Moves
Knock Off is Pangoro's most spammable move due to its lack of drawbacks and ability to remove items. Superpower is Pangoro's strongest Fighting STAB move, but the stat drops make Pangoro easier to revenge kill and pivot into. Hammer Arm is an alternative to Superpower that doesn't reduce Pangoro's Attack and Defense while maintaining the same power, but it leaves Pangoro vulnerable to revenge killing by slower Pokemon like Alolan Exeggutor and offensive Rhydon. Drain Punch lets Pangoro heal itself while still doing a decent chunk of damage. Bullet Punch is a form of priority that allows Pangoro to pick off weakened revenge killers like Passimian, Aerodactyl, and Whimsicott, slightly compensating for its low Speed. Zen Headbutt targets Poison-types like Weezing, Garbodor, and Golbat for super effective damage and hits Fairy-types like Whimsicott for neutral damage.
Set Details
Maximum Attack and Speed investment alongside an Adamant nature and a Choice Band allows Pangoro to be as strong and fast as possible, outspeeding walls like Vaporeon and Dhelmise. Iron Fist boosts the power of some of Pangoro's moves, improving Pangoro's offensive capability. A Jolly nature can be opted for to outspeed opposing Pangoro and Speed tie with Scrafty, but the higher damage output is usually preferred.
Usage Tips
Pangoro's bulk and Speed are not very good, meaning it struggles a lot against offensive teams, so it generally should be switched in through pivoting, after a teammate has fainted, or on moves that Pangoro is resistant or immune to from the likes of Rhydon and Choice-locked Sneasel and Sigilyph. Avoid letting it get chipped down as well. Use Knock Off whenever Pangoro gets on the field if the opponent has a Ghost- or Poison-type like Decidueye or Weezing, as this weakens them gradually and removes their items, allowing Pangoro to use its Fighting-type moves more freely late-game. Pangoro should use Drain Punch to recover its health should it be low on health from residual damage from pivoting in. Use Bullet Punch to clean up a weakened team or revenge kill a foe. Make sure to put Pokemon in range of Bullet Punch by laying entry hazards and spamming Knock Off early-game. Pangoro does well against slower and bulkier teams due to its great offensive presence and Speed advantage, so try to keep it healthy against such teams.
Team Options
Pokemon with U-turn or Volt Switch like Passimian, Xatu, Decidueye, and Heliolisk are great partners that can bring Pangoro in safely. Passimian can also form a threatening Fighting-type core with Pangoro that aims to wear down checks by means of entry hazards, pivoting, and strong attacks. Heliolisk benefits from Pangoro's Knock Off threatening checks like Dhelmise. Pangoro also appreciates Fairy-resistant Pokemon like Steelix and Weezing. Steelix can also help with Flying-types and set up Stealth Rock, and Weezing can check Fighting-types and pressure Pangoro's switch-ins with Toxic Spikes. Entry hazard users like Rhydon, Druddigon, and Garbodor are good partners to help chip down Pangoro's checks. Garbodor covers Pangoro's Fairy weakness, and Rhydon helps with Flying-types. Druddigon can slow down checks like Passimian with Glare, making them easier to deal with. Late-game sweepers like Vivillon and Comfey are decent teammates. Vivillon appreciates Rock-types pressured, Comfey can pressure Poison-types alongside Pangoro, and both enjoy Steel-types pressured. Pangoro can also remove items like Iapapa Berry from Incineroar, Eviolite from Golbat, and Leftovers from various defensive Pokemon. In return, they can also offensively check Fighting-types.