Pokemon GO Mega Gyarados raid day: Starting time, best counters, weaknesses, & more

Pokemon GO's Mega Gyarados Raid Day is scheduled for Saturday, October 8, 2022, as part of the Evolving Stars event.

While Mega Evolution has been a cherished part of the Pokemon franchise for almost 10 years now, it has a much different implementation in Niantic's mobile game. While players cannot participate in Mega Evolved Pokemon battles in the Battle League, they can help clear gyms owned by opposing teams.

With Mega Gyarados Raid Day on the horizon, many players will need to know some of the best ways they can strategize to take the powerful boss down.

A trainer's ability to defeat a Raid Boss in Pokemon GO relies almost solely in their game knowledge. So what should players know about Mega Gyarados?

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Mega Gyarados has five weaknesses in Pokemon GO

A Shiny Mega Gyarados as it is seen in the anime (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The time window of the Mega Gyarados Raid Day is similar to that of a standard Community Day event. Trainers will have three hours to beat the boss on October 8, 2022. The event will run from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm local time.

Once the Raid Day starts, Mega Gyarados will spawn more frequently in Mega Raids. Players also have a higher chance of finding its shiny variant. Additionally, they will receive up to five additional Raid Passes by spinning Photo Discs at Gyms.

The first thing to keep in mind when challenging Mega Gyarados in Pokemon GO is its typing. It may be fair to assume that it keeps the Flying and Water typing, considering the fact that its wings have grown larger. However, it actually switches its Flying typing for that of a Dark one, making it a Dark and Water-type Pokemon.

Ironically, this type change ends up hurting Gyarados' defense as it goes from having two weaknesses to five upon Mega Evolving.

Mega Gyarados is weak to Electric, Grass, Bug, Fighting, and Fairy-type attacks. However, its dual weakness to Electric-type attacks has dissipated.

Electric-type Pokemon are the best choice for this battle. They are not weak to any of the moves that Mega Gyarados can use. The typing is also known for having some of the most potent attackers. However, which Electric-type Pokemon are best-suited for the job?

Currently, the Electric-type Pokemon with the highest attacking power in Pokemon GO is Xurkitree. With an attack stat of 330, it is an Ultra Beast capable of pulverizing any Water-type creature unfortunate enough to cross its path. However, not every player has access to it, given its limited availability.

Jolteon and Electivire are also viable options and are much easier to get in Pokemon GO, with the former being the easiest to obtain. The only resources players need to acquire it are an Eevee named "Sparky" and 25 Eevee candies.

Players who want to adopt a more defensive strategy can also opt for Magnezone. The Pokemon has high defenses and a very sturdy Steel typing, making it an excellent anchor for a trainer's raid party.