Is Furfrou any good in Pokemon GO?

Furfrou is becoming quite popular in Pokemon GO.

Not only did this poodle have a strong debut in Fashion Week, but now trainers can change its form into the Heart Trim thanks to the the Valentine’s Day event. Aside from being incredibly cute, though, can it do anything in battle?

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How strong is this fashionable Pokemon?

Looking at the stats, things don’t look too good for Furfrou. Both its Attack and Defense are under 170. Its highest stat is its Stamina, at 181. At the end of the day, though, Furfrou lacks enough power to deal damage and enough bulk to have good longevity.

Despite these shortcomings, though, Furfrou has a very interesting moveset. It completely lacks a STAB option; none of its moves are Normal-type. What it does have, though, is a varied mix of options that can cover different threats.

It’s preferred fast move is Sucker Punch, which allows Furfrou to serve as a strong counter to Ghost-types. Since it resists Ghost-type moves, Furfrou can use Sucker Punch to farm down Drifblim or maybe even Cofagrigus. That being said, it probably still loses to Trevenant.

Furfrou can counter Ghost-types with Sucker Punch (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Furfrou’s charge moves are just as interesting. Its best tool is probably Grass Knot, a relatively strong option with a low energy cost (50). It could potentially catch an Azumarill or a Swampert switching in by surprise and threaten some strong damage with this move.

Furfrou also gets access to Surf, which it can use to bait shields on occasion. Since Furfrou doesn’t have a strong Attack stat, many opponents will choose not to shield in front of Surf, instead switching to a Venusaur, Meganium, or even Deoxys Defense-form to soak up the damage.

As a result, all of these issues mean that Furfrou probably isn’t a strong Pokemon to use. Lack of a STAB move and low stats really hurt its potential. Trainers should definitely still catch Furfrou for the aesthetic; just don't expect it to do anything in battle.