DEXERTOMega Gyarados is returning to Pokemon Go Mega Raid battles for a limited time, and we’ve got the best counters to take advantage of its weaknesses and defeat it without a struggle.
The powerful Mega Gyarados made its long-awaited debut as part of the annual Lunar New Year celebrations many years ago, and since then, it has been making comebacks now and then.
The recent May Raid rotations are bringing some fan-favorite Mega Evolutions back to the game, including Mega Houndoom, Mega Altaria, and – of course – Mega Gyarados. So, here’s all you need to know to add this powerful beast to your team in Niantic’s mobile game.
Mega Gyarados weaknesses in Pokemon Go
Mega Gyarados is a dual Water/Dark-type Pokemon, which means it’s weak to Bug, Electric, Fairy, Fighting, and Grass-type moves. Luckily for trainers, there are plenty of tough fighters that boast those types, so they shouldn’t have any trouble putting together a winning team.
On the other hand, this intimidating creature is resistant to a long list of types, including Dark, Fire, Ghost, Ice, Steel, Water, and Psychic-type attacks, so avoid them at all costs as they won’t deal much damage.
Mega Gyarados best counters
Here are some of the best counters to use against Mega Gyarados in Pokemon Go:
| POKEMON | SPRITE | BEST MOVESET |
|---|---|---|
| Mega Lucario |  | Force Palm & Aura Sphere |
| Mega Sceptile |  | Futy Cutter & Frenzy Plant |
| Shadow Raikou |  | Thunder Shock & Wild Charge |
| Shadow Conkeldurr |  | Counter & Dynamic Punch |
| Kartana |  | Razor Leaf & Leaf Blade |
| Tapu Bulu |  | Bullet Seed & Nature’s Madness |
| Terrakion |  | Double Kick & Sacred Sword |
| Gardevoir |  | Charm & Dazzling Gleam |
| Heracross |  | Counter & Megahorn |
| Venusaur |  | Vine Whip & Frenzy Plant |
We’ve included a mix of Megas, Legendaries, Shadow, and more common Pokemon in the table above, so there should be something for every trainer to use.
If you don’t have any of those counters or their alternate forms, use your strongest Pokemon to target Mega Gyarados’ weaknesses. Just make sure that your team is properly leveled up and has matching movesets.
How to get Mega Gyarados in Pokemon Go
As with any other Mega Evolution, players can only obtain Mega Gyarados through Mega Raids. Luckily, this fierce beast is coming back as a Raid boss from May 12, 2025, until May 25, 2025, giving trainers plenty of time to challenge it.
It’s worth noting that players cannot catch Mega Gyarados in its Mega Evolved form. Instead, once they defeat it, they’ll have a chance to catch a regular Gyarados using the Premiere Balls given – the number of balls they get will depend on their performance on the battling field.
Then, they can temporarily Mega Evolve their strongest standard Gyarados once they stock up on the required Mega Energy to do so.
How to evolve Gyarados into Mega Gyarados.
As mentioned above, when a trainer defeats and catches a Mega Evolved Pokemon, it returns to its regular form. This means that every time they want to trigger a Mega Evolution, they must use Mega Energy.
The first time a player evolves Gyarados into Mega Gyarados, they must spend 300 Mega Energy. Once the effect is over, the amount required to do it again will drop to 60, then 30, and finally 15.
Gyarados is one of the most iconic Pokémon in the entire franchise, not only because of its sheer power and intimidating design, but because it comes from the wimpiest creature, Magikarp. Players can obtain Gyarados by feeding Magikarp 400 Candy.
DEXERTOMega Energy
Players can collect Mega Energy by defeating multiple Mega Evolved Pokemon in Mega Raids. Additionally, they can earn more by completing Field Research Tasks and by setting their Pokemon (in this case, Gyarados) as their Buddy and taking them for a spin.
It’s worth noting that for Gyarados to be able to collect Mega Energy while walking, it must have been Mega Evolved at least once before.
Mega Gyarados CP in Pokemon Go
As with every Raid Boss in the game, the CP Mega Gyarados has during a Mega Raid battle won’t be the same once you manage to catch its regular form. Plus, certain types of weather can increase such CP.
| Raid Boss CP | 47,142 |
| CP range once captured | 2597 – 2695 |
| Rain and Fog weather CP range | 3247 – 3369 |
| Mega Gyarados max CP (Level 50) | 5332 |
Mega Gyarados stats & moves
As a dual Water/Dark-type Pokemon, Mega Gyarados has the following stats:
| ATTACK | DEFENSE | STAMINA | CP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 292 | 247 | 216 | 5332 |
Fast Moves
- Bite (Dark/STAB)
- Dragon Breath (Dragon)
- Dragon Tail (Dragon/Legacy Move)
- Waterfall (Water/STAB)
Charged Moves
- Aqua Tail (Water/STAB/Legacy Move)
- Twister (Dragon)
- Dragon Pulse (Dragon/Legacy Move)
- Hydro Pump (Water/STAB)
- Outrage (Dragon)
- Crunch (Dark/STAB)
Can Mega Gyarados be Shiny?
Yes, Mega Gyarados can be Shiny in Pokemon Go, as this variation was added to the game on the same day the Mega Pokemon debuted in 2021.
DEXERTOThere’s no way a player will miss a Shiny Mega Gyarados, as its usual blue body goes scarlet. Plus, its yellow fins change to white and its dark belly goes mustard, making it even more eye-catching.
Keep in mind that the odds of finding a Shiny Pokemon are very low, and there’s no special technique to ensure an encounter. All you can do to increase your odds is challenge Mega Gyarados as many times as you can during its time as a Mega Raid boss.
In case you have no luck, you can Mega Evolve a regular Shiny Gyarados to get a Shiny Mega Gyarados, too.
That’s all there is about how to defeat Mega Gyarados in Pokemon Go Mega Raids. For more, check out the latest Pokemon Go events, including the current Community Day and Spotlight Hours.
