How to Battle in Pokémon GO’s Great League

The newest Special Research storyline in Pokémon GO, “A Seven-Colored Shadow,” has a particular challenge for its third step: earning a Charge TM by battling another Trainer in the Great League. Because it’s the lowest rung, the Great League is sometimes forgotten by enthusiasts for the game, but if you want to finish that storyline, you’re gonna have to downsize a bit. Here’s how to battle in Pokémon GO’s Great League.

Unlike the Master League, where you can use any Pokémon you want regardless of their CP, the Great League has a hard cap of 1,500 CP on all entered Pokémon. In theory, this is to keep the League low-level and make it easier for newer players to take the game’s PvP features for a spin. If you’re a seasoned player, though, it becomes something of a puzzle: what’s the strongest team of Pokémon you can employ without going over the limit? Solving that puzzle is the key to victory in the Great League. Technically, you don’t actually have to win to earn the Charge TM for the storyline, but hey, if we’re gonna do this, we’re going all the way with it.

How to Battle in Pokémon GO’s Great League

The main problem with this challenge is that, as of writing, the Great League isn’t actually available. The three PvP Leagues rotate periodically with the game’s season, and right now, it’s the Great League’s off season. Some players have reported being able to clear the challenge requirement by battling a Trainer in any League, but the jury’s still out on whether that’s a guaranteed solution.

For the time being, check out the PvP menu and just get yourself into a fight. Again, you don’t have to win, so it’s okay if you don’t have the muscle to make it in the higher League. If that doesn’t work, then unfortunately, your only option will be to wait until July 12th when the Great League starts back up again. On the bright side, once it does start back up, I imagine there’ll be no shortage of Trainers, so you should be able to get that challenge done lickety-split.