'Pokémon Sword and Shield:' Zarude's Signature Attack Jungle Healing Revealed

The biggest announcement during this year's Pokémon Day was the reveal of a new Mythical Pokémon, Zarude. Now, we have an update on the new Pokémon including its signature move.

Zarude is a Dark and Grass-type Pokémon that will be featured heavily in the latest animated film, Pokémon the Movie: Coco, releasing this year in Japan. Thursday, The Pokémon Company revealed Zarude's signature attack, Jungle Healing.

According to the official Pokémon press site, Zarude learns this attack at Level 90 and is a status move. The site states, "the Pokémon wraps its vines around trees, absorbs their energy, and then releases that energy combined with its own. Healing power radiates around the area and heals both Zarude and its ally Pokémon—restoring their HP and curing them of any status conditions."

Zarude will be the only one who can learn Jungle Healing in Sword and Shield, but other Pokémon may be able to learn it in future games. This has been the case for signature attacks for years. In Sword and Shield, Darkest Lariat-Incineroar's signature attack-can be learned by a number of Pokémon through technical records.

Zarude's official category in the Pokedex is the "Rogue Monkey" Pokémon, and its entry states, "When fighting, it swings around using trees and their branches, attacking relentlessly with its sharp claws or any other means it has. Its quick wit helps it excel in battles."

Not much else is known about this new Mythical Pokémon. When it was first revealed at the end of February, it was shown to have the ability Leaf Guard. This ability prevents Zarude from being afflicted with a status condition while the weather is harsh sunlight.

The first gameplay trailer from Pokémon Day shows Zarude using the moves Torment and Power Whip, a powerful physical Grass-type attack. This likely means Zarude excels on the physical side of battling.

Zarude can't be obtained by normal means in Pokémon Sword and Shield. In Japan, those who prebook tickets to the upcoming film will receive two serial codes, one for a Shiny Celebi and the other Zarude.

However, with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic the original date to start prebooking-April 17- has been postponed to a later date.

Pokémon the Movie: Coco is set to release in Japan on July 10, a date that has yet to be rescheduled. A global release for the movie will likely come sometime after along with the method of obtaining Zarude outside of Japan.

What do you think of the latest information on Zarude? Do you find Jungle Healing viable in competitive battling? Let us know in the comments section.