Pokémon Go Xerneas counters, weaknesses and moveset explained

Xerneas, the life Pokémon, is one of the legendary Pokémon introduced in Gen 6 and is now available in Pokémon Go. To successfully add this majestic stag to your collection, understanding Xerneas’s counters and weaknesses is essential before engaging it in battle. You can also catch a shiny Xerneas in the game!

As with all legendary Pokémon, Xerneas appears in five-star raids. To enhance your chances of defeating it, teaming up with a group of trainers is highly recommended. Thanks to the availability of Remote Raid passes, you can conveniently join raids from home.

Xerneas Counters and Weaknesses

Understanding Xerneas’s weaknesses and effective counters will greatly aid in defeating it:

• Type: Fairy-type
• Weak Against: Poison and Steel-type attacks
• Resistant To: Bug, Dark, and Fighting-type attacks
• Super-Resistant To: Dragon-type attacks
• Mega Counters: Mega Gengar, Mega Rayquaza, and Mega Beedrill
• Non-Mega Counters: Dusk Mane Necrozma is the top counter. Shadow and regular Metagross, along with Shadow Excadrill, Nihilego, and Shadow Gengar, are also excellent choices.
• Recommended Number of Trainers: Ideally, you will want three to seven trainers, depending on their levels and counters.
• Tactics: Utilize strong Steel-type attackers, as many players have access to at least one Metagross. The more trainers involved, the better, but if you lack Steel-types, prioritize your strongest Pokémon before considering Poison-types, which may be less durable.

Xerneas CP

When battling or attempting to catch Xerneas in Pokémon Go, here are the expected CP ranges:

• Raid Boss CP: 45,899 CP
• CP When Being Caught: Ranges from 2073 to 2160 CP
• Weather Boosted CP (Cloudy): Ranges from 2591 to 2701 CP

Xerneas Moveset

Xerneas’s optimal moveset in Pokémon Go includes Geomancy (Fast Move) and Giga Impact (Charged Move). Note that Geomancy is a Legacy move, so you’ll need to either catch a Xerneas with this move or use an Elite Fast TM.

Xerneas can utilize various Fast and Charged moves, including:

Fast Moves:

• Tackle (Normal)
• Zen Headbutt (Psychic)

Legacy Fast Moves:

• Geomancy (Fairy)

Charged Moves:

• Close Combat (Fighting)
• Giga Impact (Normal)
• Megahorn (Grass)
• Moonblast (Fairy)
• Thunder (Electric)

All About Xerneas

Xerneas serves as the mascot for Pokémon X and, alongside Yveltal and Zygarde, is part of the Aura Trio from the Kalos region. Xerneas and Yveltal are counterparts; Xerneas embodies life, while Yveltal represents death.

Xerneas possesses the ability to grant life through its horns, and at the end of its lifespan, it releases this energy before transforming into a grand tree, where it will rest for 1,000 years. The design of Xerneas draws inspiration from a stag, with its antlers possibly influenced by the Eucaldoceros, an extinct deer species known for its impressive branching antlers.

Good luck in your quest to catch Xerneas in Pokémon Go!