Beat a difficult Shadow Raid.
Shadow Raikou is back in Five Star Shadow Raids across Saturday's and Sunday's in June. Shadow Raikou is the number one electric-type Raid attacker in Pokémon GO and is well worth going out and fighting.
Plus, for the first time ever the Shadow Raikou you encounter can be in its shiny form. The odds are the same as from standard Five Star Raids.
Of course, Shadow Raids are very difficult in Pokémon GO. You'll need a team of in person trainers if you want to take Shadow Raikou down, as well as plenty of Purified Gems.
Best Shadow Raikou counters in Pokémon GO:
As an Electric-type Pokémon, Shadow Raikou only has a singular weakness, which is to Ground-types. However, thankfully we have lots of good Ground-types to choose from to build a team to take this powerful Pokémon down.
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 hard to take down. They deal a lot of damage, and when they become enraged will one shot most normal Pokémon.
We really suggest using Primal Groudon for this raid. As the best Ground-type Pokémon in the game, it is by far the best choice to take down Shadow Raikou in Pokémon GO. If you have the Shadow version of any of the Pokémon on our list, they are great choices if they are high enough CP.
Mega Evolutions to get you more Raikou candy in Pokémon GO
Mega Evolutions can help you get more candy and XL candy with every catch. Having a mega level 3 active that boosts candy for Electric-types will give you an extra 2 candy per catch, as well as a 25% bonus to your XL candy chance.
- Ampharos
- Manectric
- Kyogre
Be warned, unlike normal legendary raids, you might want to instead pick a Mega Pokémon that is a good counter, rather than go for the candy bonus.
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How many trainers do I need to beat Shadow Raikou in Pokémon GO?
Before we even think about how many trainers you need - you MUST have Purified Gems to take down Shadow Raikou in Pokémon GO. Without, this raid will be impossible.
For high level trainers, at least four with very high level counters is a safe minimum. Party Play may reduce this slightly, but be prepared to lose a LOT of Pokémon.
For lower level trainers, you're looking at 8-10 minimum to win this raid.
Shadow Raikou Pokémon GO 100% IV
Shadow Raikou is the best Electric-type Pokémon in the game. As a result, getting the 100% IV for this Pokémon will yield the best possible Electric-type possible anywhere in Pokémon GO.
Here are the CP values to keep an eye out for to know you have a 100% IV Shadow Raikou:
- 1972 CP
- 2466 CP (Weather Boosted)
Weather Effects:
Weather boost can help you save candy, get better IVs and benefit from power boosts on your team. Here are the weather effects to keep an eye on when taking on these raids.
Weather | Pro | Con |
|---|---|---|
| Sunny | Boosts your Ground-type attackers. | - |
| Windy | - | - |
| Partly Cloudy | - | - |
| Cloudy | - | - |
| Snow | - | - |
| Rainy | Raikou will be a higher CP when caught. | Boosts Raikou's Electric-type attacks. |
| Fog | - | Boosts Ghost-type attacks |
Rainy weather is difficult for this raid. Not only will it make your phone wet, but it will mean Shadow Raikou does even more damage. However, the Shadow Raikou you catch will be a higher CP as a result. If you are trying to do this raid with a very small Pokémon GO group, we suggest fighting Shadow Raikou in Sunny weather if possible. Now this Pokémon is back in summer, and not winter - this may be easier!
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