Necrozma Pokémon GO Raid Battle Tips

12 July 2024

Necrozma Pokémon GO Raid Battle Tips

Appearing in Raids: July 13, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time



Necrozma is a Psychic-type Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in the Alola region making its Pokémon GO debut during Pokémon GO Fest 2024. Light is the source of Necrozma’s energy, and it spends much of its time devouring light as a result. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Necrozma, how to catch the Prism Pokémon after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to utilize it after you’ve caught it.




Which Pokémon to Use in a Necrozma Raid in Pokémon GO

As a Psychic-type Pokémon, Necrozma is vulnerable to Bug-, Ghost-, and Dark-type attacks. When choosing six Pokémon for your Necrozma Raid Battle lineup, it helps to choose Pokémon that have a Fast Attack and Charged Attack of one of those 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 Bug-, Ghost-, or Dark-type Pokémon, choose Pokémon 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 bring your strongest Pokémon and defeat Necrozma as quickly as 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.

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.


Suggested Dark-type Pokémon

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

  • Fast Attack: Bite (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Crunch (Dark)

Houndoom / Shadow Houndoom / Mega Houndoom (Dark/Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Snarl (Dark)

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

Hydreigon (Dark/Dragon)

  • Fast Attack: Bite (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Brutal Swing (Dark)*, Dark Pulse (Dark)

Mega Gyarados (Water/Dark)

  • Fast Attack: Bite (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Crunch (Dark)

Weavile / Shadow Weavile (Dark/Ice)

  • Fast Attack: Feint Attack (Dark), Snarl (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Foul Play (Dark)

Absol / Mega Absol (Dark)

  • Fast Attack: Snarl (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Dark Pulse (Dark), Megahorn (Bug), Payback (Dark)


Suggested Ghost-type Pokémon

Gengar / Shadow Gengar / Mega Gengar (Ghost/Poison)

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

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

Origin Forme Giratina (Ghost/Dragon)

  • Fast Attack: Shadow Claw (Ghost)

  • Charged Attack: Shadow Ball (Ghost), Shadow Force (Ghost)*, Ominous Wind (Ghost)

Gholdengo (Steel/Ghost)

  • Fast Attack: Astonish (Ghost), Hex (Ghost)

  • Charged Attack: Shadow Ball (Ghost)


Suggested Bug-type Pokémon

Mega Pinsir (Bug/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Bug Bite (Bug), Fury Cutter (Bug)

  • Charged Attack: X-Scissor (Bug)

Volcarona (Bug/Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Bug Bite (Bug)

  • Charged Attack: Bug Buzz (Bug)

Scizor / Mega Scizor (Bug/Steel)

  • Fast Attack: Fury Cutter (Bug)

  • Charged Attack: Night Slash (Dark), X-Scissor (Bug)


* 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

After a successful Necrozma raid, 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 Necrozma more quickly.

In an encounter with Necrozma, 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.

Necrozma 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 Necrozma to get a feel for its cycle of movement and the pauses in between this cycle. 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 Necrozma. A Razz Berry will make Necrozma 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 Necrozma, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Necrozma Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Necrozma 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 Pokémon, Necrozma 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 Necrozma Once You’ve Caught It

Necrozma’s Initial CP Range: 2,018–2,104

Necrozma’s Initial CP Range with Weather Boost: 2,522–2,630

Available Fast Attacks: Metal Claw (Steel), Psycho Cut (Psychic), Shadow Claw (Ghost)

Available Charged Attacks: Dark Pulse (Dark), Future Sight (Psychic), Iron Head (Steel), Outrage (Dragon)

While Necrozma isn’t a significant powerhouse in raids or the GO Battle League, it’s still potentially useful in the Master League as a Psychic type with access to a pretty impressive array of attacks. It can certainly hold its own against other prominent Psychic-type Pokémon—namely Mewtwo—thanks to its access to Shadow Claw, and the Charged Attack Outrage makes it a strong threat to Dragon-type Pokémon, which are quite popular in the Master League.

Though there aren’t typically many opportunities to use Psychic-type Pokémon in more difficult raids, Necrozma is still worth catching because it can be fused into other incredibly powerful forms: Dusk Mane Necrozma and Dawn Wings Necrozma, which are both useful in raids and GO Battle League.

Like most Legendary Pokémon, Necrozma boasts an impressive max CP, and taking advantage of that is vital to maximizing the Prism Pokémon’s potential. This makes it worthwhile to participate in as many Necrozma raids as you can to earn the necessary Stardust and Candy to power up your Necrozma as much as possible. Many Trainers will benefit from having both Dusk Mane Necrozma and Dawn Wings Necrozma, so it makes sense to catch several and power up each form.

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

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