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Trainers! A new Raid Day is upon us: Shadow Raikou Raid Day. We are going back to the OG days, when we could count the number of Legendaries on our hand! Ah! The Good Old Days! So how does Shadow Raikou stack up in today’s meta? Does the saying—Old is Gold stay true for Raikou?
Raikou: Stats, Profile and Typing
Shadow Raikou
Electric
| Max CP | 3902 |
|---|---|
| ATK | 241 |
| DEF | 195 |
| HP | 207 |
| Weak to |  |
| Resists |    |
| Fast Attacks |
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| Charge Attacks |
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Shadow Raikou is a pure Electric type Pokémon, with some pretty solid stats and moveset. This legendary beast from Johto delivers blistering raid performance against Water and raid bosses, outpacing many rivals in raw DPS while holding decent staying power. With the upcoming Shadow Raikou Raid Day event making it more accessible, now is the perfect time for trainers to invest in this thunderous powerhouse.
Raikou in Pokémon GO PvE
Raids
Shadow Raikou is the gold standard of Electric raid attackers in the game. Great moveset, great stats, high DPS, high TDO and a solid shiny! Shadow Raikou has got it all. Have a look at our Best Electric Raid Attackers.
Shadow Raikou is right up there among the best Electric raid attackers in the game only behind the not yet released Shadow Thundurus (Therian Forme), which means currently, Shadow Raikou is the best Electric raid attacker in the game. Yes, Regieleki has a higher DPS than Shadow Raikou, but the high TDO of Shadow Raikou helps it stay longer in battle, dishing out damage for a prolonged time. But that is not all! Have a look at the Best Fighting Raid Attackers. 
Shadow Raikou has access to the incredible Aura Sphere, which means Shadow Raikou can double up as a Fighting raid attacker as well. What’s even better is that neither Wild Charge nor Aura Sphere are legacy moves for Raikou, which means that just unlocking Shadow Raikou’s second Charged Attack will allow the same Shadow Raikou to be in both raid teams. You rarely come across such a versatile Pokémon in our great game!
For a more detailed account of Shadow Raikou raid performance, here is a great piece by vastly experienced MeteorAsh15: Shadow Raikou in Electric and Fighting Meta.
Raikou in Pokémon GO PvP
Ideal Moveset: Thunder Shock + Wild Charge & Aura Sphere 
When it comes to PvP, Shadow Raikou isn’t as glorious as it was in the PvE scene. The good thing is the moveset: A good Fast Attack in Thunder Shock, a coverage and spam/bait Charged Attack in Aura Sphere, and a pretty solid though self-debuffing nuke in Wild Charge. The bad is the stats: Shadow Raikou has average bulk, which is further hampered by the 20% defense drop associated with a Shadow Pokémon, something which is not ideal in PvP scenarios.
Great League
Shadow Raikou encountered from raids have a CP range of 1823-1972 at level 20 with no weather boost. However, it is possible to have a Great League eligible Shadow Raikou below 1500CP provided you completed Team GO Rocket Special Research February 2020.
On paper, Shadow Raikou looks excellent with more wins than losses. It has wins against a lot of top meta Great League Pokémon like Jellicent, Azumarill, Corviknight and even Bastiodon because of Aura Sphere. But in practice, this performance may not actually translate. A lot of these wins are dependent on baiting with Aura Sphere and then landing Wild Charge as a nuke.
You get a bait move wrong, your Wild Charge gets shielded and suddenly you are stuck with a Shadow Raikou that has been farmed down, not to mention the number of Ground types in the meta like Clodsire and Gastrodon. Ideally you want to use Shadow Raikou as a closer, get a shield and/or energy advantage and then close up your battle with those hard hitting Charged Attacks.
Trainers who don’t have access to a Shadow Raikou below 1500CP, it doesn’t really matter. There are other Electric Pokémon that perform a similar role but are more consistent and have much better accessibilty like Charjabug and Unova Stunfisk.
At the time when Shadow Raikou was released, the IV floor for Shadow Legendary Pokémon was 0/0/0.
Hence, Raikou’s ideal IV spread for Great League is: 3/15/14, 1500CP, Level 16.
Ultra League
In Ultra League, Shadow Raikou’s performance, even on paper, take a dip. In 1v1 shield scenarios Shadow Raikou now has more losses than wins. Some new faces in the Ultra League meta like Virizion, Regidrago and Florges affect its performance. Shadow Raikou though still remains a more than viable anti-meta pick with wins against a lot of top meta Water and types like Lapras, Walrein and Togekiss.
What still remains true for Shadow Raikou even in Ultra League is its potential as a closer with shield advantage. In 1v0 or 2v1 shield advantage scenario, Shadow Raikou is almost unbeatable with Pokémon that heavily resist its Charged Attacks like Runerigus, Giratina (Altered) and Gastrodon being able to claim a win.
Since encounters from five-star Shadow Raids have a IV floor of 6/6/6, Raikou’s ideal IV spread for Ultra League is: 6/13/13, 2498CP, Level 26.5.
Master League
In Master League, Shadow Raikou really tapers off. Its bulk and number of resistances is no where close to its contemporaries, and all the Dragon Pokémon in the meta don’t really help. It loses to the likes of Zekrom, Reshiram and Xerneas while picking up very few wins like Metagross Ho-Oh and Yveltal. Even running Shadow Raikou as a closer requires exceptional energy and shield management.
Raikou’s ideal IV spread for Ultra League is: 15/15/15, 3902CP, Level 50.
Is Shadow Raikou Worth Building?
Definitely! Straight up worth the XL Candy push to Level 50. Where Electric reigns Shadow Raikou dominates! Don’t purify; the Shadow form’s DPS spike is the whole point. While its PvP performance may not be the best, Shadow Raikou is an absolute beast in Pokémon GO PvE raids. It is a damage machine that shreds Water and bosses like a Tiger shredding its prey.
You can’t go wrong with Shadow Raikou in town!
Parting Words
That is it Trainers! Shadow Raikou roars into Pokémon GO as the undisputed king of Electric raid attackers right now—high DPS, stellar TDO & that shiny flex. So raid hard, grab a high IV shadow and you will have a high quality Electric raid attacker for eternity, with a side role of Fighting attacker as a true added bonus.
Also, do let us know, which one of the three Legendary Johto Beasts is your favourite? And don’t forget to TM away Frustration on your good IV Shadow Raikou while the Taken Over event is still on!
And as always, stay safe and happy raiding! May you get a 13/13/13 Shadow Raikou.
