Pokémon GO Raikou Raid Guide – The Best Counters (January & February 2021)

The Johto Celebration Event may have concluded in part, but its five star raids continue. Entei will be exiting the scene on January 31st, with Raikou taking his place. He’ll stick around for a week before letting Suicune jump in for a turn. While this Legendary beast has been available before, a lot has changed since he last appeared. So we’ve broken down the whole thing again in our Pokémon GO Raikou raid guide featuring the best Raikou counters in February 2021 (and on January 31st).

The Best Raikou Counters in Jan. & February 2021

Our comprehensive Raikou raid guide is further down below, so if you’re in need of more than just the best Raikou counters in Pokémon GO be sure to keep reading beyond this section. If all you need is a solid team them we have a chart below to give you the top tier choices. However, there’s more to the story than just the chart so check it out here and keep reading for more info.

As you can see, the best strategy for how to beat Raikou in February 2021 and the end of January in Pokémon GO is focus on your strongest and best Ground type attackers. However, the ones listed above are the common Pokémon that are available to most trainers. There’s one more thing to keep in mind.

While there’s no fantastic Mega Pokémon to bring into the fight, there are Shadow versions of some Pokémon that would be the very best counters against Raikou if you have them with Frustration removed. Those would be Shadow Mamoswine with Mud-Slap and Bulldoze, Shadow Mewtwo with Psycho Cut and Psystrike, Shadow Flygon with Mud Shot and Earth Power, and Shadow Swampert with Mud Shot and Earthquake. If you’ve got them powered up and with the right moveset you will likely want to use them here.

So that’s how to beat Raikou in Pokémon GO for January and February 2021, but there’s more than just dealing damage. For more tips and frequently asked questions, keep reading below.

Pokémon GO Raikou Raid Guide

The Johto Celebration Event may be coming to a close in some aspects, but its raids will be with us for a while. This continues with Raikou in January and February 2021, with Suicune on the way right after he leaves. When will that be? How many trainers do you need to beat Raikou? Find out below.

When do Raikou Raids Begin and End in January 2021

Raikou will begin appearing in five star raids in Pokémon GO on Sunday, January 31st at 10am in your local time zone. Players will then have just five days to take him on and add more to their teams, with Suicune arriving on Thursday, February 4th at 10am local time.

How Many Players are Needed

Raikou is one of the tougher raid bosses in Pokémon GO and will require a solid team with high level counters. If you’re working with friends that you know have good teams and are at level 40 or above then you can go in with just four players but you’ll be struggling. Instead we recommend having six or more players for most Riakou raids but the more the better, especially if you aren’t sure that they have powered up counters.

What Weather Boosts Raikou and Counters

Raikou is boosted by Rainy weather raising his CP and making for a tougher fight. If you want a level 25 Raikou then you can go hunting in this weather, but you probably don’t want to do that. Instead look for Clear/Sunny weather which will raise the power of all your Ground type counters. This will make for a quicker and easier battle all around.

What CP for 100% IVs for Raikou

Raikou’s standard CP range stretches from 1889 CP to 1972 CP. The higher level will indicate that the caught Raikou will have perfect 100% IVs, so do all you can to catch it. If the weather is Rainy though that bumps the range to 2361 CP to 2466 CP instead.

Can Raikou be Shiny in January 2021, How to Catch

Yes, shiny Raikou is possible to catch in January and February 2021 in Pokémon GO. It’s a better shiny than Entei, but still not the most attractive for many players. Still, the rarity makes it worth working toward. The odds may have changed recently, but typically you can expect one shiny Raikou out of twenty raids, but randomness can stretch that out quite a bit.

And that’s our Raikou raid guide for January and February 2021, including all the best counters in Pokémon GO.