Zygarde Movesets & Competitive Sets

Moves Core Enforcer allows Zygarde-C to deal a decent amount of damage to most Pokemon due to its STAB bonus and respectable Base Power and also has the benefit of suppressing opposing abilities. Worry Seed can be used to remove abilities on slower Pokemon and Fairy-types, such as Mega Audino, Mega Gyarados, and Xerneas. In addition, it is able to replace Normalize Mega Gengar's ability even after it uses Entrainment. However, Zygarde-C is very slow and will not check Fairy-types anyway, so it prefers Core Enforcer. Spectral Thief is used to steal boosts from Pokemon that use setup, such as Primal Groudon and Mega Tyranitar. Topsy-Turvy is an alternative to Spectral Thief to check setup sweepers because even though it doesn't deal any damage, it has more PP, which is useful for PP stalling foes, and it allows Zygarde-C to check Normal-type sweepers like Regigigas and Arceus. Haze bypasses Magic Bounce setup, as well as having the most PP out of any setup-removing attack. However, Magic Bounce setup is relatively uncommon, so Spectral Thief or Topsy-Turvy is preferred.Thousand Waves traps foes that Zygarde-C checks, such as Regigigas, Primal Groudon, and Mega Tyranitar, pressures Steel-types such as Registeel as a respectable Base Power move boosted by STAB, and can be used to help gain momentum. U-turn allows Zygarde-C to gain momentum against faster foes by bringing in either more powerful wallbreakers or an Imposter user, which can be used to scout the foe's set. Defog removes entry hazards for teammates, letting them come in more safely. Spiky Shield can be used to help Zygarde-C activate its Toxic Orb and scout for coverage and Choice-locked moves; additionally, when Spiky Shield is used in tandem with Wish, it grants Zygarde-C a guaranteed form of recovery. Shore Up gives Zygarde-C the longevity it needs in order to consistently check the Pokemon it wishes to. Due to Zygarde-C's large HP stat, Wish can be used over Shore Up to trade access to instant recovery for the ability to heal teammates immensely. Volt Switch can be used exclusively with Thousand Waves in order to prevent Imposter Pokemon from coming in freely on Zygarde-C while still giving Zygarde-C the ability to pivot in some cases. However, using Volt Switch means Zygarde-C cannot pivot on opposing Ground-types such as Primal Groudon, Mega Steelix, and opposing Zygarde-C. Set Details A Relaxed nature maximizes Zygarde's physical bulk and, in conjunction with 0 Speed IVs and EVs, minimizes its Speed. This is incredibly important because going last is often beneficial, letting Zygarde-C remove as many abilities as possible with Core Enforcer, steal the stat boosts of slow Pokemon, and grant more momentum to the team with U-turn. A Toxic Orb in conjunction with Poison Heal grants Zygarde reliable passive recovery, healing 12% per turn. In addition, being poisoned allows Zygarde-C to come in on moves that inflict status conditions such as Spore, Poison Fang, Glare, and Will-O-Wisp. It can also come in on Knock Off. Usage Tips Play Zygarde-C carefully. While its bulk is great, its weaknesses are common, and it may be left unable to check Pokemon such as Regigigas and Mega Tyranitar later on in the battle. Pokemon that may lure in Zygarde and hit it with coverage include Mega Blaziken, Mega Mewtwo X, and Primal Groudon. If you're running Topsy-Turvy, be wary of Taunt and Magic Bounce users, as both hinder Zygarde-C's ability to effectively operate as a physical wall. Don't use Wish liberally early on in the game, as the recovery on offensive Pokemon can be crucial later on in the game. Rely on Poison Heal for recovery and only use Wish when you are required to. While passing Wishes to defensive Pokemon isn't a bad idea, Zygarde-C enjoys passing Wishes to offensive Pokemon in order to keep them healthy throughout the course of the battle. This also lets you play your offensive Pokemon more aggressively, allowing you to switch them into entry hazards more often. Whenever Zygarde-C is against a Pokemon faster than it that cannot OHKO it, you may pivot to another Pokemon for momentum. If you predict setup, however, you may use Spectral Thief, Topsy-Turvy, or Haze. Team Options Imposter can be very useful for scouting surprise coverage that may hit Zygarde-C. Steel-types such as Registeel, Celesteela, and Ferrothorn can be useful for checking -ate Pokemon that may give Zygarde-C trouble while also checking Ice-, Fairy-, and Dragon-type attacks. In return, Zygarde-C can come in on most Fire-type attacks, which Steel-types cannot take. Strong wallbreakers such as Mega Mewtwo X, Mega Gyarados, and Primal Groudon can be used to break the opposing team while being Imposter-proofed by Zygarde-C. Zygarde-C can also use its low Speed to bring the offensive Pokemon of choice in safely as well as provide Wish support. Special walls such as Ho-Oh, RegenVest Mega Gyarados, and Fur Coat Chansey can take on specially biased offensive threats that give Zygarde-C trouble such as Mega Mewtwo Y, Mega Diancie, and Primal Kyogre.

Moves Shore Up grants Zygarde-C reliable recovery, allowing it to stay healthy throughout the battle. Core Enforcer gives Zygarde-C a consistent option to deal damage while also temporarily suppressing the ability of any faster Pokemon. This allows it to discourage Regigigas, Mega Mewtwo X, and other Pokemon that don't beat Zygarde-C from staying in on it by removing abilities such as Poison Heal. Entrainment can be used to remove abilities from Fairy-types, Normalize Mega Gengar, and Sturdy Shedinja but it is generally not preferred, as Zygarde-C cannot take on most Fairy-types in the metagame anyway. Stealth Rock can be used to set entry hazards to help your other Pokemon wallbreak and sweep. However, the opportunity cost of running it over a move that removes abilities is high, and the risk that it is reflected is high considering common Magic Bounce Pokemon such as Mega Audino enjoy switching into Zygarde-C. Defog can be used to remove entry hazards for opposing teammates. However, again, Zygarde-C prefers having a move that removes abilities, as it can deal with the Pokemon it wishes to check better than if it were running Defog. Topsy-Turvy can be used to reverse the stat boosts of Pokemon, allowing Zygarde-C to take on opposing setup Pokemon such as Primal Groudon and Mega Tyranitar. Spectral Thief can be used on in order to steal stat boosts, potentially stealing defensive stat boosts as well, making Zygarde-C even bulkier. However, it cannot take on Normal-type setup sweepers such as Regigigas and Arceus well. Thousand Waves prevents most Pokemon from switching, letting Zygarde-C trap Imposter Pokemon and other Pokemon it wishes to check while also granting momentum if it traps a Pokemon it wishes to switch out against. U-turn can be used to attain momentum on foes, but it comes with the consequence of Zygarde-C not being self-Imposter proof as well as foregoing the utility of Thousand Waves. In addition, without Thousand Waves, Regigigas can put Zygarde-C to sleep and switch out, which can be dangerous in the long run. Set Details Fur Coat allows Zygarde-C to blanket check physical attackers such as Mega Tyranitar, Mega Blaziken, and Mega Gyarados. Alternatively, Unaware allows it to blanket check setup sweepers such as Regigigas, Primal Groudon, and Arceus. Safety Goggles blocks Spore, allowing Zygarde-C to switch in on Pokemon it checks such as Regigigas and Mega Tyranitar without being discouraged by sleep. Leftovers can also be used, as it grants passive recovery, while Rocky Helmet can be used to attain chip damage on contact attacks. However, Zygarde-C prefers the Spore immunity. Groundium Z can provide a one-time nuke as well as a way to check Normalize Mega Gengar, as the Z-Move is unaffected by Entrainment + Normalize. However, it can be hard to justify Groundium Z over the other item options, and Zygarde-C is also an unreliable Mega Gengar check, as it can only use Tectonic Rage once, and Judgment hurts even if Zygarde-C is running Unaware. A Relaxed nature in conjunction with 0 Speed EVs and IVs lets Zygarde-C fully handle setup Pokemon it wishes to check. Usage Tips Make sure to scout for Ice-type coverage on Pokemon like Mega Tyranitar before switching in Zygarde-C. While its bulk is great, you should always check to see if Pokemon it checks, such as Regigigas, Primal Groudon, and Mega Blaziken, are currently alive before trying to take advantage of its great bulk to check other threats. When using Stealth Rock, be sure to scout for Magic Bounce on Pokemon such as Mega Audino before using it. Team Options Imposter Pokemon such as Chansey can be used to scout for coverage that may threaten Zygarde-C. Pokemon that check -ate users such as Flash Fire Steel-types and Soundproof Mega Slowbro are appreciated, as Zygarde-C cannot take them on. Most physical wallbreakers pair well with Zygarde-C, as it Imposter-proofs them while they can break the opposing team. Primal Groudon can be used as a setup sweeper that is also Imposter-proofed by Zygarde-C. RegenVest Primal Kyogre is appreciated as a teammate, as it takes on the special Pokemon that Zygarde-C cannot take on. Magic Bounce Pokemon such as Mega Audino and Cresselia can Imposter-proof Zygarde-C due to their low Speed, great bulk, and typing. They can also take on threats Zygarde-C cannot handle, such as Xerneas and Mega Mewtwo Y.