Pokemon Go has a new competitive favorite and it’s a Johto starter
The2025 Baltimore Regional Championshipsmarked the start of the next year of competitive play, and after a major shake-up to Pokemon Go’s meta, some interesting Pokemon have made their way to the top of the best Pokemon rankings.
While Pokemon likeGligar dominatedthe top of the pile during previous events, after a weekend of fierce battles, the Poison/Ground-typecreatureClodsireis now one of the most reliable party members. But a Johto starter is also making a shocking ascent thanks to one key change.
As shared byPokemon fans on Reddit, Shadow Feraligatr hasrocketed up the ranksand is now in the top three Pokemon used in competitive teams, mostly thanks to the damage boost afforded by that sneaky Shadow attribute.
Other notable entries in the top 12 from the event include Dunsparce, Azumarill, and some surprising contenders like Malamar and Serperior. But, fans seem most pleased with Feraligatr’s entry into the pantheon of powerful Pocket Monsters.
Speaking on this change, one comment says, “MY GOAT FERALIGATR IS TOP 3 LESSS GOOOO” before another person adds, “Not just Feraligatr…EVIL FERALIGATR.”
One comment asks, “Evil Feraligatr specifically???” referring to the Shadow version of the Pokemon ousting the vanilla variant, to which, one person explains that Shadow Pokemon get a “20% increase in attack and a 20% decrease in defense” which makes a big difference in competitions.
A big upset though is the loss of Charjabug, with a lot of fans confused at its absence, as a comment notes, “I remember a post like this one a few months ago that had Chargabug at 88%, THAT was insane.”
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Then, as one person asked, “Where’s my goat Charjabug” another commenter explained that the Pokemon was scuppered by a “huge balance shift” after Worlds 2024.
It’s only the beginning of the season so there’s a long road to Worlds 2025, but with more new Pokemon joining and other balance changes sure to come, it’ll be a fun year for competitive Pokemon Go players.
If you want to grab some new Pokemon, be sure to check out our guide to thecurrent season Max Out, as well as guides on recurring events likeCommunity DayandSpotlight Hour.
