In an effort to rekindle the Pokemon GO community and incentivise a return to in-person gameplay, Niantic is introducing Pokemon GO Elite Raids. Elite Raids are the ultimate Pokemon GO challenge, pitting you and your companions against some of the most formidable Pokemon imaginable. And what makes Elite Raids truly unique is that Elite Raid Bosses can only be battled in person. If your interest is piqued, be sure to keep reading for all the finer details on Pokemon GO Elite Raids.
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What Are Pokemon GO Elite Raids?
Pokemon GO Elite Raids are the most challenging rendition of Raid Battles yet. Elite Raids begin with a special, red Raid Egg that takes 24 hours to hatch. When the Raid Egg finally hatches, an Elite Raid Boss will show its face for 30 minutes — use this time to gather allies to assist in battle. But take note, Elite Raids are reserved for in-person encounters only, deeming Remote Raid Passes useless.
Elite Raids occur at EX Raid Gyms and always feature rare, oftentimes Mythic, Pokemon. Defeating an Elite Raid Boss will lead to an opportunity for you to catch it. Upon completion of a Pokemon GO Elite Raid, a special 15-minute bonus is activated around the Gym that hosted the Elite Raid. During this period, the area around the Gym will have an increased chance of spawning rare Pokemon.
- If you’re working through the Season of Light’s A Cosmic Companion Special Research, you may be interested in learning how to evolve Cosmog and Cosmoem in Pokemon GO.
Pokemon GO Elite Raids: Hoopa Unbound Weaknesses And Counters
Hoopa Unbound is the very first Elite Raid Boss. To defeat this almighty Pokemon with 20,000 HP, you’ll need to know its weaknesses and counters.
Since Hoopa Unbound is a Dark/Psychic-type Pokemon, it’s weak to Fairy-types and extra weak to Bug-type Pokemon. With that, you’ll want to stack your party with as many top-tier Bug-type Pokemon as possible. Some prime options to consider when it comes to countering Hoopa Unbound include:
- Scizor (Mega)
- Beedrill (Mega)
- Absol (Mega)
- Pheromosa
- Vikavolt
- Yanmega
- Genesect (Normal, Douse, and Burn)
- Pinsir
- Scyther
- Escavalier
As for moves, Bug Bite, X-Scissor, Bug Buzz, and Furry Cutter are all super-effective against Hoopa Unbound.
Pokemon GO Elite Raids: Can Hoopa Unbound Be Shiny?
Unfortunately, Shiny variants of Hoopa Unbound do not yet exist in Pokemon GO.
This is just the beginning of Elite Raids in Pokemon GO. Expect another Elite Raid to pop up later in the Season of Light!
Discover how to make excellent throws in Pokemon GO so that you can capture Elite Raid Bosses.
