Hello students! My name is Professor Noctowl, and today, I wish to draw attention to Groudon. While Groudon itself is not very useful on its own, it is NECESSARY to have one to have Primal Groudon, which is one of the best Pokemon in the game, so catching one if you don’t have one already is good. Grab your notebooks, class is in session. For those who wish to do their research independently, our raw data can be found here. And for those who wish for a simple visual guide, go ahead and take a look at the below visual guide by CaptGoldfish.

NOTE: Some visual guides will be outdated for the duration of GO FEST. They will remain mostly accurate, but lack modern counters, such as the Mega Mewtwo duo, or Eternatus. Not only that, please note that some raids will not be covered in an article for GO FEST, due to the sheer volume. Our team has decided that the best call is to only cover raids who are within the top 10 counters in their type. If you’re looking for a counter that does not have an article, feel free to use pokebattler.com

Course Schedule

This counter is one of many GO FEST raids. There are too many to put a coherent schedule here, but rest assured, pretty much every legendary, mega, and shadow under the sun will be going at some point. Look to your local GO FEST event or the Pokebattler.com raid schedule to see exactly what raids will be going.

There are only a few weaknesses here, but note that Groudon has a wide variety of Charge moves, some of which will hit those counters hard if you’re not properly cautious of them.

Effectiveness	Types
Double Resist (0.4x)	Electric
Resist (0.6x)	Poison Rock
Neutral	Normal Fighting Flying Ground Bug Ghost Steel Fire Psychic Dragon Dark Fairy
Super Effective (1.6x)	Water Grass Ice
Double Super Effective (2.6x)	—

Groudon’s moveset includes the following charge moves:

• Earthquake
• Fire Blast
• Solar Beam
• Return
• Precipice Blades
• Fire Punch

The Dean’s List consists of the top 5 counters to Groudon. As always, the Valedictorian, Salutatorian, and the Third Ranked will have their best moveset alternatives in a table with their rankings and a table detailing their defensive prowess against the charge moves listed above.

Primal Kyogre A

Best Moveset: Waterfall / Origin Pulse

DPS★★★★★

Tank★★★★★

Reliability★★★★☆

2

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Quick Move	Charge Move	Efficacy
Waterfall	Origin Pulse	100%
Waterfall	Surf	97%
Waterfall	Hydro Pump	92%
Waterfall	Avalanche	92%
Waterfall	Blizzard	87%
Waterfall	Return	75%

White Kyurem A

Best Moveset: Ice Fang / Ice Burn

DPS★★★★★

Tank★★★★★

Reliability★★★☆☆

2

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Quick Move	Charge Move	Efficacy
Ice Fang	Ice Burn	100%
Steel Wing	Ice Burn	86%
Dragon Breath	Ice Burn	86%
Ice Fang	Blizzard	77%
Dragon Breath	Blizzard	67%
Steel Wing	Blizzard	67%

Mega Sceptile A

Best Moveset: Bullet Seed / Frenzy Plant

DPS★★★★★

Tank★★★★★

Reliability★★☆☆☆

3

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Quick Move	Charge Move	Efficacy
Bullet Seed	Frenzy Plant	100%
Fury Cutter	Frenzy Plant	98%
Bullet Seed	Leaf Blade	88%
Fury Cutter	Leaf Blade	85%
Bullet Seed	Breaking Swipe	69%
Fury Cutter	Breaking Swipe	63%

Defensive Grades for Top 3

Boss Move
Earthquake	—	—	🛡
Solar Beam	⚔	🛡	🛡🛡
Fire Blast	🛡	—	—

Black Kyurem A

Best Moveset: Dragon Tail / Freeze Shock

DPS★★★★★

Tank★★★★★

Reliability★★★☆☆

3

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Mega Rayquaza A

Best Moveset: Dragon Tail / Dragon Ascent

DPS★★★★☆

Tank★★★★☆

Reliability★★★★★

3

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Also Noteworthy: A: Shadow Regigigas

We here at Pokebattler Pokémon Research Institute can’t expect you to have the best counters every time. So, here are some of our other best options, most of which will be easier to find than the members of the Dean’s List.

Mega Venusaur A

Best Moveset: Vine Whip / Frenzy Plant

DPS★★★★☆

Tank★★★★☆

Reliability★★★☆☆

3

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Shadow Kyogre A

Best Moveset: Waterfall / Surf

DPS★★★★☆

Tank★★★★☆

Reliability★★★☆☆

3

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Zarude A

Best Moveset: Vine Whip / Power Whip

DPS★★★★☆

Tank★★★★☆

Reliability★★★★☆

3

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Mega Swampert A

Best Moveset: Water Gun / Hydro Cannon

DPS★★★☆☆

Tank★★★★☆

Reliability★★★★☆

3

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Shaymin - Sky A

Best Moveset: Magical Leaf / Grass Knot

DPS★★★☆☆

Tank★★★★☆

Reliability★★☆☆☆

3

Trainers
(Lvl 40)

Of course, besides our 10 best counters, there are plenty of Pokémon that also work against Groudon. Here are a few star choices, worthy of praise.

A	Mega GardevoirEternatusZamazenta - Crowned ShieldShadow GyaradosMega GyaradosRillaboomMega BlastoiseShadow SwampertShadow ChesnaughtShadow GreninjaKyogreShadow PalkiaKartanaMega GalladeShadow VenusaurZacian - Crowned SwordChesnaughtShadow FeraligatrRegigigas

Sometimes, the weather can be your most powerful ally. In certain weather conditions, certain Pokémon on our list excel. The most transformative cases are noted below.

Sunny/Clear

Zarude (2.1)Mega Venusaur (2.1)

Rainy

Shadow Kyogre (2.0)Mega Swampert (2.0)Shadow Regigigas (2.1)

Partly Cloudy

Shadow Regigigas (2.1)

Windy

Eternatus (2.2)

Snow

Shadow Regigigas (2.1)Zamazenta - Crowned Shield (2.2)

Overall, Groudon is a pretty simple raid. With only 3 weaknesses, and some slightly concerning Charge Moves, all one needs is some caution, and the raid will go over easily, giving you your coveted Groudon. Of course, if you wish to do more research on your box’s best Pokémon for the job, Pokebattler.com itself can be a great help! Remember, the best counter is the one you have powered up and ready to go. I grant extra credit to those who use their best friend bonus and the weather to their advantage. Class dismissed!