 3 types. Additionally, the monsters must not exceed the limit of 1,500 CP.
Furthermore, there are 3 monsters that are banned in this mode. These are Gardevoir, Zorua, and Zoroark.
When does the Cup run? The mode started on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at 10:00 PM. It runs until Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 10:00 PM. All Stardust rewards, except those at the end of a battle set, are also increased to 4 times the amount.
The strongest monsters for the Willpower Cup
Lepumentas
What kind of Pokémon is this? Lepumentas is a monster with the types Psychic and Ground. You obtain it by evolving Puppance.
What attacks should the monster have? When you use the monster, you should go for the fast attack Mud Shot and the charge attacks Rock Tomb and Fire Spin.
What IV values are desirable? If you have a Lepumentas with the values 0 Attack, 14 Defense, and 15 HP, you have the perfect values for the Cup.
What is this monster good for? Lepumentas can take some damage and covers some opposing monsters with its charge attacks of the types Rock and Ground. You can use it at the start of a battle as well as later.
Grypheldis
What kind of Pokémon is this? Grypheldis has the types Dark and Flying. The Pokémon is the evolution of Skallyk.
What attacks should the monster have? Grypheldis is usually played best with a moveset consisting of Air Slash, Foul Play, and Aerial Ace.
What IV values are desirable? 0 Attack, 13 Defense, and 15 HP.
What is this monster good for? Grypheldis has high defense and is hard to defeat when your opponent doesn’t have a type advantage. Fighting-type monsters usually fare poorly against Grypheldis. Can be used at the start or later in the battle.
Metang
What kind of Pokémon is this? If you evolve a Tanhel, you get Metang. The monster has the types Psychic and Steel.
What attacks should the monster have? For this monster, focus on the attacks Leaf Blade, Psyshock, and Gyro Ball.
What IV values are desirable? 0 Attack, 13 Defense, and 15 HP.
What is this monster good for? Metang is particularly suited for starting a battle. It can withstand a lot, quickly use charge attacks, and force the opponent to switch their Pokémon or use their shields.
You can also opt for the Shadow variant of Metang. This version takes a bit less damage but deals more damage. Both variants perform well in the Willpower Cup.
Epitaff
What kind of Pokémon is this? Epitaff has the types Fighting and Ghost. You obtain it by first evolving a Menki into Rasaff and then into Epitaff.
What attacks should the monster have? Epitaff is very strong when equipped with the attacks Counter, Close Combat, and Ice Punch. Since Close Combat is an exclusive move, you need to use a charged TM if you don’t already have an Epitaff with this move.
What IV values are desirable? 2 Attack, 15 Defense, and 15 HP.
What is this monster good for? Epitaff is particularly suited as the first monster in battle or for switching in. With its Ice Punch, it can cause significant problems for some opposing Flying-type monsters.
You can also opt for the Shadow variant of Epitaff, depending on your preference.
Piondragi
What kind of Pokémon is this? If you evolve Pionskora, you will get Piondragi. The Pokémon has the types Poison and Dark.
What attacks should the monster have? Piondragi shines especially when you teach the monster the attacks Poison Jab, Crunch, and Aqua Tail.
What IV values are desirable? The perfect Piondragi has the IV values 2 Attack, 15 Defense, and 14 HP.
What is this monster good for? The Pokémon can quickly use charge attacks and build pressure on the opponent, forcing them to use their shields. Crunch also has a 20% chance to lower the opponent’s Defense.
It is especially suitable as the first monster or for switching in.
Galar-Gallopa
What kind of Pokémon is this? The Galar variant of Gallopa has the types Psychic and Fairy. You get it when you evolve Galar-Ponita.
What attacks should the monster have? For this monster, a combination of the attacks Fairy Wind, Body Slam, and Play Rough is recommended.
What IV values are desirable? 0 Attack, 13 Defense, and 15 HP.
What is this monster good for? Galar-Gallopa can also quickly use charge attacks and thus apply pressure to the opponent, forcing them to use their shields. This strength comes with the drawback that Galar-Gallopa does not hold up particularly well.
It should ideally be used at the start of a battle or switched in during the battle.
Rasaff
What kind of Pokémon is this? Not only Epitaff, but Rasaff itself is also one of the best attackers in the Willpower Cup. The monster is the evolution of Menki and has the Fighting type.
What attacks should the monster have? Karate Chop, Close Combat, and Ice Punch is the preferred moveset for this monster. However, both Karate Chop and Close Combat are exclusive moves, for which you need to use a Fast TM and a Charged TM, respectively, if you don’t already have them.
What IV values are desirable? 1 Attack, 15 Defense, and 15 HP.
What is this monster good for? While Rasaff does not hold up particularly well, it can quickly use its charge attacks and cover a wide range of opposing monsters, making it very effective against them.
Tips and other good monsters
What should I consider when assembling a team? When putting together your team, ensure that it is balanced. You will generally not have successful battles if all your monsters are susceptible to one type.
Also, make sure that you don’t only have glass cannons in your team that can be knocked out after a few attacks from the opponent. A mix of strong glass cannons and sturdy defenders can make a better team overall.
What should I pay attention to in battle? Also, get to know your Pokémon that you are using. Find out which of your opponent’s monsters can deal strong damage to your own and which cannot. It is not always necessary to exhaust your shields directly. A smart use of shields can make the difference between victory and defeat.
Other good monsters: Of course, not only the 7 mentioned monsters are good for the Willpower Cup. They are, however, monsters of the current meta that many of you might already have or that are easier to obtain. We will list some further recommended monsters in the following table:
| Pokémon | Attacks | IV | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galar-Lavados (Dark, Flying) | Counter, Fly and Dive | 0/13/12 | Hard to obtain |
| Crypto-Kramurx (Dark, Flying) | Peck, Drill Peck, and Foul Play | 0/15/14 | Requires XL candy |
| Zobiris (Dark, Ghost) | Dark Claw, Foul Play, and Shadow Ball | 0/15/15 | Requires XL candy |
| Schlingking (Dark, Dragon) | Dragon Tail, Twister, and Dragon Claw | 1/15/15 | Only available temporarily |
| Kryppuk (Dark, Ghost) | Counter, Rock Tomb, and Shadow Ball | 0/15/15 | Only available temporarily |
In addition to the Willpower Cup, there are still events, raids, and many other contents that await you this month. If you want to get an overview of when which contents are active in the game, feel free to take a look at our overview of all events in September 2025 in Pokémon GO.
