Since the Gen 8 dual Dark/Grass-type Zarude made it into Pokemon Go, players have been wondering about its best moveset for both PvP and Raid battles, so we’ve got the answers you’re looking for.
Pokemon Go released Zarude as part of the Secrets of the Jungle movie celebration back in October 2021. The event included a free Special Research story that led to an encounter with Zarude.
However, since that event has concluded Zarude has been hard to obtain in the mobile game. Thankfully, it seems trainers will have yet another chance to catch the Mythical Pokemon through the Verdant Wonders event that will kick off on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at 10:00 AM local time.
So, if you manage to catch one, let’s break down this Dark/Grass-type’s best moveset in Pokemon Go and how well it holds up in both PvP and Raid content.
Contents
Pokemon Go Zarude all moves
In Pokemon Go, Zarude can currently learn five moves in total. This Mythical has access to two Fast moves and three Charged Moves. Zarude’s full moveset is listed below:
Zarude Fast Moves
- Bite (Dark/STAB)
- Vine Whip (Grass/STAB)
Zarude Charged Moves
- Dark Pulse (Dark/STAB)
- Power Whipe (Grass/STAB)
- Energy Ball (Grass/STAB)
Pokemon Go Zarude best PvP moveset
The best moveset for Zarude in Pokemon Go is Vine Whip as a Fast Move with Power Whip and Dark Pulse as Charged Moves. This will make the Mythical creature a powerful counter for Water, Ground, and Rock types.
Although both Vine Whip and Bite are great Fast Moves, Vine Whip steals the advantage because it has faster energy generation, which will give Zarude better access to its powerful Charged Moves to really excel.
The choice between the Grass-type Charged Moves is clear: Power Whip is simply better than Energy Ball in nearly every way. The 10% chance to lower the enemy’s Defense by one stage is not worth the other trade-offs.
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Dark Pulse, on the other hand, is a noteworthy Charged Move. It costs the same amount of Energy as Power Whip and also benefits from STAB. As such, it should be the second choice of Charged Move.
Unlike other Mythical Pokemon debuts including Hoopa and Genesect (Douse Drive), Zarude does actually have a place in the Go Battle League meta.
Zarude doesn’t have much use in the Great League or Ultra League, it has real potential in the Master League.
Pokemon Go Zarude best Raid moveset
Similarly to its PvP movest, the best moveset for Zarude during Raids is Vine Whip as a Fast Move with Power Whip and Dark Pulse as Charged Moves.
Zarude will perform best as a powerful counter for Water and Ground-type Pokemon. In fact, it is an excellent counter to the Hoenn Legendaries Kyogre and Groudon.
Notably, Primal Kyogre and Primal Groundon will appear again in Raids during the World of Wonders season. While Zarude still makes a great counter against Primal Kyogre’s solo Water typing, trainers may want to avoid using Zarude against Primal Groudon, thanks to its added Fire typing.
That’s all you need to know about Zarude’s best moveset in Pokemon Go. For more game content, check the list below:
Best Pokemon in Pokemon Go | Current Raid Bosses in Pokemon Go | Type chart | How to catch Ditto | Best Eeveelutions | Field research rewards and tasks | Promo Codes for free items | How to get Pinap Berries | Spotlight Hour schedule