Tapu Lele is a Psychic- and Fairy-type Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in the Alola region. The guardian deity of Akala Island, Tapu Lele heals the wounds of people and Pokémon by sprinkling them with its sparkling scales. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Tapu Lele, how to catch Tapu Lele 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 Lele Raid in Pokémon GO

As a Psychic- and Fairy-type Pokémon, Tapu Lele is vulnerable to Poison-, Ghost-, and Steel-type attacks. When selecting Pokémon for your Tapu Lele 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-, Ghost-, or Steel-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.

It’s worth noting that Poison-type Pokémon are vulnerable to Psychic-type attacks. Any Tapu Lele you encounter may know a Psychic-type Fast Attack or Charged Attack, so your Poison-type Pokémon might not last long against it. That said, Poison-type attacks are still highly effective against Tapu Lele, so consider your lineup with all of this in mind.

If you have multiple Pokémon that know Poison-, Ghost-, or Steel-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 Lele as quickly as possible.

• Beedrill / Mega Beedrill (Bug/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Poison Jab (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Sludge Bomb (Poison)

• Nidoqueen / Shadow Nidoqueen (Poison/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Poison Jab (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Poison Fang (Poison), Sludge Wave (Poison)

• Nidoking / Shadow Nidoking (Poison/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Poison Jab (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Sludge Wave (Poison)

• Nihilego (Rock/Poison)

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

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

• Overqwil (Dark/Poison)

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

  • Charged Attack: Shadow Ball (Ghost), Sludge Bomb (Poison)

• Mega Gengar / Gengar (Ghost/Poison)

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

  • Charged Attack: Shadow Ball (Ghost), Shadow Punch (Ghost)*, Sludge Bomb (Poison), Sludge Wave (Poison)*

• Banette / Mega Banette (Ghost)

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

  • Charged Attack: Shadow Ball (Ghost)

• Altered Forme Giratina (Ghost/Dragon)

  • Fast Attack: Shadow Claw (Ghost)

  • Charged Attack: Shadow Force (Ghost)*, Shadow Sneak (Ghost)

• Origin Forme Giratina (Ghost/Dragon)

  • Fast Attack: Shadow Claw (Ghost)

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

• Chandelure (Ghost/Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Hex (Ghost)

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

• Scizor / Mega Scizor (Bug/Steel)

  • Fast Attack: Bullet Punch (Steel)

  • Charged Attack: Iron Head (Steel)

• Aggron / Shadow Aggron (Steel/Rock)

  • Fast Attack: Iron Tail (Steel)

  • Charged Attack: Heavy Slam (Steel)

• Metagross / Shadow Metagross (Steel/Psychic)

  • Fast Attack: Bullet Punch (Steel)

  • Charged Attack: Flash Cannon (Steel), Meteor Mash (Steel)*

• Dialga (Steel/Dragon)

  • Fast Attack: Metal Claw (Steel)

  • Charged Attack: Iron Head (Steel)

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

In an encounter with Tapu Lele, 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 Lele 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 Lele 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 Lele. 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 Tapu Lele, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Tapu Lele Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Tapu Lele 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 Lele 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 Lele Once You’ve Caught It

As a Psychic- and Fairy-type Pokémon, Tapu Lele is resistant to Fighting-, Psychic-, and Dragon-type attacks. Tapu Lele has a high max CP and access to a broad range of attacks, but its lack of a Fairy-type Fast Attack makes it an uncommon contender in the GO Battle League.

On the positive side, Tapu Lele boasts several attacks that can thwart Pokémon it’s weak against. Poison-type Pokémon are vulnerable to Psychic-type attacks, thus making Tapu Lele’s Confusion, Psychic, and Psyshock attacks powerful counters to Poison-type opponents. Steel-type Pokémon are vulnerable to Fighting-type attacks, so Tapu Lele’s Focus Blast Charged Attack is also an excellent counter.

Tapu Lele’s dual typing can make it a useful addition to your Raid Battle lineup, particularly against powerful Raid Bosses such as Machamp, Palkia, Darkrai, Terrakion, Zekrom, and Kyurem. While Tapu Lele isn’t the heaviest-hitting Psychic- or Fairy-type Pokémon in Pokémon GO, its maximum CP is higher than most of the other Fairy-type Pokémon. This makes it a reasonable choice when rounding out a team for a Raid Battle that calls for a lineup of Psychic- or Fairy-type Pokémon.

To maximize Tapu Lele’s potential in raid battles, it’s important to teach it a second Charged Attack and increase its CP as much as possible—be sure to choose two different Charged Attack types to cover the broadest range of possible Pokémon opponents. Doing this requires a lot of Tapu Lele Candy and Stardust, so try to catch as many Tapu Lele as possible to help you get there faster.

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