Last updated on March 28, 2025
When it comes to competitive Pokémon, VGC is the standard. It’s a doubles format—2v2—where players try to outplay each other and claim victory. But that setup stands in sharp contrast to how battles usually play out in the anime or the mainline games, where one-on-one is the norm.
I’ve explored VGC myself and even competed in a few tournaments. It’s fun, no doubt—but my true love in the competitive scene lies elsewhere: draft leagues. These leagues focus on singles battles, and they bring a whole different level of strategy, creativity, and excitement.
Today, I want to explain why I believe the Pokémon Company should start embracing this part of the battle culture.
What Is A Pokémon Draft League?
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, let me break it down for you.
A Pokémon Draft League is a competitive format—usually focused on singles battles—where each player drafts their own unique team of Pokémon. Every league has its own rules, including bans and tier restrictions, but the core idea stays the same: no two teams will have the same Pokémon, which means every matchup is fresh and unique.
The draft itself follows a snake format: it starts with the first player picking, goes down the list to the last player, and then reverses—letting the last player pick again before it goes back up. This continues until everyone has built their team. The team size varies depending on the league, but most allow you to draft at least 8 Pokémon, with a cap usually around 12.
Once the draft is done, the real fun begins. Each week, you face a new opponent in a scheduled battle. After the regular season—where you’ve either faced all participants or a selection of them (depending on the league format)—the top-performing players move on to the playoffs. Playoffs are a single elimination bracket, where the top seeds battle it out until there are only two teams left. The winner of the final match is crowned Draft League Champion.
VGC vs Draft League
Although VGC is a fun and competitive format—and definitely something the Pokémon Company should continue to support—one of my biggest concerns with it is how repetitive the metagame can become. So many teams feel the same. You often run into nearly identical lineups, maybe with one or two slight changes. Sometimes, you’ll see the exact same team being used by multiple players, just with a few minor tweaks.
With Draft League, that’s never a problem. Every team is unique by design, which means each battle feels different and fresh.
Continuing with that sense of uniqueness—VGC makes it harder to stand out as a trainer. Each season tends to develop a dominant playstyle, and if you don’t adapt to it, it’s hard to compete. The same goes for which Pokémon are considered “good” or “viable.” In Draft League, you get more space to showcase your own strengths and creativity. I’ve seen so many different strategies over the years, and I’ve tried a bunch myself—some more successful than others. But the point is, in Draft League, your personal style can shine through, and that’s something I really value.
Even if your approach isn’t what the majority is doing, it’s easier to express your identity as a battler and still be successful. When two unique playstyles face off, you really get to see the personality behind the trainer—and I love that.
VGC is more straightforward and fast-paced. You pick 4 out of your 6 Pokémon and battle in a best-of-three format. One misplay can cost you the entire set. It’s intense, sure, but also unforgiving. Draft League battles are full 6v6 singles, and you only get one match—no best-of-three. That one battle still requires serious prep, but because it’s 6v6, you have more room to recover from a misstep. While comebacks are possible in VGC, the margin for error is definitely smaller.
In my opinion, Draft League highlights strategy more clearly. No two battles are the same, because no two teams are the same. Meanwhile, in VGC tournaments, you often end up facing a string of very similar teams round after round.
And let’s talk about format and lifestyle—they couldn’t be more different. If you want to compete in VGC, you usually have to attend a live event and play for an entire day. On average, that’s 8 rounds of best-of-three, and that’s just day one. Each round can last up to an hour, meaning you’re battling for 8 hours straight, minimum.
In Draft Leagues, you battle once a week, and that match takes an hour at most. That’s a massive difference in time commitment, and honestly, one that makes draft leagues way more accessible for casual players with busy lives.
So with all that said—because they’re so different in structure, playstyle, and time investment—I don’t think VGC and Draft League should compete with each other. In fact, they complement each other perfectly.
How To Implement Draft Leagues
The foundation is already there—and it’s been working for years. Right now, players connect through various Discord servers, where organizers manage everything: available Pokémon lists, rules, bans, restrictions—you name it. It’s a fully functioning system that doesn’t need to be reinvented. But here’s the thing: The Pokémon Company could take it to the next level and make it a more recognized part of the competitive scene.
Currently, if you want to watch Draft League content, you have to go to YouTube and follow the Pokétubers who participate. Usually, once you find one, they’ll link you to other players in the same league. It’s a tight-knit, supportive community—but it could be so much bigger.
The Pokémon Company could easily take over and scale this concept. Imagine a main official Draft League, featuring the best or most popular players in the community. Every week, they battle it out—and it all gets uploaded to the official Pokémon YouTube channel. Each match could include both players’ perspectives, full team breakdowns, and analysis. Make it binge-worthy with playlists, commentary, and weekly highlights. Let people watch it on their own time—just like they already do with popular content creators.
And it doesn’t have to stop there.
Once the concept gains momentum, they could introduce multiple tiers or divisions, just like in traditional sports. Players from the main league could get relegated, while rising stars from lower leagues earn the chance to prove themselves and move up. It would motivate new players, encourage skill development, and keep the competition dynamic.
There’s even world-level potential here. Picture a World Cup–style Draft League, where countries form teams with their best players and compete for the global crown. You could have regional qualifiers, national teams, and epic international matchups. This is just one idea, but the possibilities are endless.
And with the upcoming Pokémon Champions title on the horizon, what better platform to launch a project like this?
To round it off—keep VGC exactly as it is. Let the people who love that format continue to thrive in it. But at the same time, there’s a huge untapped player base that would jump at the chance to see Draft League get the spotlight it deserves.
With the right platform and support, I truly believe more and more competitive players would rise up and show what they’re capable of—not just in terms of skill, but creativity, strategy, and personality.
The sky’s the limit.