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

Primal Kyogre is a Water-type Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region. Kyogre is named in mythology as the Pokémon that expanded the sea by covering the land with torrential rains and towering tidal waves. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Primal Kyogre, how to catch Primal Kyogre after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Sea Basin Pokémon after you’ve caught it.

As a Water-type Pokémon, Primal Kyogre is vulnerable to Grass-type and Electric-type attacks. When selecting Pokémon for your Raid Battle lineup, it helps to choose Pokémon that have a Fast Attack and Charged Attack of one of these types if you want to deal as much damage as possible. It’s not necessary to choose only Grass-type or Electric-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. Note that Primal Kyogre might use Blizzard, which can knock out your Grass-type Pokémon with a single hit. If you’re choosing between a Grass type and an Electric type, your Electric-type attacker might be a safer choice.

If you have multiple Grass-type or Electric-type Pokémon that have attacks of that type, choose the Pokémon with the highest CP and best overall stats. 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 Primal Kyogre as quickly as possible.

• Venusaur / Mega Venusaur / Shadow Venusaur (Grass/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Razor Leaf (Grass), Vine Whip (Grass)

  • Charged Attack: Frenzy Plant (Grass)*, Petal Blizzard (Grass), Solar Beam (Grass)

• Victreebel / Shadow Victreebel (Grass/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Razor Leaf (Grass)

  • Charged Attack:Leaf Blade (Grass), Leaf Tornado (Grass), Solar Beam (Grass)

• Tangrowth / Shadow Tangrowth (Grass)

  • Fast Attack: Vine Whip (Grass)

  • Charged Attack: Power Whip (Grass), Solar Beam (Grass)

• Tapu Bulu (Grass/Fairy)

  • Fast Attack: Bullet Seed (Grass)

  • Charged Attack: Grass Knot (Grass), Solar Beam (Grass)

• Zarude (Dark/Grass)

  • Fast Attack: Vine Whip (Grass)

  • Charged Attack: Energy Ball (Grass), Power Whip (Grass)

• Kartana (Grass/Steel)

  • Fast Attack: Razor Leaf (Grass)

  • Charged Attack: Leaf Blade (Grass)

• Zapdos / Shadow Zapdos (Electric/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Charge Beam (Electric), Thunder Shock (Electric)*

  • Charged Attack: Thunder (Electric), Thunderbolt (Electric), Zap Cannon (Electric)

• Raikou / Shadow Raikou (Electric)

  • Fast Attack: Thunder Shock (Electric), Volt Switch (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Thunder (Electric), Thunderbolt (Electric), Wild Charge (Electric)

• Manectric / Mega Manectric (Electric)

  • Fast Attack: Charge Beam (Electric), Snarl (Dark)

  • Charged Attack: Thunder (Electric), Wild Charge (Electric)

• Magnezone / Shadow Magnezone (Electric/Steel)

  • Fast Attack: Charge Beam (Electric), Spark (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Wild Charge (Electric), Zap Cannon (Electric)

• Electivire / Shadow Electivire (Electric)

  • Fast Attack: Thunder Shock (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Thunder (Electric), Thunder Punch (Electric), Wild Charge (Electric)

• Xurkitree (Electric)

  • Fast Attack: Spark (Electric), Thunder Shock (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Discharge (Electric), Thunder (Electric)

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

Don’t forget that Primal Kyogre will return to its usual form after the Raid Battle. After a successful Primal Kyogre raid, you’ll have a limited number of Premier Balls you can use to catch Kyogre, so make each one count. You can earn extra Premier Balls by battling with friends and defeating Primal Kyogre more quickly.

In an encounter with Kyogre, 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.

Kyogre 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 Kyogre 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 Kyogre. A Razz Berry will make Kyogre 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 Kyogre, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Kyogre Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Kyogre 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, Kyogre 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.

After the raid is over, Primal Kyogre will return to its usual form. However, you will receive Primal Energy for each Kyogre raid, and you can use this energy to activate Primal Reversion again. Given that Primal Reversion makes Kyogre more powerful, this is an excellent option for Raid Battles and when challenging Team GO Rocket.

As a Water-type Pokémon, Kyogre is resistant to Fire-, Water-, Ice-, and Steel-type attacks. As one of Pokémon GO’s strongest Water-type Pokémon, Kyogre is a formidable choice for raids against Legendary Pokémon including Moltres, Ho-Oh, Groudon, and Heatran. When using Kyogre as a Water-type attacker, be sure to use Waterfall as your Fast Attack and either Hydro Pump, Origin Pulse, or Surf as your Charged Attack.

Kyogre’s high maximum CP and wide range of available Charged Attack types also make it a quality addition to your GO Battle League Master League lineup. The Charged Attack Surf powers up quickly, which is great for baiting an opponent’s Protect Shields to leave them vulnerable to future Charged Attacks. Teaching Kyogre a second Charged Attack will harness its full potential—both Blizzard and Thunder give Kyogre incredible versatility. Blizzard is highly effective against the Dragon-type Pokémon that often appear in the Master League and covers Kyogre’s weakness to Grass-type Pokémon, while Thunder can shock Flying-type Pokémon such as Lugia, Togekiss, and Yveltal. It’s also worth noting that Kyogre’s signature attack from the core video games, the Water-type Charged Attack Origin Pulse, is available for the first time in Pokémon GO. This powerful attack deals substantial damage and is an excellent choice for Kyogre if you plan on using it in raids. For the GO Battle League, Origin Pulse likely won’t replace Surf as the Water-type Charged Attack of choice since Surf requires less energy, but it is still an excellent addition to this Legendary Pokémon’s move set.

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

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