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

Zarude is returning to Pokemon GO through an exclusive research ticket coming with the future Verdant Winders event. This Mythical Pokemon was available for a very limited time a few years back, around the time the tie-in movie for the monster was localized. Although many players thought they would never see it again, it has thankfully returned.

However, with news of Zarude returning to Pokemon GO, many fans may be wondering how they can make the best use of it for competitive play. Since the mobile spin-off and the main series feature two completely different battle styles, determining the viability of any monster can be a bit tricky. Here is what trainers should know about the Mythical Zarude.

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How to counter Zarude in Pokemon GO

Zarude will be available upon completing the research, so battling one is not required (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Zarude will be rewarded to trainers who complete the paid research story, so battling one in a raid will not be required to obtain it. However, it may still show up from time to time in the Battle League, especially when more players have access to one. As such, knowing how to counter it may be important for the battling community.

Zarude is a Dark and Grass-type Pokemon, much like Cacturne and Shiftry. As such, the Zarude retains their weaknesses in Pokemon GO. The biggest weakness Zarude has is against the Bug element. Since both the Dark and Grass typings are weak to attacks of this element, trainers should keep their Zarude away from them.

Zarude is also weak to Fire, Flying, Ice, Fighting, Fairy, and Poison-type attacks, but none deal more damage to the creature than Bug. Zarude's stats are relatively balanced, and since it is a Mythical Pokemon, its base stat total is very high compared to the rest of the roster, making it a very good Grass-type.

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Zarude's best moveset in Pokemon GO

While Zarude's signature move may be absent from Pokemon GO, it still has plenty of good attacks to choose from (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Despite having a very good attacking stat, Zarude's movepool in Pokemon GO is limited. Only having Grass and Dark-type attacks to choose from, Zarude can get walled hard by many Dragon and Steel-types. Nevertheless, it is still a highly-used monster in the competitive scene with the following moveset:

• Vine Whip - Grass-type fast attack
• Power Whip - Grass-type charged attack
• Dark Pulse - Dark-type charged attack

With these moves, Zarude counters metagame staples in the Master League like Kyogre, Mewtwo, and Groudon. However, it does struggle against many of the tier's defensive options, like Dragonite, Dialga, and Lugia.

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Is Zarude any good in Pokemon GO?

Zarude is one of the three viable Grass-types in Pokemon GO's Master League (Image via Niantic)

Zarude is an incredible pick for Pokemon GO's Master League. However, players cannot simply add one to their team and expect an easy victory. Zarude gets walled off pretty easily by the Steel-types of the tier, so it is important to make sure it is supported properly in battle. It works best with a Dragon-type that can cover its weaknesses, like Palkia or Giratina.