Pokemon Go Raikou Guide: Counters, Weaknesses, And More Tips

Raikou is back in Pokemon Go, but it won't be around for much longer. The Legendary Thunder Pokemon is leaving the game once again tomorrow, February 4, making this your last opportunity to catch it for a while. If you're looking to add the Legendary Pokemon to your collection, we've rounded up some tips to help you beat and catch Raikou below.

Raikou Raid Schedule

Raikou will return as a five-star Raid boss beginning at 10 AM local time on January 31, and it'll remain in the game until the same time on February 4, giving you just a couple of days to catch it. Although Raid Battles don't follow a set schedule, you'll receive a notification within the game when a Raid is set to begin at a nearby Gym.

In order to join a Raikou Raid, you'll need to have either a Raid Pass (to join in-person) or a Remote Raid Pass (to join remotely). Both are available to purchase through Pokemon Go's in-game shop. You can also receive a free Raid Pass by spinning the Photo Disc at a Gym, but you can only hold one of these free passes at a time.

Raikou Weaknesses And Counters

Raikou is an Electric Pokemon, which means it's weak to only one type: Ground. Fortunately, there are plenty of those Pokemon in the game, and many are very powerful, so you have a lot of good options to choose from. Groudon, Rhyperior, Golem, and Garchomp are particularly great choices to use.

If you don't have too many Ground Pokemon in your collection, Grass and Dragon types will also be pretty helpful. Both types resist Electric attacks, which should help them last a bit longer in battle against Raikou than some other Pokemon.

Types To Avoid

Electric Pokemon are super-effective against Flying and Water types, so you'll want to avoid using those kinds of monsters when challenging Raikou, as they won't last long against it.

Legendary Dog Raids

Raikou isn't the only Legendary returning to Pokemon Go this month. Niantic is bringing all three Legendary dogs from Pokemon Gold and Silver back to the game over different weeks. Raikou is the second to return, with Suicune set to follow it on February 4. You can see when each Legendary Pokemon is scheduled to appear below:

• Entei: January 26-31
• Raikou: January 31 - February 4
• Suicune: February 4-9