Tips for Pokémon Champions: New Pokémon, Items, Super Effective Moves, and More!

Pokémon Champions is a battle-focused game released on April 8, 2026, designed to serve as the official VGC platform.

Currently, the game is available on Nintendo Switch 1 and 2, with a mobile release expected soon.

What Are VPs (Victory Points)?

Pokémon Champions features a Victory Points (VP) system, which you earn through Ranked Battles. You can use VPs to customize your Pokémon’s stats, abilities, and moves.

VPs can be obtained through daily missions, ranked battles, tutorials, and the Battle Pass.

It is best to spend them wisely, with a clear team and move strategy in mind, since earning large amounts of VPs later can be difficult.

What Are Quick Coupons?

Quick Coupons are used to instantly reduce recruitment time in the Roster Ranch, allowing you to skip wait times and find new Pokémon.

Each coupon removes one hour from the waiting time, helping you access new Pokémon more quickly.

What Are Teammate Tickets Used For?

Teammate Tickets allow you to recruit a Pokémon permanently without spending VPs.

They are quite rare, so if you are unsure, consider recruiting a Pokémon temporarily first to test it before committing your valuable Teammate Tickets or VPs.

What Are Training Tickets Used For?

Training Tickets allow you to train a Pokémon without spending VPs.

How to Get New Pokémon in Champions

You can obtain Pokémon using VPs or Teammate Tickets. You can also import them from Pokémon Home into Champions for free, as long as you already have Pokémon stored in Home.

Using VPs or Teammate Tickets

To recruit Pokémon in Champions, go to the Main Menu, select “Recruit”, then “Recruit Pokémon”. You can recruit new Pokémon with Kitt. You may spend VPs to choose from a random selection every 22 hours, or use Quick Coupons to speed up the process and refresh the lineup. The lineup is completely random and may include Pokémon you are looking for.

You can recruit a Pokémon either temporarily or permanently by selecting your preferred option. However, if you choose a temporary Pokémon, you will not be able to modify its stats or abilities.

Pokémon Home

Using Pokémon Home is simple. Link your Home account to Champions and make sure you have Pokémon stored there. If you do not own other games in the franchise, you can link Pokémon GO to Pokémon Home, transfer your Pokémon from GO to Home, and then from Home to Champions, gaining new partners for free.

However, Pokémon transferred from GO or Home often come with abilities that are incompatible with Champions, and at least two of them will need to be changed using VPs before they can be used in battle.

In addition, they come with no upgraded stat points, unlike Pokémon recruited through Kitt in Champions, which already have predefined upgrades.

In other words, importing Pokémon is free, but making them competitive will require spending VPs or Training Tickets to improve their stats, abilities, and nature.

The first step is to open Pokémon Home and make sure you already have a Pokémon there that is compatible with Champions, since not all species are currently available. This requires linking Home to another game and transferring Pokémon into it.

First, open Pokémon Home, tap the three lines, then go to Options. Navigate to the Account tab and select “Link with Pokémon Champions” >>> “Send for a Visit”. Home will explain that the Pokémon you send cannot be used elsewhere until it returns.

Next, select the Pokémon you want to send. Only those available in Champions will be selectable, such as the Tyranitar shown in the example below.

After selecting your Pokémon, click send and confirm until the transfer is complete.

Then open Champions, go to the Recruit screen, and select “Collect from Pokémon Home”.

The game will display the Pokémon available to receive. Click Collect and confirm.

Done. Now you can train your visiting Pokémon, change its moves and nature, and prepare it for battle using VPs or Tickets.

Training Before Transfer Does Not Matter

This is important: there is no advantage in leveling up your Pokémon in other games before transferring. When a Pokémon is transferred into Champions, its base stats are standardized regardless of its previous level.

You will still need VPs or Tickets to train its stats.

It is simple. Tutorials reward you with Tickets and VPs, and they are quick to complete, so there is no downside. Keep in mind how valuable these resources are.

Daily and weekly missions are also very useful. Log in every day and complete them, even if you do not have time for many matches. Over time, you will build up resources for future Pokémon or teams, and it is always helpful to have reserves for new updates.

Also claim your Battle Pass rewards whenever possible. Even the free track offers solid rewards.

In Pokémon Champions, EVs and IVs no longer exist. Instead, each Pokémon can receive a total of 66 stat points.

Players usually maximize two stats with 32 points each and place the remaining 2 points into a third stat, reinforcing a specific strategy alongside the chosen moves. Each Pokémon can follow a different approach depending on your build.

Physical vs. Special Attackers

The difference between attack types depends on the moves you choose and how they deal damage. Damage-dealing moves are divided into two categories:

Physical: User’s Attack stat vs. opponent’s Defense stat.

Special: User’s Special Attack stat vs. opponent’s Special Defense stat.

It is important to note that Pokémon with high Attack should use physical moves, while those with high Special Attack should focus on special moves. You can identify the move category by the symbols next to the move name.

When building your team, aim for a mix of both to better handle different defensive profiles.

After understanding the basic mechanics, stats, and moves, it is important to choose the right held item for each Pokémon. Make sure it complements your build and supports the type of damage or defense you are focusing on.

New Held Items and Mega Stones can be purchased in the shop using VPs.

There are four levels of effectiveness:

Extremely Effective: + 4x damage

Super Effective: + 2x damage

Not Very Effective: - 0.5x damage

Mostly Ineffective: - 0.25x damage

How to Exploit Opponent Weaknesses

To land an Effective attack, you need to take advantage of a Pokémon’s type weakness. Doing so can double or even quadruple your damage, often defeating an opponent in just a few hits or even a single attack.

You can achieve Extremely Effective damage by hitting two type weaknesses at once. This is why understanding Pokémon types and effectiveness is essential.

Below is the in-game type chart from Champions:

Legend:

X = No damage

Target = Super Effective (2x)

Triangle = Normal (1x)

One of the first things you should do is observe the most common Pokémon in Ranked matches and plan counters based on their types and weaknesses.

Within your own team, it is important to include Pokémon that can handle different situations, such as one focused on Special Attack, another on raw damage, and another on defense.

Versatility in movesets is also valuable. For example, a Fire-type Pokémon with Ground-type moves can catch opponents off guard. Many trainers build themed teams centered around a core Pokémon with support, or around weather effects like Rain.

How to Replicate a Team in Pokémon Champions

On the home screen, select “Train”. Then choose “Replica Teams” and “Build Teams Using Team IDs”.

Enter the code exactly as provided by the creator. Save the new team and start building or training it as you prefer.

This is a short guide for a game designed to be competitive. Even so, remember that having fun is just as important. Try using a Pokémon you really like and experiment with different movesets or strategies.

Do not rely only on tutorials and guides. Take time to explore and test things on your own. I hope you enjoy Champions!