5 things Pokemon GO players should know about Primal Raids

Pokemon GO's upcoming GO Fest event marks the return of Primal Raids for Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre. With these two creatures having the most unique take on Mega Evolution in the franchise, the opportunity to find and capture them in this form is rare. As experienced trainers are aware, these raids are some of the hardest that Niantic has ever introduced in the mobile game.

With this in mind, players may feel the need to refresh their game knowledge about Primal Raids to make sure that their attempts go as smoothly as possible.

Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer

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What to know about Pokemon GO's GO Fest Primal Raids

1) Primal Raids can be done remotely

Ash and Goh as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Despite what some Pokemon GO players may have heard, Primal Raids during the Global GO Fest event can be done remotely. This is great news for those who have international raiding groups, as they can quickly complete raids with their friends in rapid succession no matter where they are.

Groups to raid with can commonly be found on social media platforms, like Discord, Reddit, and Facebook, with communities for players of a certain game. After exchanging trainer codes with a few users, getting invitations for various Primal Raids will become no issue at all.

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2) Shiny forms will be available

Primal Groudon as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre can be obtained in their shiny forms by completing the new Primal Raids in Pokemon GO. Of course, this can be done by finding a Shiny Groudon or Kyogre through these raids and then using Primal Energy to activate these forms.

Though a creature's shiny form has very little to do with its performance in the game's battling scene, such Pocket Monsters have been notoriously rewarding to hunt and collect. While not every player has to obtain these rare variants, it is nice to know that they will be available for those interested.

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3) Stocking up on healing items will help

A potion being used in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

For players looking to challenge Primal Raids to grind for a creature with perfect stats or its shiny variant, stocking up on healing items is incredibly important. Since Pokemon GO's battle system takes a more live-action approach, every participant is guaranteed to take damage, which can add up quickly over repeated raids.

Thankfully, healing items are not hard to find and stockpile. Different tiers of healing items can be found from spinning photo disks at Pokestops and gyms, or they can be purchased in packs from the game's in-app shop in exchange for Pokecoins.

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4) Knowing how to counter your opponent is important

Primal Kyogre as seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Much like every other raid in Pokemon GO, the fight will go much easier if players know how to counter their opponent. The best way of countering any Raid Boss in the mobile game is to know its elemental typing.

In the case of Primal Kyogre, the creature's pure Water typing means that players should bring creatures of the Grass or Electric element in order to deal super-effective damage to it.

For Primal Groudon, players will have the best luck bringing creatures of the Water typing as both its Fire and Ground typings are weak to the element. Using Ground-type picks is also serviceable, as Groudon's new Fire typing leaves it weak to attacks of the element.

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5) Raids in rainy weather are beneficial

A screenshot of Ash and Goh in the rain (Image via The Pokemon Company)

One of the many details that may go underappreciated in Pokemon GO is the weather conditions of the area players are raiding in. Certain weather conditions grant attacks of certain elements a great boost of damage, which can make all the difference between a win and a loss.

Rain provides most players with a better chance of success as the weather condition in Pokemon GO boosts the power of Water-type moves for dealing with Groudon. The condition also boosts the power of Electric-type moves for use against Kyogre.