Tapu Koko is an Electric- and Fairy-type Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in the Alola region. As the lightning-wielding guardian deity of Melemele Island, Tapu Koko is brimming with curiosity and appears before people from time to time. It summons thunderclouds and stores their lightning inside its body. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Tapu Koko, how to catch Tapu Koko after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Land Spirit Pokémon after you’ve caught it.

Which Pokémon to Use in a Tapu Koko Raid in Pokémon GO

As an Electric- and Fairy-type Pokémon, Tapu Koko is vulnerable to Poison- and Ground-type attacks. When selecting Pokémon for your Tapu Koko 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. It’s not necessary to choose only Poison- or Ground-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 know Poison- or Ground-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 Tapu Koko as quickly as possible.

• Beedrill / Mega Beedrill (Bug/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Poison Jab (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Drill Run (Ground)*, Sludge Bomb (Poison)

• Nidoking / Shadow Nidoking (Poison/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Poison Jab (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Earth Power (Ground), Earthquake (Ground), Sand Tomb (Ground), Sludge Wave (Poison)

• Muk / Shadow Muk (Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Acid (Poison)*, Poison Jab (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Acid Spray (Poison), Gunk Shot (Poison), Sludge Wave (Poison)

• Gengar / Mega Gengar (Ghost/Poison)

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

  • Charged Attack: Sludge Bomb (Poison), Sludge Wave (Poison)*

• Nihilego (Rock/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Acid (Poison), Poison Jab (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Gunk Shot (Poison), Sludge Bomb (Poison)

• Golem / Shadow Golem (Rock/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground)*, Mud-Slap (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Earthquake

• Swampert / Shadow Swampert / Mega Swampert (Water/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Earthquake (Ground), Sludge Wave (Poison)

• Groudon (Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Earthquake (Ground)

• Garchomp (Dragon/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Earth Power (Ground)*, Earthquake (Ground), Sand Tomb (Ground)

• Rhyperior (Ground/Rock)

  • Fast Attack: Mud-Slap (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Earthquake (Ground)

• Mamoswine / Shadow Mamoswine (Ice/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Mud-Slap (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Bulldoze (Ground)

• Excadrill (Ground/Steel)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground), Mud-Slap (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Drill Run (Ground), Earthquake (Ground)

• Golurk / Shadow Golurk (Ground/Ghost)

  • Fast Attack: Mud-Slap (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Earth Power (Ground)

• Therian Forme Landorus (Ground/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Bulldoze (Ground), Earthquake (Ground)

• Ursaluna / Shadow Ursaluna (Ground/Normal)

  • Fast Attack: Tackle (Normal)

  • Charged Attack: High Horsepower (Ground)*

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

In an encounter with Tapu Koko, 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.

Tapu Koko 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 Tapu Koko 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 Tapu Koko. A Razz Berry will make Tapu Koko 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 Tapu Koko, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Tapu Koko Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Tapu Koko 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 Legendary Pokémon, Tapu Koko 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 Tapu Koko Once You’ve Caught It

As an Electric- and Fairy-type Pokémon, Tapu Koko is resistant to Electric-, Fighting-, Flying-, Bug-, Dragon-, and Dark-type attacks. Boasting a reasonably high max CP and a lengthy list of Pokémon that are vulnerable to its attacks, Tapu Koko could be very useful in Raid Battles, though its lack of a Fairy-type Fast Attack should be considered when challenging Dragon-type Pokémon. Tapu Koko is most effective against Water-, Fighting-, Flying-, Ghost-, and Dragon-type Pokémon, including powerhouse Pokémon such as Mega Charizard, Dragonite, Salamence, Rayquaza, Palkia, and Giratina.

Tapu Koko often struggles in the GO Battle League. Despite its unusual dual typing, Tapu Koko doesn’t have the necessary attacks or bulk to make it a reliable choice in the Ultra League or Master League. Tapu Koko’s utility in Raid Battles makes it worth catching and powering up, however—it can be a valuable addition when you challenge powerful Raid Bosses like Dragonite, Lugia, Kyogre, Rayquaza, and Palkia. To help Tapu Koko reach its full potential in raids, you’re going to need as much Candy as possible to both power it up and teach it a second Charged Attack. Given that much of Tapu Koko’s utility stems from its dual typing, consider teaching it one Fairy-type Charged Attack and one Electric-type Charged Attack. The Flying-type Charged Attack Brave Bird is also a powerful option. To earn enough Tapu Koko Candy to teach it a second Charged Attack, you’ll want to catch as many Tapu Koko as possible.

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.