Pokemon GO Gyarados: Best moveset, counters, and is it any good?

Modified Jan 29, 2025 18:20 GMT

Pokemon GO Gyarados (Best moveset and counters): Is it any good? — Learn everything about Pokemon GO Gyarados in this article. (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Pokemon GO Gyarados is returning as a wild encounter during the Lunar New Year event. You can teach it the best moveset to utilize in battles. As a dual Water- and Flying-type creature, Gyarados doesn’t have any Flying-type Fast or Charged Attacks. Consequently, it is unable to deal STAB super-effective damage to Bug-, Grass-, and Fighting-type Pocket Monsters.

Aqua Tail is available for Gyarados to learn during select events, including Community Day. This move is essential for competing in the PvP competitions. Below, this article informs everything about Pokemon GO Gyarados' best moveset, counters, and competitive viability.

Pokemon GO Gyarados' best moveset

There are separate movesets for Gyarados in PvP and PvE. (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Check out the current Pokemon GO raid bosses that you can encounter in-game

Pokemon GO Gyarados best PvP moveset

Fast Attack: Dragon Breath
Charged Attacks: Aqua Tail and Crunch

Pokemon GO Gyarados best PvE moveset

Water-type attacker

Fast Attack: Waterfall
Charged Attack: Hydro Pump

Also read: Lunar New Year 2025 Timed Research: Tasks and rewards in Pokemon GO

Is Gyarados good in Pokemon GO PvP and PvE?

Gyarados in Pokemon GO PvP

This Pocket Monster is only weak to two different types of moves. However, it takes double super-effective damage from Electric-type attacks due to its dual-type nature. Gyarados doesn’t have any attacks available in its move pool that can inflict additional damage on Electric-types.

You should consider choosing other Water-type alternatives like Feraligatr, Gastrodon, Azumaril, and Shadow Quagisre instead of Pokemon GO Gyarados in the Great League and Ultra League. In these two leagues, its combat capabilities can be easily overlooked. However, it can still be used in the Master League.

Also read: Pokemon GO Lunar New Year 2025 Field Research and Collection Challenge: Tasks and rewards

PvP rating of Gyarados (sourced from PvPoke):

Great League: #213
Ultra League: #176
Master League: #36
Little Jungle Cup: #230

Gyarados in Pokemon GO PvE

Gyarados is incredibly powerful against Ground-type Pokemon in raids and Gym battles. But, there are still 17 other Pokemon types that can challenge its capacity. Among them, Electric types are the most formidable, closely followed by Rock types.

So, it is up to you to decide whether or not you want to use Gyarados in PvE. If you want, it can work well as a decent Gym defender - at least until it faces an opponent that it is extremely weak to. If you do not want to, you can drop Lapras or Walrein in a Gym for better protection.

Also read: 5 best PvP picks to farm at Pokemon GO Lunar New Year 2025