
Is Zangoose Good in FireRed & LeafGreen Playthrough?
Normal with AbilityImmunity blocking all poison. Trade-only. High Attack and Speed. If imported, Zangoose handles neutral matchups through raw physical damage. Poison immunity removes Koga as a concern entirely.
Zangoose has the type edge here and should clean up Brock's team.
Zangoose has the type edge here and should clean up Misty's team.
Zangoose has the type edge here and should clean up Lt. Surge's team.
Zangoose has the type edge here and should clean up Erika's team.
Zangoose has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Zangoose has the type edge here and should clean up Sabrina's team.
Zangoose has the type edge here and should clean up Blaine's team.
Zangoose has the type edge here and should clean up Giovanni's team.
Zangoose has the type edge here and should clean up Lorelei's team.
Zangoose has the type edge here and should clean up Bruno's team.
Zangoose trades roughly evenly with Agatha's team.
Zangoose has the type edge here and should clean up Lance's team.
Zangoose has the type edge here and should clean up Terry's team.
Zangoose cannot be caught in this game. It must be traded in from a compatible game where it appears in the wild. On GBA, cross-region trading unlocks post-game after Celio's Sevii Islands Ruby & Sapphire quest. The Switch re-release supports only one-way transfers out to Pokemon HOME.
- After Brock
- TUTORNormalMega Kick18075%5
- After Erika
- HM04NormalStrength120100%15
- TM22GrassSolar Beam120100%10
- LV 31NormalCrush Claw11395%10
- After Koga
- TM01FightingFocus Punch150100%20
- After Giovanni
- TUTORNormalDouble-Edge180100%15
- Post-Game
- TUTORNormalBody Slam128100%15
- TM42NormalFacade105100%20
How to Get Zangoose in FireRed & LeafGreen
Zangoose is Ruby-exclusive, with Emerald as the other option. Trade from Ruby or Emerald's Route 114 grass to get the cat-weasel. Sapphire players need a third-game swap.
Zangoose cannot be caught in the wild in FireRed & LeafGreen, but you can still get it via these paths:
Pokemon HOME · Switch Rerelease
Playing the Switch version of FireRed & LeafGreen? Pokemon HOME compatibility is post-launch but deposit-only by design (FRLG → HOME). Inbound HOME transfer of Zangoose into FRLG is not possible — an original GBA cartridge with a Link Cable is the only inbound route.
Catch in the wild and trade from these games:
Then trade to FireRed & LeafGreen.
Also Obtainable In:
Direct cartridge trade across generations isn't possible — but the Pokemon HOME path above bridges this gap once Switch support launches.
Zangoose Weakness
Zangoose's Normal typing leaves it vulnerable to Fighting. It shrugs off Ghost-type attacks completely. Zangoose leans offensive (base 115 Atk) rather than trying to tank its weaknesses.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fighting |
| 0x (Immune) | Ghost |
- Dark and Steel types added — Fairy does not exist yet
- Moves are Physical or Special based on type, not per move
What is Zangoose Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Zangoose
Mankey Fighting | C | |
Mankey Fighting | C | |
Machoke Fighting | C | |
Hitmonchan Fighting | C | |
Obtain MethodSaffron City Gift | ||
Primeape Fighting | C | |
Machoke Fighting | C | |
Hitmonchan Fighting | C | |
Obtain MethodSaffron City Gift | ||
Primeape Fighting | C | |
Machoke Fighting | C | |
Hitmonchan Fighting | C | |
Obtain MethodSaffron City Gift | ||
Primeape Fighting | C | |
Heracross BugFighting | A | |
Machoke Fighting | C | |
Hitmonchan Fighting | C | |
Obtain MethodSaffron City Gift | ||
Primeape Fighting | C | |
In FireRed & LeafGreen, Blissey's Ice Beam hits Zangoose for 39-46%. Tyranitar's Earthquake hits Zangoose for 65-76%. Gengar deals 60-70% with Explosion.
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityNatural Cure ItemLeftovers NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Zangoose View Blissey builds →Ice Beam39-46% | ||
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySand Stream ItemLeftovers NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Zangoose View Tyranitar builds →Rock Slide48-57% Earthquake65-76% | ||
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Zangoose View Gengar builds →Thunderbolt51-61% Explosion60-70% | ||
S | ||
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemLeftovers NatureRash Moves
Damage vs Zangoose View Salamence builds →Earthquake49-58% Rock Slide37-44% | ||
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityKeeneye ItemLeftovers NatureCareful Moves View Skarmory builds →
| ||
Zangoose Evolutions
Zangoose doesn't evolve, so breeding's where the action is. You'll find a massive partner pool across one egg group, and eggs are average hatch time. It's got 6 egg moves worth looking into. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
FRLG Zangoose Best Moveset
115 Attack with AbilityImmunity preventing poison entirely, shutting down MoveToxic stall strategies. Normal TermStab from MoveReturn fires hard from that Attack stat. MoveSwords Dance doubles it for sweeping. The moveset plays physical attacker that ignores poison stall, one of the most common win conditions.
Best Build
Zangoose best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Shadow Ball
- Swords Dance
- Quick Attack
- Brick Break
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Breadth over depth defines this movepool. Zangoose won't stack one type's damage ceiling, but coverage across 13 types means it always has an effective option. Double-Edge and Mega Kick anchor the STAB core.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
If it comes across a SEVIPER, its fur bristles and it assumes its battle pose. Its sharp claws are its best weapon.
Zangoose FireRed & LeafGreen Guide
Zangoose isn't catchable in FireRed & LeafGreen. Catch one in Ruby or Emerald, then trade it to FireRed & LeafGreen.
Game Availability
Debuting in Ruby & Sapphire, Zangoose appears in 15 games across 8 generations. A reliable presence in most mainline games, typically found through wild encounters.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB

Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS

Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut

Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG

FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP

Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS

HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW

Black & White - Gen 5B2W2

Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY

X & Y - Gen 6ORAS

Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM

Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM

Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE

Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh

Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP

Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV

Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW

Winds & Waves