In Pokémon GO, the small panda monster Pam-Pam has appeared and brought along its evolution Pandagro. But how strong are they and what can this duo do?
This is Pam-Pam: Pam-Pam was introduced during the Xerneas event and can currently be found in level-1 raids. Starting from the beginning of the Yveltal event, it will be available in 12-kilometer eggs.
It is from the sixth generation of the main series and is a Fighting-type Pokémon. Pam-Pam itself, as can be anticipated, is not really helpful in raids, gyms, or PvP. But what about its evolution?
This is Pandagro: You can get Pandagro through the special evolution of Pam-Pam, where you select it as your buddy and then need to catch several Dark-type monsters. Once you’ve done that, a much larger panda awaits you – and it brings a small type change. Compared to Pam-Pam, Pandagro gains the Dark type along with its Fighting type.
How strong is Pandagro in Pokémon GO
These are Pandagro’s stats: Pandagro can reach an attack value of 226, which is similar to the values of monsters like Brockoloss, Togekiss, or Melmetal. Its defense value of 146 is comparable to monster values like Mamutel or Fasasnob. Its HP value can reach a maximum of 216, which is on par with monsters like Kokowei, Morlord, and Mewtu. It can reach up to 3281 CP.
As mentioned, Pandagro has the Fighting and Dark types, which is an interesting combination. It has resistances against Dark-type monsters as well as Ghost, Psychic, and Rock. However, it struggles particularly against Fairy-types, as well as Fighting and Flying monsters.
Overall, it is rather an average Pokémon. You can use Pandagro in gym or raid battles as an attacker that can take some hits, but it is generally overshadowed by the best attackers in Pokémon GO.
However, Pandagro is somewhat more interesting in the PvP league.
How good is Pandagro in PvP? Based on the simulation-based rankings from PvPoke, it can be determined that Pandagro fills a similar niche to Irokex, which also comes with Dark and Fighting types.
In the Super and Hyper League, Irokex may also be the better choice. It ranks 13th and 38th in the PvP ranking, while Pangoro lands at 174 and 98 (via PvPoke).
While Irokex is a good option in the Super and Hyper League, it cannot hold its ground in the Master League due to its low CP. And this is where Pandagro comes in.
In the Master League, Pandagro can impress with a moveset consisting of the fast move Body Slam and the charge moves Close Combat and Night Slash. These moves are all boosted due to Pandagro’s types and can deal significant damage to some of the most popular monsters in the Master League.
Among others, it defeats the strong Steel-types Dialga and Metagross, as well as achieving victories against the Giratina forms and Snorlax – all monsters that would typically rank above Pandagro in the PvP rankings. Overall, Pandagro reaches 53rd place in the Master League PvP ranking. While it may not be among the absolute top monsters, it can be a surprising obstacle for your opponents.
In conclusion, Pandagro is indeed an interesting monster for PvP – especially in the Master League.
Pam-Pam is not the only Pokémon that recently came with a special type of evolution in Pokémon GO. For example, Parfi appeared, which requires a bit of extra effort to develop – but there is a trick to evolve Parfi into Parfinesse.
