Are Z-Moves Coming to Pokémon GO? What Even Are Z-Moves?

Hello Trainers,  With a recent Datamine potentially, and I say potentially with a large grain of salt, hinting at the release of Z-Moves I wanted to take some time to introduce Z-moves to any Pokémon GO Trainers who may not know what they are, and talk about how I think they’ll work in Pokémon GO. 

Please keep in mind, my speculation that they’re coming soon is wild conjecture at this point based on very little actual evidence. Cool? Cool. First, some history.

When Were Z-Moves Introduced?

A Z-Move is a special type of move that was introduced in Generation VII (Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon). This move combined both the power of the trainer and the power of the Pokémon into one move and unleashed it on their opponent. These moves required both a Z-ring or Power-Ring, and a Z-crystal to use.

In the main series games, the origins of Z-Power and Z-Moves are a mystery. However, information unearthed by Professor Kukui (Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon) and Professor Burnet (Pokémon Dream Radar) indicated that Z-Power may be related to the energy emitted from Ultra Wormholes.

In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon, it was revealed by the Ultra Recon Squad that the Z-Power surrounding the user and their Pokémon when they use a Z-Move is the result of Necrozma’s light shining down on Alola many years ago.

Alolan legends also state that Solgaleo and Lunala gifted the Tapunium Z to the guardian deities after fighting against them. 

What are Z-moves? How do they work?

Z-moves are extremely powerful moves that combine the auras of both the trainer and the Pokémon to unleash their combined power on the opposing Pokémon. These moves were so powerful that they could only be used once per battle, they required that you have the corresponding Z-crystal and a Z-ring to insert the crystal into.

As for how this might work in Pokémon GO? If I had to guess I would say that we will get a special research that will introduce us to Z-moves, and reward us with a Z-ring. This will unlock Z-moves, and we will then see a button appear on the battle screen for Raids that when pressed will unleash a Z-move based on the type of Charge attack your current Pokémon has, perhaps beside the current charge attack button.

This would allow space for those Pokémon that have learned 2 Charge moves, the button for the Z-moves could appear on the outer side of the regular charge move.

The List of Z-Moves

Z-moves are broken down into 2 groups: Type-Based Z-Moves, and Pokémon-specific Z-moves. The type-based moves only required that the Pokémon know any move of the type of Z-move you wanted to use, whereas the Pokémon-specific Z-moves required that the Pokémon already know a specific move.

Type-Based Z-Moves

Pokémon-Based Z-Moves

Z-Move	Pokémon	Required Move	Move Type
Catastropika	Pikachu	Volt Tackle	Electric
10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt	Pikachu In a Cap	Thunderbolt	Electric
Stoked Sparksurfer	Raichu (Alola)	Thunderbolt	Electric
Extreme Evoboost	Eevee	Last Resort	Normal
Pulverizing Pancake	Snorlax	Giga Impact	Normal
Genesis Supernova	Mew	Psychic	Psychic
Sinister Arrow Raid	Decidueye	Spirit Shackle	Ghost
Malicious Moonsault	Incineroar	Darkest Lariat	Dark
Oceanic Operetta	Primarina	Sparkling Aria	Water
Splintered Stormshards	Lycanroc	Stone Edge	Rock
Let’s Snuggle Forever	Mimikyu	Play Rough	Fairy
Clangorous Soulblaze	Kommo-o	Clanging Scales	Dragon
Searing Sunraze Smash	Solgaleo	Sunsteel Strike	Steel
Searing Sunraze Smash	Necrozma (Dusk Mane)	Sunsteel Strike	Steel
Menacing Moonraze Maelstrom	Lunala	Moongeist Beam	Ghost
Menacing Moonraze Maelstrom	Necrozma (Dawn Wings)	Moongeist Beam	Ghost
Light That Burns the Sky	Necrozma (Ultra)	Photon Geyser	Psychic
Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike	Marshadow	Spectral Thief	Ghost

Why I Think Z-Moves Are Coming

Now that we’ve learned a little bit about the history of Z-moves, and what the legends of the main series games show was their cause, and we’ve learned what Z-moves exist. We can talk about why I think we’re going to be getting them soon.

1. Necrozma is debuting at GO Fest.

Now, Necrozma doesn’t have a Z-move itself as that distinction is limited to Ultra Necrozma. It is, however at least in part, the reason that Z-moves even exist. With Necrozma’s introduction at GO Fest, it seems like the perfect segue into Z-moves. 

2. All Pokémon that can learn a Z-Move will be released soon

Except for Ultra Necrozma, every single Pokémon that can learn a Pokémon-specific Z-move will be available in Pokémon GO. Marshadow is the featured mythical at GO Fest, and Necrozma and Pokémon Fusion are coming at GO Fest as well.

3. Recent Data Mines

A recent data mine revealed that 20 new unnamed moves were added to the game. This is unusual because when Niantic usually adds moves, they have names and these don’t. There were also 20 of them which I think is all 18 of the type-specific moves and then Searing Sunraze Smash and Menacing Moonraze Maelstrom which are exclusive to, you guessed it, Solgaleo, Lunala, and their fusions with Necrozma.

4. Pokémon Worlds is in Hawai’i

Stay with me here. Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon are set in the Alola region, which is based on the islands of Hawai’i. The Pokémon World Championships this year are in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi in August.

What better way to celebrate the island of Hawai’i, the game that the Alola Region is based on, than to release some of the most exciting moves that the Sun and Moon games had to offer!

Parting Thoughts

Am I convinced that Z-moves are coming soon? Absolutely!

Is this all wild conjecture based on scraps of information I’ve pieced together worse than Mimiku trying to look like Pikachu and no actual evidence? Again, Absolutely!

Is it fun to speculate and think about Z-moves coming to Pokémon GO? Yeah it is!

Can you imagine the wrinkle that Z-moves would throw into the PvP scene? Baiting out shields to rock your opponent with a Z-move? Switching out your Pokémon just as your opponent uses their one and only Z-move only to win the match with one of your own? I don’t PvP, but I enjoy watching others do it and that would be fascinating to watch.

Anyway, that’s my take on this. Let me know what you think, and until next time stay safe out there trainers!