Of late, the Electric-type meta has been on a roll in Pokémon GO, with stalwarts like Mega Raichu Y, Mega Raichu X, and Zeraora bringing more prestige and utility to the typing. With these two Mega Evolutions and a Mythical earning bragging rights, it was only time before a new Shadow Pokémon came barging in for glory. And lo, the Harvest Festival: Taken Over event has Team GO Rocket Boss Giovanni wielding Shadow Zekrom.
An iconic Dragon/Electric-type Legendary, Zekrom already impresses as a strong non-Shadow, so the Shadow version is bound to create waves, right? To find out, we will take a stab at Shadow Zekrom’s power profile in the meta, and see how well it performs in the heavily contested Dragon and Electric types.
Shadpw Zekrom Overview
| Max CP | 4565 |
|---|---|
| ATK | 275 |
| DEF | 211 |
| HP | 205 |
| Weak to |     |
| Resists |       |
| Fast moves |
|
| Charge moves |
|
*denotes a Legacy Move, only obtainable via an Elite TM.
Zekrom packs a solid 275 ATK, and Shadow Zekrom dials that up to a monstrous 330 ATK, at the expense of a lowered 176 DEF.
It has decent moves in the Dragon department, with both Dragon Breath and Outrage being subpar alternatives to the likes of Dragon Tail, Breaking Swipe, Draco Meteor, and a bunch of signature moves. Obviously, with a potent signature move in Fusion Bolt, it is bound to fare better as an Electric-type attacker. Either way, let’s now have a look at each typing alongside Shadow Zekrom’s position in them.
Shadow Zekrom as a Dragon type
Using our trusted GO Hub DPS Comparer Tool:
| Pokémon | Moves | DPS | TDO | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mega Zygarde
|
|
25.23 | 1145.3 | 23.9 |
Mega Baxcalibur
|
|
24.85 | 862.5 | 23.2 |
Eternatus
|
|
24.33 | 748.5 | 22.5 |
Mega Rayquaza
|
|
24.25 | 709.9 | 22.4 |
Mega Dragonite
|
|
23.10 | 752.1 | 21.5 |
Mega Garchomp
|
|
21.98 | 710.6 | 20.4 |
Shadow Haxorus
|
|
21.49 | 348.6 | 18.6 |
Mega Z Garchomp
|
|
20.96 | 603.2 | 19.3 |
Origin Shadow Palkia
|
|
20.66 | 439.3 | 18.5 |
Shadow Garchomp
|
|
20.49 | 474.4 | 18.5 |
Shadow Palkia
|
|
20.20 | 415.2 | 18 |
Shadow Salamence
|
|
20.07 | 372.4 | 17.7 |
Shadow Dragonite
|
|
19.26 | 402.9 | 17.2 |
Shadow Zekrom
|
|
19.15 | 416.2 | 17.2 |
|
Origin Palkia
|
|
19.13 | 488.2 | 17.4 |
Shadow Reshiram
|
|
19.10 | 415.1 | 17.1 |
|
Haxorus
|
|
18.12 | 352.6 | 16.1 |
Regidrago
|
|
17.93 | 453.9 | 16.3 |
No surprises here. Despite dealing good enough damage numbers, Shadow Zekrom is way down the pecking order, lower than even Pseudo Legendaries like Shadow Garchomp, Shadow Salamence, and Shadow Dragonite. Being a Legendary, powering up Shadow Zekrom is a pain compared to the aforementioned Pseudos.
Since we have mentioned the cost of powering up, investing in a Mega Garchomp or the eventual Mega Baxcalibur is more rewarding than dumping your hard-earned resources into Shadow Zekrom. This statement doesn’t even factor in the powers of Mega Rayquaza, another Legendary but easier to max out due to it not being a Shadow Pokémon.
Shadow Zekrom as an Electric type
| Pokémon | Moves | DPS | TDO | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mega Zeraora
|
|
26.00 | 598.4 | 23.5 |
Mega Y Raichu
|
|
23.75 | 373.2 | 20.5 |
Mega X Raichu
|
|
21.34 | 425.1 | 19 |
|
Shadow Zekrom
|
|
19.93 | 433.1 | 17.9 |
Regieleki
|
|
18.71 | 282.5 | 16.1 |
Shadow Electivire
|
|
18.31 | 279.3 | 15.7 |
Zeraora
|
|
18.27 | 404.9 | 16.4 |
Xurkitree
|
|
18.12 | 317.9 | 15.9 |
Will you look at that! Right behind the phenomenal duo of Mega Raichu Y and X (and the table-topper but yet-to-debut Mega Zeraora), who recently got even stronger with their +Charged Attacks, Shadow Zekrom takes up a top-tier spot. And yes, it does do more damage than Wild Charge Mega Raichu Y! Despite the lowered DEF, Shadow Zekrom inflicts a higher TDO (total damage output), giving a valid argument for powering it up. In fact, until Mega Zeraora arrives, Shadow Zekrom holds the highest TDO among Electric types in Pokémon GO. Shadow Zekrom also has a lot more resistances than the Mega Raichu duo. Notably, Shadow Zekrom resists Water-type attacks, something regular Electric types don’t. This definitely gives it an edge over Water Raid Bosses, provided they don’t carry an Ice type Charged Attack for coverage!
It’s settled that Shadow Zekrom boasts incredible power. But is investing resources into it a wise decision?
Should you invest in a Shadow Zekrom?
Mega Zeraora literally zaps its competition when it comes to DPS, but it’s an expensive option. You’re doing pretty well in Raids with Mega Raichu Y, which is easier and cheaper to power up. The advent of +Charged Attacks has put the spotlight on Mega Evolutions. By simply increasing their level, you teach it a powerful move that establishes the recipient in the top echelon of its meta. Mega Manectric, for instance, is getting gifted a 150-power Discharge+ in the Full Marathon: Buddy Trek event in the second week of October, and you bet it’s going to become a premier Electric-type attacker, and it can be maxed out way more easily than Shadow Zekrom.
On the other hand, you can only use one Mega Evolution in your Raid squad, so you devote that slot to Mega Raichu Y/X and keep Shadow Zekrom as one of your other uber-strong counters. For challenging Raids that go down to the wire, having Shadow Zekrom accompany your top Mega is a sound strategy.
So yes, it is worth investing in Shadow Zekrom, cementing it as one of your go-to attackers (alongside your Mega) against the mightiest Water and Raid Bosses in Pokémon GO.
