The Prime Cup is the no-limits tournament of Pokémon Stadium: no restrictions on level, total or species, with opponents all at Lv. 100 and rental Pokémon that are too. It is the equivalent of the Game Boy games’ Free Battle. Like the Poké Cup, it has four divisions of eight trainers; this page covers the first two, and the rest is in Ultra Ball and Master Ball. The general rules of the Stadium apply.
Rules and rentals
- No level limit: your Pokémon can go up to Lv. 100.
- All Pokémon are allowed, including Mewtwo and Mew, if you bring them in from a Game Boy cartridge.
- The Sleep, Freeze and Self-KO Clauses are the same as in the other cups.
- The rental list offers 149 Lv. 100 Pokémon in Round 1. Mew is added in Round 2, bringing the list to 150. Mewtwo is never lent out.
Playing with rental Pokémon is therefore possible, but demanding: each Pokémon’s moves are drawn once and for all (see Rental Pokémon) and some combinations are frankly weak. Browse the list before building your team.
What to know before you start
Across the four divisions and both rounds, the Prime Cup opponents use 150 different species, everything except Mewtwo. A few trainers are specialists worth knowing about:
- The Gambler relies purely on chance. Depending on the division, his Pokémon know Fissure, Guillotine or Horn Drill (one-hit KO moves that usually miss), Metronome or Psywave (random damage). As in the Game Boy games, one-hit KO moves fail against a Pokémon that is faster than the user.
- The Bird Keeper lines up birds: Pidgey, Spearow, Farfetch’d, Dodrio, then Zapdos, Moltres and Articuno in the higher divisions.
- The Cooltrainer♂ closes each division.
Poké Ball Division, Round 1
The first division remains approachable: the Rocker mostly fields first-stage Pokémon (Caterpie, Weedle, Magikarp, Growlithe, Charmander). The Gambler’s trap springs as early as the fourth match: five of his six Pokémon know a one-hit KO move.
| Match | Trainer | Opposing team (6 Pokémon, you face 3) | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle 1 | Rocker | Paras, Caterpie, Weedle, Magikarp, Growlithe, Charmander (all Lv. 100) | — |
| Battle 2 | Rocket | Ekans, Drowzee, Grimer, Poliwag, Omanyte, Nidoran♀ (all Lv. 100) | Sleep: Drowzee, Poliwag |
| Battle 3 | Black Belt | Mankey, Machop, Kabuto, Pikachu, Rattata, Cubone (all Lv. 100) | — |
| Battle 4 | Gambler | Geodude, Magmar, Seel, Goldeen, Krabby, Nidoran♂ (all Lv. 100) | One-hit KO: Geodude, Seel, Goldeen, Krabby, Nidoran♂ |
| Battle 5 | Cooltrainer♀ | Oddish, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Psyduck, Horsea, Eevee (all Lv. 100) | Sleep: Oddish |
| Battle 6 | Bird Keeper | Abra, Zubat, Pidgey, Spearow, Doduo, Gastly (all Lv. 100) | Sleep: Gastly |
| Semifinal | Scientist | Shellder, Vulpix, Tangela, Tentacool, Bellsprout, Dratini (all Lv. 100) | — |
| Final | Cooltrainer♂ | Flareon, Slowpoke, Diglett, Lickitung, Meowth, Magnemite (all Lv. 100) | — |
Poké Ball Division, Round 2
In Round 2, the Black Belt moves up to second position and the Gambler to third: all six of his Pokémon know Metronome, along with defensive moves and Confuse Ray. The Bird Keeper already fields an Articuno in this division, and the final Cooltrainer♂ lines up Vulpix, Seel, Voltorb, Sandshrew, Ditto and Koffing; Voltorb and Koffing know Explosion.
| Match | Trainer | Opposing team (6 Pokémon, you face 3) | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle 1 | Rocker | Caterpie, Weedle, Magikarp, Squirtle, Growlithe, Charmander (all Lv. 100) | — |
| Battle 2 | Black Belt | Machop, Nidoran♂, Beedrill, Rattata, Eevee, Cubone (all Lv. 100) | — |
| Battle 3 | Gambler | Geodude, Magmar, Clefairy, Abra, Drowzee, Mr. Mime (all Lv. 100) | — |
| Battle 4 | Rocket | Ekans, Graveler, Grimer, Nidoran♀, Horsea, Goldeen (all Lv. 100) | — |
| Battle 5 | Scientist | Jigglypuff, Pikachu, Oddish, Tentacool, Meowth, Dratini (all Lv. 100) | — |
| Battle 6 | Cooltrainer♀ | Paras, Bulbasaur, Bellsprout, Magnemite, Psyduck, Poliwag (all Lv. 100) | Sleep: Paras, Poliwag |
| Semifinal | Bird Keeper | Articuno, Zubat, Pidgey, Spearow, Doduo, Butterfree (all Lv. 100) | — |
| Final | Cooltrainer♂ | Vulpix, Seel, Voltorb, Sandshrew, Ditto, Koffing (all Lv. 100) | Explosion or Self-Destruct: Voltorb, Koffing |
Great Ball Division, Round 1
The second division steps things up. The Rocket trainer fields Hypno and Poliwhirl, which put you to sleep, and a Koffing that knows Explosion or Self-Destruct. The Gambler shows five one-hit KO Pokémon (Graveler, Ponyta, Seaking, Kingler, Nidorino), and the final Cooltrainer♂ has Rhyhorn, Magneton, Moltres, Cloyster, Dragonair and Kangaskhan.
| Match | Trainer | Opposing team (6 Pokémon, you face 3) | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle 1 | Rocker | Parasect, Metapod, Kakuna, Charmeleon, Jigglypuff, Venonat (all Lv. 100) | Sleep: Parasect, Jigglypuff |
| Battle 2 | Rocket | Hypno, Poliwhirl, Sandshrew, Koffing, Nidorina, Muk (all Lv. 100) | Explosion or Self-Destruct: Koffing ; Sleep: Hypno, Poliwhirl |
| Battle 3 | Black Belt | Voltorb, Primeape, Machoke, Raichu, Hitmonlee, Marowak (all Lv. 100) | — |
| Battle 4 | Gambler | Graveler, Clefairy, Ponyta, Seaking, Kingler, Nidorino (all Lv. 100) | One-hit KO: Graveler, Ponyta, Seaking, Kingler, Nidorino |
| Battle 5 | Cooltrainer♀ | Gloom, Weepinbell, Ivysaur, Golduck, Wartortle, Seadra (all Lv. 100) | Sleep: Ivysaur |
| Battle 6 | Bird Keeper | Farfetch’d, Gyarados, Pidgeotto, Fearow, Beedrill, Haunter (all Lv. 100) | — |
| Semifinal | Scientist | Staryu, Kadabra, Porygon, Chansey, Venusaur, Exeggcute (all Lv. 100) | — |
| Final | Cooltrainer♂ | Rhyhorn, Magneton, Moltres, Cloyster, Dragonair, Kangaskhan (all Lv. 100) | One-hit KO: Rhyhorn |
Great Ball Division, Round 2
The Round 2 Gambler is third: all six of his Pokémon (Lickitung, Kingler, Diglett, Seaking, Poliwhirl, Nidorina) know a one-hit KO move. The Bird Keeper lines up Zapdos, Farfetch’d, Pidgeotto, Dodrio, Venomoth and Gastly.
| Match | Trainer | Opposing team (6 Pokémon, you face 3) | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battle 1 | Rocker | Venonat, Metapod, Kakuna, Charmeleon, Wartortle, Krabby (all Lv. 100) | — |
| Battle 2 | Black Belt | Hitmonchan, Mankey, Machoke, Hitmonlee, Raticate, Nidorino (all Lv. 100) | Counter: Hitmonchan |
| Battle 3 | Gambler | Lickitung, Kingler, Diglett, Seaking, Poliwhirl, Nidorina (all Lv. 100) | One-hit KO: Lickitung, Kingler, Diglett, Seaking, Poliwhirl, Nidorina |
| Battle 4 | Rocket | Kabuto, Omanyte, Golem, Rhyhorn, Onix, Muk (all Lv. 100) | Explosion or Self-Destruct: Golem |
| Battle 5 | Scientist | Dragonair, Tangela, Weepinbell, Ponyta, Shellder, Arbok (all Lv. 100) | — |
| Battle 6 | Cooltrainer♀ | Gloom, Parasect, Ivysaur, Magneton, Golduck, Seadra (all Lv. 100) | Sleep: Parasect |
| Semifinal | Bird Keeper | Zapdos, Farfetch’d, Pidgeotto, Dodrio, Venomoth, Gastly (all Lv. 100) | Sleep: Gastly |
| Final | Cooltrainer♂ | Ninetales, Gyarados, Raichu, Sandslash, Jynx, Persian (all Lv. 100) | Sleep: Jynx |
Recommended team
Across the whole Prime Cup, roughly one opposing Pokémon in five is Poison type, another one in five is Water type, followed by Normal and Flying. Psychic and Ground moves punish Poison types, Electric punishes Water and Flying, and Grass punishes Water and Ground. Here is a rental team that covers all of this:
| Pokémon | Types | Lv. | Rental moves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exeggutor | Grass/Psychic | 100 | Stomp, Sleep Powder, Psychic, Solar Beam |
| Jynx | Ice/Psychic | 100 | Lovely Kiss, Body Slam, Ice Punch, Psychic |
| Rhydon | Ground/Rock | 100 | Horn Attack, Fissure, Earthquake, Thunder |
| Starmie | Water/Psychic | 100 | Bubble Beam, Thunder, Swift, Minimize |
| Slowbro | Water/Psychic | 100 | Surf, Mega Punch, Psychic, Disable |
| Gengar | Ghost/Poison | 100 | Hypnosis, Night Shade, Dream Eater, Metronome |
- Exeggutor: Sleep Powder, Psychic, Solar Beam and Stomp: sleep, a Psychic move and a Grass move on the same Pokémon. It is one of the best rentals in the cup.
- Jynx: Lovely Kiss to put foes to sleep, Psychic and Ice Punch, with Body Slam as backup.
- Rhydon: Earthquake, Thunder, Horn Attack and Fissure. Earthquake hits Poison, Electric, Fire and Rock types, Thunder hits Water and Flying types.
- Starmie: Thunder against Water and Flying types, Bubble Beam as a supplement.
- Slowbro: Surf, Psychic, Mega Punch and Disable, a defensive Water and Psychic Pokémon.
- Gengar: Hypnosis, Dream Eater, Night Shade, and a Ghost type that makes it immune to Normal-type moves such as Guillotine and Horn Drill.
When an opposing Pokémon knows Explosion, don’t give it time to strike: a Ghost-type Pokémon takes no damage from it, and a Rock-type Pokémon takes only half. The tables above flag these Pokémon in the last column.
