Darkrai- Pitch-Black Pokémon
🥊 Personalized Darkrai Counters
📊 Darkrai Infographic

Weaknesses:Fighting, Bug, Fairy.
Best Counters: Lucario, Conkeldurr, and Machamp.
Needed Players: 2 – 5 trainers
CP Range: 2048-2136
CP Range (Boosted):2560 – 2671

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Darkrai In the Meta

Raid Meta – Snarl / Dark Pulse

Darkrai is a premium Dark/Ghost-Type attacker! They go toe-to-toe with Giratina-Origin Forme in this niche at the #1 choice.

Main thing against Darkrai is that many Ghost/Psychic Pokemon have Fighting-Type coverage moves, that slaughter Darkrai and do very little to Giratina. BUT, against Psychic/Ghost-Type attacks it’s typings inherent resistances makes it indisputably superior to Giratina.

Darkrai has extremely high raw attack power making it slightly more bias towards being a Glass Cannon. But while we’re talking Glass Cannon, Darkrai is strictly superior as a Ghost-Type attacker to Gengar! Let me remind you, Darkrai isn’t even a Ghost-Type Pokemon.

Dark Pulse and Shadow Ball have functionally equal coverage, except for the rare oddball like Kirlia Raids. If you want to lay the smackdown on Ghost and Psychic Pokemon, Darkrai is your new best option, and you probably won’t even need to worry about using TMs! Thank Arceus they didn’t make it a Special Research Exclusive Mythical

PVP Meta – Snarl / Dark Pulse + Focus Blast or Shadow Ball

Darkrai is viable in Open Master League, but not Great or Ultra.

Movesets

Sorted Easiest to Hardest.

• Dark Pulse:

  • Fighting-Types are hit for 🛡️ Resistance
  • Fairy-Types are hit for 🛡️ Resistance

• Focus Blast:

  • Fairy-Types are hit for 🛡️ Resistance
  • Bug-Types are hit for 🛡️ Resistance

• Shadow Ball:

  • No Type Interactions

Shadows and Megas

There are a couple classes of unique pokemon that are more difficult to use than others, they have been filtered out here to not clog up the counters too much. These pokemon are much more resource expensive than other options.

• Shadow Machamp: Best counter against Shadow Ball and Dark Pulse. Still a top counter even against Focus Blast though.
• Shadow Gardevoir: Best counter against Focus Blast due to triple resistance. Still a top counter against Dark Pulse, but terrible against Shadow Ball.
• Mega Beedrill: Best counter in Rainy Weather. Top counter in general.
• Shadow Ursaring: Top counter against Shadow Ball due to double resistance.
• Shadow Pinsir: Top counter against Focus Blast due to resistance.
• Shadow Scyther: Top counter in Rainy Weather.
• Shadow Pinsir: Top counter in Rainy Weather.

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Top 6 Raid Counters

Lucario

Best Moveset: Counter / Aura Sphere

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 🌐 Accessibility: ⭐☆☆☆☆

Riolu is an egg exclusive pokemon sadly, one of the absolute rarest and highly desired ones in fact. It was added October 2018th. It isn’t easy to power up and has a walking distance of 10k. There are increased chances of finding one in a 7k Alolan egg instead of normal 10ks. You also have better chances if you get difficult Adventure Sync eggs. if you collect your weekly adventure sync reward and have earned the 50k distance, AND have an available egg slot, you will get an egg with a skewed hatch pool. With Level 35 Lucario you need 3 players.

• Best Estimator VS: Feint Attack / Focus Blast
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Shadow Ball
• Type Interactions:
  • 1× Resists: Dark
  • 1× Weak: Fighting

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Conkeldurr

Best Moveset: Counter / Dynamic Punch

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

With Level 35 Conkeldurr you need 3 players.

• Alternative Charge Moves: Focus Blast
• Best Estimator VS: Snarl / Shadow Ball
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Focus Blast
• Type Interactions:
  • 1× Resists: Dark

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Machamp

Best Moveset: Counter / Dynamic Punch

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• 🌐 Accessibility: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Machamp stands as the pokemon with the longest cumulative duration it has spent as a raid boss, being one of the very first AND most frequently returning. If you’ve been playing long enough to participate in Tier 3 raids its likely you have a Machamp or a dozen. They also have been an incredibly useful Fighting Type since the game’s inception.

It is likely soon going to be outclassed as a Fighting-Type by many Gen 5 Pokemon (assuming they get good moves). Machop currently can be found in nests. With Level 35 Machamp you need 3 players.

• Alternative Fast Moves: Karate Chop
• Best Estimator VS: Feint Attack / Shadow Ball
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Focus Blast
• Type Interactions:
  • 1× Resists: Dark

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Breloom

Best Moveset: Counter / Dynamic Punch

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐☆☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 🌐 Accessibility: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Breloom evolves from the very common Shroomish and has higher pure DPS than Machamp or Makuhita. It is quite frail though. Shroomish currently can be found in nests. With Level 35 Breloom you need 3 players.

• Best Estimator VS: Snarl / Focus Blast
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Shadow Ball
• Type Interactions:
  • 1× Resists: Dark

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Hariyama

Best Moveset: Counter / Dynamic Punch

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 🌐 Accessibility: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hariyama is cheaper to evolve up than Machamp, requiring less candy and a more common pokemon (with nearly identical practical performance) Makuhita currently can be found in nests. With Level 35 Hariyama you need 3 players.

• Alternative Charge Moves: Super Power
• Best Estimator VS: Feint Attack / Shadow Ball
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Focus Blast
• Type Interactions:
  • 1× Resists: Dark

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Heracross

Best Moveset: Counter / Megahorn

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

With Level 35 Heracross you need 3 players.

• Alternative Charge Moves: Close Combat
• Best Estimator VS: Feint Attack / Shadow Ball
• Best Ranking VS: Feint Attack / Focus Blast
• Type Interactions:
  • 1× Resists: Dark, Fighting

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Weather

Here is a list of Pokemon that can perform similar or better than the typical #1 option (in this case, Conkeldurr) with weather bonuses:

Pokemon	Weather	Fast Move	Charge Move	Estimator
Conkeldurr	☁️Overcast	Counter	Dynamic Punch	2
Lucario	☁️Overcast	Counter	Aura Sphere	2.2
Machamp	☁️Overcast	Counter	Dynamic Punch	2.3
Hariyama	☁️Overcast	Counter	Dynamic Punch	2.4
Togekiss	☁️Overcast	Charm	Dazzling Gleam	2.4
Breloom	☁️Overcast	Counter	Dynamic Punch	2.4

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Alternate Pokemon

Togekiss

Best Moveset: Charm / Dazzling Gleam

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• 🌐 Accessibility: ⭐⭐☆☆☆

Togekiss is the absolute bane of Fighting-Types, with stunning tankiness to boot. They compete with Gardevoir atop the Fairy Pokemon chart since receiving Charm as a Fast Attack! While Togekiss is excellent as a Raid Attacker and (even more so) a Gym Defender, its extremely expensive. Togetics are a white whale spawn, and Togepi are a random baby hatch from eggs. Then, even if you amass the 123 candy you need to evolve it- you must have a Sinnoh Stone. Which can only be acquired at Random from either Trainer Battles or Field Research Breakthroughs.

Togekiss is an ordeal to obtain for sure. But its formidable defensive utility is no joke. With Level 35 Togekiss you need 3 players.

• Alternative Fast Moves: Hidden Power Bug
  Hidden Power Fighting
• Best Estimator VS: Snarl / Shadow Ball
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Focus Blast
• Type Interactions:
  • 2× Resists: Fighting
  • 1× Resists: Dark

Genesect

Best Moveset: Fury Cutter / X Scissor

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

With Level 35 Genesect you need 4 players.

• Best Estimator VS: Feint Attack / Shadow Ball
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Focus Blast
• Type Interactions:
  • Canceled Out: Fighting

Sirfetch’d–Galar

Best Moveset: Counter / Close Combat

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

With Level 35 Sirfetch’d–Galar you need 4 players.

• Best Estimator VS: Snarl / Focus Blast
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Dark Pulse
• Type Interactions:
  • 1× Resists: Dark

Toxicroak

Best Moveset: Counter / Dynamic Punch

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• 🌐 Accessibility: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Toxicroak is an unexpectedly great Fighting AND Poison Raid Attacker. Croagunk is moderately uncommon outside of cloudy weather. With Level 35 Toxicroak you need 4 players.

• Best Estimator VS: Snarl / Shadow Ball
• Best Ranking VS: Feint Attack / Focus Blast
• Type Interactions:
  • 1× Resists: Dark, Fighting

Blaziken

Best Moveset: Counter / Focus Blast

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• 🌐 Accessibility: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Blaziken was featured in Community Day May 2019! In terms of Raids, the most common member of the Family is Combuskin. Who was last a Tier 2 raid in March 2019. Torchic currently can be found in nests. With Level 35 Blaziken you need 4 players.

• Alternative Charge Moves: Blaze Kick
• Best Estimator VS: Feint Attack / Shadow Ball
• Best Ranking VS: Feint Attack / Dark Pulse
• Type Interactions:
  • 1× Resists: Dark

Granbull

Best Moveset: Charm / Play Rough

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• 🌐 Accessibility: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Snubbull are not currently hatching from eggs, but they do nest! Granbull has lived at the edge of viable for most of its tenure in PoGo. Now that its been given Charm, however, its a top tier Fairy-Type attacker! Granbull and Snubbull were last in raids September 2019. Snubbull currently can be found in nests. With Level 35 Granbull you need 4 players.

• Best Estimator VS: Feint Attack / Shadow Ball
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Focus Blast
• Type Interactions:
  • 1× Resists: Dark, Fighting

Emboar

Best Moveset: Low Kick / Focus Blast

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• 🌐 Accessibility: ⭐☆☆☆☆

Emboar is a brand new Pokemon from gen 5! They are the final stage of Tepig, the Fire Starter. It does pretty alright as a Fighting-Type but is very new and hard to acquire. They are not currently known to nest or hatch from eggs. With Level 35 Emboar you need 4 players.

• Best Estimator VS: Feint Attack / Focus Blast
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Shadow Ball
• Type Interactions:
  • 1× Resists: Dark

Pinsir

Best Moveset: Bug Bite / X Scissor

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• 🌐 Accessibility: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pinsir is one of the most accessible pokemon, that is nonetheless top tier in its typing. You don’t need to evolve them, they can be found at high levels in the wild, they nest- they got a lot going for them. The Legacy Moveset while often a smidge better isn’t something to stress over. Notably, they do not currently hatch from eggs. Pinsir currently can be found in nests. With Level 35 Pinsir you need 4 players.

• Alternative Fast Moves: Fury Cutter
• Best Estimator VS: Feint Attack / Shadow Ball
• Best Ranking VS: Feint Attack / Focus Blast
• Type Interactions:
  • 1× Resists: Fighting

Gardevoir

Best Moveset: Charm / Dazzling Gleam

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐☆☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 🌐 Accessibility: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Ralts nest, and were featured in Aug-2019’s community day. They are a decently accessible spawn in cloudy weather and also hatch from 10k eggs. In addition Kirlia is no stranger to 2 star raids.They do not however nest. With Level 35 Gardevoir you need 4 players.

• Best Estimator VS: Snarl / Shadow Ball
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Focus Blast
• Type Interactions:
  • 2× Resists: Fighting
  • 1× Weak: Ghost
  • Canceled Out: Dark

Scizor

Best Moveset: Fury Cutter / X Scissor

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• 🌐 Accessibility: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Scyther and Scizor have been featured a couple of times reducing the difficulty to acquire one. You need a Metal Coat to evolve Scyther into Scizor, which can be acquired either: VERY rarely from spinning a pokestop, in a pool of other evolution items on your 7-day streak spinning Pokestop (guaranteed to get at least one item), or from the Celebi Special Research 4/8 rewards. Scyther nest and are a 5k hatch. Scyther currently can be found in nests. With Level 35 Scizor you need 4 players.

• Best Estimator VS: Feint Attack / Dark Pulse
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Focus Blast
• Type Interactions:
  • Canceled Out: Fighting

Escavalier

Best Moveset: Bug Bite / Megahorn

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

With Level 35 Escavalier you need 4 players.

• Alternative Fast Moves: Counter
• Best Estimator VS: Snarl / Focus Blast
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Shadow Ball
• Type Interactions:
  • Canceled Out: Fighting

Regigigas

Best Moveset: Hidden Power Fighting / Focus Blast

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

With Level 35 Regigigas you need 4 players.

• Alternative Fast Moves: Hidden Power Bug
• Alternative Charge Moves: Giga Impact
• Best Estimator VS: Feint Attack / Focus Blast
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Shadow Ball
• Type Interactions:
  • 2× Resists: Ghost
  • 1× Weak: Fighting

Yanmega

Best Moveset: Bug Bite / Bug Buzz

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 🌐 Accessibility: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Yanmega is a Sinnoh Stone Evolution of an uncommon Pokemon, so not the easiest thing to get your hands on from scratch. They hatch from 5k eggs and do nest. Yanma currently can be found in nests. With Level 35 Yanmega you need 4 players.

• Best Estimator VS: Feint Attack / Dark Pulse
• Best Ranking VS: Feint Attack / Focus Blast
• Type Interactions:
  • 2× Resists: Fighting

Mienshao

Best Moveset: Low Kick / Brick Break

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐☆☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

With Level 35 Mienshao you need 4 players.

• Best Estimator VS: Feint Attack / Shadow Ball
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Dark Pulse
• Type Interactions:
  • 1× Resists: Dark

Sawk

Best Moveset: Low Kick / Focus Blast

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

With Level 35 Sawk you need 4 players.

• Best Estimator VS: Snarl / Focus Blast
• Best Ranking VS: Feint Attack / Dark Pulse
• Type Interactions:
  • 1× Resists: Dark

Scyther

Best Moveset: Fury Cutter / X Scissor

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• 🌐 Accessibility: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Scyther is a nesting species and has been featured as a relatively easy Tier 3 Raid boss a couple of times. They also got boosted Spawns during the Bug Out event and are in 5k eggs. Scyther currently can be found in nests. With Level 35 Scyther you need 4 players.

• Alternative Charge Moves: Bug Buzz
• Best Estimator VS: Snarl / Shadow Ball
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Focus Blast
• Type Interactions:
  • 2× Resists: Fighting

Durant

Best Moveset: Bug Bite / X Scissor

• ⚔️ Raw Damage: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
• 🛡️ Survival/Bulk: ⭐☆☆☆☆
• 📉 Consistency: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• 🌐 Accessibility: ⭐☆☆☆☆

Durant is a Regional Exclusive Pokemon, on the Asia/Europe/Australia half of the world. Which is a shame, as its a shockingly useful pokemon despite its appearances! With Level 35 Durant you need 4 players.

• Best Estimator VS: Snarl / Focus Blast
• Best Ranking VS: Snarl / Shadow Ball
• Type Interactions:
  • Canceled Out: Fighting

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