Mega Latias and Mega Latios are dual Dragon- and Psychic-type Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region. They are both highly intelligent and capable of understanding human speech. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Mega Latias and Mega Latios, how to catch Latias and Latios after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Eon Pokémon after you’ve caught them.

Which Pokémon to Use in a Mega Latias or Mega Latios Raid in Pokémon GO

As Dragon- and Psychic-type Pokémon, Mega Latias and Mega Latios are vulnerable to Ice-, Bug-, Ghost-, Dragon-, Dark- and Fairy-type attacks. When choosing six Pokémon for your Mega Latias or Mega Latios Raid Battle lineup, it’s important to choose Pokémon that have a Fast Attack and Charged Attack of these types if you want to deal as much damage as quickly as possible. It’s not necessary to choose only Ice-, Bug-, Ghost-, Dragon-, Dark- and Fairy-type Pokémon, but 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 fit the correct type and moveset profile, choose the Pokémon with the highest CP and best overall stats. Remember that speed is one of the factors that determine how many Premier Balls you will receive at the conclusion of a successful Raid Battle, so it makes sense to go into this raid with the most powerful Pokémon team possible.

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.

• Shadow Mamoswine / Mamoswine (Ice/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Powder Snow (Ice)

  • Charged Attack: Avalanche (Ice)

• Galarian Darmanitan (Ice)

  • Fast Attack: Ice Fang (Ice)

  • Charged Attack: Avalanche (Ice), Ice Punch (Ice)

• Mega Scizor / Shadow Scizor / Scizor (Bug/Steel)

  • Fast Attack: Fury Cutter (Bug)

  • Charged Attack: X-Scissor (Bug)

• Genesect (Bug/Steel)

  • Fast Attack: Fury Cutter (Bug)

  • Charged Attack: X-Scissor (Bug)

• Mega Gengar / Gengar (Ghost/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Hex (Ghost), Lick (Ghost)*, Shadow Claw (Ghost), Shadow Punch (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Dark Pulse (Dark)*, Shadow Ball (Ghost), Shadow Punch (Ghost)*

• Shadow Chandelure / Chandelure (Ghost/Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Hex (Ghost)

  • Charged Attack: Shadow Ball (Ghost), Poltergeist (Ghost)*

• Mega Rayquaza / Rayquaza (Dragon/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Dragon Tail (Dragon)

  • Charged Attack: Breaking Swipe (Dragon)*, Outrage (Dragon)

• Mega Garchomp / Garchomp (Dragon/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Dragon Tail (Dragon)

  • Charged Attack: Outrage (Dragon)

• Mega Tyranitar / Shadow Tyranitar / Tyranitar (Rock/Dark)

  • Fast Attack: Bite (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Crunch (Dark)

• Mega Houndoom / Houndoom (Dark/Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Snarl (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Crunch (Dark), Foul Play (Crunch)

• Mega Gardevoir / Shadow Gardevoir / Gardevoir (Psychic/Fairy)

  • Fast Attack: Charm (Fairy)

  • Charged Attack: Dazzling Gleam (Fairy), Shadow Ball (Ghost)

• Zacian (Fairy)

  • Fast Attack: Snarl (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Play Rough (Fairy)

* An Elite Fast TM or an Elite Charged TM is typically required to teach this Pokémon this attack.

Make the Most of Premier Balls and Berries

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

In an encounter with Latias or Latios, your chance of catching them 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.

Latias and Latios aren’t going to make it easy on you by sitting still while you’re trying to catch them. Don’t waste your Premier Balls by throwing while they’re moving around. Watch them to get a feel for their cycles of movement and the pauses in between those 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 also help you catch Latias or Latios. A Razz Berry will make them easier to catch, and a Golden Razz Berry will make them much easier to catch. If you find yourself failing to land any throws, a Nanab Berry will calm Latias or Latios, making their movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Latias or Latios Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make them easier to catch and grant you extra Candy when you catch them.

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!

Latias and Latios are tricky to catch, so don’t be discouraged if they escape. 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 Latias and Latios Once You’ve Caught Them

After defeating Mega Latias or Mega Latios, the Raid Boss will revert to its regular form for you to catch. Using Mega Energy will allow you to Mega Evolve Latias or Latios. This is important to remember because while Latias and Latios aren’t particularly powerful or popular in the GO Battle League, Mega Latias and Mega Latios can be mega-useful in raids.

As Dragon- and Psychic-type Pokémon, Latias and Latios are resistant to Fire-, Water-, Grass-, Electric-, Fighting-, and Psychic-type attacks. While Latias and Latios are both solid Pokémon with reasonably high max CP and a good set of available attacks, they’ve never quite found their niche in the GO Battle League. Unfortunately, the competition to be the strongest Psychic- or Dragon-type Pokémon in Pokémon GO is incredibly fierce, and Latias and Latios just haven’t risen to the top in either category. However, with the added advantages that come with being Mega-Evolved Pokémon, Mega Latios and Mega Latias are strong assets in Raid Battles.

With Dragon-type Fast Attacks and Charged Attacks, Latias and Latios—or Mega Latias and Mega Latios—are capable of challenging other Dragon-type Pokémon like Salamence, Rayquaza, Mega Rayquaza, Garchomp, Mega Garchomp, Zekrom, and Kyurem. And with Psychic-type attacks, Latias and Latios can challenge Fighting- or Bug-type Pokémon like Mega Beedrill, Mega Blaziken, Mega Lopunny, Terrakion, Virizion, Nihilego, and Buzzwole.

To make the most of Latias and Latios—or Mega Latias and Mega Latios—it’s important to power up your Pokémon as much as possible. This requires a significant investment of Stardust and Candy, so be sure to participate in as many raids as possible and make liberal use of Pinap and Silver Pinap Berries when trying to catch Latias or Latios. Gathering Mega Energy is also important, so be sure to participate in raids and complete research that will allow you to gain Mega Energy to Mega Evolve your Pokémon in the future.

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.