February is stacking up to be a busy month for Pokemon GO with several community events, a rotating cast of special raid bosses, and the Team GO Rocket Celebration Event. The Johto Legendary event has been ongoing for the past week, which offers a player the ability to catch all three of the Legendary Dogs.
Entei is no longer available, and time is running out to catch Raikou, one of the best Electric types in Pokemon GO-- it's only available until February 4 at 10 a.m. local time. But have no fear, last-minute trainers! Raikou is waiting at the end of any Five-Star Raid, and while those can be difficult to get through, here's how to beat Raikou and earn the chance to catch it.
How to Beat Raikou
It's recommended that a player teams up with at least a few friends to tackle a Five-Star Raid, as the Legendary Pokemon within can level anywhere from 30,000-50,000 CP. While it's possible to take it on alone, especially with several high-level Pokemon, teaming up can be more efficient.
Raikou is an Electric-type, which means that Water and Flying types should stay out of the lineup for this battle. Ground types are the only true counter to Electric, and as an added bonus, they tend to have higher Defense stats. As a general rule of thumb, players will want a Ground-type Pokemon with Mud Shot as its quick move and Earthquake or Bulldoze as its charge move. These Pokemon are recommended:
- Groudon: Mud Shot, Earthquake
- Garchomp: Mud Shot, Earthquake
- Rhyperior: Mud Shot, Earthquake
Here is a full breakdown of effective counters for Raikou.
It's imperative to have a Ground-type with high Defense. Raikou does have the standard arsenal of powerful Electric-type moves, which barely scratch Ground types, but he can also use Shadow Ball, a dangerous Ghost-type move that Ground types don't have any natural resistance to.
How to Catch Raikou
Once a player has defeated Raikou, aside from the standard awards for completing a raid, they will be given a bonus opportunity to catch the Legendary dog. As with any Raid Boss, only a Premier Ball can be used, which has a standard catch rate with no bonuses. There are some berries that a player can use to increase their chances.
- Razz Berry: Increases chance of capture success by 1.5 times
- Golden Razz Berry: Increases chance of capture success by 2.5 times
- Silver Pinap Berry: Increases chance of capture success by 1.8 times and multiplies 2.333 times the rewards a trainer is given for capturing a Pokemon
The Golden Razz Berry would probably be the best to use, as it gives the best capture multiplier. They can be collected from Raid Battles or by completing Research Tasks.
Remember, time is running short to get Raikou, so take this new-found knowledge and get out there, trainers.
Pokemon GO is available on Android and iOS.