How to get Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre in Pokémon Go, including counters and weaknesses

Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre have made their debut in Pokémon Go as part of the Go Tour: Hoenn event. To incorporate these formidable legendary Pokémon into your roster, it’s essential to understand how to obtain Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre in the game. Utilizing Primal Reversion will enable you to enjoy the unique bonuses associated with Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre.

Before proceeding, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with the counters and weaknesses of both Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre. Additionally, knowing how to acquire Primal Energy is vital, as this energy is required for the transformation of these Pokémon into their Primal forms.

How to Obtain Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre in Pokémon Go

To acquire Primal Groudon or Primal Kyogre, you must perform Primal Reversion on either Groudon or Kyogre after gathering the necessary amount of Primal Energy. This process is akin to Mega Evolution, although it is exclusive to these two Pokémon.

Just like Mega Energy, you need to collect Primal Energy specific to either Groudon or Kyogre to initiate a Primal Reversion. For example, Primal Energy obtained from a Kyogre raid cannot be used for Groudon and vice versa.

The first-time Primal Reversion for either Groudon or Kyogre will require 400 Primal Energy. This action can be executed from your Pokémon storage, in raid lobbies, or while preparing for a battle.

Once you transform either Pokémon into its Primal form, it will remain in that state for eight hours unless you initiate Primal Reversion on another Pokémon. After this time, the Pokémon will revert to its original form and enter a cooldown period. During this period, the Primal Energy needed for the next Primal Reversion will gradually decrease based on the Pokémon’s Primal Level.

To increase a Groudon or Kyogre’s Primal Level, you must conduct Primal Reversion a specified number of times:

• Base Level – 1 Primal Reversion
• High Level – 7 Primal Reversions
• Max Level – 30 Primal Reversions

You can check the Primal Level of a Groudon or Kyogre by viewing its page in your Pokémon storage.

As the Primal Level increases, the amount of Primal Energy required for future revertions decreases:

• Base Level: 80 Primal Energy (7-day rest period)
• High Level: 40 Primal Energy (5-day rest period)
• Max Level: 20 Primal Energy (3-day rest period)

It’s important to note that these energy costs apply to each individual Groudon or Kyogre. Thus, if you increase the Primal Level of one Groudon, you will still need to use 400 Primal Energy for the first Primal Reversion of another Groudon.

Once in their Primal forms, both Groudon and Kyogre exhibit significantly enhanced stats, including CP, Attack, Defense, and Stamina. Moreover, you will enjoy various bonuses that increase as their Primal Level rises. You can utilize Primal Pokémon in various battles, including Gym battles, raids, and Trainer battles, but they cannot defend Gyms or participate in the Go Battle League outside of events.

Lastly, you can conduct Primal Reversion on shiny versions of Groudon and Kyogre!

Primal Groudon Counters, Weaknesses, and CP Level

Here’s what you need to know about Primal Groudon’s counters and weaknesses:

• Primal Groudon Raid CP: 92,860
• Type: Ground and Fire-type
• Double Weakness: Water-type attacks
• Weak Against: Ground-type attacks
• Resistances: Electric, Bug, Fairy, Fire, Poison, and Steel-types
• Best Mega Counters: Primal Kyogre with Origin Pulse, followed by Mega Swampert with Hydro Cannon.
• Best Counters: Kyogre, Gyarados, Swampert, Feraligatr, Greninja, and Samurott.
• Recommended Players: A minimum of five Level 40 trainers with maxed-out counters is advisable, ideally around 12 trainers for easier success.
• Tactics: Focus on exploiting Primal Groudon’s Water-type weakness. Gather friends, lead with Primal Kyogre, and deploy your strongest Water-type attackers!

Primal Kyogre Counters, Weaknesses, and CP Level

Below are the counters and weaknesses for Primal Kyogre:

• Primal Kyogre Raid CP: 92,860
• Type: Water
• Weak Against: Grass and Electric-type attacks
• Resistances: Fire, Ice, Steel, and Water-type attacks
• Best Mega Counters: Mega Sceptile, Mega Rayquaza, and Mega Venusaur, with Mega Sceptile being the most effective.
• Best Counters: Zarude, Zekrom, Shadow Raikou, Xurkitree, and Kartana. Focus on your strongest Shadows with Grass and Electric-type moves.
• Recommended Players: A minimum of five Level 40 trainers is needed, ideally around 13 trainers for a smoother battle.
• Tactics: Primal Kyogre is tougher, requiring a solid strategy. Load up on Mega Sceptile and your strongest counters, and be ready to switch teams if necessary.

Bonuses from Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre

When you perform Primal Reversion, you will receive several bonuses during the eight hours that Primal Groudon or Primal Kyogre remain active. The specifics of these bonuses depend on the Pokémon’s Primal Level, which increases with each Primal Reversion.

Primal Groudon Bonuses:

• Base Level: Catch Candy bonus, boosts Fire, Grass, and Ground-type attacks in raids, 7-day rest period, 80 Primal Energy required.
• High Level: Catch Candy bonus, Great Candy XL chance, Catch XP bonus, boosts Fire, Grass, and Ground-type attacks in raids, 5-day rest period, 40 Primal Energy required.
• Max Level: Enhanced Catch Candy bonus, Excellent Candy XL chance, Enhanced Catch XP bonus, boosts Fire, Grass, and Ground-type attacks in raids, 3-day rest period, 20 Primal Energy required.

Primal Kyogre Bonuses:

• Base Level: Catch Candy bonus, boosts Electric, Water, and Bug-type attacks in raids, 7-day rest period, 80 Primal Energy required.
• High Level: Catch Candy bonus, Great Candy XL chance, Catch XP bonus, boosts Electric, Water, and Bug-type attacks in raids, 5-day rest period, 40 Primal Energy required.
• Max Level: Enhanced Catch Candy bonus, Excellent Candy XL chance, Enhanced Catch XP bonus, boosts Electric, Water, and Bug-type attacks in raids, 3-day rest period, 20 Primal Energy required.

Keep in mind that you only receive these bonuses while Groudon and Kyogre are in their Primal forms. If you switch to another Pokémon for Primal Reversion, the bonuses will reset or change depending on which Pokémon you choose.

Which is Better: Primal Groudon or Primal Kyogre?

When considering which is superior between Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, both are equally powerful in terms of CP and stats. Depending on your preferences, you can focus on either Pokémon.

Here are the max CP Level and stats for both Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre:

• Max CP Level: 6,672
• Max Attack Stat: 353
• Max Defense Stat: 268
• Max Stamina Stat: 218

Consider the bonuses as well; if you prefer using Fire-type Pokémon in raids, focus on Primal Groudon. Conversely, if you favor Water-types, Primal Kyogre is your best bet. During the Go Tour: Hoenn event, however, it may be wise to prioritize Primal Kyogre first due to its effectiveness against Primal Groudon.

Featured Attacks of Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre

Any Groudon or Kyogre captured after completing a Primal Raid during the Go Tour: Hoenn will have an event-exclusive move that carries over after Primal Reversion.

Groudon will acquire the event-exclusive move Precipice Blade, a powerful ground-type charged attack with:

• Trainer Battles: 130 power
• Gyms and Raids: 130 power

Kyogre will learn Origin Pulse, a water-type charged attack with:

• Trainer Battles: 130 power
• Gyms and Raids: 130 power

Note that only Groudon and Kyogre captured during the Go Tour: Hoenn events will have these exclusive moves.

Additional Information about Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre

Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre were originally introduced in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, the remakes of the classic Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire games. The term “Primal” refers to their return to ancient forms by tapping into the power of nature.

In the original games, Primal Reversion required one of two orbs—the Blue Orb for Primal Kyogre and the Red Orb for Primal Groudon. Holding the correct orb would trigger their transformation, enhancing their stats.

Currently, Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre are likely the only Pokémon to utilize the Primal mechanic, as this feature was removed from the mainline series when Pokémon Sword and Shield were released. This change was influenced by efforts to introduce new mechanics with each generation, such as Terastal Pokémon in the latest installments.

Enjoy your battles with Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre!