Pokémon Gonow has a ranked battle system for players to participate in, but it's not as simple as just loading against random people from around the world.{#rT3WXg}
The ranked battle league uses the usual PvP system in Pokémon Go that players have already been using to battle Team Rocket, as well as team leaders and friends.{#hfsYng}
The ranked system is still rolling out by player levels, so if you can't access it yet, it'll be available soon.{#0ZukTw}
How do I start battling? {#fbhtSq}
In order to qualify and play matches, you'll have to walk around to get a Basic Go League Battle Pass. It costs five kilometers worth of walking to play five matches, but once you walk two kilometers, you can pay PokéCoins to skip walking the rest of the distance. Your first Basic Go League Battle Pass will be free, and you won't have to walk to start.{#84dfv9}
Players can only unlock three GO League Battle Pass per day.{#g7c5IW}
How do ranks work? {#cbb14j}
Players are ranked between one and 10, with rank 10 being the current highest. To rank up, you'll have to complete the following requirements:{#f6zU5N}
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Rank 1 requirement: n/a{#ZqnEcW}
{#ZqnEcW}
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Rank 2 requirement: Complete five battles as rank 1{#tq8167}
{#tq8167}
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Rank 3 requirement: Complete five battles as rank 2{#2LeQt8}
{#2LeQt8}
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Rank 4 requirement: Complete five battles as rank 3{#4UqDHy}
{#4UqDHy}
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Rank 5 requirement: Win five battles as rank 4{#hRps09}
{#hRps09}
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Rank 6 requirement: Win seven battles as rank 5{#7bxTJt}
{#7bxTJt}
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Rank 7 requirement: Win 10 battles as rank 6{#k7BDN2}
{#k7BDN2}
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Rank 8 requirement: Reach a battle rating of 1,800 or higher{#LtPqkm}
{#LtPqkm}
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Rank 9 requirement: Reach a battle rating of 2,100 or higher{#3xtDTg}
{#3xtDTg}
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Rank 10 requirement: Reach a battle rating of 2,700 or higher{#DkuysI}
{#DkuysI}
Losing battles will not decrease your rank, but will lower your rating once you hit rank 8 or higher. You'll gain rating by winning, and lose it by losing. The players you match against at this point will have similar ratings to yours.{#eyObPi}
What are the rewards for PvP? {#90askz}
Each battle can reward you with Stardust, Rare Candy, Pokémon encounters, TMs, and other random goodies, varying based on how many battles you won in the set of five. Depending on your rank, the possible Pokémon encounter will vary.{#cCTXrJ}
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Ranks 1-3: Snorlax (guaranteed on your first encounter), Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, and Machop{#tsZRnX}
{#tsZRnX}
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Ranks 4-6: Scraggy (guaranteed on your first encounter after hitting rank 4), Meditite, Skarmory, Snorlax, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, and Machop{#nNAlwr}
{#nNAlwr}
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Ranks 7-10: Lapras, Larvitar, Shieldon, Deino, Litwick, Scraggy, Meditite, Skarmory, Snorlax, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, and Machop{#mS6obC}
{#mS6obC}
What's the difference between Basic and Premium Battles Passes? {#zfp0rO}
Premium battles use what used to be called Premium Raid Passes. They're now called Premium Battle Passes and they'll boost the rewards you get. For example, you may get twice as much stardust or two Pokémon encounters instead of just one for the Basic Pass.{#gB30x6}
What are the best Pokémon to use? {#t9XMB9}
You'll want your Pokémon to be as close to the CP cut-off for each league as possible without going over. For now, all the battles are taking place in the Great League, meaning that only Pokémon below 1,500 CP can join in.{#30SpOE}
Consider using any of the following for the Great League:{#n0R1kM}
- Altaria with Dragon Breath, Sky Attack, and Dragon Pulse{#el0Y8t}
{#el0Y8t}
- Wigglytuff with Charm, Ice Beam, and Rock Slide{#giXxn3}
{#giXxn3}
- Whiscash with Mud Shot, Mud Bomb, and Blizzard{#qFaVdn}
{#qFaVdn}
- Marshtomp with Mud Shot, Mud Bomb, and Surf{#Q2PUT0}
{#Q2PUT0}
- Linoone with Shadow Claw, Grass Knot, and Thunder{#S91lOo}
{#S91lOo}
The Silph Road subreddit user Shark_Eating_Bacon posted a fairly in-depth look at what Pokémon are good for the Great League. These Pokémon have cheap Stardust and candy costs for unlocking secondary moves, and have diverse movesets. {#1jOAQH}