After starting the year very well, Pokémon GO has been on a bit of a lull over the past two months. Although there were a lot of events, the long stay of the Forces of Nature trio and their different forms was certainly a bit tiring. Finally, it's time for a new Legendary to take over in Tier Five Raids, and this time it's the one making its first appearance in Pokémon GO with the Kalos Xerneas Legendary region.
The best Xerneas counters in May 2022
Below is our complete guide to Xerneas Raids, with plenty of details you'll want to know regarding this new addition to Pokémon GO. Unlike many of the recent five-star Raids that have been dual-types, Xerneas is strictly a Fairy-type Pokemon. Fairy-type Pokemon are some of the hardest Pokemon to take down with incredibly high Special Defense. This means that you are really going to want the best counters, which will be mostly Steel or Poison type. The Pokemon below are some of your best options as top counters against Xerneas at this point in the game.
| Pokémon | fast attack | Charged Attack |
| metagross | Bullet punch | Meteor Mash |
| Dialga | metal clamp | iron head |
| roserade | Venom Blow | mud bomb |
| gengar | Lick | mud bomb |
| Genesect | metal clamp | magnet bomb |
| Genesect (burn) | metal clamp | magnet bomb |
| Scizor | Bullet punch | iron head |
Since this is Xerneas' first time in Pokémon GO, there's kind of a blank slate when it comes to Pokémon to use. The best Pokémon are of course listed above, but you can always improve things by using Shadow versions or Mega versions of the Pokémon listed. For two specific Megas to use, you'll want to look at both Mega Gengar and Mega Beedrill, but want to make sure they have Poison attacks to use.
Guide de raid Pokémon GO Xerneas
Here are some of the frequently asked questions and important tips about Xerneas Raids in Pokémon GO for May 2022.
When Xerneas raids start and end in May 2022
Xerneas Raids will begin Tuesday, May 4 at 10 a.m. and continue until Tuesday, May 18 at 10 a.m. As is usually the case, there will be special raid times from 18:00 PM to 19:00 PM on both Wednesdays when Xerneas raids, so be sure to take advantage of them as soon as they become available.
How many players are needed
Xerneas certainly won't be as easy as the Forces of Nature trio largely due to the fact that Fairy-types can be very tanky. This raid can probably be done with three people who are best friends and have the best counters at high levels, but you're really going to want at least five or more if you can to improve your chances of success.
What weather stimulates Xerneas and counters
As a fairy-only type, Xerneas will only be buffed in cloudy weather. However, it has other moves that can be boosted in other types of weather. Zen Headbutt will be boosted in windy weather, while charged moves like Giga Impact will be boosted in partly cloudy weather. Cloudy weather will be the most troublesome though, as the higher CP and Moonblast can really cause problems.
What CP for 100% IV for Xerneas
At its base level with no weather accelerations, you will encounter Xerneas at 2073 CP to 2130 CP. The highest end CP would be a 100% Xerneas, which is what people are looking for. Similarly, an enhanced cloudy weather Xerneas will come in at a higher CP at 2591 CP to 2701 CP, which would put it at level 25.
Can Xerneas be shiny, how to get shiny Xerneas
As this is Xerneas' first appearance in Pokémon GO raids, there will be no shiny version available at this time. This is almost always the case when legendaries are added to the game, with the shiny forms being added in future spawns that are sure to come.
And this is our Xerneas Raid Guide for May 2022, the first time players will have the chance to catch this Legendary Pokemon from the Kalos region using the best counters.
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