Best Trevenant and Phantump Moveset in Pokemon GO: PvP, Raids & Max Battles (2026)

Trevenant is one of the only Ghost/Grass dual-types in Pokemon GO, and that combination unlocks matchups that nothing else in your bag can handle. A single Seed Bomb melts Swampert and Galarian Stunfisk. Shadow Ball erases Medicham. The problem is that most guides give you the moveset without explaining when it works — and Trevenant’s value swings dramatically between Great League, Ultra League, and raids.

This guide covers every move available to Trevenant and Phantump, the optimal moveset for each format, and the one question most guides skip entirely: is Shadow Trevenant worth hunting down from Team GO Rocket grunts?

Stats and movesets verified April 2026. Values may shift with future Niantic balance updates.

Trevenant at a Glance

Phantump evolves into Trevenant for 200 Candy — or at no candy cost if you trade it with another trainer. Before powering one up, here are the numbers that define how it plays.

The Ghost/Grass typing comes with five weaknesses — Fire, Ice, Flying, Ghost, and Dark all hit at 1.6x damage — but the resistances matter. Trevenant takes just 0.63x damage from Water, Electric, Grass, and Ground, and an exceptional 0.39x from Normal and Fighting. That double resistance to Fighting is what makes it such a reliable answer to Medicham in Great League.

Fast Moves

Trevenant has two fast move options. The gap between them is significant, and the right choice depends on what you’re asking the Pokemon to do.

Shadow Claw is the correct pick in almost every situation. It gets STAB as a Ghost-type move on a Ghost-type Pokemon, pushes 14.4 DPS, and generates enough energy (8 EPS) to reach Seed Bomb and Shadow Ball at a workable pace. The damage output matters: in trainer battles, every point of fast-move damage that bypasses shields chips away at the opponent’s health bar.

Sucker Punch’s case is narrow. It generates energy faster (12 EPS vs 8 EPS), so if you’re running a strategy built entirely around spamming low-energy charged moves, Sucker Punch accelerates that. In practice, Trevenant’s charged move costs (40–55 energy) don’t reward maximum energy generation enough to sacrifice 4.4 DPS. The extra damage Shadow Claw delivers often closes out matchups that Sucker Punch would lose.

Both moves deal slightly increased damage in Foggy weather, which also boosts Shadow Ball — a weather-dependent buff worth noting for raid scenarios.

Charged Moves

Trevenant’s three charged move options cover Ghost, Grass, and Dark — each filling a different strategic role.

Shadow Ball is Trevenant’s main weapon. 100 base power with STAB lands roughly as hard as Hydro Cannon lands for Swampert — it’s a move that wins games when it connects. The energy cost (50–55 depending on source) means you won’t spam it, but one timely Shadow Ball in a 0-shield or 1-shield scenario is often game-winning.

Seed Bomb is what separates Trevenant from other Ghost-types. Only 40 energy to fire, it reaches the field before opponents expect it, and the Grass-type damage lands on the Water, Ground, and Rock types that would otherwise wall you. Against Swampert — one of the most common Great League Pokemon — Seed Bomb is a guaranteed KO if shields are down.

Foul Play covers the Ghost immunity gap. Normal and Fighting-type Pokemon are immune to Shadow Ball, and while Trevenant’s double resistance means it rarely has to fight them directly, Foul Play provides a Dark-type answer when needed. It’s a niche pick and doesn’t make the main moveset recommendation.

Recommended Moveset

The core build is straightforward: Shadow Claw + Shadow Ball + Seed Bomb. This combination covers the widest range of matchups and is the community consensus recommendation across PvPoke and the competitive Pokemon GO community.

Why This Build Works

Shadow Claw pressures the opponent constantly with STAB damage. Shadow Ball threatens any Psychic- or Ghost-type that isn’t shielded — Medicham, Hypno, Drifblim all take heavy neutral or super-effective hits. Seed Bomb handles the Steel-types and Water-types that resist Ghost: Galarian Stunfisk, Registeel, Swampert, Lanturn. Together, the two charged moves cover almost every common Great and Ultra League meta Pokemon.

The strategic depth comes from shield baiting. Seed Bomb at 40 energy arrives earlier than Shadow Ball. If your opponent burns a shield on Seed Bomb, the follow-up Shadow Ball for 50–55 energy either lands unshielded for massive damage, or they take it and their Pokemon takes 100 power STAB damage to the face.

If budget is a concern, unlock Shadow Ball first. It’s the higher-ceiling move. Add Seed Bomb when you can — the two-move combination is what elevates Trevenant from a decent pick to a genuine threat.

To change Trevenant’s moves, use a Fast TM for Shadow Claw and a Charged TM for Shadow Ball. For full details on TM mechanics, see our Pokemon GO TM guide.

Raid Performance

Trevenant is a below-average raid attacker in both of its roles.

As a Ghost-type attacker against Psychic and Ghost raid bosses, Trevenant’s 201 Attack stat and Shadow Claw + Shadow Ball combination technically works. But Ghost-type raids are dominated by Gengar, Chandelure, Giratina-Origin, and Mega Gengar — Pokemon with higher attack ceilings, better TDO, or both. Trevenant’s combined DPS with Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball reaches roughly 14.5 DPS, which puts it near the bottom of usable Ghost-type options.

As a Grass-type attacker for Water, Ground, and Rock raids, Trevenant is even weaker. Roserade, Leafeon, Sceptile, and Frenzy Plant Venusaur all significantly outperform it. The Grass-type raid slot requires maximum DPS to clear bosses efficiently, and Trevenant’s bulk-oriented stat spread isn’t designed for that role. For raid-focused Grass and Ghost options, see our best raid attackers guide.

When to use Trevenant in raids: If you’re genuinely short on Ghost or Grass attackers and need bodies for a 3-star or lower raid, Shadow Claw + Shadow Ball will do the job. For anything tier 4 or above, invest stardust in dedicated raid attackers first.

One situational note: both Shadow Claw and Shadow Ball receive a 20% damage boost in Foggy weather, making Trevenant marginally more useful in those conditions specifically for Ghost-type raid boss encounters.

PvP Viability

This is where Trevenant earns its place in your Pokemon GO roster. Its Ghost/Grass typing targets some of the most common meta Pokemon in the game, and its stat distribution is actually well-suited to the pace of trainer battles.

Great League (1,500 CP cap)

Trevenant sits at approximately rank 261 out of 1,089 eligible Pokemon in the open Great League — a mid-tier placement that undersells its performance in specific team slots. For the optimal stat product, target 0/15/15 IVs at level 22 (1,497 CP). The low Attack IV trades raw damage for bulk, which is the correct trade in a league decided by shield exchanges and close-call KOs. For more on how PvP IVs differ from raid IVs, see our PvP IV guide.

Key wins: Swampert, Galarian Stunfisk, Lanturn, Medicham, Hypno, Alolan Marowak (with Shadow Ball), most Psychic-types.

Key losses: Registeel, Skarmory, Talonflame, Charizard, Alolan Marowak (Fire spin), Umbreon, Mandibuzz, and most dedicated Dark-types. Fire-type coverage in the meta is Trevenant’s biggest problem — popular picks like Charizard and Talonflame punish it hard.

Trevenant functions as a specialist counter rather than a safe lead. Build around it: pair it with a Steel-type or Fire-resistant Pokemon to absorb the matchups it can’t win. For full team composition advice, see our Great League teams guide.

Ultra League (2,500 CP cap)

Ultra League is where Trevenant performs best. It ranks approximately #75 out of 802 eligible Pokemon — a meaningful step up from its Great League placement — and this is the league you should prioritise it for if you’re investing resources.

The Ghost/Grass coverage targets several of Ultra League’s most common threats: Galarian Stunfisk, Swampert, Cresselia, Obstagoon, and Talonflame to varying degrees with Shadow Ball. The extra bulk from higher CP levels (Trevenant runs at level 40 in Ultra League) means it survives more hits during the extended shield exchanges Ultra League rewards.

Run the same Shadow Claw + Shadow Ball + Seed Bomb moveset. The strategy doesn’t change — but you’ll find more favourable matchups in the Ultra League meta than in Great League. For team-building context, see our Ultra League teams guide.

Master League (no CP cap)

Trevenant is not recommended for Master League. Its maximum CP of 2,893 is significantly below the benchmarks of the Pokemon that dominate this format — Dialga-O, Zacian, Ho-Oh, Mewtwo, and other legendaries commonly sit at 4,000–5,000+ CP. Even if the Ghost/Grass typing were perfectly positioned for the meta, Trevenant simply lacks the raw stats to compete. Save your stardust for Master League-appropriate picks. For options that work at the top end, see our Master League teams guide.

Shadow Trevenant: Is It Worth It?

Shadow Trevenant became available through Team GO Rocket grunts during Halloween 2025 via Shadow Phantump encounters. To get one, defeat Grass-type Team GO Rocket grunts (their teams include Shadow Phantump alongside Shadow Chespin and Shadow Cacnea) and evolve the Shadow Phantump with 200 Candy. For current grunt lineups, check our Rocket Grunt guide.

The Shadow form trades bulk for aggression — a 20% attack boost and 20% defence reduction compared to the standard form. In practice, that means:

If you’re investing for Ultra League specifically, Shadow Trevenant is the stronger option. For Great League, the standard form’s extra bulk protects key matchups you’d rather not lose. Running both is the ideal situation — using whichever form the meta demands each season.

Max Move Recommendations

Trevenant cannot Dynamax in Pokemon GO. It has not been added to the Max Battles habitat system, which means it has no Max Moves and cannot participate in Power Spot encounters as a Dynamax Pokemon. This may change in future content updates, but as of April 2026 there is no Max version available.

If you’re looking for Max Battle coverage in similar type roles:

• Ghost-type Max attacker: Gengar (Gigantamax available) is the premier option, with high attack and the powerful G-Max Move. Gastly’s evolutionary line has featured in Max Battle events since Halloween 2024.
• Grass-type Max attacker: Venusaur (Gigantamax), Rillaboom, and Grookey’s evolutionary line cover Grass-type Max content.

For a complete guide to how Dynamax mechanics work and the full list of eligible Pokemon, see our Max Battles guide.

FAQ

Is Trevenant worth powering up in 2026?

Yes — specifically for Ultra League, where it ranks in the top 75 eligible Pokemon. The Ghost/Grass typing targets Swampert, Galarian Stunfisk, Medicham, Cresselia, and other core meta staples with super-effective or neutral coverage that few other Pokemon can replicate. The caveat is that it’s a specialist: it wins hard against specific targets and loses hard to Fire, Dark, and Flying types. If your team already handles those weaknesses with other Pokemon, Trevenant is a strong mid-season pickup. For Great League, it’s a viable spice pick rather than a season-long core choice.

Should I use Shadow or regular Trevenant for Great League?

The standard form is the safer choice for Great League. Shadow Trevenant’s 20% defence reduction costs it some key matchups — specifically against bulky Water-types like Azumarill that it previously survived long enough to win. The Shadow form’s damage boost is real, but Great League is decided by narrow margins and bulk often matters more than peak damage in the early turns of a match. If you’re choosing between investing in one or the other for Great League specifically, standard wins. Save Shadow Trevenant for Ultra League, where the damage increase pays off more reliably against bulkier targets at higher CP thresholds.

Does Trevenant need two charged moves?

For any serious PvP use, yes. Running Shadow Ball alone leaves you unable to threaten Steel-types and Water-types — Registeel won’t flinch from Ghost-type moves, and Swampert resists them. Seed Bomb is what activates the Ghost/Grass combination that makes Trevenant valuable in the first place. Without it, opponents can freely send in Swampert knowing you have no Grass-type answer. The second charged move also enables the shield-baiting strategy that Trevenant is designed around: throw Seed Bomb at 40 energy to bait a shield, then follow with Shadow Ball when shields are down. In casual play against non-competitive opponents, Shadow Ball alone is fine. In Go Battle League season ranked play, two charged moves is the baseline.

Sources

1. Trevenant (Pokémon GO) — Dittobase: base stats, move stats (raids)
2. Trevenant — Pokemon GO — Serebii: PvP move stats, Max CP
3. Trevenant (Pokémon) — Bulbapedia: type profile, weaknesses, lore
4. Trevenant (Pokémon GO) — Gameinfo.io: EPS/DPS comparisons
5. Best Moveset For Phantump And Trevenant — GameRant: moveset context
6. How to get Trevenant in Pokemon Go — Charlie INTEL: league ratings