Blaziken is a Fire- and Fighting-type Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region. When facing a tough foe, Mega Blaziken looses flames from its wrists, and its powerful legs let it jump clear over buildings. You can turn up the heat on Blaziken by learning which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Mega Blaziken, how to catch Blaziken after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Blaze Pokémon after you’ve caught it.

Which Pokémon to Use in a Mega Blaziken Raid in Pokémon GO

As a Fire- and Fighting-type Pokémon, Mega Blaziken is vulnerable to Water-, Ground-, Flying-, and Psychic-type attacks. When choosing six Pokémon for your Mega Blaziken Raid Battle lineup, it helps to choose Pokémon that have a Fast Attack and a Charged Attack of one of 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 know Water-, Ground-, Flying-, or Psychic-type attacks, choose the Pokémon with the highest CP and best overall stats. Remember that speed of victory affects how many Premier Balls you will receive at the conclusion of a successful Raid Battle, so bring your strongest Pokémon and defeat Mega Blaziken as quickly as you can.

When you challenge a Raid Boss while you’re in a party, 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 a terrific asset in 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 successful Mega Blaziken raid, Mega Blaziken will revert to Blaziken. You’ll have a limited number of Premier Balls you can use to catch it, so make each one count. You can earn extra Premier Balls by battling with friends and defeating Mega Blaziken more quickly.

In an encounter with Blaziken, 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.

Blaziken 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 Blaziken 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, and then throw as it starts to grow smaller to increase your odds of making a Great Throw or an Excellent Throw.

Berries can help you catch Blaziken. A Razz Berry will make it 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 Blaziken, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Torchic Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Blaziken 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—even a Legendary Pokémon—deflects a Poké Ball, your buddy might bounce it back for a second catch opportunity!

Like all Pokémon, Blaziken 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 Blaziken Once You’ve Caught It

As a Fire- and Fighting-type Pokémon, Blaziken is resistant to Fire-, Grass-, Bug-, Dark-, and Steel-type attacks. These resistances come in handy when using Blaziken as a Fire-type attacker in raids where Blaziken burns brightly with a solid collection of attacks, which help offset a modest CP range. Generally, the Fast Attack Fire Spin and the Charged Attack Blast Burn are the best attack pairing if you’re hoping to arm your Blaziken to deal damage as quickly as possible. If you plan on using Blaziken—or any Pokémon as an attacker in raids—these Pokémon are most effective when you’ve powered them up as much as possible. Because Blaziken has a modest CP cap, the necessary Stardust and Candy investment to max out your Blaziken is less substantial than for Pokémon with a higher max CP.

When it comes to the GO Battle League, Blaziken is a niche pick, and it isn’t usually considered a top contender in the Great League, Ultra League, or Master League. However, the variety of Blaziken’s available attacks, which include Fire-, Fighting-, Flying-, and Rock-type attacks, allows it to find some success in the Great League and Ultra League. Due to Blaziken’s overall lack of bulk and vulnerabilities to Water-, Ground-, Flying-, and Psychic-type attacks, Trainers who plan on using Blaziken should be prepared to invest Protect Shields and build a team that can help balance Blaziken’s vulnerabilities. But thanks to its varied available moves, Blaziken can fill multiple roles depending on the attacks it’s equipped with. Of course, it deals well against the Steel-type Pokémon that frequently appear in Great League and Ultra League, but the dominance of Water-type Pokémon such as Feraligatr, Azumarill, and Gastrodon can be a challenge to overcome.

However you plan on using Blaziken, it’s important to power it up and arm it with the correct attacks for your respective raid or battle team. Participating in more Mega Blaziken raids will help you obtain Stardust, Candy, and Mega Energy so that you can Mega Evolve Blaziken for future raids.

Good luck with your next Raid Battle, and remember to check Pokemon.co.uk/Strategy for more Pokémon GO, video game, and Pokémon TCG tips.