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Pokémon GO: How To Battle A Challenger

Pokemon GO World Championships 2024 Challengers
Image: Nintendo Life

Pokémon GO is getting into the Pokémon World Championship 2024 celebrations in the good old-fashioned way — by throwing new adversaries at you!

These special World Championship Challengers are available to fight Pokémon GO’s World Championship timed research quest, which you can get by redeeming one of the many codes being handed out during the livestreams.

In this guide, we’ll be showing you how to find and battle World Championship Challengers, and how to get a Pokémon World Championships 2024 Pikachu.

Pokémon GO World Championship Challengers

Where Can I Find Challengers?

From now until 8:00 pm (local time) on 23rd August, as long as you have redeemed one of the Pokémon World Championship timed research codes, you’ll be able to find and challenge World Championship Challengers at a PokéStop near you.

Similarly to Team GO Rocket Grunts and the Rocket Leaders battles, these challengers appear frequently, so if you haven’t got a World Championship Challenger near you, then one should pop up soon enough.

You’ll know if a PokéStop has a World Championship Challenger waiting for you as the PokéStop will be wiggling like the Rocket Grunt PokéStops, but without their signature darker colour.


In our experience walking around a residential area with several PokéStops, we had no trouble finding Challengers as they spawned close by relatively frequently. As we battled on, another who was previously there disappeared, though, so it appears they can despawn, too.

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How To Battle A Challenger

Battling a World Championship Challenger is the same as any other Pokémon GO fight, and every time you defeat one, it will contribute to the timed research quest for the World Championship.

There are six different Challengers that will appear throughout the event, but each of them has a number of different Pokémon in their arsenal, so you might not fight the same team twice. Alternatively, you may fight multiple of the same Challenger type.

The World Championship Challengers don’t use shields, while you get two to use, so each fight should be easy enough!

Challengers Pokémon Teams

As we mentioned above, each of the six World Championship Challengers you can face will come with a number of different Pokémon to battle.

Pokémon GO veterans who have built up a strong and varied selection of Pokémon to use in battle will have little trouble during these fights — we beat the Challengers relatively easily using the Pokémon team recommended in-game. Make sure your team is at full health before battling, of course, and make sure to use your two shields strategically.

Here is a list of potential teams for the World Championship Challengers (many thanks to The Silph Road subreddit for putting this together!)

How To Battle An Ambitious Challenger

Here are the Pokémon used by Ambitious Challengers:

Pokémon Slot 1 Pokémon Slot 2 Pokémon Slot 3
Araquanid Registeel Talonflame
Swampert Walrein Sableye
Obstagoon Nidoqueen Greedent
Trevenant Alolan Ninetales Swampert
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How To Battle A Confident Challenger

Here are the Pokémon used by Confident Challengers:

Pokémon Slot 1 Pokémon Slot 2 Pokémon Slot 3
Diggersby Walrein Cresselia
Walrein Mandibuzz Deoxys Defence
Swampert Treveneant Deoxys Defence
Swampert Nidoqueen Lickitung

How To Battle An Eager Challenger

Here are the Pokémon used by Eager Challengers:

Pokémon Slot 1 Pokémon Slot 2 Pokémon Slot 3
Medicham Nidoqueen Swampert
Nidoqueen Lickitung Walrein

How To Battle An Eccentric Challenger

Here are the Pokémon used by Eccentric Challengers:

Pokémon Slot 1 Pokémon Slot 2 Pokémon Slot 3
Sirfetch’d Walrein Talonflame
Walrein Lickitung Registeel
Sableye ?? ??

How To Battle A Novice Challenger

Here are the Pokémon used by Novice Challengers:

Pokémon Slot 1 Pokémon Slot 2 Pokémon Slot 3
Sableye Alolan Ninetales Obstagoon
Trevenant Azumarill Galarian Stunfisk

How To Battle A Slick Challenger

Here are the Pokémon used by Slick Challengers:

Pokémon Slot 1 Pokémon Slot 2 Pokémon Slot 3
Azumarill Medicham Registeel
Walrein Sableye Trevenant

Rewards

Battling the World Championship Challengers will get you some useful rewards as well as one or two event-exclusive items.

For beating all of them, a World Championships 2024 Pikachu will appear, plus you’ll get an Elite Fast TM and an Elite Charge TM.

Here are the rewards you get for beating each Challenger:

  • 1 Challenger — 10 Poké Balls
  • 2 Challengers — 1 Fast TM
  • 3 Challengers — 10 Great Balls
  • 4 Challengers — 1 Charge TM
  • 5 Challengers — 10 Ultra Balls

If you happen to win any of these fights, you can also win three bundles which include berries, dust, Poke Balls, and Great Balls.


As the event is currently live, this info is constantly being updated as players discover new details. We’ll be sure to keep this as up-to-date as possible! Good luck finding and taking down those challengers!

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