Cresselia Pokémon GO Raid Battle Tips: Which Pokémon to use in a Cresselia Raid, how to make the most of Premier Balls and Berries, and what to do with Cresselia once you’ve caught it

Cresselia is a Psychic-type Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in the Sinnoh region. Cresselia is said to represent the crescent moon, and those who sleep holding one of its feathers are assured joyful dreams. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Cresselia, how to catch Cresselia after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to utilize the Lunar Pokémon after you’ve caught it.

As a Psychic-type Pokémon, Cresselia is vulnerable to Bug-, Ghost-, and Dark-type attacks. When choosing six Pokémon for your Cresselia Raid Battle lineup, it helps to choose Pokémon that have a Bug-, Ghost-, or Dark-type Fast Attack and Charged Attack if you want to deal as much damage as possible. A Pokémon that shares a type with these attacks will benefit from a same-type attack bonus, which will allow these attacks to deal an additional 20% damage.

If you have multiple Bug-, Ghost-, or Dark-type Pokémon, choose Pokémon with the highest CP and best overall stats. Remember that speed of victory affects how many Premier Balls you will receive after a successful Raid Battle, so bring your strongest Pokémon and defeat Cresselia as quickly as possible.

• Beedrill / Mega Beedrill (Bug/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Bug Bite (Bug), Infestation (Bug)

  • Charged Attack: Fell Stinger (Bug), X-Scissor (Bug)

• Pinsir / Shadow Pinsir (Bug)

  • Fast Attack: Bug Bite (Bug), Fury Cutter (Bug), Rock Smash (Fighting)

  • Charged Attack: Close Combat (Fighting), Submission (Fighting), Superpower (Fighting), X-Scissor (Bug)

• Scizor / Shadow Scizor (Bug/Steel)

  • Fast Attack: Fury Cutter (Bug)

  • Charged Attack: X-Scissor (Bug)

• Gengar / Mega Gengar (Ghost/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Hex (Ghost), Lick (Ghost), Shadow Claw (Ghost)

  • Charged Attack: Shadow Ball (Ghost), Shadow Punch (Ghost)

• Banette / Shadow Banette (Ghost)

  • Fast Attack: Hex (Ghost), Shadow Claw (Ghost)

  • Charged Attack: Shadow Ball (Ghost)

• Mismagius / Shadow Mismagius (Ghost)

  • Fast Attack: Hex (Ghost)

  • Charged Attack: Dark Pulse (Dark), Shadow Ball (Ghost)

• Giratina (Ghost/Dragon)

  • Fast Attack: Shadow Claw (Ghost)

  • Charged Attack: Ominous Wind (Ghost), Shadow Ball (Ghost)

• Chandelure (Ghost/Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Hex (Ghost)

  • Charged Attack: Shadow Ball (Ghost)

• Mega Gyarados (Water/Dark)

  • Fast Attack: Bite (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Crunch (Dark)

• Houndoom / Mega Houndoom / Shadow Houndoom (Dark/Fire)

  • Fast Attack: Snarl (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Crunch (Dark), Foul Play (Dark)

• Tyranitar / Shadow Tyranitar (Rock/Dark)

  • Fast Attack: Bite (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Crunch (Dark)

• Absol / Shadow Absol (Dark)

  • Fast Attack: Snarl (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Dark Pulse (Dark), Megahorn (Bug), Payback (Dark)

• Honchkrow / Shadow Honchkrow (Dark/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Snarl (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Dark Pulse (Dark)

• Weavile / Shadow Weavile (Dark/Ice)

  • Fast Attack: Feint Attack (Dark), Snarl (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Foul Play (Dark)

• Darkrai (Dark)

  • Fast Attack: Feint Attack (Dark), Snarl (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Dark Pulse (Dark), Shadow Ball (Ghost)

• Yveltal (Dark/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Snarl (Dark), Sucker Punch (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Dark Pulse (Dark)

After a successful Cresselia raid, you’ll have a limited number of Premier Balls you can use to catch Cresselia, so make each one count. You can earn extra Premier Balls by battling with friends and defeating Cresselia more quickly.

In an encounter with Cresselia, your chance of catching it is greatest when the target ring is small enough for you to score Excellent Throws. Throwing Curveballs can improve your chances even more. But work within your abilities—if you don’t think you can reliably make Excellent Curveball Throws, aim for Nice Throws or Great Throws rather than risk missing the target ring completely.

Cresselia isn’t going to make it easy on you by sitting still while you’re trying to catch it. Don’t waste your Premier Balls by throwing while it’s moving around. Watch Cresselia to get a feel for its cycle of movement and the pauses in between this cycle. During one of these pauses, wait for the target ring to reappear, and then throw as it starts to grow smaller to increase your odds of making a Great Throw or an Excellent Throw.

Berries can help you catch Cresselia. A Razz Berry will make Cresselia easier to catch, and a Golden Razz Berry will make it much easier to catch. If you find yourself failing to land any throws, a Nanab Berry will calm Cresselia, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Cresselia Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Cresselia easier to catch and grant you extra Candy when you catch it.

Like all Legendary Pokémon, Cresselia is tricky to catch, so don’t be discouraged if it escapes. Get a second wind by stocking up on useful items—like Max Potions, Max Revives, and Golden Razz Berries—and try again.

As a Psychic-type Pokémon, Cresselia has a type advantage against Fighting- and Poison-type Pokémon. Cresselia boasts a wide range of available Charged Attacks, and its Psycho Cut Fast Attack helps power up Charged Attacks quickly while benefiting from a same-type attack bonus. This convenient combination can make Cresselia a solid addition to your Ultra League team.

Cresselia’s impressive HP and Defense let it take a great deal of damage, and its weakness to Dark-type Pokémon can be offset with its Fairy-type Moonblast Charged Attack. While not so useful against Ghost-type Pokémon, Moonblast can help you go toe-to-toe with one of the most popular Ghost-type Pokémon in the GO Battle League: Giratina. Cresselia’s Grass Knot Charged Attack is also an effective counter to Swampert, another GO Battle League favorite.

If you’re aiming to bring Cresselia to the GO Battle League, you should increase Cresselia’s CP and teach it a second Charged Attack. Raising Cresselia’s CP to its maximum requires a lot of Cresselia Candy and Stardust, so try to catch as many Cresselia as possible to help you get there faster—and don’t forget the Pinap Berries!

Good luck with your next Raid Battle, and remember to check back to Pokemon.com/Strategy for more Pokémon GO, video game, and Pokémon TCG tips.