Zarude is one of the few Mythical Pokémon you can catch while playing Pokémon Go. But like many Pokémon, it only knows a handful of moves, which means you want to teach it the strongest attacks possible to create the best moveset.
What’s nice about Zarude is it’s a good Pokémon. You shouldn’t use it in every scenario, but it’s a solid choice if you plan to use it in specific battles or if you need a reliable Grass-type. I traditionally consider Zarude a reliable Raid Pokémon, especially against Water-types.
To ensure you get the most out of your Zarude in Pokémon Go, we want to make sure you give it the best moveset so you can use it when battling in the Master League, five-star raids, or against Team Rocket.
Zarude’s best moveset in Pokémon Go
When choosing attacks for Zarude in Pokémon Go, the best moveset you can give is the fast move Vine Whip and the charged moves Dark Pulse and Power Whip. These are a good mix of Grass and Dark moves, making Zarude ideal to defeat Ghost, Ground, Psychic, Rock, and Water-types. But it takes the most damage from Bug-type moves. If you ever use Zarude on your team, I recommend preparing to counter these Pokémon or any of these moves to protect it properly.
Zarude only has two fast-move options: Vine Whip and Bite. Although Bite is a good move for many Dark-types, it doesn’t earn enough energy every turn compared to Vine Whip. A Pokémon only gets two energy every turn they use Bite, whereas if they use Vine Whip, they get four. The more energy a Pokémon gets with their fast move, the more often they can use charged moves, which do the most damage during any Pokémon Go battle.
Now, you don’t have too many options for Zarude’s charged moves in Pokémon Go. You have to pick to use Dark Pulse, Energy Ball, or Power Whip. All of these are good, and to make sure Zarude can use a Dark-type move, you always want to go with Dark Pulse. For the second charged move, I recommend Power Whip. But players may have a heated debate about which to go with. For me, it’s Power Whip. Some may prefer Energy Ball, but Energy Ball requires five more energy to use and only offers a 10 percent chance to lower the opponent’s defense. That’s not really enough for me to justify the difference.
Is Zarude good in Pokémon Go?
Yes, Zarude is a good Pokémon in Pokémon Go, and I recommend using it against other players or in raids. You can’t use it in every battle, such as the Great or Ultra League. It doesn’t have low enough stats to compete in these areas, but it’s an excellent choice if you regularly participate in the Master League or complete five-star raids. Zarude has great stats that make it an optimal Pokémon.
The major downside is it is Mythical, which means Niantic offers it at limited times, and you usually have to pay for it. If you’re fine with doing this in Pokémon Go, grabbing Zarude when Niantic makes it available is always a good idea. The latest time is during Pokemon Go’s Verdant Wonders event. Unfortunately for trainers, there’s no Shiny version.
