The Stadium is the central building of Stadium City and, according to our review at the time, the heart of the game: almost all unlocks go through it. It offers four tournaments: the Pika Cup, the Petit Cup, the Poké Cup and the Prime Cup. Each imposes its own level and Pokémon rules, and each is won by beating eight Trainers in a row. This page gathers the common rules, compares the four cups and gives a general method; opponents and their teams are detailed on a page for each cup.
Rules common to all four cups
Whichever cup you choose, the flow is the same. You register a team of six Pokémon, all of different species. Before each match, the game shows the opposing team, then you choose three Pokémon from your six based on what you see: this is the team preview, one of Stadium’s big new features. The battle is then played three against three.
- Eight Trainers to beat in a row: six matches, a semifinal and a final.
- Sleep Clause and Freeze Clause: only one Pokémon on your team can be asleep or frozen at a time. A Pokémon that falls asleep through Rest counts as asleep.
- Self-KO Clause: if your last Pokémon uses Explosion or Self-Destruct and both sides faint at the same time, you lose the match.
- The “continue”: a victory in which none of your Pokémon is knocked out earns you a continue. If you lose later in the tournament, it lets you retry the lost match instead of starting over.
- Rental Pokémon or your own: you can pick from the Pokémon lent by the game or, with the Transfer Pak, from your Red, Blue or Yellow cartridge.
These rules come from the Game Boy games: the Pika Cup, Petit Cup and Poké Cup reuse three rule sets introduced in Pokémon Yellow for Game Link Cable battles, while the Prime Cup corresponds to the unrestricted battle of the ordinary Game Link Cable.
Comparison of the four cups
| Cup | Allowed levels | Sum of the three levels | Other restrictions | Rental | Divisions | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pika Cup | 15 to 20 | 50 at most | Mew banned | 91 Pokémon, level 15 | 1 | 8 |
| Petit Cup | 25 to 30 | 80 at most | Unevolved Pokémon, 2.0 m and 20 kg at most, Mew banned | 45 Pokémon, level 25 | 1 | 8 |
| Poké Cup | 50 to 55 | 155 at most | Mewtwo and Mew banned | 149 Pokémon, level 50 | 4 | 32 |
| Prime Cup | no limit | no limit | none | 150 Pokémon, level 100 (Mew only in Round 2) | 4 | 32 |
In total, one full round of the Stadium represents 80 matches and ten trophies: one for the Pika Cup, one for the Petit Cup, four for the Poké Cup and four for the Prime Cup. The last two cups are split into four difficulty levels, named after the balls: Poké Ball, Great Ball, Ultra Ball and Master Ball. Each division only opens once the previous one is completed.
The level sum, explained
In the Pika Cup, Petit Cup and Poké Cup, the limit applies to the three Pokémon chosen for the match, not to the whole team. Example in the Poké Cup: three level 52 Pokémon total 156 and are refused, whereas 52, 52 and 51 (155) pass. With Rental Pokémon, the problem never comes up: they are all at the cup’s minimum level (15, 25 or 50). If you import your own Pokémon, however, it is the first thing to check before entering.
Which tournament should you start with?
Our opinion, based on the rules and the opposing teams we recorded: if you don’t have a cartridge, start with the Petit Cup and the Pika Cup. They have only one division, just eight matches, and their opponents stay at low levels. The Poké Ball division of the Poké Cup is a good third tournament, because in Round 1 all of its opponents are at level 50. The Prime Cup, meanwhile, demands a whole team at level 100: with lent Pokémon it is doable, but it requires choosing your three fighters carefully for each match.
One tip on method applies to every tournament: look at the team preview before choosing. Opposing teams always consist of six Pokémon of which only three will fight, so it is better to pick Pokémon that are useful against most of them rather than against just one opponent. For each Trainer, our tables flag the Pokémon that know Explosion, a one-hit KO move, a sleep move or Counter.
What the cups unlock
- The Doduo GB Tower (x2 speed): complete the Poké Cup or the Prime Cup. The Dodrio GB Tower (x3 speed): complete both. Details on the GB Tower page.
- The Hall of Fame: each cup you win registers your team there. See Hall of Fame.
- Mewtwo: it appears above the Stadium when all the cups and the Gym Leader Castle are completed. See Against Mewtwo.
- Round 2: it opens after Mewtwo and replays the whole course in a harder version, at night. See Round 2.
- Surfing Pikachu: exclusive to the Prime Cup, Master Ball division, in Round 2. See Surfing Pikachu.
The pages for each cup
- Pika Cup: levels 15 to 20, the entry point.
- Petit Cup: levels 25 to 30, unevolved Pokémon.
- Poké Cup, Poké Ball and Great Ball then Ultra Ball and Master Ball.
- Prime Cup, Poké Ball and Great Ball then Ultra Ball and Master Ball.
To build your teams, also see our recommended teams and the list of Rental Pokémon.
