The best moveset for Nihilego in Pokemon GO

One of the 11 Ultra Beasts, Nihilego was introduced to Pokemon GO during GO Fest 2022 as a 5-star raid boss.

Once Pokemon GO trainers snag Nihilego, they'll likely be wondering what moves work best with it.

As a powerful Poison/Rock-type Pokemon, Nihilego has an interesting type combination and some solid (if unspectacular, compared to Pokemon of its caliber) stats.

Using the right moveset, Nihilego should be able to perform well in PvE and PvP. So far, this Ultra Beast has been somewhat underwhelming in Pokemon GO's Ultra and Master Leagues. However, if trainers plan to use it, they'll want to use its optimal moveset all the same.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinions of the writer

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Picking the best moveset for Nihilego in Pokemon GO

Nihilego appears via wormholes seen in the Alola region (Image via Niantic)

Regardless of whether Pokemon GO trainers intend to head into PvE or PvP battles with Nihilego, they'll want to use the best moves possible.

Sadly, this particular Ultra Beast has something of a mixed bag when it comes to its collection of learnable moves. Its Fast Moves are particularly paltry as it is only capable of learning Acid or Pound.

Acid is certainly the better Fast Move option in this case due to its ability to earn a Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) by sharing Poison typing with its user. Pound is simply a poor move in both the general and Normal-type categories.

When it comes to its Charge Moves, Nihilego can learn Gunk Shot, Sludge Bomb, Rock Slide and Power Gem. The good news here is that no matter what moves Nihilego uses, it will receive STAB as a Rock/Poison-type Pokemon. However, certain Charge Moves in this particular array are better than others.

In this particular case, trainers will want to look to Sludge Bomb and Rock Slide as their primary and secondary Charge Moves.

Sludge Bomb and Rock Slide are ideal for a few reasons Charge Move-wise. Sludge Bomb, in particular, deals good damage and has an affordable energy cost. Rock Slide has a considerably cheap energy cost as well and deals efficient Damage Per Energy (DPE).

Gunk Shot simply doesn't measure up damage-wise, and Power Gem is too expensive to warrant being used. Since Nihilego doesn't have the necessary bulk, it would likely faint in battle after using Power Gem only once.

In PvP circles, Nihilego likely fits best in Pokemon GO's Master League. This is due to its stats and CP ceiling as well as its ability to counter top picks like Zacian and Togekiss, thanks to its Poison typing.

Having Rock Slide in its arsenal also allows Nihilego to hammer away at popular Flying-type Pokemon like Ho-Oh and Lugia. It can perform fairly well in Ultra League as well, but the Ultra League meta features a large number of Ground-types which can absolutely devastate Nihilego.

Hopefully, Niantic will assist Nihilego with some future move improvements. If this Pokemon can utilize a move like Poison Jab, it would be in much better shape than its present state.

Overall, this Ultra Beast can hold its own in battle, but it won't blow the doors off of any of Pokemon GO's metagame.