Lunala is a dual Psychic- and Ghost-type legendary Pokémon that has a double weakness to Dark– and Ghost-type attacks. A well-prepared team of high-DPS Dark or Ghost-type Pokémon can bring it down efficiently.
Bringing the right counters will make all the difference if you are planning to farm Cosmog Candy, hunt for its new shiny variant, or secure a Lunala to fuse with Necrozma and get the ultra-powerful Dawn Wings Necrozma, having the right team is essential.
Lunala in Five-Star Raids
Lunala returns to Raids from Wednesday, August 19, at 6:00 a.m. to Tuesday, August 25, at 9:00 p.m. local time. Additionally, for the first time in Pokémon GO, players may encounter its Shiny variant, if lucky.
Note: Keep in mind that fusing Lunala with Necrozma to get Dawn Wings Necrozma requires 1,000 Lunar Fusion Energy, 30 Cosmog Candy, and 30 Necrozma Candy. While these raids award Cosmog Candy, they do not award Lunar Fusion Energy, which is typically obtained from separate special events or research.
SEE: The Complete List of August 2026 Pokémon GO Events
Best Lunala Recommended Counters
The following are the top Pokémon that deal super-effective damage to Lunala.
| POKÉMON | RECOMMENDED MOVESET |
| Mega Tyranitar | Bite as a Fast Attack and Brutal Swing as a Charged Attack |
| Dawn Wings Necrozma | Shadow Claw as a Fast Attack and Moongeist Beam as a Charged Attack |
| Shadow Tyranitar | Bite as a Fast Attack and Brutal Swing as a Charged Attack |
| Mega Absol | Snarl as a Fast Attack and Brutal Swing as a Charged Attack |
| Shadow Darkrai | Snarl as a Fast Attack and Shadow Ball as a Charged Attack |
| Shadow Hydreigon | Bite as a Fast Attack and Brutal Swing as a Charged Attack |
| Mega Gengar | Lick as a Fast Attack and Shadow Ball as a Charged Attack |
| Mega Houndoom | Snarl as a Fast Attack and Foul Play as a Charged Attack |
| Shadow Absol | Snarl as a Fast Attack and Brutal Swing as a Charged Attack |
| Darkrai | Snarl as a Fast Attack and Shadow Ball as a Charged Attack |
Note that Dark-type attackers are often preferred over Ghost-types because Lunala’s own Ghost-type attacks will deal super-effective damage back to Ghost-type counters.
Furthermore, you can only use one Mega Pokémon per raid lobby. If you are looking to earn extra candy for every Lunala caught as a raid encounter, use a matching Mega Level 3 Psychic or Ghost-type.
You can pick any of these to form your 6-Pokémon battle party.
Lunala Raid Boss Moveset
When battling Lunala in raids, it will utilize its own set of Fast and Charged attacks. Being aware of its moveset helps you anticipate incoming damage:
Fast Attacks: Confusion (Psychic), Air Slash (Flying), Shadow Claw (Ghost)
Charged Attacks: Shadow Ball (Ghost), Psychic (Psychic), Moonblast (Fairy), and Future Sight (Psychic). (Note: Watch out for Moonblast if you are bringing Dark-type counters!)
Resistances & Vulnerabilities: Avoid bringing Pokémon that rely on Fighting or Normal-type attacks, as Lunala heavily resists these damage types.
Best Budget Lunala Recommended Counters
Not everyone currently has access to high-tier Shadow legendary options. Fortunately, Lunala’s double weaknesses make it accessible with strong non-legendary choices. Excellent budget choices are as follows:
Tyranitar with Bite as a Fast Attack and Brutal Swing as a Charged Attack.
Hydreigon with Bite as a Fast Attack and Brutal Swing as a Charged Attack.
Incineroar with Snarl as a Fast Attack and Darkest Lariat as a Charged Attack.
Weavile with Snarl as a Fast Attack and Foul Play as a Charged Attack.
Hisuian Zoroark with Snarl as a Fast Attack and Shadow Ball as a Charged Attack.
Gholdengo with Hex as a Fast Attack and Shadow Ball as a Charged Attack.
Lunala Raid Tips
Having the best counters may not be enough. You also need a good strategy. The following tips will help you a great deal:
Lead with a Mega Dark or Ghost Pokémon to boost teammates’ corresponding attacks.
Coordinate Mega Evolutions with your raid group for maximum efficiency.
Use Pokémon with matching Fast and Charged Moves (e.g., full Dark-type sets).
Revive and rejoin if necessary rather than using weaker backup teams.
If you can, battle Lunala during Fog weather conditions in-game for an extra damage edge by your Dark and Ghost types.
How Many Trainers are Needed?
Due to Lunala’s double weaknesses to Dark and Ghost-type attacks, it can be tackled efficiently. In ideal conditions with top-tier counters like Mega Tyranitar or Shadow Darkrai, it can be defeated by 2 prepared players using Party Power. However, for most trainers utilizing standard or budget counters, a group of 3 to 5 players will comfortably defeat Lunala.
Maximize Your Catch Chances
Once you successfully defeat Lunala, you will enter the bonus catch phase. Keep these tips in mind to secure your catch:
Golden Razz Berries: Always use a Golden Razz Berry combined with a Curveball Throw to maximize your capture rate.
Great/Excellent Throws: Practice your timing to land consistent Great or Excellent throws (such as utilizing the Circle Lock Technique), which drastically increase the catch multiplier.
Gym Control & Friend Bonuses: Raid with your Best or Ultra Friends and ensure your team controls the gym to earn extra Premier Balls.
Hundo CP for Lunala from Raids
You will get rewards such as Rare Candies, other items, and an encounter with Lunala after completing the Raid successfully.
The hundo CP (i.e., the perfect IV CP) for Lunala caught from raids depends on the in-game weather condition when it was caught. If caught during Windy or Fog weather conditions, the weather-boosted hundo CP is 2,887 CP. Otherwise, the standard hundo CP (Level 20) is 2,310 CP.
For a complete overview of what to expect when catching Lunala post-raid, keep an eye out for these CP ranges:
Standard Catch CP (Level 20): 2,219 – 2,310 CP
Weather Boosted Catch CP (Level 25): 2,774 – 2,887 CP.
If you get a good one, teach it Shadow Claw as a Fast Attack and Shadow Ball as a Charged Attack. These attack combinations make Lunala one of the best Ghost-type Raid attackers.
FUN FACT: Solgaleo and Lunala made their debut in Pokémon GO on Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. local time. This was during the Astral Eclipse event.
