Darkrai is a Dark-type Mythical Pokémon originally discovered in the Sinnoh region. It has the power to lull people to sleep and give them horrific nightmares, though its intentions aren’t malicious. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Darkrai, how to catch it after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Pitch-Black Pokémon after you’ve caught it.

Which Pokémon to Use in a Darkrai Raid in Pokémon GO

As a Dark-type Pokémon, Darkrai is vulnerable to Fighting-, Bug-, and Fairy-type attacks. When choosing six Pokémon for your Darkrai Raid Battle lineup, it helps to choose Pokémon that have a Fast Attack and Charged Attack with these types if you want to deal as much damage as possible. A Pokémon that shares a type with these attacks will benefit from a same-type attack bonus, which will allow these attacks to deal an additional 20% damage.

If you have multiple Pokémon that meet those criteria, choose the ones with the highest CP and best overall stats. Remember that speed of victory affects how many Premier Balls you will receive after a successful Raid Battle, so be sure to bring your strongest Pokémon and defeat Darkrai as quickly as possible.

When you challenge a Raid Boss while you’re in a party, the ability Party Power can give your Charged Attacks a boost. When you have more party members in a raid, your Party Power charges more quickly—when you activate it, your next Charged Attack will deal even more damage! To get the most out of Party Power, it’s a great idea to take on Raid Battles with friends.

It’s also worth noting that when you include a Mega-Evolved Pokémon in your raid lineup, all Pokémon of the same type participating in the raid receive a damage boost while that Mega-Evolved Pokémon is battling the Raid Boss. With their substantial CP, Mega-Evolved Pokémon are already an excellent resource for raids, but this added damage boost for other Trainers’ Pokémon can also be significant in Raid Battles where you’re up against the clock.

Make the Most of Premier Balls and Berries

After a Darkrai raid, you’ll have a limited number of Premier Balls you can use to catch Darkrai, so make each one count. You can earn extra Premier Balls by battling with friends and defeating Darkrai more quickly.

In an encounter with Darkrai, your chance of catching it is greatest when the target ring is small enough for you to score Excellent Throws. Throwing Curveballs can improve your chances even more. But work within your abilities—if you don’t think you can reliably make Excellent Curveball Throws, aim for Nice Throws or Great Throws rather than risk missing the target ring completely.

Darkrai isn’t going to make it easy on you by sitting still while you’re trying to catch it. Don’t waste your Premier Balls by throwing while it’s moving around. Watch Darkrai to get a feel for its cycle of movement and the pauses in between the cycles. During one of these pauses, wait for the target ring to reappear, then throw as it starts to grow smaller to increase your odds of making a Great Throw or an Excellent Throw.

Berries can also help you catch Darkrai. A Razz Berry will make Darkrai easier to catch, and a Golden Razz Berry will make it much easier to catch. If you find yourself failing to land any throws, a Nanab Berry will calm Darkrai, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Darkrai Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Darkrai easier to catch and grant you extra Candy when you catch it.

Buddy Pokémon with a Buddy Level of Great Buddy or higher have the Catch Assist Perk. If a Pokémon deflects a Poké Ball, your buddy might bounce it back for a second catch opportunity!

Like all Mythical Pokémon, Darkrai is tricky to catch, so don’t be discouraged if it escapes. Get a second wind by stocking up on useful items—like Max Potions, Max Revives, and Golden Razz Berries—and try again.

What to Do with Darkrai Once You’ve Caught It

As a Dark-type Pokémon, Darkrai is resistant to Psychic-, Ghost-, and Dark-type attacks. As one of the strongest Dark-type attackers in Pokémon GO, Darkrai is immensely useful in five-star raids. More specifically, Darkrai is an incredible asset against Pokémon such as Mega Gengar, Mewtwo, Lugia, Latias, Latios, Giratina, and Cresselia.

Darkrai isn’t a wildly popular Pokémon in the GO Battle League. Due to its higher CP, it’s inaccessible in the Great League and accessible but not very useful in Ultra League. Darkrai gets a little more play in the Master League, where its high max CP finally becomes an asset and the prevalence of Psychic- and Ghost-type Pokémon make a strong Dark-type Pokémon extremely useful. However, other Dark-type Pokémon like Yveltal are generally considered superior.

Powering up a Darkrai to use as a Dark-type attacker is a worthwhile endeavor. To get the necessary Candy and Candy XL to power up your Darkrai, be sure to participate in as many Darkrai raids as possible. It’s not necessary to teach Darkrai a second Charged Attack if you’re using it solely as a Dark-type attacker, but it would be useful to ensure it has a Dark-type Fast Attack and Charged Attack. The Dark-type Fast Attack Snarl generates more energy and deals more damage per second than Feint Attack. Meanwhile, Dark Pulse is the only Charged Attack that Darkrai can currently learn. Oh, and don’t forget to make use of Pinap Berries to maximize the Candy you receive when catching Darkrai!

Good luck with your next Raid Battle—and remember that you can refer back to Pokemon.co.uk/Strategy for more Pokémon GO, video game, and Pokémon TCG tips.