Shadow Palkia is the featured Shadow Legendary Pokémon in Five-Star Shadow Raids during July 2026, from Wednesday, July 1. It was initially only obtainable by defeating Giovanni during one of the past Team GO Rocket Takeover events. Here, you will find details about Shadow Palkia and Recommended Counters.
Now, all Trainers can encounter Shadow Palkia by defeating it in Five-Star Shadow Raids. Likewise, Trainers can encounter Shiny Shadow Palkia as a raid encounter, if lucky. Furthermore, the shiny chance is 1 in 20. Also note that this is not the Origin forme of Palkia.
If lucky, you can encounter a Shiny Shadow Palkia after successfully completing the raid. The shiny variant swaps its traditional light-purple skin for a distinct, darker pinkish-purple hue, which looks incredible when paired with the swirling purple Shadow aura.
Shadow Palkia and Recommended Counters
Shadow Palkia is a Dragon- and Water-type Pokémon. It is weak to Pokémon with Dragon- and Fairy-type attacks.
The following are the generally recommended counters
| Pokémon | Fast Attack | Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|
| Mega Rayquaza | Dragon Tail | Outrage |
| Eternatus | Dragon Tail | Dynamax Cannon |
| Mega Garchomp | Dragon Tail | Outrage |
| Shadow Garchomp | Dragon Tail | Outrage |
| Dialga (Origin Forme) | Dragon Breath | Roar of Time |
| Mega Salamence | Dragon Tail | Aura Sphere |
| Shadow Salamence | Dragon Tail | Outrage |
| Shadow Dragonite | Dragon Tail | Outrage |
| Haxorus | Dragon Tail | Breaking Swipe |
| Mega Gardevoir | Charm | Dazzling Gleam |
| Shadow Haxorus | Dragon Tail | Breaking Swipe |
| Kyurem (Black) | Dragon Breath | Freeze Shock |
Top Shadow Palkia Counter Analysis
While the counter table provides a quick glance at the best options, certain Pokémon stand out due to their typing advantages and sheer damage output:
- Mega Rayquaza: Unquestionably the best overall counter to bring to this raid. Its unmatched damage-per-second (DPS) with Dragon Tail and Outrage will tear through Palkia’s health bar. However, keep in mind that Mega Rayquaza will also take super-effective damage back from Palkia’s Dragon-type moves.
- Dialga (Origin Forme): Thanks to its unique Steel/Dragon typing, Origin Forme Dialga is one of the safest anchors for your team. It completely neutralizes its weakness to Dragon-type attacks, allowing it to stay in the battle much longer while dealing massive damage with Roar of Time.
- Mega Gardevoir: If you notice that the Shadow Palkia you are fighting has a full Dragon-type moveset, Mega Gardevoir is an excellent choice. As a Fairy-type, it double-resists Dragon-type attacks, making it incredibly durable while outputting top-tier Fairy damage.
Remember, you can only use one Mega/Primal Pokémon per raid. I recommend you use a Mega Level 3 Mega Rayquaza.
READ ALSO: Mega Pokémon Levels in Pokémon GO
Best Budget Counters for Casual Players
If you do not have a fully powered team of Mega or Shadow Pokémon, do not worry. You can still contribute significantly to the raid by using highly accessible Pokémon that perform exceptionally well against Palkia:
- Salamence: A standard Salamence evolved during a Community Day event featuring Outrage is a phenomenal non-Shadow attacker.
- Dragonite: One of the most common Dragon-types in the game. A high-CP Dragonite utilizing Dragon Tail and Dragon Claw provides excellent, consistent DPS.
- Garchomp: Highly durable and easy to obtain via past events. Ensure it is equipped with Dragon Tail and Outrage.
- Togekiss: A fantastic budget Fairy-type anchor that resists Palkia’s Dragon attacks and hits back hard with Charm and Dazzling Gleam.
Hundo Palkia from Raids
Any Shadow Palkia caught from Raids with the following CP is a hundo (a perfect 100% Individual Value) Shadow Pokémon.
- 2850 CP in Rainy and Windy weather in-game.
- 2280 CP in other weather conditions in-game.
If you get a good one, its recommended Pokémon GO moveset is Dragon Tail as a Fast Attack and Draco Meteor as a Charged Attack. It is one of the top Dragon- and Water-type attackers in Pokémon GO.
Shadow Palkia Weather Boost & Mechanics
Understanding how the in-game weather affects Shadow Palkia can mean the difference between an easy victory and a wasted Raid Pass. Because Palkia is a Water- and Dragon-type Pokémon, it receives a Weather Boost during Rainy or Windy weather conditions.
- Increased Difficulty: If you battle Shadow Palkia while it is raining or windy, its moves will deal significantly more damage to your counters. Be prepared to dodge its Charged Attacks more frequently.
- Higher Encounter Level: The major benefit of fighting a weather-boosted boss is that the Shadow Palkia you encounter during the catch screen will be Level 25 instead of the standard Level 20. This saves you a massive amount of Stardust and Palkia Candy later on when upgrading it.
Shadow Palkia Raid Strategy & Group Size
This is a challenging Tier 5 Shadow Raid boss. To ensure a smooth victory, keep the following strategy tips in mind:
- Group Size: A minimum of 3 to 4 high-level Trainers with optimized counters can defeat it. For casual players, a group of 5 to 7 Trainers is recommended.
- Purified Gems: Like all Shadow bosses, it will become enraged during the battle, heavily boosting its attack and defense. Your raid group must use a combined total of 8 Purified Gems to subdue it and return it to its normal state.
- Party Power: Make sure to raid in an in-game Party. Activating Party Power will significantly boost your team’s Charged Attack damage, making it much easier to beat the raid clock.
All my best wishes.
