How To Beat Zekrom And Mega Salamence In Twinkling Fantasy Event Raids In ‘Pokémon GO’

Zekrom and Mega Salamence stand proud before a Raid battle via Pokémon GO (2016), Niantic
Zekrom and Mega Salamence stand proud before a Raid battle via Pokémon GO (2016), Niantic

Here’s our guide on how you can beat Zekrom and Mega Salamence Raids in the Pokémon GO Twinkling Fantasy event.

Niantic share art for the Twinkling Fantasy Event in Pokémon GO via Pokémon GO Live

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The Twinkling Fantasy event is now live until January 16th and, along with a change in the Pokémon you can catch, players have new Raids. One-Star Raids bring out Jigglypuff, Marill, Axew, and Deino. Three-Star Raids have a chance of encountering Mawile, Druddigon, and Dedenne. All of these have a chance to be shiny.

As always, the stars of the show are the Five-Star and Mega Raids. The Five-Star Raid for now is Zekrom, a Legendary Dragon and Electric-Type, while the Mega Raid features the debut of Mega Salamence, a Dragon and Flying-Type. While you may be lucky enough to find a shiny, we’ll start by getting you prepared to beat them.

Landorus, Mega Latios, Mega Latias, a shiny Dragonite, and a shiny Xerneas face off against a giant Zekrom in a Raid Battle via Pokémon GO (2016), Niantic

How To Beat Zekrom

Let’s deal with Zekrom’s moves first. Its Electric moves will deal Super Effective damage to Water and Flying-Type Pokémon, while its Dragon-Type moves will deal more damage to other Dragons. As such, leave those types at home. On the other hand, Electric, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Fairy Types resist at least one of these attacks.

Zekrom itself is weak to Ground, Ice, Dragon, and Fairy-Type moves. It’ll shrug off Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Flying, and Steel-Type moves, so don’t even bring them. 

A wild Zekrom stares down the player via Pokémon GO (2016), Niantic

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If you have them, Groudon, Swampert, Gardevoir, and Mamoswine are all good candidates (better if they’re Primal, Mega or in Shadow forms), along with Rhyperior, Weavile, Glaceon, Excadrill, Landorus, Galarian Darmanitan, and Zacian. You’ve also got Alakazam if it has Dazzling Gleam, and Mewtwo with Ice Beam.

As an aside, Shadow Pokémon are great for Raids, as even though they take more damage, they deal it to. Pursue purified Pokémon for PVP pal!

Likewise, Dragon-Types will do well despite dealing and taking Super Effective damage — assuming you have enough players, Revives, or Pokémon! They’ll also take less damage from the Electric moves. Try almost any Dragon-Type Legendary, Pseudo-Legendaries like Dragonite, Garchomp, and the aforementioned Salamence. Mega Gyarados can also work, along with Alolan Exeggutor.

Niantic share the wild encounters players can expect during the Twinkling Fantasy Event in Pokémon GO via Pokémon GO Live

The Twinkling Fantasy event will also give you more Fairy and Dragon-Types to catch if you need some new friends ASAP. Keep a particular eye on Togetic and Ralts, if you can train them up in time, along with Dratini, Vibrava, Bagon, Axew, Deino, and Goomy.

While there are other Fairies and Dragons available, they can be a bit too frail or not deal enough damage in Raid Battles to recommend. While allies and Revives mean you don’t need to be as optimal, try to bring Pokémon with a high CP, and Super Effective moves.

If you catch Zekrom before January 18th, it will have the Fusion Bolt attack. This Electric-Type Charge Move has 90 power in PvP, and 140 in Gym and Raid battles.

A Mamoswine faces off against a giant Mega Salamence in a Raid Battle via Pokémon GO (2016), Niantic

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How To Beat Mega Salamence

While this is Mega Salamence debut, we can rely on similar data used for the Dragon and Flying-Type Pokémon Rayquaza. Again, Dragon-Type moves deal Super Effective damage to other Dragons, while the Flying-Type deals extra damage to Grass, Bug, and Fighting. Electric, Rock, Steel, and Fairy-Types will take less damage from Mega Salamence’ attacks.

On the other hand, Mega Salamence resists Fire, Water, Grass, Bug, and Fighting-Type moves. Its weaknesses are Rock, Dragon, Fairy, and especially Ice-Type moves, as both its Dragon and Flying-Types take extra damage from it. As such, your best bet is to give Mega Salamence the cold shoulder.

A wild Salamence stares down the player via Pokémon GO (2016), Niantic

While Mamoswine, Weavile, and Galarian Darmanitan are stand-outs, you should also look into Cloyster, Jynx, Articuno, Walrein, Mega Glalie, Mega Abomasnow, Glaceon, Kyurem, Avalugg, and Mr. Rime. Again, powerful Pokémon with Ice-Type moves like Mewtwo and Porygon-Z (Ice Beam in both cases) are also viable, and some Pokémon become more viable when Shadow’d like Lapras and Feraligatr. 

Finally, the aforementioned Legendary and Pseudo-Legendary Dragon-Type Pokémon are great here — along with Mega Aerodactyl. You’ll be gathering up Mega Salamence Energy from these raids as well, so bring it along if you can!

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