Alakazam is a Psychic-type Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region, though Mega Evolution was first discovered in the Kalos region. According to its Pokédex entries, Mega Alakazam’s fully unleashed psychic powers are so potent that it can divine the entire course of someone’s life—from birth to death—by merely glancing at them. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Mega Alakazam, how to catch Alakazam after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to utilize the Psi Pokémon after you’ve caught it.

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

As a Psychic-type Pokémon, Mega Alakazam is vulnerable to Bug-, Ghost-, and Dark-type attacks. When choosing six Pokémon for your Mega Alakazam Raid Battle lineup, it helps to take Pokémon that have a Fast Attack and 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 Bug-, Ghost-, and 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 Mega Alakazam 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. With 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, and 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 Alakazam raid, you’ll have a limited number of Premier Balls you can use to catch Alakazam, so make each one count. You can earn extra Premier Balls by battling with friends and defeating Mega Alakazam more quickly.

In an encounter with Alakazam, your chance of catching it is greatest when the target ring is small enough for you to score Excellent Throws, and 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.

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

After defeating Mega Alakazam in a raid, it will revert to Alakazam. As a Psychic-type Pokémon, Alakazam is resistant to Fighting- and Psychic-type attacks.

Despite its impressive array of attacks, Alakazam has struggled to find its footing in Pokémon GO Trainer Battles. With minimal bulk and a max CP that can’t quite reach the majestic heights required to be competitive in the Master League, it’s unfortunately not very competitive in the GO Battle League. It is sometimes useful in the more niche cups, though, so keep an eye out for those.

Fortunately, Mega Alakazam can deal some pretty serious damage in raids. With a max CP that exceeds 5,000 and an incredible range of attacks, Mega Alakazam is equipped to challenge a wide array of Pokémon. Its Psychic-type attacks are effective against Fighting- and Poison-type Pokémon, while its Fighting-type attacks are a solid choice against Normal-, Ice-, Rock-, Dark-, and Steel-type Pokémon. Additionally, it boasts access to Fire-, Ghost-, and Fairy-type Charged Attacks, making it a versatile attacker in raids.

Like all Mega-Evolved Pokémon, Mega Alakazam boasts an impressive max CP, and taking advantage of that is vital to Mega Alakazam reaching its full potential. It’s worthwhile to participate in lots of Mega Alakazam raids to earn the necessary Stardust and Candy to power up your Alakazam as much as possible. Given Alakazam’s wide variety of attacks, it might even be worthwhile to power up multiple Alakazam that know different attacks to allow the Pokémon to serve multiple functions in raids.

Good luck with your next Raid Battle, and remember to check out Pokemon.com/strategy for more Pokémon GO, video game, and Pokémon TCG tips.