2025 Mega Gyarados Raid Guide: Weaknesses, Best Counters & How to Solo!

Part 1: When is Mega Gyarados Raid Day in 2025?

1What time is Mega Gyarados raid day?

• Mega Gyarados Raid Day is on Sunday, August 31, 2025, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time

During this event, Mega Gyarados will appear more frequently in Mega Raids, and there will be various bonuses such as increased chances for Shiny Gyarados and Mega Gyarados.

2What exact bonuses for Mega Gyarados Raid Day?

The rewards for Mega Gyarados Raid Day on August 31, 2025, include:

• Increased chance of encountering Shiny Gyarados.
• Gyarados encountered in raids will know the special charged move Aqua Tail.
• Remote Raid Pass limit is increased to 20 from August 30, 5:00 PM, to August 31, 8:00 PM PDT.
• Players receive up to five additional free Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs (a total of six free passes).
• An Event Ticket is available for $4.99, which grants eight additional Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Discs (up to 14 passes total).
• Trainers Level 31 and up have an increased chance to obtain Rare Candy XL from Raid Battles.
• 50% more XP from Raid Battles during the event (stacking with some other event bonuses).
• 2x Stardust earned from Raid Battles throughout the event.

These bonuses enhance raid catching, candy farming, XP, and Stardust gains during the Mega Gyarados Raid Day event.

3How hard is the Mega Gyarados Raid?

In Pokémon GO, the Mega Gyarados raid has a moderate difficulty, but with proper team coordination and strategy, it can be managed. Key points regarding difficulty:

• Mega Gyarados is a Dark and Water-type Mega raid boss, with weaknesses to Bug, Electric, Fairy, Fighting, and Grass types. This makes it vulnerable to a variety of Pokémon with fast and charged moves.
• Recommended counters include strong Electric, Grass, Fighting, Bug, and Fairy types, such as Mega Lucario, Mega Sceptile, Mega Gardevoir, Mega Heracross, and Kartana.
• Typically, 2 to 5 high-level trainers using the best counters can easily complete the raid.
• The CP range for Gyarados appearing in the raid is approximately 1855–1937 (without weather boost) or 2319–2422 (with weather boost).
• Players with fewer or less optimal counters may need more trainers to effectively defeat the raid boss.

Part 2: How good is Mega Gyarados in Pokémon Go? Is It Worth It?

In Pokémon GO, Mega Gyarados is a Water/Dark-type Mega Evolution with powerful combat abilities and a wide range of moves. It is a strong and visually impressive Pokémon. Here is a detailed analysis:

What is the difference between Gyarados and Mega Gyarados?

The primary differences between Gyarados and Mega Gyarados in Pokémon games are their typing, stats, abilities, appearance, and battle roles:

Is Mega Gyarados better than regular?

• In Pokémon GO, Mega Gyarados is not just an enhanced version of regular Gyarados. It actually changes its species and gains completely different typings.
• Mega Gyarados offers significantly boosted stats and a powerful new ability, trading Flying type advantages for Dark typing and a wider range of weaknesses. It tends to hit harder and be bulkier but is more vulnerable.
• Regular Gyarados has a better ability for utility with Intimidate and is more versatile with fewer weaknesses.
• The choice depends on whether the player prioritizes raw power and bulk (Mega Gyarados) or utility and fewer weaknesses (Gyarados).

Mega Gyarados Max CP values

Pokémon GO Mega Gyarados is a powerful Mega Evolution choice, especially for trainers looking to expand on Water or Dark-type teams during raid battles. The Max CP values are as follows:

• Max CP: 5332 max CP (at Level 50)
• Raid CP: 2695 CP - 100% IVs
• Attack: 292
• Defense: 247
• Stamina: 216
• Shiny Availability: Yes – Gyarados Mega shiny can be found after a successful raid

• Combat Role: Functions best as a wallbreaker and a late-game cleaner.

Best moveset for Mega Gyarados

The best moveset for Mega Gyarados in Pokémon GO depends on whether you’re using it for PvP (Player vs Player) or PvE (Raids and Gym Battles). Here’s a breakdown of the most effective movesets for Mega Gyarados:

Best PvE Moveset

• Best PvE Moveset:Waterfall + Hydro Pump
• Fast Move: Waterfall
• Charged Move: Hydro Pump
• This combination maximizes Mega Gyarados' Water-type damage with high DPS in raids, using Waterfall for energy generation and coverage. Hydro Pump is used for heavy charged damage, enhancing its overall effectiveness.

Best PvP Moveset

• Best PvP Moveset: Aqua Tail + Crunch + Hydro Pump or Outrage
• Fast Move: Aqua Tail
• Charge Moves: Crunch and either Hydro Pump or Outrage
• Aqua Tail is favored in PvP for its low energy cost, allowing frequent shield pressure, while Crunch offers Dark-type coverage. Hydro Pump provides strong Water-type damage, and Outrage is a powerful Dragon-type move that can surprise opponents, as Mega Gyarados is immune to Dragon-type counterattacks.

Can you get Shiny Gyarados from Mega Raids?

Yes, you can encounter Shiny Gyarados in the Mega Gyarados raids in Pokémon GO, with a base probability of about 1/128 after defeating the raid boss. Some sources suggest the probability is closer to 1/60 or 1/64, and repeatedly participating in raids increases your chances.

Trainers can also find Shiny Magikarp in the wild or through raids and evolve it into a Shiny Gyarados. To evolve a Shiny Magikarp into a Shiny Mega Gyarados in Pokémon GO, the process is as follows:

• Catch or Obtain Shiny Magikarp: First, you need the Shiny Magikarp Pokémon in your collection.
• Evolve Magikarp into Shiny Gyarados: Evolve Shiny Magikarp to Shiny Gyarados with 400 candies.
• Collect Mega Energy for Gyarados: Farm Mega Energy from Mega Gyarados raids.
• Mega Evolve: Use Mega Energy to Mega Evolve Shiny Gyarados in battle.

This process lets you have the shiny evolutionary line all the way to Mega Gyarados in Pokémon GO.

Part 3: Beat Mega Gyarados Easy: Find Out Its Weaknesses & Best Counters!

To Get Mega Gyarados easily in Pokémon GO raids, focus on exploiting its weaknesses and using strong counters. Here’s how to beat Mega Gyarados Pokémon GO:

Mega Gyarados Weaknesses

Mega Gyarados is a Dark and Water-type Pokémon, strongly weak to Electric-type moves with a 4x weakness. It is also vulnerable to Rock, Grass, Fighting, Bug, and Fairy-type moves.

What Is Good Against Mega Gyarados? Top Counters

Mega Gyarados raids can be beaten easily by focusing on high DPS Fighting, Bug, Electric, Fairy, and Grass-type Pokémon with optimal movesets. Recommended counters include:

Mega Lucario

• Type: Fighting and Steel
• Best Moveset: Force Palm + Aura Sphere
• Mega Lucario, with its Fighting type, powerful Fighting moves, and high damage output, is a top counter to Mega Gyarados in raids.

Mega Sceptile

• Type: Grass and Dragon
• Best Moveset: Fury Cutter + Frenzy Plant
• The recommended moveset includes Bug-type and Grass-type attacks, which deal significant damage to Mega Gyarados. It is one of the top counters in the raid, just below Mega Lucario and other counters.

Mega Gardevoir

• Type: Psychic and Fairy
• Best Moveset: Confusion + Psychic
• The best moveset for Mega Gardevoir consists of powerful attacks, and it can also use Fairy-type charged moves such as Dazzling Gleam or Charm. These Fairy-type moves are effective against the Dark-type Mega Gyarados.

Mega Heracross

• Type: Bug and Fighting
• Best Moveset: Counter + Megahorn
• Mega Heracross takes advantage of Mega Gyarados's dual weaknesses with its Fighting and Bug-type moves, boosting damage. With high attack power and strong durability, it is a powerful counter to Mega Gyarados.

Kartana

• Type: Grass and Steel
• Best Moveset: Razor Leaf + Leaf Blade
• MKartana's best moveset includes powerful Grass-type attacks, allowing it to charge energy quickly and deliver high DPS. Its Steel typing also provides resistance to various types, enhancing its survivability in raids.

Raid Strategy & Additional Tips

• Have a team of 3-5 high-level trainers with these counters for an efficient and quick raid.
• Use weather boosts (Rainy or Foggy weather) to increase your team's effectiveness.
• Aim to apply consistent pressure with fast energy generation moves to keep up charged attacks.
• Mega Gyarados has a large HP pool, so using fast-charging charged moves speeds up the fight.
• Use Pinap berries to maximize candy gains when catching Gyarados after defeating it.
• Coordinate with friends or local players to ensure enough strong trainers participate for the easiest win.

Part 4: Quickly Locate Nearby Pokémon and D-max Raids with PoGoskill

Mega Gyarados Pokémon GO raids only occur at Gyms, and if one is about to start, you’ll receive an in-game notification. However, depending on where you live, it can be difficult to reach them in time. That’s where PoGoskill comes in, your trusted Pokémon GO spoofer.

With PoGoskill Location Changer, you can easily change the location on your phone without having to physically move. Whether you're hunting rare Pokémon or joining raid battles for Mega Gyarados, PoGoskill helps keep you in the competition. The best part is that PoGoskill is available on both Android and iOS devices, so no trainer will be left behind. It also offers key GPS Joystick, which allows for precise GPS movement control and custom routes.

Additional key features of PoGoskill include:

• Auto Catcher: Auto-catch Pokémon and spin PokéStops as you journey through the world of Pokémon.
• 0-Ban Guarantee: Uses a Bluetooth Game Mode to avoid the risk of bans.
• Pokémon GO Map: Find Pokémon, Raids, Routes, and D-Max Raid Battles effortlessly.
• Two-spot Mode: Allows you to move from one place to another on the map.
• Compatible with Android and iPhone: Supports the latest iOS 26 & Android 16 systems.

To use PoGoskill for Mega Gyarados Pokémon GO, follow the given steps:

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Secure Download

• Step 1Install and open PoGoskill on your PC or Mac

  

• Step 2Connect your phone to the computer. This can be either done with a USB data cable or through Wi-Fi.

  

• Step 3Select a Mode. For gaming apps like Pokémon GO, you must choose Game Mode.

  

• Step 4With that single click, your device's location and all location-based apps on it will be changed to the fake GPS coordinates.

  

Part 5: How to Mega Evolve Gyarados in Pokémon GO?

Mega Evolution of Gyarados is a temporary powered-up form usable by collecting sufficient Mega Energy through Mega Raids and other activities, then activating it in your Pokémon GO collection. Here’s how to get Mega Gyarados Pokémon GO:

• Catch or evolve a Gyarados
• Collect the Mega Energy. Each Pokémon has different Mega Energy, so you must catch the one specific to Gyarados.
• When you’ve reached a certain amount of Mega Energy needed to evolve Gyarados, go to the Mega Evolve tab on your app. Click on Yes as the confirmation screen appears.

1. How to Get Gyarados in Pokemon Go?

The most common way to get a Gyarados is by evolving a Magikarp with 400 candies. How to get Gyarados Mega candy? Well, you can easily collect them by catching them, buddy walking with them, and transferring your Pokémon.

Other optional methods of getting a Gyarados are:

• Defeating it as a 3-star raid boss
• Receiving Energy as a research task reward
• Encountering wild Gyarados near water areas or during special events (but this is very rare)

2. How to Get Gyarados Mega Energy?

For Mega Gyarados evolution, you'll need 200 Mega Energy. After the first Gyarados Mega evolution, future evolutions will require less Energy.

You can earn Gyarados Mega Energy by:

• Participate in Mega Gyarados Mega Raids: Defeating Mega Gyarados in these raids rewards you with significant amounts of Mega Energy specific to Gyarados. The faster you win, the more Mega Energy you receive.
• Walking Gyarados as your buddy: After evolving Gyarados into Mega Gyarados once, you can earn 5 Mega Energy for each Magikarp or Gyarados candy you collect by walking it as your buddy.
• Field Research and Special Research: Certain research tasks, events, and special research rewards may grant Mega Energy for Gyarados occasionally.
• Event Bonuses: During special events like Mega Gyarados Raid Days, additional Mega Energy bonuses or free Raid Passes may be available to help you collect Mega Energy faster.

You get the most Mega Energy out of Mega raids, at least 150. However, these Raids are around for a limited time, so it’s best to find one as soon as possible.

FAQs About Mega Gyarados Pokemon GO

Can you permanently mega evolve in Pokemon Go?

No, Mega Evolution in Pokémon GO is not permanent. Mega Evolving a Pokémon temporarily boosts its stats and changes its appearance for a limited duration, typically lasting 8 hours after activation. After this time, the Pokémon reverts to its normal form.

Is Shadow or Mega Gyarados Better in Pokemon Go?

Mega Gyarados has higher stats than Shadow Gyarados, with a max CP of 5332 compared to 3834, and provides a temporary Mega boost during evolution. For raids and high DPS PvE content, Mega Gyarados is usually better, while Shadow Gyarados excels in PvP, particularly in the Master League, due to its high attack output.

How rare is shiny Gyarados?

In Pokémon GO, Shiny Gyarados is rare and usually limited to specific events or raids, with a boosted probability of 1/38 to 1/45. Outside of events, it remains extremely rare and highly sought after.

What is the strongest mega Pokémon in Pokémon GO?

Mega Rayquaza has the highest max CP of all Mega Pokémon, exceeding 6100, and delivers excellent DPS with moves like Dragon Tail and Outrage. With incredible stats and high damage output, it is the most powerful Mega Evolution in Pokémon GO, dominating raids and battles.

What's the rarest mega Pokémon in Pokémon GO?

As of 2025, the rarest Mega Pokémon in Pokémon GO are those with hard-to-obtain Mega Energy or limited availability due to event restrictions. Mega Mewtwo Y and Mega Metagross are particularly rare and valuable due to their high strength.

Who is the weakest mega Pokémon in Pokémon GO?

Mega Audino is considered the weakest Mega Pokémon in Pokémon GO due to its poor stat distribution. With low attack (60) and only moderate increases in defense and special defense, it has limited usefulness in competitive or raid scenarios.

How to Get Mega Gyarados energy without raids?

The main way to obtain Mega Gyarados Energy without raids is by walking Gyarados or Magikarp as your buddy after the initial Mega Evolution. You can also gain extra energy through special research, events, or converting surplus Mega Energy from other Pokémon during certain events.

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Conclusion

Mega Gyarados Pokémon GO offers a unique advantage in battles with its Water and Dark typing and powerful stats. That’s why understanding how to counter and evolve Mega Gyarados is the key to your success as a Pokémon GO trainer. So, with the Mega Gyarados raid approaching, it's important to learn its weaknesses and best counters in advance for a one-hit victory!

You can also use the PoGoskill location spoofing tool, which allows you to easily participate in all raids and collect Mega Energy.

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