Pheromosa Recommended Counters & Tips (September 2026)

Pheromosa is a dual Bug- and Fighting-type Legendary Ultra Beast that has a severe double-weakness to Flying-type attacks (taking quadruple damage), alongside single weaknesses to Fire, Psychic, and Fairy-type moves. Because of its extreme vulnerability to Flying-type damage, a team of high-DPS Flying counters can shred through its raid.

It will be available in Five-Star Raids in Pokémon GO from Wednesday, September 23, at 6:00 a.m. to Tuesday, September 29, at 10:00 p.m. local time.

Although it will be available regionally in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India, its raids can be joined remotely.

CHECK: The Complete List of September 2026 Pokémon GO Events

Table of Contents

Best Pheromosa Recommended Counters

The following are the top Pokémon that deal maximum super-effective damage to Pheromosa.

POKÉMON	RECOMMENDED MOVESET
Mega Rayquaza	Air Slash as a Fast Attack and Dragon Ascent as a Charged Attack
Mega Staraptor	Gust as a Fast Attack and Brave Bird+as a Charged Attack
*Shadow Moltres*	Wing Attack as a Fast Attack and Sky Attack as a Charged Attack
*Rayquaza*	Air Slash as a Fast Attack and Dragon Ascent as a Charged Attack
*Yveltal*	Gust as a Fast Attack and Oblivion Wing as a Charged Attack
*Enamorus (Therian Forme)*	Fairy Wind as a Fast Attack and Fly as a Charged Attack
*Mega Pidgeot*	Gust as a Fast Attack and Brave Bird as a Charged Attack
*Shadow Staraptor*	Gust as a Fast Attack and Fly or Brave Bird as a Charged Attack
*Mega Skarmory*	Air Slash as a Fast Attack and Drill Peck+ as a Charged Attack
*Moltress*	Wing Attack as a Fast Attack and Sky Attack as a Charged Attack

Note: Flying-type attackers capitalize heavily on Pheromosa’s 4x double-weakness while resisting its Bug-type incoming moves. Remember that you can only utilize one Mega or Primal Pokémon per raid group. If you want to optimize candy yields instead, use a matching Mega Level 3 Bug-type Pokémon (like Mega Pinsir or Mega Beedrill) or Fighting-type (like Mega Staraptor)

Pheromosa Raid Boss Moveset

When challenging Pheromosa in raids, it can use any of the following attacks:

Fast Attacks: Bug Bite (Bug) and Low Kick (Fighting).
Charged Attacks: Bug Buzz (Bug), Close Combat (Fighting), Focus Blast (Fighting), and Lunge (Bug).

Note: Its low defensive stats make it famously glassy. Standard Flying counters resist its Bug-type attacks, making it one of the easiest 5-star raid bosses to take down quickly. Avoid bringing Bug, Fighting, Grass, or Dark-type counters which Pheromosa can resist or hit back against effectively.

Best Budget Pheromosa Recommended Counters

If you lack legendary or shadow Flying options, accessible non-legendary alternatives still perform exceptionally well due to the massive 4x multiplier:

Staraptor with Gust (or Wing Attack) as a Fast Attack and Fly or Brave Bird as a Charged Attack.
Honchkrow with Peck as a Fast Attack and Sky Attack as a Charged Attack.
Braviary with Air Slash as a Fast Attack and Fly (or Brave Bird) as a Charged Attack.
Hisuian Braviary with Air Slash as a Fast Attack and Fly as a Charged Attack.
Unfezant with Air Slash as a Fast Attack and Sky Attack as a Charged Attack.

Pheromosa 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 Flying Pokémon (like Mega Rayquaza or Mega Staraptor) to grant substantial damage buffs to all teammates using Flying-type attacks.
Coordinate with other trainers to maximize the duration of your Mega Evolution bonuses.
Stick strictly to Flying-type fast and charged moves to exploit its 4x weakness.
Take advantage of Windy weather in-game, which naturally boosts Flying-type damage output for an even faster clear.

How Many Trainers are Needed?

Due to Pheromosa’s exceptionally low defense paired with a double-weakness, it is famously one of the easiest 5-star bosses to defeat. Well-prepared trainers with top-tier Flying counters can easily solo the raid. For general or casual trainers relying on budget counters, a safe group of 2 to 3 players will easily secure the win.

Maximize Your Catch Chances

Once you successfully defeat it, you will enter the bonus catch phase. Keep these tips in mind to secure your catch:

Golden Razz Berries: Pair these with accurate Curveball Throws to drastically increase your catch odds. Use a Silver Pinap Berry if you encounter a Shiny Pheromosa (which is a guaranteed catch on any hit that connects).
Great/Excellent Throws: Aim consistently for small target rings to maximize catch multipliers.
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 Pheromosa from Raids

You will get rewards such as Rare Candies, other items, and an encounter with Pheromosa after completing the raid successfully.

The hundo CP (i.e., the perfect IV CP) caught from raids depends on the in-game weather condition when it was caught. If caught during Rainy or cloudy weather conditions, the weather-boosted hundo CP is 2030 CP (Level 25). Otherwise, the standard hundo CP (Level 20) is 1624 CP.

For a complete overview of what to expect when catching post-raid, keep an eye out for these CP ranges: