Master the art of disguise and deception in Pokémon GO by learning how to catch the elusive Zorua – the tricky Dark-type Pokémon that mimics your Buddy’s appearance on the map. Discover insider tips and clever tricks to spot both regular and shiny Zorua, including how to break its illusion before you catch it, and evolve it into the powerful Zoroark. Whether you’re hunting during special events or using advanced Buddy swaps, this guide unlocks the secrets to adding this mysterious shape-shifter to your collection.
How to get Zorua in Pokémon Go
Catching Zorua in Pokémon Go requires a unique approach due to its disguise ability. Zorua does not appear openly in the wild; instead, it mimics the appearance of your Buddy Pokémon on the map. To increase your chances of encountering Zorua, set a rare, legendary, shiny, or shadow Pokémon as your Buddy, as these rarely spawn naturally, making any matching Pokémon on the map likely to be Zorua in disguise. When you spot a Pokémon that looks like your Buddy, catch it, and it will reveal itself as Zorua after capture with the “Oh?” message, similar to Ditto. Using Incense or Lure Modules and paying attention to special events or weather conditions like fog can also boost spawn rates. Once caught, you can evolve Zorua into Zoroark using 50 candies.
To find Zorua in Pokémon Go, they will disguise as whatever Pokémon is set as your buddy on the in-game map.
For example, if you have a shiny Kyogre as your buddy, you’ll see a shiny Kyogre pop up on the overworld map. Once you tap it and catch the mimicking Pokémon, after it’s in the ball, you’ll get a message that says “Oh?” across the screen, and it’ll turn back into a Zorua.
You can see this transformation in action below:
We recommend you set a very unique buddy (like a shadow, shiny or Legendary Pokémon, Legendary – essentially, anything you would never see in the wild) so you can find Zorua quickly among other spawns.
If you’re looking for extra inspiration for your buddy choice while Zorua hunting, as pointed out by ZicoThePerson on The Silph Road subreddit during the Halloween 2024 event, if you set your buddy to an XXL (a.k.a. Super Size) Pumpkaboo, the resulting Zorua will also be XXL. This is particularly useful if you want to complete your “Jumbo Pokémon Collector” medal a little easier.
Finally, as well as appearing in the wild, Zorua can appear as a raid encounter, giving you the opportunity to catch it in its direct form. That said, raid appearances are only for certain events, and thus infrequent, so don’t rely on this – but it’s worth checking the latest event details to see if it makes an appearance.
Can Zorua be shiny in Pokémon Go?
Zorua can indeed be shiny in Pokémon Go. Since the 2023 Halloween Part 2 event, shiny Zorua has been available as a wild spawn, with increased chances during special events like Halloween. Zorua’s unique feature is that it disguises itself as the player’s Buddy Pokémon, but it can still spawn even if the Buddy is not active. Players can improve their odds of encountering shiny Zorua by using items like Lure Modules and Incense, and by taking advantage of weather boosts, especially in foggy conditions where Zorua’s spawn rate is higher. Catching a shiny Zorua also allows players to evolve it into a shiny Zoroark.
As of the 2023 Halloween Part 2 event, Zorua can be shiny. Since its form reflects whatever your buddy Pokémon is, you won’t know that it’s shiny until after you catch it and it returns to its normal form. This is similar to how shiny Ditto works, and you can see the shiny version of Zorua below:
Can you get Hisuian Zorua in Pokémon Go?
No, Hisuian Zorua is not currently available in Pokémon Go. While other Hisuian forms have been added to the game, the white Hisuian Zorua that first appeared in Pokémon Legends: Arceus has yet to make its debut in Pokémon Go. Niantic may add it in the future, but as of now, players cannot catch Hisuian Zorua in the game.
How can I use in-game tricks to reveal Zorua’s true form before catching it
You can use the Buddy Swap Trick in Pokémon GO to reveal Zorua’s true form on the map before catching it. Here’s how it works: start with your intended Buddy Pokémon (Buddy A), which Zorua imitates in disguise. After spotting a wild Pokémon that looks like Buddy A, switch your Buddy to a different Pokémon (Buddy B), interact with Buddy B briefly (like feeding it a berry), then switch back to Buddy A. This process can cause Zorua’s illusion to break temporarily, making it appear in its true form on the overworld map for about 10 to 15 minutes. During this window, you can shiny check Zorua without needing to tap every disguised spawn.
Additionally, choosing a Buddy Pokémon that rarely spawns in the wild, such as a Legendary or Mythical Pokémon, helps identify Zorua encounters more easily since any wild spawn of that Buddy is likely Zorua in disguise. Using a shiny Buddy can also help spot shiny Zorua disguised as that shiny Pokémon.
Shadow Pokémon mechanics have also been noted as helpful in detecting Zorua, though the Buddy Swap Trick remains the most reliable in-game method to reveal Zorua’s true form before catching.
How does switching Buddy Pokémon reveal Zorua’s true form before catching it
Switching Buddy Pokémon in Pokémon GO reveals Zorua’s true form by temporarily breaking its disguise illusion. Normally, Zorua mimics your current Buddy Pokémon’s appearance on the map, making it hard to distinguish. When you swap your Buddy from one Pokémon (Buddy A) to another (Buddy B), and then back to Buddy A-sometimes with a brief interaction like feeding a berry-the game temporarily lifts Zorua’s disguise. This causes Zorua, if currently disguised as Buddy A, to appear in its actual form on the overworld map for about 10 to 15 minutes. This window allows you to identify and shiny check Zorua before engaging the encounter, streamlining your hunt for this elusive Pokémon.
