Pokemon GO: How To Counter And Defeat Xerneas


Xerneas is finally in Pokemon GO, and as a Legendary, players will need to counter and defeat it within a raid.

Although Generation VI was introduced to Pokemon GO in late 2020, Xerneas will be making its way into the game as the first Legendary from that generation. With the release of the Luminous Legends X event that starts at 10 am local time on May 4, Xerneas will be appearing in five-star raids.

Xerneas is a pure Fairy-type Pokemon that will sit at 45, 899 CP. That means a team of at least 5 or more is the safest bet to bring down the Legendary. Players should wait until they have a full team that joins the raid or invite a team themselves before taking on the challenge.

The best counters for the Xerneas raid in Pokemon GO

As a pure Fairy-type Pokemon, the list of counters is simple and effective for Xerneas. Poison and Steel-type Pokemon will be the most effective in defeating the Legendary in time.

  • Metagross - Bullet Punch (Fast Attack) + Meteor Mash (Charge Attack)
  • Mega Gengar - Lick (Fast Attack) + Sludge Bomb (Charge Attack)
  • Dialga - Metal Claw (Fast Attack) + Iron Head (Charge Attack)
  • Excadrill - Metal Claw (Fast Attack) + Iron Head (Charge Attack)
  • Roserade - Poison Jab (Fast Attack) + Sludge Bomb (Charge Attack)
  • Gengar - Lick (Fast Attack) + Sludge Bomb (Charge Attack)
  • Genesect - Metal Claw (Fast Attack) + Magnet Bomb (Charge Attack)
  • Mega Beedrill - Poison Jab (Fast Attack) + Sludge Bomb (Charge Attack)

Those are some of the best counters, but any Pokemon that have Poison or Steel-type attacks will be the best picks for a successful raid battle. Of course, Mega and Shadow version of Pokemon are the best forms.

Once the raid is over, players will be rewarded with a number of Premier Balls based on performance and whether friends were in the raid or not. From there, the only goal is to catch Xerneas before the Premier Balls run out. Make sure to use berries and throw curve balls that are on the dot in Pokemon GO.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Pokémon GO and Pokémon page.