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Pokémon Sword and Shield (2019)

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For this week, I made a list of Ghost and Dark-type Pokémon that I have not yet done on Surprise Trade, and the Pokémon I will be trading for this week is Zorua. I usually breed for 31 IVs in at least 4 or 5 stats, and I went with Timid, as Zorua's best stats are Speed and Special Attack. I wasn't expecting this week's Surprise Trade to tie-in with many other games, for example, Zorua has been added into Pokémon GO, and it was also included in Pokémon UNITE.
For Egg Moves, I went with Sucker Punch, Extrasensory, Counter, and Detect, Zorua can also get Copycat and Memento for other Egg Moves, I will list which parents in the Field Egg Group that can learn those moves.
Copycat: Eevee, Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Lucario, Leafeon, Glaceon, Sylveon, Wooloo, Dubwool
Counter: G-Zigzagoon, G-Linoone, Lucario, Lycanroc (Midnight & Dusk), Mudbray, Mudsdale, Scorbunny, Raboot, Cinderace, Skwovet, Greedent, Obstagoon
Detect: G-Farfetch'd, Torchic, Combusken, Blaziken, Absol, Lucario, Mienfoo, Mienshao, Sirfetch'd
Extrasensory: Vulpix, A-Vulpix, Ninetales, A-Ninetales, Nuzleaf, Shiftry
Memento: Stunky, Skuntank
Sucker Punch: Diglett, A-Diglett, Dugtrio, A-Dugtrio, Seedot, Nuzleaf, Shiftry, Mawile, Absol, Stunky, Skuntank, Purrloin, Liepard, Meowstic (Male), Lycanroc (Midday & Dusk), Sobble, Drizzile, Inteleon, Nickit, Thievul

I went with Sucker Punch to give Zorua a Dark-type move to help in the early game due to how late it learns its first Dark-type move through level up, although you do get the TM for Payback very early, which can be good until then, and Extrasensory for a good Special Attack, as Zorua and its evolved form Zoroark doesn't learn that many Special moves through level up.
Going over Zorua's level up moves, it can learn Scratch, Leer, Torment, Hone Claws, Fury Swipes, Scary Face, Taunt, Knock Off, Fake Tears, Agility, Imprison, Night Daze, Night Slash, and Foul Play. When it evolves into Zoroark, it learns Night Slash upon evolution, and it can relearn U-turn. The Zorua line are one of few Pokémon to learn Night Daze, it was their signature move until Gen 7, because Lunala can learn Night Daze.
Next are TMs and TRs, and I will be going over what Zoroark can learn, it can get Mega Punch, Mega Kick, Dig, Thief, Swift, Revenge, Bounce, Payback, Assurance, Shadow Claw, Low Sweep, Hex, Retaliate, and Snarl, and for TRs, it can learn Swords Dance, Low Kick, Flamethrower, Sludge Bomb, Shadow Ball, Encore, Trick, Hyper Voice, Calm Mind, Dark Pulse, Focus Blast, Nasty Plot, Grass Knot, and Throat Chop, and for Tutor moves, it can learn Burning Jealousy, Skitter Smack, and Lash Out.
When Zoroark was first introduced in Gen 5, its Ability of Illusion, which works with its unpredictability, would make Zoroark very overpowered, but the generation introduced team preview, so you knew your opponent had a Zoroark on their team, and that takes away the surprise of fighting one. Zoroark's best teammates are Poison or Fighting-type Pokémon, because with Illusion, it can appear as that Pokémon. It can use Nasty Plot to boost its Special Attack, and use moves like Dark Pulse or Night Daze for its main Dark-type move, while its coverage options include Flamethrower, Sludge Bomb, Extrasensory, and Focus Blast. Zoroark can even use Trick while holding a Choice Specs or Choice Scarf to screw up its opponents. Zoroark does have a good Attack stat to use moves like Sucker Punch, Throat Chop, and U-turn, but the downside is Zoroark learns more Special Attacks than Physical Attacks, and it has a higher Special Attack stat.
I do wonder how good Hisuian Zoroark will be in the competitive scene, because its type combo of Normal/Ghost gives it only one weakness, Dark-type moves, and it can appear as a type weak to Fighting to make use of Illusion. Hisuian Zoroark does learn a move called Bitter Malice, I do wonder how that move will work in the main series games, because in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, this move inflicts frostbite onto the target, and I have seen rumours that we will get the frostbite status condition in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Hisuian Zoroark is confirmed in one of the earliest pictures for those games, and looking at its moves from Pokémon Legends: Arceus, it can learn Shadow Ball, Flamethrower, Sludge Bomb, Dark Pulse, and a few other moves.

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