A new legendary raid boss has appeared in Pokémon GO. Lunala, the iconic Pokémon from Nintendo 3DS`s Pokémon Moon, is now available as a five-star raid boss, but only for a limited period.
Similar to Solgaleo earlier this month, this marks Lunala`s debut in raids. Previously, the only way to obtain Lunala in Pokémon GO was by evolving the rare Cosmoem, making this an excellent opportunity to add it to your collection (especially if you missed the chance to get a Cosmog).
Lunala is one of the most formidable legendary Pokémon in the game, requiring the right Pokémon and strategy for a successful capture. Here are some essential tips to help you defeat and catch Lunala before it departs from raids.
Table of Contents
- Lunala Raid Schedule
- Lunala Weaknesses
- Best Lunala Counters
- Dark Type
- Ghost Type
- Types to Avoid
- Is Shiny Lunala Available?
- How to Fuse with Necrozma
Lunala Raid Schedule
Lunala will appear as a five-star raid boss from July 22 to July 28, giving trainers less than a week to catch this legendary Pokémon before the next raid boss, Virizion, takes its place.
While Lunala raids will occur periodically throughout this time, your best chances to encounter one will be on July 23 during Lunala Raid Hour. From 6-7 PM local time, Lunala raids will be prominent in most nearby gyms, providing ample opportunities to battle and capture the legendary Pokémon.
Lunala Weaknesses
Unlike Solgaleo, Lunala is a Psychic and Ghost-type Pokémon. This unique type combination means Lunala is particularly vulnerable to Dark and other Ghost-type Pokémon, both of which deal quadruple damage to this legendary.
Best Lunala Counters
Any Pokémon with a type advantage will be beneficial when battling Lunala, but here are some specific recommendations to use against the legendary:
Dark Type
| Pokémon | Type | Recommended Fast Attack | Recommended Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Tyranitar | Rock/Dark | Bite | Brutal Swing |
| Mega Absol | Dark | Snarl | Brutal Swing |
| Mega Houndoom | Dark/Fire | Snarl | Foul Play |
| Hydreigon | Dragon/Dark | Bite | Brutal Swing |
| Mega Gyarados | Water/Dark | Bite | Crunch |
Ghost Type
| Pokémon | Type | Recommended Fast Attack | Recommended Charged Attack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Banette | Ghost | Shadow Claw | Shadow Ball |
| Hisuian Zoroark | Normal/Ghost | Shadow Claw | Shadow Ball |
| Dragapult | Dragon/Ghost | Astonish | Shadow Ball |
| Gholdengo | Steel/Ghost | Hex | Shadow Ball |
| Mega Sableye | Ghost/Dark | Shadow Claw | Foul Play |
Ghost is one of two types that is super-effective against itself, meaning most Ghost-type Pokémon will also take extra damage from Lunala. Some of the ones recommended above have a secondary type that helps mitigate this weakness, allowing them to endure longer in battle against the legendary.
Types to Avoid
As a Psychic and Ghost-type, Lunala has an advantage against Poison and Fighting-type Pokémon, so you should avoid using these when challenging the legendary. Normal types will also inflict minimal damage, so do not include any of them on your team for a Lunala raid.
Is Shiny Lunala Available?
As was the case with Solgaleo, Lunala`s shiny form is not yet available in Pokémon GO. You will only encounter the standard variant in raids this time around.
If you play other Pokémon games, it is possible to obtain a shiny Lunala in titles like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet for Nintendo Switch, but you will need to wait a little longer before you can catch one in Pokémon GO.
How to Fuse with Necrozma
Lunala and Solgaleo are unique among legendary Pokémon as they can both fuse with the legendary Pokémon Necrozma to form an even more powerful variant.
Once you have gathered enough Lunar Fusion Energy, you can fuse Lunala with Necrozma to create Dawn Wings Necrozma. The fusion process requires 1,000 Fusion Energy, 30 Necrozma Candy, and 30 Cosmog Candy. The two legendary Pokémon will remain fused until you manually separate them.
Thanks to its incredibly high attack stat, Dawn Wings Necrozma is one of the best attackers in Pokémon GO. It will inflict the most damage if taught the Fast Attack Psycho Cut and the Charged Attack Moongeist Beam.
As mentioned, Lunala will leave raids on July 28. Be sure to check out the in-game events guide for other happenings in Pokémon GO this month.