Challenge Cup

This article is about the tournament from Pokémon Stadium 2. For the tournament from Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon Card GB2, see Challenge Hall.
Challenge Cup trophy

Challenge Cup (Japanese: チャレンジカップ Challenge Cup) is one of the four Stadium Cups in Pokémon Stadium 2. Unlike the other five Stadium Cups, however, players cannot use their own Pokémon, instead being handed a random rental team each time they begin a challenge.

The Cup has four different classes, each featuring different leveled Pokémon. What remains the same, however, is that the Pokémon that are used all have strange nicknames. Any Pokémon controlled by the player will have a nickname that has first all-capitalized letters, then all-lowercase, while the opposite is true for opponents, in which their Pokémon are named lowercase, then uppercase. A Bulbasaur used by the player would, then, be named BULBAsaur, while one controlled by the opponent would be named bulbaSAUR.

The Battle Factories featured in Generation III's and Generation IV's Battle Frontiers may be seen as a spiritual successor to the Challenge Cup.

Available Pokémon

Although the game tries to give the user random Pokémon, there are rules it abides by while doing so:[1]

  • The player has six type "templates" to choose from player: Electric/Ground/Water, Electric/Fire/Water, Rock/Grass/Water, Electric/Ground/Flying, Electric/Ground/Fire, or Rock/Fire/Grass. This rule also applies to AI, although they have only one template for both Round 1 and Round 2 versions of the class. Slots that do not favor a type will pick all Pokémon of types not already present (possibly adding dual-types twice to the list). The game also divides Pokémon into those below the cup's average BST and those equal or above it, and will prioritize picking Pokémon from one half. As certain Trainers' templates include types that are of limited availability, their Pokémon can be partially predicted.
  • The game decides moves in a specific way:
    • Ditto and Wobbuffet's limited movepool effectively makes them ignore this part of the algorithm.
    • Smeargle's moves are picked from every move available in the game, except Baton Pass, Metronome, Mimic, Mirror Move, Sketch, Sleep Talk, Struggle, and Transform.
    • For other Pokémon, the game will use moves available at the cup's level, as well and TM/HM moves in Pokémon Gold and Silver if it's Round 1. In Round 2, it will also use moves from Generation I and Pokémon Crystal, as well as Egg moves. An evolved Pokémon will run this procedure for previous stages as well, reducing effective level by 1 for level-based evolutions (except Tyrogue).
    • Certain moves, such as Return or Hidden Power, are removed. Additionally, certain opponents have preferred moves that are also removed.
    • The moves are then divided into good and bad status moves and good and bad attacking moves (which are further divided into STAB moves of first and possibly second type, and physical and special moves). Certain moves are classified as both good and bad. Every time the game picks a move for a Pokémon, it is removed from its personal list.
    • The first move is a damaging move; prioritizing STAB over non-STAB and good over bad. If this move is part of a certain combination, such as SolarBeam and Sunny Day, the game will increase the chances of the complementary move being picked.
    • If the Pokémon is dual-typed, its second move will be a bad STAB move of its second type if possible. Otherwise, it will combine non-STAB movelists and pick a move that does not share type with the first move if possible.
    • If the AI trainer has a preferred move, it will be picked as the third move. Otherwise, the game will randomly pick a good status move, trying to avoid moves that are already on the Trainer's team. If there are no good status moves available at all, it will randomly pick a bad status move.
    • The final move is either a bad non-STAB move of the user's higher attacking stat that does not share type with other damaging moves (using both lists if the stats are equal), or a bad status move.
  • There are effectively four groups of held items: 116/256 of the time it is a Berry-related item, 89/256 that it is a held item that boosts their first move (unless the move is an attacking move that is not affected by it, in which case the game falls back to the Berry) - with Normal moves picking either Pink Bow or Polkadot Bow and Dragon moves either Dragon Fang or Dragon Scale - 38/256 chance it is King's Rock, Scope Lens, BrightPowder, or Quick Claw, and the remaining 13/256 it is a species-specific item such as Light Ball (falling back on 38/256 item for Pokémon that have none). The game will roll again if it picks a duplicate item (with Berries curing status the user is immune to counting as a duplicate) After the item is picked, the Pokémon's moves are shuffled.
  • DVs and friendship are completely random (although the latter only matters if Metronome picks the move, as Return and Frustration will never appear in the actual moveset).
  • The player's stat experience is dependent on the Pokémon's base stat total, gaining around 131 in each stat for every point away from 680. AI's are predetermined per Trainer, and the same across each stat (except for certain Trainers, who have separate value for Speed), with higher classes having less to account for higher BST. The AI's stat experience is higher in Round 2.
  • There is a 1/256 chance a Pikachu will be treated as if it was from Pokémon Yellow; such Pikachu cannot be Shiny due to faulty RNG.

Banned Pokémon

There are 19 Pokémon that will never appear in this Cup:

Poké Ball Class

Player's Pokémon



Opponents

Battle Trainer Template Moves
1 S2 Camper.png Camper Marcus  Fire 
 Ground 
None
2 (Round 1) S2 Rocket GruntM.png Rocket Grunt(♂)  Poison  Poison Gas
Poison Powder
Toxic
2 (Round 2) S2 Rocket ExecutiveM.png Rocket Executive(♂)
3 S2 Picnicker.png Picnicker Melissa  Flying  None
4 S2 Guitarist.png Guitarist Darren  Electric 
 Grass 
Glare
Stun Spore
Thunder Wave
5 S2 Fisherman.png Fisherman Curtis  Water  Rain Dance
6 S2 Medium.png Medium Peggy  Psychic  Confuse Ray
Supersonic
Swagger
Sweet Kiss
Semifinal (Round 1) S2 Rocket GruntF.png Rocket Grunt(♀)  Normal  Bite
Bone Club
Headbutt
Hyper Fang
Low Kick
Rock Slide
Rolling Kick
Semifinal (Round 2) S2 Rocket ExecutiveF.png Rocket Executive(♀)
Final S2 Juggler.png Juggler Dwight Any six None

Pokémon

Battle 1 2
(Round 1)
2
(Round 2)
3 4 5 6 Semifinal
(Round 1)
Semifinal
(Round 2)
Final
Pokémon Types BST Marcus Grunt Executive Melissa Darren Curtis Peggy Grunt Executive Dwight
Bulbasaur bulbaSAUR Grass Poison 318 0% 46% 46% 6% 33% 0% 3% 0% 0% 9%
Charmander charMANDER Fire 309 43% 0% 0% 6% 0% 0% 5% 0% 0% 11%
Squirtle squirTLE Water 314 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 41% 0% 0% 0% 6%
Pidgey pidGEY Normal 251 0% 0% 0% 52% 0% 0% 9% 48% 48% 10%
Rattata ratTATA Normal 253 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5% 49% 49% 6%
Spearow speaROW Normal Flying 262 0% 0% 0% 90% 0% 0% 9% 52% 52% 11%
Ekans ekANS Poison 288 0% 62% 62% 3% 0% 0% 7% 0% 0% 8%
Sandshrew sandSHREW Ground 300 72% 0% 0% 6% 0% 0% 7% 0% 0% 9%
Nidoran♀ nidoRAN Poison 275 0% 70% 70% 3% 0% 0% 7% 0% 0% 8%
Nidoran♂ nidoRAN Poison 273 0% 68% 68% 3% 0% 0% 7% 0% 0% 8%
Vulpix vulPIX Fire 299 71% 0% 0% 6% 0% 0% 8% 0% 0% 12%
Jigglypuff jigglyPUFF Normal 270 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5% 66% 66% 6%
Zubat zuBAT Poison Flying 245 0% 84% 84% 38% 0% 0% 11% 0% 0% 12%
Oddish oddISH Grass Poison 320 0% 45% 45% 6% 35% 0% 3% 0% 0% 9%
Paras paRAS Bug Grass 285 0% 0% 0% 4% 39% 0% 8% 0% 0% 17%
Venonat venoNAT Bug Poison 305 0% 50% 50% 4% 0% 0% 9% 0% 0% 12%
Diglett digLETT Ground 265 59% 0% 0% 4% 0% 0% 7% 0% 0% 9%
Poliwag poliWAG Water 300 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 42% 0% 0% 0% 6%
Machop macHOP Fighting 305 0% 0% 0% 7% 0% 0% 7% 0% 0% 14%
Bellsprout bellSPROUT Grass Poison 300 0% 51% 51% 6% 39% 0% 6% 0% 0% 10%
Geodude geoDUDE Rock Ground 300 72% 0% 0% 0% 12% 0% 0% 13% 13% 19%
Slowpoke slowPOKE Water Psychic 315 0% 0% 0% 10% 0% 42% 100% 0% 0% 14%
Magnemite magneMITE Electric Steel 325 0% 0% 0% 13% 100% 0% <1% 0% 0% 22%
Seel seEL Water 325 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 39% 0% 0% 0% 6%
Grimer griMER Poison 325 0% 45% 45% 3% 0% 0% <1% 0% 0% 6%
Shellder shellDER Water 325 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 43% 0% 0% 0% 6%
Drowzee drowZEE Psychic 328 0% 0% 0% 6% 0% 0% 100% 0% 0% 13%
Krabby kraBBY Water 325 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 39% 0% 0% 0% 6%
Exeggcute exeggCUTE Grass Psychic 325 0% 0% 0% 9% 35% 0% 100% 0% 0% 15%
Horsea horSEA Water 295 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 43% 0% 0% 0% 7%
Goldeen golDEEN Water 320 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 41% 0% 0% 0% 6%
Ditto ditTO Normal 288 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 6% 64% 64% 6%
Dratini draTINI Dragon 300 0% 0% 0% 7% 0% 0% 9% 0% 0% 17%
Chikorita chikoRITA Grass 318 0% 0% 0% 3% 33% 0% 0% 0% 0% 7%
Cyndaquil cyndaQUIL Fire 309 43% 0% 0% 6% 0% 0% 5% 0% 0% 11%
Totodile totoDILE Water 314 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 41% 0% 0% 0% 6%
Sentret senTRET Normal 215 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 4% 39% 39% 7%
Hoothoot hootHOOT Normal Flying 262 0% 0% 0% 90% 0% 0% 9% 52% 52% 11%
Ledyba ledyBA Bug Flying 265 0% 0% 0% 89% 0% 0% 13% 0% 0% 17%
Spinarak spinARAK Bug Poison 250 0% 80% 80% 0% 0% 0% 11% 0% 0% 12%
Pichu picHU Electric 205 0% 0% 0% 0% 100% 0% 8% 0% 0% 14%
Cleffa cleFFA Normal 218 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 4% 38% 38% 7%
Igglybuff igglyBUFF Normal 210 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 4% 41% 41% 8%
Togepi topEPI Normal 245 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5% 43% 43% 6%
Mareep marEEP Electric 280 0% 0% 0% 7% 100% 0% 10% 0% 0% 17%
Marill marILL Water 250 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 93% 0% 0% 0% 6%
Hoppip hopPIP Grass Flying 250 0% 0% 0% 41% 42% 0% 7% 0% 0% 14%
Sunkern sunKERN Grass 180 0% 0% 0% 1% 42% 0% 0% 0% 0% 12%
Wooper wooPER Water Ground 210 71% 0% 0% 0% 0% 92% 6% 0% 0% 11%
Pineco pineCO Bug 290 0% 0% 0% 1% 0% 0% 8% 0% 0% 11%
Snubbull snubBULL Normal 300 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 5% 61% 61% 5%
Slugma sluGMA Fire 250 44% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 8% 0% 0% 12%
Swinub swiNUB Ice Ground 210 56% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 15% 0% 0% 21%
Remoraid remoRAID Water 300 0% 0% 0% 5% 0% 42% 0% 0% 0% 6%
Smeargle smearGLE Normal 250 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 2% 16% 16% 2%
Smeargle smearGLE Normal 250 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 2% 16% 16% 2%
Smeargle smearGLE Normal 250 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 2% 16% 16% 2%
Tyrogue tyroGUE Fighting 210 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 8% 0% 0% 17%
Larvitar larvITAR Rock Ground 300 72% 0% 0% 12% 0% 0% 13% 0% 0% 19%

Great Ball Class

Player's Pokémon



Opponents

Battle 1



Battle 2



Battle 3



Battle 4



Battle 5



Battle 6



Semifinal



Final



Battle Trainer Template
1 S2 Twins.png Twins Jan & Jane  Bug 
2 S2 Schoolboy.png Schoolboy Oliver  Ground 
 Rock 
3 S2 Sailor.png Sailor Curt  Ice 
 Water 
4 S2 SwimmerF.png Swimmer♀ Darcy  Normal 
5 S2 Officer.png Officer Gerald  Fire 
 Grass 
6 S2 Kimono Girl.png Kimono Girl Emiko Any six
Semifinal S2 Scientist.png Scientist Roberto  Dark 
 Ghost 
 Psychic 
Final S2 Gentleman.png Gentleman Travis Any six

Ultra Ball Class

Player's Pokémon



Opponents

Battle 1



Battle 2

Round 1



Round 2



Battle 3



Battle 4



Battle 5



Battle 6



Semifinal

Round 1



Round 2



Final



Battle Trainer Template
1 S2 Camper.png Camper Marcus  Fire 
 Ground 
2 (Round 1) S2 Rocket GruntM.png Rocket Grunt(♂)  Poison 
2 (Round 2) S2 Rocket ExecutiveM.png Rocket Executive(♂)
3 S2 Picnicker.png Picnicker Melissa  Flying 
4 S2 Guitarist.png Guitarist Darren  Electric 
 Grass 
5 S2 Fisherman.png Fisherman Curtis  Water 
6 S2 Medium.png Medium Peggy  Ghost 
 Psychic 
Semifinal (Round 1) S2 Rocket GruntF.png Rocket Grunt(♀)  Normal 
Semifinal (Round 2) S2 Rocket ExecutiveF.png Rocket Executive(♀)
Final S2 Juggler.png Juggler Dwight Any six

Master Ball Class

Player's Pokémon



Opponents

Battle 1



Battle 2



Battle 3



Battle 4



Battle 5



Battle 6



Semifinal



Final



Battle Trainer Template
1 S2 Twins.png Twins Jan & Jane  Bug 
 Flying 
2 S2 Schoolboy.png Schoolboy Oliver  Steel 
 Ground 
 Rock 
3 S2 Sailor.png Sailor Curt  Ice 
 Water 
4 S2 SwimmerF.png Swimmer♀ Darcy  Fighting 
 Normal 
5 S2 Officer.png Officer Gerald  Fire 
 Grass 
6 S2 Kimono Girl.png Kimono Girl Emiko Any six
Semifinal S2 Scientist.png Scientist Roberto  Dark 
 Ghost 
 Psychic 
Final S2 Gentleman.png Gentleman Travis Any six

Trivia

In other languages

Language Title
France Flag.png French Coupe Challenge
Germany Flag.png German Challenge-Cup
Italy Flag.png Italian Coppa Sfidanti
Spain Flag.png Spanish Copa Desafío

References


Features of the Stadium series
Stadium Cups: Pika CupPetit CupPoké Cup
Prime CupLittle CupChallenge Cup
Modes: Stadium ModeBattle Mode
Other: Gym Leader CastleWhite City
Earl's Pokémon AcademyGame Boy TowerKids Club
Mobile StadiumMystery GiftPokémon LabVictory Palace


Project Games logo.png This game mechanic article is part of Project Games, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon games.