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

Tapu Bulu is a Grass- and Fairy-type Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in the Alola region. This guardian deity of Ula’ula Island is a lazy Pokémon that causes vegetation to grow, and then absorbs energy from the growth. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Tapu Bulu, how to catch Tapu Bulu after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Land Spirit Pokémon after you’ve caught it.

As a Grass- and Fairy-type Pokémon, Tapu Bulu is vulnerable to Fire-, Ice-, Poison-, Flying-, and Steel-type attacks. When selecting Pokémon for your Tapu Bulu 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 Pokémon with those types, 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 Fire-, Ice-, Poison-, Flying-, or Steel-type attacks, choose the Pokémon with the highest CP and best overall stats. Poison-type attacks will deal the most damage, so prioritize Pokémon with Poison-type attacks when battling Tapu Bulu. 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 Tapu Bulu as quickly as you can.

• Charizard / Mega Charizard Y (Fire/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Air Slash (Flying), Ember (Fire)*, Fire Spin (Fire), Wing Attack (Flying)

  • Charged Attack: Blast Burn (Fire)*, Fire Blast (Fire), Flamethrower (Fire)*, Overheat (Fire)

• Blaziken / Mega Blaziken (Fire/Fighting)

  • Fast Attack: Fire Spin (Fire)

  • Charged Attack: Blast Burn (Fire)*, Blaze Kick (Fire), Overheat (Fire)

• Mamoswine / Shadow Mamoswine (Ice/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Powder Snow (Ice)

  • Charged Attack: Avalanche (Ice)

• Galarian Darmanitan (Ice)

  • Fast Attack: Ice Fang (Ice)

  • Charged Attack: Avalanche (Ice), Ice Punch (Ice)

• Beedrill / Mega Beedrill (Bug/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Poison Jab (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Sludge Bomb (Poison)

• Vileplume / Shadow Vileplume (Grass/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Acid (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Sludge Bomb (Poison)

• Victreebel / Shadow Victreebel (Grass/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Acid (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Acid Spray (Poison), Sludge Bomb (Poison)

• Gengar / Mega Gengar (Ghost/Poison)

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

  • Charged Attack: Sludge Bomb (Poison), Sludge Wave (Poison)*

• Roserade (Grass/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Poison Jab (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Sludge Bomb (Poison), Weather Ball (Fire)*

• Nihilego (Rock/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Acid (Poison), Poison Jab (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Gunk Shot (Poison), Sludge Bomb (Poison)

• Pidgeot / Mega Pidgeot (Normal/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Air Slash (Flying), Gust (Flying)*, Steel Wing (Steel), Wing Attack (Flying)*

  • Charged Attack: Aerial Ace (Flying), Air Cutter (Flying)*, Brave Bird (Flying), Feather Dance (Flying), Hurricane (Flying)

• Therian Forme Tornadus (Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Gust (Flying)

  • Charged Attack: Heat Wave (Fire), Hurricane (Flying)

• Scizor / Shadow Scizor / Mega Scizor (Bug/Steel)

  • Fast Attack: Bullet Punch (Steel)

  • Charged Attack: Iron Head (Steel)

• Metagross / Shadow Metagross (Steel/Psychic)

  • Fast Attack: Bullet Punch (Steel)

  • Charged Attack: Flash Cannon (Steel), Meteor Mash (Steel)*

* An Elite Fast TM or an Elite Charged TM is typically required to teach this Pokémon this attack.

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

In an encounter with Tapu Bulu, 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.

Tapu Bulu 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 Pokémon 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 Tapu Bulu. 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 Tapu Bulu, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Tapu Bulu Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Tapu Bulu 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—even a Legendary Pokémon—deflects a Poké Ball, your buddy might bounce it back for a second catch opportunity!

Like all Legendary Pokémon, Tapu Bulu 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 Grass- and Fairy-type Pokémon, Tapu Bulu is resistant to Water-, Grass-, Electric-, Fighting-, Ground-, Dragon-, and Dark-type attacks. Not only are Tapu Bulu’s resistances numerous, but they are also notable because they cover a lot of Pokémon favored in the GO Battle League’s Ultra League and Master League. Most notably, Tapu Bulu doubly resists Dragon-type attacks, which is especially useful when competing in the Master League. Tapu Bulu’s resistance to these prominent types could make it the addition your GO Battle League lineup needs.

A common challenge in the GO Battle League is finding a Grass-type Pokémon to counter powerful Water- and Ground-type Pokémon like Kyogre and Groudon. While there are plenty of Grass-type Pokémon, few have the necessary CP to take on these Legendary Pokémon as well as the powerful Dragon types often found in the Master League. Tapu Bulu has high CP and the equally important Fairy-type advantage that can give it an edge against prominent Dragon-type Pokémon like Dragonite, Garchomp, Palkia, and Giratina. Tapu Bulu’s types also make it useful against powerful Raid Bosses such as Machamp, Palkia, Darkrai, Terrakion, Zekrom, and Kyurem, among others. All these advantages make Tapu Bulu a Pokémon worth catching in raids.

To capitalize on Tapu Bulu’s potential, particularly in the GO Battle League, it’s important to choose the right moves. Tapu Bulu’s Grass-type Fast Attack Bullet Seed benefits from a same-type attack bonus and is most useful against Ground- or Water-type Pokémon. It’s also worth noting that the Fighting-type Fast Attack Rock Smash is effective against Ice- and Steel-type Pokémon, both of which Tapu Bulu is vulnerable to. When choosing attacks, consider the Pokémon you’ve encountered recently in battle as well as the capabilities and weaknesses of the other Pokémon in your lineup.

To maximize Tapu Bulu’s competitive potential, make use of its vast array of Charged Attacks by teaching it a second Charged Attack. This requires a lot of Tapu Bulu Candy and Stardust, so you’ll want to catch as many Tapu Bulu as you can. It’s highly recommended that you pick two different types of Charged Attacks to cover the broadest range of Pokémon types and weaknesses. While each of Tapu Bulu’s potential Charged Attacks has its strengths, the Grass-type Grass Knot and Fairy-type Dazzling Gleam are a powerful combination, and both benefit from a same-type attack bonus.

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