Can Alolan Marowak work for ground type coverage?

Question

I'm playing Pokémon Let's Go Eevee. I'm using Marowak in my team for Ground type. I don't like using one of the rock/ground type Pokémon in gen1, for the x4 weaknesses. And I prefer Cubone/Marowak to Diglett/Dugtrio or Sandshrew/Sandslash. Both visually, and move wise. I love the combo of getting high crit with Focus Energy, then getting two attacks off with Bonerang. Now, for the question. I know you can trade to get Alolan variants of Pokémon in Pokémon LG. I've already traded for an Alolan Ninetails. Which I actively use in my team, and has become quite useful, especially after learning Dark Pulse, from TM. It helped me blow through Pokémon Tower quickly and ideally will help make Sabrina's gym easy. I initially immediately rejected the trade for Alolan Marowak, since I had him in my team for Ground type. However, I noticed that Alolan Marowak still learns a lot of ground moves. And wondered if it could still be worth trading it for the Alolan version instead? Are its ground moves still effective on it without the STAB bonus? I'm lacking fire type on my team, and might also benefit from having a ghost type on my team. My current team is:
Scyther (got through Pokémon Go)
Arbok
Eevee
Gyarados
Ninetails (alolan)
Marowak
(a non traditional team I know, but I don't play PVP, and tried picking Pokémon I don't usually use)

Comments

Arbok and Gyarados can also learn earthquake. You don't need a ground Pokemon or Alolan Marowak to get ground coverage. Also why do you have 2 flying Pokemon?

---

Well, I have Gyarados for water type, and he doesn't really learn any flying type moves. So that's why I have two flying types. Earthquake is a TM you don't really get for a long time in the game. My next gym is the poison type gym. Without earthquake for Gyarados or Arbok. I do kind of need ground coverage from Marowak.

Answer 1

Marowak would be the better option

You Have an alolan Ninetails that knows dark pulse to take care of pesty ghost types, so you don't need to to run a ghost type, Marowak can already learn fire type moves and so can Gyarados so no need for a Ghost/Fire type Pokemon on your team,
Marowak can cover all of its weakness with only 2 moves, leaving its move pool to be more flexible
You're better off leaving Marowak in there than for its alolan form.

Comments

Thanks, I was leaning towards keeping normal Marowak myself too. By covering all its weaknesses, I assume you mean Thunder and Fire punch? I've usually not really made a habit of teaching my Pokémon moves outside its typing that covers its weaknesses. I guess I'm too attached to STAB, and I usually just switch Pokémon of I encounter an enemy that's super effective. Is it really worth it covering all bases on the one Pokémon? I do have the TMs so I could teach them right now to my Marowak.
I'd rather teach Fire Punch to Marowak than Flamethrower to Gyarados though, since Gyarados has low Sp Attack.

---

It's always a good idea for a Pokémon to cover all its weakness both competitively and through just normal gameplay, Thunder punch and Fire punch both do good amounts of damage while having a chance to inflict status problems.