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

Nihilego is a Rock- and Poison-type Ultra Beast originating from another world. Nihilego emerged from an Ultra Wormhole, and it’s thought to produce a strong neurotoxin.  Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Nihilego, how to catch Nihilego after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Ultra Beast after you’ve caught it.

As a Rock- and Poison-type Ultra Beast, Nihilego is vulnerable to Water-, Ground-, Psychic-, and Steel-type attacks. When selecting Pokémon for your Nihilego Raid Battle lineup, it helps to choose Pokémon that have a Fast Attack and a Charged Attack of one of these types if you want to deal as much damage as possible. It’s not necessary to choose only Water-, Ground-, Psychic-, and Steel-type Pokémon, but 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 Pokémon that know Water-, Ground-, Psychic-, and Steel-type attacks, choose the Pokémon with the highest CP and best overall stats. Nihilego is particularly vulnerable to Ground-type attacks, so prioritize Pokémon with a Ground-type Fast Attack and Charged Attack. Remember that speed of victory affects how many Premier Balls you will receive at the conclusion of a successful Raid Battle, so bring your strongest Pokémon and defeat Nihilego as quickly as possible.

• Blastoise / Mega Blastoise (Water)

  • Fast Attack: Water Gun (Water)

  • Charged Attack: Flash Cannon (Steel), Hydro Cannon (Water), Hydro Pump (Water)

• Slowbro / Mega Slowbro (Water/Psychic)

  • Fast Attack: Confusion (Psychic), Water Gun (Water)

  • Charged Attack: Psychic (Psychic), Water Pulse (Water)

• Swampert / Shadow Swampert (Water/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground), Water Gun (Water)

  • Charged Attack: Earthquake (Ground), Hydro Cannon (Water), Muddy Water (Water), Surf (Water)

• Groudon (Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Earthquake (Ground)

• Garchomp (Dragon/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Earth Power (Ground), Earthquake (Ground), Sand Tomb (Ground)

• Rhyperior (Ground/Rock)

  • Fast Attack: Mud-Slap (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Earthquake (Ground), Surf (Water)

• Mamoswine / Shadow Mamoswine (Ice/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Mud-Slap (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Avalanche (Ice), Bulldoze (Ground)

• Excadrill (Ground/Steel)

  • Fast Attack: Metal Claw (Steel), Mud-Slap (Ground), Mud Shot (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Drill Run (Ground), Earthquake (Ground), Iron Head (Steel)

• Therian Forme Landorus (Ground/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Bulldoze (Ground), Earthquake (Ground)

• Incarnate Forme Landorus (Ground/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Mud Shot (Ground)

  • Charged Attack: Earth Power (Ground)

• Mewtwo / Shadow Mewtwo (Psychic)

  • Fast Attack: Confusion (Psychic), Psycho Cut (Psychic)

  • Charged Attack: Psychic (Psychic), Psystrike (Psychic)

• Latias / Mega Latias (Dragon/Psychic)

  • Fast Attack: Zen Headbutt (Psychic)

  • Charged Attack: Psychic (Psychic

• Latios / Mega Latios (Dragon/Psychic)

  • Fast Attack: Zen Headbutt (Psychic)

  • Charged Attack: Psychic (Psychic)

• Metagross / Shadow Metagross (Steel/Psychic)

  • Fast Attack: Bullet Punch (Steel), Zen Headbutt (Psychic)

  • Charged Attack: Earthquake (Ground), Flash Cannon (Steel), Meteor Mash (Steel), Psychic (Psychic)

• Dialga (Steel/Dragon)

  • Fast Attack: Metal Claw (Steel)

  • Charged Attack: Iron Head (Steel)

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

In an encounter with Nihilego, 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.

Nihilego 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 the Ultra Beast to get a feel for its cycle of movement and the pauses in between the cycles. 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 Nihilego. A Razz Berry will make it 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 Nihilego, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Nihilego Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Nihilego easier to catch and grant you extra Candy when you catch it.

Buddy Pokémon with a Buddy Level of Great Buddy or higher have the Catch Assist Perk. If a Pokémon—or even an Ultra Beast—deflects a Poké Ball, your buddy might bounce it back for a second catch opportunity!

Like all Ultra Beasts, Nihilego 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 Rock- and Poison-type Ultra Beast, Nihilego is resistant against Normal-, Fire-, Flying-, Bug-, and Fairy-type attacks. While it doesn’t have a history of delivering strong performances in the GO Battle League, it does have a lot to offer in raids, especially against Grass-, Ice-, Flying-, Bug-, and Fairy-type Pokémon. Consider Nihilego when you’re facing off against these Legendary, Mythical, and Mega Pokémon: Mega Venusaur, Lugia, Rayquaza, Kyurem, Xerneas, and Zacian.

While having a second Charged Attack is less important for raids than it is to compete in the GO Battle League, teaching your Nihilego a second Charged Attack can broaden the types of Pokémon it’s effective against. Powering up Nihilego using Stardust and Candy will also enable it to last longer in a raid without fainting, which will help you complete your raid more quickly. So, if you decide to use Nihilego in your raid lineup, try to catch as many Nihilego as possible to earn the Candy and Stardust necessary to power up your Ultra Beast.

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