Is Primarina with Hydro Cannon and Sparkling Aria good in Pokemon GO PvP and PvE?

Primarina with Hydro Cannon and Sparkling Aria makes its Pokemon GO debut during Popplio Community Day on Saturday, August 31, 2024. The event will kickstart at 2 pm local time and end at 5 pm local time. Players who evolve Brionne into Primarina will get access to Hydro Cannon. Sparkling Aria, on the other hand, will be available as a regular TM-able move for Primarina starting with this event.

This article takes a look at the competitive viability of Primarina with Hydro Cannon and Sparkling Aria in Pokemon GO PvP and PvE.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.

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Hydro Cannon vs Sparkling Aria: Which is the better move?

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Since both Hydro Cannon and Sparkling Aria are Water-type moves, it is important to see which the better move is. Hydro Cannon, a move learned by all final stage evolutions of Water-type Starter Pokemon, deals 80 damage for 40 energy in PvP battles. Sparkling Aria, on the other hand, deals 80 damage for 45 Energy.

Considering Sparkling Aria has no other effects in battle, Hydro Cannon comes out on top since it inflicts the same amount of damage for 5 energy less.

In PvE battles, Hydro Cannon deals 90 damage for 50 energy, while Sparkling Aria deals 85 damage for 33 energy. However, the former has a 1.9 s duration compared to the latter's 3 s. The damage window for Hydro Cannon is 0.5 s - 1.6 s, while the same for Sparkling Aria is 1.7 s - 2.9 s. While both moves are strong, Hydro Cannon is the more efficient move to use.

Also read: Pokemon GO Popplio Community Day preparation guide

Is Primarina with Hydro Cannon good in Pokemon GO PvP?

Hydro Cannon is a step up for Primarina in the Master League of Pokemon GO, where its availability turns some crucial matches for the creature—when compared to Hydro Pump. This is a reference to variants of the critter that utilize Charm as their Fast Attack.

Primarina with Hydro Cannon can output a huge amount of damage. With Charm as its Fast Attack, the low energy cost also helps out significantly. In the 0-0 shields, Charm+Hydro Cannon Primarina picks up Ho=Oh and Therian Landorus. In the 1-0 shields, Excadrill, Groudon, and Rhyperior fall prey to Primarina. Ho-Oh and Metagross suffer defeat at Primarina's hands in the 2-1 shields.

If you cannot get a Primarina with Hydro Cannon in Pokemon GO, use Sparkling Aria, which is a close substitute.

Also read: Pokemon GO Popplio Community Day PvP and PvE guide

Popplio evolves into Primarina (Image via TPC)

Is Primarina with Hydro Cannon good in Pokemon GO PvE?

Primarina with Hydro Cannon is the best non-legendary, non-Shadow, non-Mega Water-type attacker in Pokemon GO PvE battles. The creature bears a slightly lower DPS than Greninja but is substantially more bulky. This means it can stick around on the battlefield for longer, dealing more damage over time.

Hydro Cannon Primarina can be effective if you are taking on low-level raids. It can also be an impactful Gym Defender in Pokemon GO. If you are unable to get a version with the Popplio Community Day exclusive move, you can always use Sparkling Aria Primarina, a close substitute.

Also read: How to get Popplio in Pokemon GO, and can it be shiny?

How to get Primarina with Hydro Cannon and Sparkling Aria in Pokemon GO

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To get Primarina with Hydro Cannon, you must evolve Brionne using 100 Candy on Popplio Community Day on August 31, 2024, between 2 pm and 10 pm local time. If you miss this window, you must either expend an Elite Charged TM or wait till another event brings back this move.

Sparkling Aria, on the other hand, is a regular move and can be obtained by evolving at any time after the August Community Day event starts. It can also be taught using a regular Charged TM.

Also read: How to evolve Popplio into Brionne and Primarina in Pokemon GO

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Edited by Sijo Samuel Paul