Zapdos, Raikou, and the best electric types in Pokémon GO

Reading time: 5 min

After almost five years, a lot of Pokémon have made their way into Pokémon GO. It all started out with generation one, but now the game has over 700 different Pokémon to collect with plenty more to come. 

One of the most commonly used types in Pokémon GO is electric types, which are often picked for raids and battles to take down water and flying types. Succeeding in Pokémon GO will be very hard without a strong electric Pokémon, so it’s time to take a look at some of the best in the game and how to acquire them.

Zekrom

Starting off the list is one of the strongest Pokemon in the game, Pokemon White cover model Zekrom. The dragon and electric type is an extremely dangerous Pokémon to go up against and at the same time a valuable asset on any team. Not only does it perform well against water and flying types, but it has resistances to electric, grass, fire, and water.   

So far, Zekrom has been available in five-star raids and will likely continue to appear in raids moving forward. As a legendary Pokémon, Zekrom won’t be spawning in the wild so players will need patience until Zekrom returns to raids. 

For the players that have already acquired a Zekrom and aim at a pure electric build, it’s important to have Charge Beam and Wild Charge. To be a bit more flexible, look for Dragon Breath as the fast move. 

Thundurus

Another new and strong electric addition to the game is Thundurus. Unlike many other electric Pokémon, Thundurus is a flying type that boasts resistance to ground-type attacks. This alone makes Thundurus one of the most versatile Pokémon in the game and lets it act as a strong member of any PvP battle with the right moves. 

Just like Zekrom, Thundurus has to be caught through five-star raids. As a new Pokémon in the game, it will likely return to raids on occasion moving forward. In the future, it’s possible that Thundurus will also become available through research tasks. When playing with Thundurus, the absolute strongest moves will be Thunder Shock and Thunder Punch but there are ghost, fighting, and dark type moves to work with as well.

Thundurus

Raikou

One of the most well-known legendary electric Pokémon is Raikou and it’s great in Pokémon GO. Despite relatively old at this point, the Gold and Silver legendary is always a safe pick when going up against the likes of Blastoise, Kyogre, Gyarados, or other strong water Pokémon. Raikou will also be very effective against flying types, which there are plenty of in the game. 

Getting Raikou isn’t the easiest but should be possible for an average player to get their hands on. Raikou can’t be caught in the wild, but can instead be acquired through raids or special research missions. It has also been possible to get a Shadow Raikou by defeating Team Rocket Grunts, leaders, and Giovanni himself. 

The reason why Raikou is great is simply that it’s a pure electric Pokémon, with a whole lot of speed and DPS. In fact, Raikou has the highest DPS of all electric types in the game, with 21.03 according to Pokémon GO Hub. This alone makes Raikou extremely effective when used in battle. The most effective attacks will be Thunder Shock as the fast move and Wild Charge as the charge move. 

Zapdos

From one legendary Pokémon to another. Zapdos is another Pokémon to consider focusing on when it comes to taking down raids and battles. Just like Raikou, Zapdos is a strong electric attacker that can become very powerful if given enough resources and just like Thundurus, Zapdos boasts resistance to ground-type attacks. With a great IV Zapdos and enough candies and stardust, Zapdos can reach over 3,500 CP. 

Even with a lower CP, Zapdos will be more than capable of taking down water and flying Pokémon. To get a Zapdos, players must complete raids, research, or defeat Giovanni to get a shadow Zapdos. Beating Zapdos in a raid is fairly easy if paired up with three or more players.

Zapdos

Ampharos

One of the easier and more common electric-type Pokémon to look out for is Ampharos. The gen-two Pokémon is fairly easy to get and even has a mega form in the game that makes it even stronger. 

Getting an Ampharos requires a total of 125 Mareep candy, which shouldn’t be too hard to get. While Mareep isn’t the most common spawn in the game, it will usually show up in the wild from time to time. If not, then there are luckily plenty of in-game events that will include Mareep. It’s also a possibility to get Mareep candy through eggs and even raids in some rotations. 

When taking Ampharos into battle, make sure to have Volt Switch and Zap Cannon as the two moves. With those, Ampharos will be able to pack a punch despite not being the fastest Pokémon there is. The best way to play with Ampharos will be in its mega form, which requires 200 Ampharos mega energy with the first evolve. After that, it will become gradually cheaper to evolve into Mega Ampharos.   

Luxray

Players looking for a more fashionable and fresh option can look past Ampharose and set their eyes on Luxray. The Diamond and Pearl Pokémon was introduced to only a couple of years ago and remains a strong outsider when it comes to electric types. Luxray might not be the first option as it has fairly low CP compared to others. With that said, Luxray is still very strong, especially in PvP leagues. 

Luxray isn’t the easiest Pokémon to get as Shinx and Luxio don’t spawn a lot in the wild. This makes Luxray a fairly unique Pokémon to show off, especially in its shiny form. Luckily, Shinx can often be found in eggs or defeated in level 1 raids. By hatching eggs and doing raids, Luxray should be obtained fairly easily with time. 

When Luxray is in the Pokédex, the strongest moves are Spark and Wild Charge. With Luxray’s speed, it will be possible to get off charge moves fairly quickly and blow through opponent’s shields in PvP battles. 

With more Pokémon constantly being added to the game, it’s possible that newcomers will take over the top spots of electric types in the future. 

Recommended

What does Prototype look like in Poppy Playtime

The biggest mystery in Poppy Playtime.

By Fariha Bhatti

|

Mar 27, 2024

The Finals power shift

The best builds and loadouts for Power Shift in The Finals

The best way to take control of the platform.

By Olivia Richman

|

Mar 27, 2024

Marvel Rivals

Marvel Rivals trailer reveals gameplay, heroes, and release date

Combine abilities to create super-charge attacks.

By Olivia Richman

|

Mar 27, 2024