Mega Gyarados is a dual Water- and Dark-type Pokémon that possesses a wide variety of vulnerabilities. Unlike single-typed bosses, it is weak to Fighting, Bug, Grass, Electric, and Fairy-type attacks.
Bringing the right counters will make all the difference if you are planning to farm Mega Energy, hunt for a shiny, or simply add Mega Gyarados to your collection.
Mega Gyarados will be available in Mega Raids in Pokémon GO from Wednesday, August 26, at 6:00 a.m. to Tuesday, September 1, at 9:00 p.m. local time.
SEE: The Complete List of August 2026 Pokémon GO Events
Best Mega Gyarados Counters
The following are the top Pokémon that deal super-effective damage to Mega Gyarados.
| POKÉMON | RECOMMENDED MOVESET |
| Mega Lucario | Force Palm as a Fast Attack and Aura Sphere as a Charged Attack |
| Mega Sceptile | Fury Cutter (or Bullet Seed) as a Fast Attack and Frenzy Plant as a Charged Attack |
| Mega Gardevoir | Charm as a Fast Attack and Dazzling Gleam as a Charged Attack |
| Mega Heracross | Counter as a Fast Attack and Megahorn as a Charged Attack |
| Kartana | Razor Leaf as a Fast Attack and Leaf Blade as a Charged Attack |
| Mega Venusaur | Vine Whip as a Fast Attack and Frenzy Plant as a Charged Attack |
| Shadow Conkeldurr | Counter as a Fast Attack and Dynamic Punch as a Charged Attack |
| Shadow Raikou | Thunder Shock as a Fast Attack and Wild Charge as a Charged Attack |
| Xurkitree | Thunder Shock as a Fast Attack and Discharge as a Charged Attack |
| Zekrom | Charge Beam as a Fast Attack and Fusion Bolt (or Wild Charge) as a Charged Attack |
Note that exploiting any of its 5 distinct weaknesses allows for flexible team-building depending on what high-level Pokémon you have powered up. You can pick any 6 out of these to form your battle party.
Likewise, you can only use one Mega Pokémon per raid lobby. Any of the above-listed Mega Pokémon is great.
Mega Gyarados Raid Boss Moveset
When battling Mega Gyarados 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: Waterfall (Water), Bite (Dark), Dragon Breath (Dragon), and Dragon Tail (Dragon).
Charged Attacks: Hydro Pump (Water), Crunch (Dark), Outrage (Dragon), Twister (Dragon), Aqua Tail (Water), and Dragon Pulse (Dragon).
Resistances: Avoid bringing Pokémon that rely on Psychic, Ghost, Fire, Water, Steel, or Dark-type attacks, as Mega Gyarados resists these damage types.
Best Mega Gyarados Budget Counters
Not everyone currently has access to high-tier Shadow Pokémon or rare legendary options. Fortunately, Mega Gyarados’s broad pool of weaknesses makes it accessible with strong non-legendary choices. Excellent budget choices are as follows:
Lucario with Force Palm as a Fast Attack and Aura Sphere as a Charged Attack.
Machamp with Counter as a Fast Attack and Dynamic Punch as a Charged Attack.
Electivire with Thunder Shock as a Fast Attack and Wild Charge as a Charged Attack.
Magnezone with Volt Switch as a Fast Attack and Wild Charge as a Charged Attack.
Tangrowth with Vine Whip as a Fast Attack and Power Whip or Solar Beam as a Charged Attack.
Togekiss with Charm as a Fast Attack and Dazzling Gleam as a Charged Attack.
Mega Gyarados 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 Pokémon (like Mega Lucario or Mega Sceptile) to boost teammates’ corresponding matching attacks. Remember, you can only use one Mega/Primal Pokémon per lobby.
Coordinate Mega Evolutions with your raid group for maximum efficiency.
Use Pokémon with matching Fast and Charged Moves (e.g., full Electric or Fighting type sets).
Revive and rejoin if necessary rather than using weaker backup teams.
Battle Mega Gyarados during Rainy (boosts Electric) or Cloudy (boosts Fairy/Fighting) weather conditions in-game for extra type-matching damage boosts.
How Many Trainers are Needed?
Due to Mega Gyarados having multiple major weaknesses, it is a very manageable raid boss. In optimal conditions with top-tier counters (such as maxed-out Fighting or Electric types), it can be taken down by 2 to 3 prepared players. For lower-level trainers utilizing standard or budget counters, a safe group of 4 to 6 players will comfortably secure the win.
Hundo CP for Gyarados from Raids
You will get rewards such as Gyarados Mega Energy, items, and an encounter with regular Gyarados after completing the Mega Raid successfully.
The hundo CP (i.e., the perfect IV CP) for Gyarados caught from raids depends on the in-game weather condition when it was caught:
Standard Catch CP (Level 20): 1937 CP.
Weather Boosted Catch CP (Level 25): Rainy or Windy weather brings it to 2422 CP.
If you get a good one, teach it high-performing moves for Master League PvP or general raid utility.
FUN FACT: Mega Gyarados made its debut in Pokémon GO on Tuesday, February 9, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. This was during the Lunar New Year event.
Manage your personalized search experience:
Add this site to your Google Search Preferences list
