How the League works
Your League is your collection of playable partners. It starts with the starter you picked when you made your account, and grows to 79 partners in the current version.
Every other partner has a League challenge: a condition you meet during runs, such as finishing a number of runs or clearing a certain fight. Completing a challenge does not hand you the partner directly. It unlocks an encounter in a later run, and you then have to:
- Find and defeat the Pokémon in that encounter.
- Catch it before it escapes. Leave it too long and it gets away, and you need to trigger the encounter again.
Once caught, the partner joins your League and you can pick it at the start of any run.
Tip: the in-game League screen shows every challenge and your progress. Check it before a run so you know which encounter you are hunting.
Starters
The two starters you did not pick unlock after you finish two runs, win or lose. They are the easiest League additions and worth catching early so you can try every playstyle. See the starter guide.
Legendary Pokémon
There are five legendaries, and their challenges form a chain. Clear them roughly in this order:
| Order | Legendary | Where you meet it | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Articuno | Celestial Glacier (Season 2 map) | Ice bird, guardian of the new glacier map |
| 1 | Zapdos | Storm Coast (Season 2 map) | Electric bird, guardian of the new coast map |
| 1 | Moltres | Survival, 30 minutes | Fire bird |
| 2 | Mewtwo | Survival, 45 minutes | Needs the bird challenges first |
| 3 | Mew | Survival, 15 minutes | Last step of the chain |
The three birds can be worked on in any order. Mewtwo and then Mew come after them.
Practise legendaries in Survival
Survival mode is the best place to learn the legendary fights. A boss appears every 5 minutes, and the legendaries show up at fixed times: Mew at 15 minutes, Moltres at 30 and Mewtwo at 45. Reaching 45 minutes takes a build with both strong damage and solid defense, so invest in Lab upgrades before you push for Mewtwo.
Unlock tips
- Unlocks are account-wide. A partner caught on one run is yours for good, so a “failed” run that completes a challenge is still progress.
- Pick partners that cover your weak spots. If you keep dying in Survival, unlock a tanky partner before chasing the 45-minute Mewtwo.
- Check after patches. Challenges and partners change with seasons. We note unlock changes in the patch notes.
Full partner list
Every League partner, with its exact challenge and how many League members it needs, is in the Pokédex. You can filter it by type, rarity or League size to see what you can work on next.
How do I unlock Mewtwo in PokeBonk?
Clear Mewtwo's League challenge. It sits near the end of the legendary chain, after the three legendary birds. In Survival mode Mewtwo also appears as a boss at 45 minutes.
How do I unlock Mew in PokeBonk?
Mew is the last step of the legendary chain, after the birds and Mewtwo. In Survival mode Mew appears as a timed boss at 15 minutes, which is a good way to practise the fight.
How many Pokémon can I unlock?
The League currently has 79 partners, including the three starters and the five legendaries. New partners can arrive with any season.
Why did the Pokémon escape after I beat it?
Unlock encounters have two steps: defeat the Pokémon, then catch it before it escapes. If you are too slow, you need to trigger the encounter again in another run.