Best Counters and Tips for Defeating Shadow Raikou in Pokémon GO Shadow Raids

Shadow Raikou is back in five-star Shadow Raids on Saturdays and Sundays in September. Shadow Raikou is the number one Electric-type raid attacker in Pokémon GO and is worth going out and fighting. Plus, the first Shadow Raikou you encounter may be in its Shiny form. The odds are similar to those from standard five-star raids.

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Of course, Shadow Raikou’s are much more difficult in Pokémon GO. If you want to take down Shadow Raikou, you'll need a team of in-person trainers, as well as lots of purified gems.

Best Shadow Raikou Counters in Pokémon GO:

As an Electric-type Pokémon, Shadow Raikou has only one weakness, which is to Ground-types. However, thankfully we have plenty of good Ground-types to choose from to build a team to take down this powerful Pokémon.

Here are the best Shadow Raikou counters in Pokémon GO:

•    Primal Groudon: Mud Shot & Precipice Blades
•    Mega Garchomp: Mud Shot & Earth Power
•    Therian Landorus: Mud Shot & Sandsear Storm
•    Excadrill: Mud-Slap & Scorching Sands
•    Mega Swampert: Mud Shot & Earthquake
•    Mamoswine: Mud-Slap & High Horsepower
•    Rhyperior: Mud-Slap & Earthquake
•    Incarnate Landorus: Mud Shot & Earth Power
•    Mega Sceptile: Fury Cutter & Earthquake
•    Ursaluna: Tackle & High Horsepower
•    Mega Rayquaza: Dragon Tail & Outrage
•    Groudon: Mud Shot & Precipice Blades

Shadow Pokémon are very difficult to defeat. They deal a lot of damage and will eliminate most normal Pokémon in one go when angry.

Groudon has also been in Pokémon Go raids recently, with Primal appearing at the beginning of the year. This means you will be able to grab one or two to face this raid.

Mega Evolution to get you more Raikou Candy in Pokémon Go

Mega Evolution can help you get more Candy and XL Candy with each catch. Having a Mega Level 3 active that boosts candy for Electric-types will give you 2 extra candy per catch, as well as a 25% bonus to XL candy.

* Ampharos
* Manectric
* Kyogre

Be careful, unlike normal Legendary Raids, you may want to pick a Mega Pokémon that has a good counter instead of going for the candy bonus.

How many Trainers do I need to beat Shadow Raikou?

Before we get into how many Trainers you need – you must have the Purification Gem to beat Shadow Raikou. Without it, this raid will be impossible.

• For high level Trainers, at least four very high level counters is a safe minimum. Party play can reduce this a bit, but be prepared to lose a lot of Pokémon.
• For low level Trainers, you need a minimum of 8-10 to win this raid.

Also Read: Pokémon GO September 2024 Community Day: Catch Ponyta and Galarian Ponyta

Shadow Raikou Pokémon Go 100% IV

Shadow Raikou is the best Electric-type Pokémon in the game. As a result, getting a 100% IV for this Pokémon will result in getting the best possible Electric-type anywhere in Pokémon Go.
To know if you have a 100% IV Shadow Raikou, you should keep an eye on these CP values:

* 1972 CP
* 2466 CP (Weather Boosted)

Weather Effects:

Weather boosts can help you save candy, get better IVs, and give your team a power boost. Here are the weather effects to keep in mind when facing these raids. Rainy weather is tricky for this raid. Not only will it make your phone wet, but it also means that Shadow Raikou will deal even more damage. However, the Shadow Raikou you catch will have a higher CP as a result. If you're doing this raid with a very small Pokémon Go group, we suggest fighting Shadow Raikou in the sunny season if possible. Now that this Pokémon is back in the summer, not winter - this might be easier!