In Pokémon GO today, on May 12th, the raid hour with Xerneas starts. We show you the counters, info, and for whom the event is worth it.
What happens today? Just before 6:00 PM, you will find legendary raid eggs in almost all gyms, which will hatch at 6:00 PM. For about an hour, legendary raids will be active there. Today’s event features the legendary Pokémon from Generation 6, Xerneas.
Here we provide an overview of what you need to know about the battle and the Pokémon.
The best counters against Xerneas
This is effective: Xerneas is solely a Fairy-type Pokémon. Accordingly, attacks of Poison or Steel type are effective against this Pokémon. You will find many Pokémon in the game that can attack with moves of these types. In the following table, you will find the strongest attackers for this raid and info on which moves the Pokémon should know.
| Pokémon | Moves |
| (Shadow) Metagross | Bullet Punch + Meteor Mash |
| Mega Beedrill | Poisons Jab + Sludge Bomb |
| Roserade | Poisons Jab + Sludge Bomb |
| Heatran | Fire Spin + Iron Head |
| Mega Venusaur | Vine Whip + Sludge Bomb |
More options: If you do not own the above Pokémon or do not have enough of them, we have a larger selection for you: Check out our Guide to the best counters against Xerneas in Pokémon GO.
How many trainers do you need? If you have the optimal, fully powered top counters, you can defeat Xerneas with just three players. However, if you want to make the most of the raid hour and complete many raids, groups of at least 5 players are recommended. This way, you can finish the battles faster and make good use of the hour.
Is there a shiny Xerneas? No, the shiny form of Xerneas has not yet been released in Pokémon GO. Therefore, shiny hunters have no chance to extend their collection with shiny Xerneas during the raid hour.
Who should participate in Xerneas raids?
The issue with Xerneas right now is that the Pokémon has weak Fast Moves. The existing moves are not of Fairy type. This significantly lowers Xerneas’ value as an attacker, making it currently uninteresting for raids.
If Niantic provides the Pokémon with new, strong moves in the future, Xerneas could become interesting. Especially if these can be learned with Fast TMs. But this is still completely unclear.
For whom are the raids worthwhile? The raids are worthwhile for you if you do not yet have Xerneas but would like to have one in your collection. If you want to speculate that Xerneas will receive strong Fast Moves from Niantic in the future, you can already collect candies and strong specimens now. However, it is to be expected that Xerneas will not make its last appearance in raids.
The next legendary boss will be Yveltal. Together with Xerneas and Zygarde, it forms an important trio in the story of Pokémon. Coinciding with the release of the new Pokémon, there will be a big event.
That’s why the Yveltal event with Team Rocket in Pokémon GO is really worth it. You should definitely not miss this event if you want strong shadows.
Are you participating in the spotlight hour today or are you skipping it?
