5 PvP picks to farm during Pokemon GO Verdant Wonders

Pokemon GO's Verdant Wonders event is just a couple of days away. Though many players may know this event for reintroducing Zarude into the popular mobile title, there are different types of monsters available during Verdant Wonders' duration. Many of these creatures have even shown some serious potential for competitive play.

However, with all the new spawns that can appear once this event goes live, it can be overwhelming for newer players to figure out which of the wild Pokemon are worth keeping and powering up for use in competitive play and which ones should just be used for Pokedex progress. Here are the five strongest monsters players can find during Pokemon GO Verdant Wonders.

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5 best PvP Pokemon to look out for during Pokemon GO Verdant Wonders

1) Shroomish

Shroomish evolves into Breloom, a great utility pick in the main series and a good choice for Pokemon GO (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Shroomish is one of the monsters that will have an increased base spawn rate during Pokemon GO Verdant Wonders. This means that using an Incense may not increase the likelihood of it spawning, since the event hosts a catalog of monsters with special spawn rates when one of these consumable items are active.

Shroomish evolves into Breloom, a Grass and Fighting-type Pokemon. While it is not metagame defining in any tier, it has carved out a bit of a niche, allowing it to serve well in most tiers of play, with Ultra League being where it sees the most success.

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2) Bulbasaur

Bulbasaur is one of the original Starter Pokemon, known for evolving into Venusaur (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Much like Shroomish, Bulbasaur is one of the many wild Pokemon that receive a boosted spawn rate from the event without the use of consumable items. Bulbasaur is a much-beloved creature due to it being one of the original Starter Pokemon, so it makes a great addition to any collection regardless of whether or not you are interested in the competitive scene.

Bulbasaur evolves into Venusaur, a popular monster among players of the Great and Ultra Leagues. In addition, it can also Mega Evolve, making it even better than it already was for Raid Battles and gym sieges. If you intend on picking up a Bulbasaur during Verdant Wonders, it will help to have an Elite Charged TM on standby to give Venusaur its best charged attack, Frenzy Plant.

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3) Poliwag

Poliwag evolves into two top-tier contenders in Pokemon GO's Battle League (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Poliwag is one of the monsters you can earn an encounter with through completing the various field research tasks that can be found during Verdant Wonders' duration. This creature has the benefit of being one of the few with branching evolution paths, giving it a unique type of versatility.

Both Poliwrath and Politoed are great picks for the game's Great and Ultra Leagues, with the pair recently receiving exclusive Elite moves after their species' respective Community Day event. While both evolutions are good in their own ways, Poliwrath is typically seen as the more viable of the two.

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4) Marill

Marill evolves into Azumarill, one of the Great League's best Water-types (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Marill, much like Poliwag, can be found after completing various research missions that will be distributed to every player during Verdant Wonders. This monster is a Water and Fairy-type originating from the Johto region. It also evolves into Azumarill, who many Great League veterans will recognize as one of the best Water-types in the tier.

Thanks to Azumarill's high bulk, low combat power limit, and secondary Fairy typing, it can enter the Great League at close to full power, something a lot of other creatures cannot do, thanks to the combat power limitation of the tier. With access to Ice and Fairy-type moves, Azumarill also has great coverage options for a variety of match-ups.

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5) Zarude

Zarude is the returning Mythical Pokemon for Pokemon GO Verdant Wonders (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Zarude is the Mythical Pokemon set to make a return through the limited-time ticket that can be purchased when Verdant Wonders goes live. This ticket will grant those who purchase it access to a storyline with quests that grant rewards. After completing the story, you will receive an encounter with Zarude.

Zarude is one of the best picks for the Master League in Pokemon GO. Thanks to its balanced stat spread and being one of the few Grass-types decent enough to be viable in the tier, Zarude is one of the most unique choices you can add to your Master League battle party.