Shadow Poliwhirl PvP Guide: Best Movesets, IVs & Rankings
Find the best PvP movesets and IVs for Shadow Poliwhirl in Pokémon GO. Compare Great, Ultra and Master League rankings, explore key wins and losses, and check charge counts before building your team.
Shadow Poliwhirl in Great League
Best Shadow Poliwhirl IVs in Great League
#898
- 6ATK
- 15DEF
- 15STA
Effective stats
Best Moveset
Top 50 IV spreads · Level 50 cap
Key Wins
Empoleon
621
Clodsire
604
Tinkaton
543
Vigoroth
520
Shadow Quagsire
516
Key Losses
Altaria
188
Cramorant
202
Melmetal
250
Mimikyu
266
Shadow Ninetales
313
Shadow Poliwhirl in Ultra League
There is no entry for Shadow Poliwhirl in our imported Ultra League ranking. This does not tell us whether a particular IV spread is good or whether the Pokémon is eligible for the current format.
Best Shadow Poliwhirl IVs in Ultra League

- 15ATK
- 15DEF
- 15STA
Effective stats
Top 50 IV spreads · Level 50 cap
Shadow Poliwhirl in Master League
There is no entry for Shadow Poliwhirl in our imported Master League ranking. This does not tell us whether a particular IV spread is good or whether the Pokémon is eligible for the current format.
Best Shadow Poliwhirl IVs in Master League

- 15ATK
- 15DEF
- 15STA
Effective stats
Top 50 IV spreads · Level 50 cap
Defensive Type Chart
| +60.0% |
|
| -37.5% |
|
Compare All Shadow Poliwhirl PvP Move Combinations
Fast Attacks needed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 6 | 5 | 6s | ||
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 5s | ||
| 6 | 6 | 5 | 6s | ||
| 6 | 6 | 5 | 6s | ||
| 8 | 8 | 8 | 8s | ||
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 7.5s | ||
| 5 | 4 | 4 | 7.5s | ||
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 7.5s | ||
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 7.5s | ||
| 7 | 6 | 7 | 10.5s | ||
Shadow Poliwhirl PvP Fast Attacks
Mud Shot1.8 DPT
4.5 EPT2 turns
Bubble3.84 DPT
3.67 EPT3 turns
Shadow Poliwhirl PvP Charged Attacks
Bubble Beam72
501.44 DPE
Mud Bomb78
451.73 DPE
Water Pulse115.2
502.3 DPE
Scald *122.4
502.45 DPE
Frustration12
700.17 DPE
Shadow Poliwhirl PvP FAQ
Is Shadow Poliwhirl good in PvP?
Shadow Poliwhirl ranks #898 of 1153 in Great League, with a PvPoke score of 63.7 and tier F in our list. This is its highest overall score among the three leagues shown. Check its moves, weaknesses and team fit before investing; a high rank does not guarantee wins.
What is the best Shadow Poliwhirl moveset for Great League?
The recommended Great League PvP moveset for Shadow Poliwhirl is
Bubble with
Scald and
Mud Bomb, according to the imported PvPoke ranking.
Which league is best for Shadow Poliwhirl?
Great League has its highest imported PvPoke score (63.7) among Great, Ultra and Master League. This compares overall scores within each league, not win rates across leagues. Your available team, IVs and investment budget may favor another league.
Does Shadow Poliwhirl need an Elite TM?
These legacy moves appear in its recommended movesets for the leagues shown:
A legacy move may require an event, an Elite TM or another special method. Not every legacy move is available through an Elite TM. Check the move and Pokémon before spending one.
Are these IVs worth building?
These IVs maximize Attack × Defense × HP under the league's CP cap and the calculator's level limit. They are a useful starting point, but matchup breakpoints and Charged Attack priority can favor other spreads.
In Great League, Pokémon that can exceed 1500 CP often benefit from lower Attack IVs, which can leave room for more total stats under the cap. The exact best spread depends on the Pokémon; it is not always 0/15/15.
The same principle applies to Ultra League's 2500 CP cap. Pokémon that cannot reach the cap at the allowed level generally benefit from higher IVs in all three stats.
Master League has no CP cap, so 15/15/15 maximizes a Pokémon's stats at a given level. Some other spreads perform similarly in particular matchups.
Compare your own Pokémon in the IV checker before spending resources. The highest stat product is a benchmark, not a promise of the best result in every matchup; the displayed spread is not necessarily the IV spread used by PvPoke simulations.
Base second Charged Attack cost: 50,000 Stardust and 50 Candy.
Levels and Candy XL needs refer to the highest stat-product build shown. Power-up costs depend on your starting level. Second Charged Attack costs shown are base costs; Shadow and Purified modifiers may apply.
PvP IV Checker →What do key wins and counters tell me?
Matchup ratings measure this Pokémon’s performance out of 1,000. 500 is a tie; higher is better. A dash means the rating is unavailable in our imported data.
Overall rankings combine several battle roles. PvPoke’s key wins and counters for these rankings come from its Leads scenario, with two shields on each side. They are examples, not guaranteed outcomes: IVs, energy, shields, move timing and baiting can change a battle.
Read PvPoke’s ranking methodologyHow do the first, second and third attack counts work?
Each number is the additional Fast Attacks needed before using the same Charged Attack again. The first starts from zero energy; the second and third retain leftover energy, with a 100-energy cap. Time to first charge counts Fast Attack time only. Switching moves, overfarming and battle interruptions change this sequence. A dash means the move cannot be reached with the available data.
Fast Attack stats explained
Compare energy generation, damage per turn, and attack duration. Faster energy gain helps reach Charged Attacks sooner, while shorter Fast Attacks offer more flexibility. The recommended move depends on the Pokémon's full moveset and matchups.
Move-card power, DPT and DPE include this Pokémon’s same-type and Shadow attack bonuses. They do not predict damage against a specific opponent. EPT is energy per turn; one turn lasts 0.5 seconds.
Charged Attack stats explained
Charged Attacks cost energy to use, deal a large amount of damage, and some of them even have Special Effects that can change your or your Opponents stats.
Charged cards show adjusted power, energy cost and DPE (power divided by energy cost). Charge counts use the Fast Attack selected above the cards, starting at zero energy and carrying leftover energy into the next two uses.
How fresh are these rankings?
These pages use an imported PvPoke snapshot, not live rankings. The import date is recorded only when ranking data is refreshed; it is not the page build date. Older snapshots may have no recorded import date. Standard overall rankings do not describe every limited cup or current GO Battle League rotation.
Source: PvPoke · Format: standard 1500 CP · Overall rankings · Imported Oct 18, 2026, 6:16 AM UTC