Shadow Raikou Raid Guide

Raikou (Shadow)

Shadow Raikou is available from Tier 5 legendary Shadow Raids. Shadow Raids can only be completed using in-person raid passes. Shiny Shadow Raikou ✨ is available from Raids starting March, 2024, debuting in the World of Wonders Season.

Shadow Raikou can be caught with the following CP values, with an IV floor of 6/6/6:

• 1823 – 1972 CP (no weather boost, 100% Raikou at Level 20)
• 2280 – 2466 CP (during Rainy, 100% IV Raikou at Level 25)

Shadow Raikou is a Electric-type Pokémon. Shadow Raikou is weak to Ground-type moves. It takes reduced damage from Electric, Flying, and Steel-type moves. Shadow Raikou is an immensely difficult tier 5 raid due to the Shadow Raid mechanism. You will need to be well prepared with top counters, correct move-sets, powered-up Pokémon, and most importantly, Purified Gems.

Communication will be key for this raid! You will want to plan not only your Mega Pokémon team positions, and counters, but also your use of Purified Gems, so be sure you communicate with your fellow trainers.

We would suggest groups of 4+ for trainers with top counters that are maxed out, and armed with Purified Gems, or 8-10+ for lower-level trainers and those without ideal counters. Purified Gems are a must.

As these raids are in person only, you can make use of the Party Power raid bonus through Party Play! The Party Power is a Raid bonus that fills up as members of your Party attack the Raid Boss. Once the Party Power bonus is full, your next Charge Attack will receive a special boost. You can see the Party Power button and your progress towards achieving the bonus in the bottom left corner of your Raid Battle.

Regular Sprite	Shiny Sprite

Best Shadow Raikou Counters

Here are the best Pokémon to use against a Raikou raid boss. Being weak to three different types, Raikou’s counters table is diverse and shows the strongest Pokémon to use against the raid boss. Try to pick from the top end of this list, and ensure they have the necessary move-sets, and are powered up.

#	Attacker	Fast Move	Charge Move	Faints	TTW
1.	Groudon (Primal)	Mud Shot Ground	Precipice Blades Ground	13	556s
2.	Garchomp (Mega)	Mud Shot Ground	Earth Power Ground	12	624s
3.	Garchomp (Shadow)	Mud Shot Ground	Earth Power Ground	17	671s
4.	Excadrill (Shadow)	Mud-Slap Ground	Scorching Sands Ground	28	665s
5.	Mamoswine (Shadow)	Mud-Slap Ground	High Horsepower Ground	28	696s
6.	Groudon	Mud Shot Ground	Precipice Blades Ground	20	722s
7.	Rhyperior (Shadow)	Mud-Slap Ground	Earthquake Ground	22	725s
8.	Landorus (Therian)	Mud Shot Ground	Sandsear Storm Ground	31	728s
9.	Garchomp	Mud Shot Ground	Earth Power Ground	18	795s
10.	Ursaluna (Shadow)	Tackle Normal	High Horsepower Ground	20	800s
11.	Excadrill	Mud-Slap Ground	Scorching Sands Ground	29	787s
12.	Rhydon (Shadow)	Mud-Slap Ground	Earthquake Ground	29	800s
13.	Swampert (Mega)	Mud Shot Ground	Earthquake Ground	28	804s
14.	Golurk (Shadow)	Mud-Slap Ground	Earth Power Ground	40	801s
15.	Mamoswine	Mud-Slap Ground	High Horsepower Ground	28	816s
16.	Rhyperior	Mud-Slap Ground	Earthquake Ground	23	852s
17.	Landorus (Incarnate)	Mud Shot Ground	Earth Power Ground	35	835s
18.	Landorus	Mud Shot Ground	Earth Power Ground	35	835s
19.	Donphan (Shadow)	Mud-Slap Ground	Earthquake Ground	32	843s
20.	Flygon (Shadow)	Mud Shot Ground	Scorching Sands Ground	30	852s
21.	Golem (Shadow)	Mud-Slap Ground	Earthquake Ground	32	861s
22.	Rayquaza (Mega)	Dragon Tail Dragon	Outrage Dragon	40	866s
23.	Ursaluna	Tackle Normal	High Horsepower Ground	20	939s
24.	Sceptile (Mega)	Fury Cutter Bug	Earthquake Ground	34	905s
25.	Krookodile	Mud-Slap Ground	Earthquake Ground	29	919s
26.	Nidoking (Shadow)	Fury Cutter Bug	Earth Power Ground	42	910s
27.	Hippowdon (Shadow)	Ice Fang Ice	Scorching Sands Ground	30	928s
28.	Rhydon	Mud-Slap Ground	Earthquake Ground	29	937s
29.	Entei (Shadow)	Fire Fang Fire	Scorching Sands Ground	52	902s
30.	Mewtwo (Shadow)	Psycho Cut Psychic	Psystrike Psychic	58	861s

While Shadow Pokémon are extremely expensive to power up, we have included the top Shadow Pokémon you can use against Shadow Raikou. Ensure you no longer have Frustration on these Pokémon before considering adding them to your team. If you have any of these as an option, while they may take more damage than non-shadow Pokémon, they will also deal more.

We would highly recommend the use of Mega Pokémon in Shadow Raikou raids. They provide not only greater damage output, but also boost Pokémon of the same typing in the raid. We would suggest discussing your counter choices with your fellow trainers, and plan Mega Pokémon, and their position in your team accordingly.

If you have a group of 6, for example, one person should have their mega in slot 1, the next slot 2, the next slot 3, etc., you can try to keep the mega boost going throughout the raid.

Shadow Raikou Overview

Raikou (Shadow) Electric
Max CP at Level 40 3452 | Max CP at Level 50 3902
ATK 241		DEF 195		HP 207
Weak To: Strong Against: Ground Electric Flying Steel

Raikou Move Sets

Raikou can have the following moves as a raid boss:

Weather Effects

Raikou has one main weakness, Ground type attacks. This is booster by both Sunny and Sunny weather so this is what you’re looking out for. Try to avoid Rainy weather if possible, as it will most certainly boost Raikou.

Shiny Shadow Raikou

Shiny Shadow Raikou is available from defeating Raikou in Shadow Raids. We will update here when we have shiny confirmation. Good luck Trainers!

Shadow Raid Information & Advice

As a shadow raid, Raikou will hit harder than ever before, so make sure your counters are powered up, have the right move-set, and aren’t weak to the raid boss’ moves. These raids are a tricky group task for even the most prepared trainers, and you will need Purified Gems to defeat them. Shadow Raid Bosses will grow enraged as you battle them, boosting their attack and defence.

You will need to subdue Shadow Raikou using Purified Gems, a new item that can be assembled from Shadow Shards.

Shadow Shards are mysterious gem pieces that may be dropped by Team GO Rocket grunts, leaders, and Shadow Raids. You will need to gather enough shards to use Professor Willow’s newly invented Shard Refiner, and in return, you’ll be rewarded with a Purified Gem. Be sure to have collected as many as you can before you attempt a Shadow Raikou raid, as without them you won’t be able to return it to its normal, non-enraged state. You can hold up to 10 Purified Gems in your inventory at a time.

There are multiple ways Purified Gems can assist your battle against enraged Shadow Raid Bosses:

• When you use a Purified Gem during a Shadow Raid, the enraged Shadow Raid Boss’s attack and defence will be lowered temporarily. This can give you the opening you need to take them down.
• You and your fellow Trainers can use more than one Purified Gem during a Shadow Raid. If used at the same time, their effects will stack.
• If enough Purified Gems are used, the enraged Shadow Raid Boss will be subdued—returned to its non-enraged state—which might give you the edge you need to defeat it!

Purified Gems will show in the bottom left corner of the raid battle when you are able to use them, so be sure to communicate with your raid group to stack their effects!