How to Beat Raikou in Pokémon GO

Well, I already gave my little Raikou rant when the Legendary Beast raids were announced for Pokémon GO, you know my feelings on him already. That being said, while I think Raikou is underutilized, I also find the notion of battling a godly thunder beast terrifying, so I think I’ll stay inside while he’s out and about. If you’re braver than me, then here are the best set-ups for beating Raikou in Pokémon GO.

Legendary though he may be, Raikou is a pure Electric type Pokémon, which means he’s beholden to the usual Electric type weaknesses. In case you’ve forgotten, an Electric type’s affinities break down like this:

• Weaknesses: Ground
• Resistances: Electric, Flying, Steel
• Strong against: Flying, Water
• Ineffective against: Dragon, Electric, Grass
• Completely nullified by: Ground

Considering it’s both weak against Ground and can’t hurt Ground, the writing’s on the wall: we need Ground types.

How to Beat Raikou in Pokémon GO

Almost all of Raikou’s moves, both Fast and Charged, are Electric type, with the lone exception being Shadow Ball. This means if you employ a Ground type Pokémon, Raikou can barely touch you, provided they’re not also a Ghost or Psychic type that would be weak to Shadow Ball. There’s no type nullifications in Pokémon GO, but their defense will be high enough that it won’t really matter.

Any of the usual heavy hitting Ground types are viable for going up against Raikou, though three of the most common picks are Rhyperior, Garchomp, and Groudon. These three can double up on Ground type moves with Mud Slap and Earthquake, have no type disadvantages against Electric types, and besides everything, just have high CP levels in general.

If the big three aren’t available to you, there’s plenty of alternatives with similar kits, such as Excadrill, Golem, Donphan, and my main man Krookodile. All of these guys can use the same move loadout as the big three, and have the type advantages, if not quite the same heartiness.

When you’ve got your team of six ready, go take a swing at Raikou. Chances are he won’t be able to do much against you.