Yes, you can use Mega Evolved Pokémon in Pokémon GO’s GO Battle League, but only in the leagues labelled “Mega Edition”. This week (to Nov 17) that means Ultra League: Mega Edition. Great League and the 2026 GO LAIC Cup do not allow Megas, and Master League: Mega Edition returns Nov 18. Rules and dates below come from Niantic’s Twilight Trails battle league post and Leek Duck’s event pages.
Rules and schedule checked Nov 14, 2026 01:13 UTC.
Table of Contents
Quick answer: Mega rules by league
- Nov 10-17: Great League (1,500 CP, no Megas), Ultra League: Mega Edition (2,500 CP, Megas allowed) and the 2026 GO LAIC Cup (1,500 CP, no Megas).
- Nov 18-25: Ultra League (no Megas), Master League: Mega Edition (no CP limit, Megas allowed) and the 2026 GO LAIC Cup again. Win rewards give 4x Stardust.
- Nov 24-Dec 1: Master League (no Megas) and Mega Catch Cup: Great League Edition (1,500 CP, Megas allowed, only Pokémon caught this Season). 4x Stardust again.
- Great League: Mega Edition is not on this week. It ran Sep 8-15, Oct 6-13 and Nov 3-10, and it is not on the Season schedule for the rest of Twilight Trails.
- All leagues start and end at 1:00 p.m. Pacific time, which is 21:00 UTC (Leek Duck lists UTC-8; Niantic’s page says PDT, but US clocks went back on Nov 1).
Mega Evolution is the idea behind the Mega Edition leagues. AI-generated illustration, not official artwork
Can you use Mega Pokémon in GO Battle League?
Only when the league name says “Mega Edition” (or the cup says Megas are eligible). Niantic’s rules for how they fit the CP caps:
- If a Mega Evolved Pokémon’s CP is over the league limit, its level is lowered automatically for the battle only. Its CP returns to normal afterward.
- A Pokémon that can Mega Evolve stays in your battle party even if its normal CP is above the limit, once Mega Evolution ends.
- Some Megas get an extra Charged Attack at any Mega Level. Niantic introduced this with Pokémon GO Fest: Mega Finale.
- Pokémon at Super Max Mega Level do not get the big CP bonus in Master League. For how Super Max Mega Level works, see our Super Max Mega Level and Mega Sableye energy guide.
The 2026 GO LAIC Cup is the exception this month: Niantic says Megas are not eligible in the GO Battle League version. They are eligible in the Pokémon Latin America International Championships 2026 in-person event.
GO Battle League schedule: Nov 10 to Dec 1
| Dates (1:00 p.m. PT) | Leagues and cups | Megas allowed? | Stardust |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 10-17 | Great League; Ultra League: Mega Edition; 2026 GO LAIC Cup | Ultra League only | Normal |
| Nov 18-25 | Ultra League; Master League: Mega Edition; 2026 GO LAIC Cup | Master League only | 4x on wins |
| Nov 24-Dec 1 | Master League; Mega Catch Cup: Great League Edition | Mega Catch Cup only | 4x on wins |
The 4x Stardust bonus covers win rewards, not end-of-set rewards. Twilight Trails also has GO Battle Thursdays, with up to 4x Stardust and a limit of 10 sets (50 battles) a day instead of five. Daily Discoveries are paused Nov 9-15 according to Leek Duck’s Season page, so the next GO Battle Thursday should be Nov 19.
Best Pokémon for Ultra League: Mega Edition (to Nov 17)
PvPoke publishes its rankings as open data, including a separate “Mega” list for these leagues (its Mega rankings were last updated Nov 1 when we read them). In the Ultra League version, no Mega ranks in the top 35, so most players will build around regular Pokémon and treat a Mega as an extra option.
| PvPoke rank | Pokémon | Suggested moveset |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tinkaton | Fairy Wind, Gigaton Hammer, Bulldoze |
| 2 | Corviknight | Sand Attack, Air Cutter, Iron Head |
| 4 | Zygarde (Complete Forme) | Dragon Tail, Crunch, Bulldoze |
| 5 | Florges | Fairy Wind, Chilling Water, Disarming Voice |
| 6 | Mimikyu | Shadow Claw, Shadow Sneak, Play Rough |
| 7 | Galarian Moltres | Sucker Punch, Fly, Brave Bird |
| 9 | Virizion | Double Kick, Leaf Blade, Sacred Sword |
| 10 | Empoleon | Metal Sound, Hydro Cannon, Drill Peck |
Shadow versions of several of these (Corviknight, Snorlax, Empoleon) are ranked separately, just behind or ahead of the regular ones. Gaps in the numbering are those entries.
Which Megas rank highest in Ultra League?
Mega Malamar is the highest at rank 36 (Psywave, Foul Play, Superpower), then Mega Altaria (85), Mega Audino (86), Mega Raichu X (104) and Mega Dragonite (119). That is an argument for keeping Mega slots flexible this week rather than building around one.
Rankings are a starting point, not a team. AI-generated illustration
Best Pokémon for Great League (Nov 10-17, no Megas)
Standard Great League this week uses PvPoke’s main 1,500 CP rankings (last updated Oct 31 per its repository):
| PvPoke rank | Pokémon | Suggested moveset |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melmetal | Thunder Shock, Double Iron Bash, Dynamic Punch |
| 2 | Altaria | Dragon Breath, Moonblast, Flamethrower |
| 3 | Shadow Ninetales | Ember, Weather Ball (Fire), Energy Ball |
| 4 | Mimikyu | Shadow Claw, Shadow Sneak, Play Rough |
| 5 | Cramorant | Peck, Surf, Fly |
| 6 | Tinkaton | Fairy Wind, Gigaton Hammer, Bulldoze |
| 8 | Corviknight | Sand Attack, Air Cutter, Iron Head |
| 9 | Galarian Corsola | Astonish, Night Shade, Power Gem |
| 10 | Florges | Fairy Wind, Chilling Water, Moonblast |
A simple way to use this list (our suggestion, not a ranked team): pick three Pokémon that are not weak to the same types, for example one Fairy or Steel, one Water or Dragon, and one Dark or Ghost.
Best Mega for Great League: Mega Edition
When Great League: Mega Edition is on, or in the Nov 24 Mega Catch Cup, PvPoke’s Mega list puts Mega Sableye first (Shadow Claw, Foul Play, Dazzling Gleam), ahead of Melmetal, Altaria and Shadow Ninetales. Mega Malamar is the next Mega, at rank 31. Remember the Mega Catch Cup only allows Pokémon caught between Sep 8 and Dec 1, and mythicals are banned, which the ranking does not filter for. Our Giratina Origin and Mega Sableye raid counters post covers the Mega Sableye raid.
Best Pokémon for Master League: Mega Edition (Nov 18-25)
PvPoke’s Mega Master League list starts with Primal Kyogre, followed by Mega Gyarados, Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Garchomp, Mega Mewtwo Y, Mega Rayquaza, Mega Dragonite, Primal Groudon, Mega Tyranitar and Mega Metagross. Primal Pokémon follow the same CP-adjustment rule as Megas in Niantic’s post. Because Super Max Mega Level gives no CP bonus in Master League, expect these to behave differently from raids.
2026 GO LAIC Cup rules and best picks (Nov 10-25)
The cup runs in both weeks (Nov 10-17 and Nov 18-25). It is a 1,500 CP cup with these restrictions from Niantic:
- Fire-, Dark-, Steel- and Fairy-type Pokémon are not eligible.
- Legendary Pokémon, Mythical Pokémon and Ultra Beasts are not eligible.
- No Mega Evolved Pokémon in the GO Battle League version.
- Also banned by name: Chansey, Snorlax, Furret, Wobbuffet, Galarian Corsola, Kingdra, Medicham, Altaria, Dusclops, Jellicent, Araquanid, Oranguru, Annihilape and Clodsire.
PvPoke has a LAIC cup ranking in its repository (labelled 2027 there). We checked that it leaves out every banned Pokémon above, so it fits these rules. Its top Pokémon are:
| PvPoke rank | Pokémon | Suggested moveset |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cetitan | Powder Snow, Icicle Spear, Superpower |
| 2 | Swalot | Infestation, Sludge, Ice Beam |
| 3 | Crustle | Fury Cutter, X-Scissor, Rock Wrecker |
| 4 | Aurorus | Powder Snow, Weather Ball (Ice), Meteor Beam |
| 5 | Lapras | Psywave, Sparkling Aria, Ice Beam |
| 6 | Shadow Abomasnow | Powder Snow, Weather Ball (Ice), Energy Ball |
| 7 | Shadow Dusknoir | Astonish, Dynamic Punch, Shadow Punch |
| 10 | Toxapex | Bite, Brine, Sludge Wave |
How rankings work: use them as a starting point
PvPoke’s scores come from simulated battles against the rest of the league, so they say which Pokémon do well on average, not which team beats a given opponent. They also assume well-built Pokémon with the right IVs and moves, and some recommended moves cost Elite TMs. Niantic also changed many move values for this Season, listed in its post, so check a ranking’s date before trusting a moveset.
Rewards this Season
- Guaranteed rank-up encounters (once per Season): Toxtricity (Low Key Form), Dondozo, Kingdra, Duraludon and Pikachu Libre.
- Avatar items inspired by Ryme: shoes at Rank 10, cap and earrings at Rank 15, outfit at Rank 20, pose at Legend.
- Timed Research Pass: a free pass in the in-game shop. Later pages need 100 battles and 50 wins, and reward Stardust, Rare Candy XL and Elite TMs.
Twilight Trails ends Dec 1 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Dynamax Trails events fall in the same week as the Master League: Mega Edition, see our Dynamax Pokémon list and November events guide.
FAQ
Is there a Mega Edition in Great League right now?
No. Great League this week (Nov 10-17) is the standard 1,500 CP league. The Mega Edition leagues this week and next are Ultra League and Master League.
Can Mega Pokémon be used in the GO LAIC Cup?
Not in the GO Battle League. Niantic says Megas are only eligible at the in-person Latin America International Championships.
When does the next league start?
Nov 18 at 1:00 p.m. PT (21:00 UTC), when Ultra League, Master League: Mega Edition and the LAIC Cup begin.
Sources: Pokémon GO: GO Battle League Twilight Trails; Leek Duck Nov 10-17, Nov 18-25, Nov 24-Dec 1 and its Twilight Trails Season page; PvPoke ranking data (Mega, 2,500 CP, Mega, 1,500 CP, Mega, Master, standard 1,500 CP, LAIC cup).
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Featured image: AI-generated illustration
