What is the best moveset for Absol in Pokemon GO? (February 2023)

Pokemon GO trainers have likely spotted an Absol or two in the wild as part of the current Primal Rumblings event. The Hoenn-region native sports a quality max attack stat, making it a solid choice for PvE battles while also being serviceable in Great League PvP.

The inclusion of Absol's Mega Evolution form has drastically improved its prospects in PvE fights, particularly in gym raids.

However, if a Pokemon GO trainer has an Absol they'd like to use in battle, they'll want to outfit the Disaster Pokemon with an optimal moveset to ensure it is set up for success.

Depending on the arena Absol steps into in Pokemon GO, different sets of moves may be required to help it gain an edge.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the opinions of the writer

---

Optimizing Absol's movesets for Pokemon GO PvE and PvP

Mega Absol can be a very reliable asset for gym raids in Pokemon GO (Image via Niantic)

As a mono Dark-type Pokemon, some trainers may assume that Absol only has Dark-type attacks in its arsenal. This isn't the case, though, as the Disaster Pokemon can also wield attacks like Psycho Cut and Megahorn.

Despite this, Absol still benefits substantially from using Dark-type moves, as it receives the Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) from using moves that match its own Dark typing.

In PvE battles, Absol benefits the most from an exclusive Dark-type moveset. Pokemon GO trainers tend to know the opponents they're facing in raids, gym attacks, and Team GO Rocket battles before the fight starts.

Since that's the case, players can use Absol as a direct counter to Ghost and Psychic-type enemies. However, in PvP formats, opposing trainers can use a wide variety of Pokemon types, which pushes Absol to diversify its moveset.

Top movesets for Absol in Pokemon GO

• PvE - Snarl and Dark Pulse
• PvP - Snarl, Dark Pulse, and Thunder. As an alternative, Snarl, Thunder, and Megahorn can also work.

The movesets listed above should put Absol on the road to victory in Pokemon GO, though it'll still need good teammates in its battle party to ensure it can perform well. This is because although it has a high attack stat, Absol's defense and stamina stats are quite low, making it quite flimsy when taking damage itself.

Regardless, the PvE moveset makes use of Absol's best Dark-type moves when it comes to both damage and energy generation.

Meanwhile, its PvP movesets branch into using Thunder to take advantage of Flying and Water-type opponents while still having Dark Pulse available for STAB damage.

However, Megahorn becomes a viable option in some PvP formats where Grass, Dark, and Psychic-type opponents are prevalent. It doesn't benefit from STAB like Dark Pulse, but it can deal super effective damage in the right type matchup and gives Absol additional elemental coverage.

For maximum damage output in PvE in particular, trainers can Mega Evolve Absol and increase its overall Combat Power by leaps and bounds.

The Dark-type Pokemon may not be a world-beater, but the advent of its Mega Evolution form does give it much more utility in PvE than it had previously. This is especially true since it can take more punishment as a Mega Pokemon than it ever could without transforming.