See every boss in rotation today, with 100% CP and weaknesses, on the current Pokémon GO raids page.
Palkia is a Water / Dragon Legendary that appears in five-star raids. It is weak only to Dragon and Fairy attacks, and a 100% IV Palkia from a raid is 2280 CP, or 2850 CP when weather boosted.
This Palkia raid guide covers which counters to bring, how many players you need, and why Windy weather is the best case for both the fight and the catch.
When Palkia Is in Raids
Palkia is in five-star raids from Wednesday, October 21, 12:00 a.m. to Tuesday, October 27, 11:59 p.m. local time, according to the official events calendar. Its Raid Hour is Wednesday, October 21, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. See the October 2026 Raid Hours guide for the rest of the month’s Legendaries, and the October 2026 Spotlight Hour schedule for Thursdays.
See the official events calendar for the current listing.
Palkia Weaknesses and Confirmed Details
- Type: Water / Dragon.
- Weak to: Dragon and Fairy. Each deals 1.6x damage.
- Resists: Steel. Fire and Water deal even less damage.
- Weather boost for the catch: Rainy and Windy.
- Best attacking types are boosted by: Windy (Dragon) and Cloudy (Fairy). See the weather boost guide for the full mapping.
What isn’t stated
- The official listing says only “Palkia” and doesn’t name a forme. Check the raid screen. The numbers in this guide are for standard Palkia, not Origin Forme.
- The listing doesn’t say whether Shiny odds are higher than a normal five-star raid.
- There is no official list of the raid boss’s moves. You see them when Palkia uses them in battle.
- Whether Halloween 2026 Part I, which starts October 27, changes raids on Palkia’s last day.
Best Palkia Counters
Community simulations from GO Hub rank Dragon attackers far ahead of everything else, with Fairy a distant second. These are the top ten from their counters list:
| # | Counter | Fast Move | Charged Move | Type of damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mega Rayquaza | Dragon Tail | Breaking Swipe | Dragon |
| 2 | Eternatus | Dragon Tail | Dynamax Cannon | Dragon |
| 3 | Mega Dragonite | Dragon Tail | Outrage | Dragon |
| 4 | Mega Garchomp | Dragon Tail | Breaking Swipe | Dragon |
| 5 | Mega Mewtwo Y | Psycho Cut | Future Sight | Psychic |
| 6 | Mega Salamence | Dragon Tail | Draco Meteor | Dragon |
| 7 | Mega Gardevoir | Charm | Dazzling Gleam | Fairy |
| 8 | Shadow Garchomp | Dragon Tail | Breaking Swipe | Dragon |
| 9 | Shadow Haxorus | Dragon Tail | Breaking Swipe | Dragon |
| 10 | Shadow Palkia | Dragon Tail | Draco Meteor | Dragon |
Counter rankings are from the GO Hub Palkia counters database. Mega Mewtwo Y’s Psychic moves are not super effective against Palkia. It ranks on raw stats.
Easier-to-build Palkia counters
If you don’t have the Pokémon above, these options also rank in GO Hub’s top 30:
| Counter | Fast Move | Charged Move | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garchomp | Dragon Tail | Breaking Swipe | No Mega or Shadow needed |
| Shadow Salamence | Dragon Tail | Draco Meteor | Shadow |
| Shadow Dragonite | Dragon Tail | Outrage | Shadow |
| Baxcalibur | Dragon Breath | Glaive Rush | No Mega or Shadow needed |
| Haxorus | Dragon Tail | Breaking Swipe | No Mega or Shadow needed |
| Mega Latios | Dragon Breath | Dragon Claw | Mega |
| Mega Latias | Dragon Breath | Outrage | Mega |
| Mega Sceptile | Fury Cutter | Breaking Swipe | Mega |
Regular (non-Shadow) Dragonite and Salamence still deal super effective damage, but they rank lower, so plan on bringing an extra player or two. For why the Shadow versions hit harder, see Shadow vs. Purified.
What the Community Has Documented
- Group size: GO Hub’s counters database puts the minimum at 2 trainers with top counters and 3 to 5 as comfortable. Its raid guide is more cautious: 3 to 5 high-level players, or 6 to 9 if your counters are lower level.
- Estimates, not guarantees: GO Hub notes its faint and time-to-win numbers leave out Friendship and Mega damage boosts, so a real lobby usually goes faster than the simulation.
- Possible moves: GO Hub lists Palkia’s moves as Dragon Tail and Dragon Breath, plus Aqua Tail, Hydro Pump, Draco Meteor and Fire Blast. Dragon counters take super effective damage from Palkia’s Dragon moves, so expect to rejoin more often. Fairy counters resist Dragon moves entirely.
- Shiny odds: GO Hub reports Shiny Palkia is available. Players have long reported Shiny Legendary raid odds of roughly 1 in 20.
- IV floor: raid catches are widely reported to have at least 10 in each IV. That puts an unboosted Palkia between 2190 and 2280 CP, and a boosted one between 2737 and 2850 CP.
Practical Application: Raid Palkia on a Windy Day
Most Legendaries make you choose between boosting your team and boosting the catch. Palkia doesn’t, if the weather is Windy.
Example: it’s Windy. Windy boosts Dragon attacks, so your Garchomp and Salamence hit harder. Windy also boosts Palkia, so your catch is Level 25 with a maximum of 2850 CP. On a Cloudy day, your Fairy counters get boosted but the catch is Level 20 with a maximum of 2280 CP. Rainy weather boosts the catch but none of the best counters.
A few rules follow from this:
- Check the forecast for Wednesday, October 21. If it’s Windy during the Raid Hour, that’s the best case for both damage and CP.
- Bring Dragons, and bring extras. They deal the most damage, but Palkia’s Dragon moves hit them hard. Fill your second team with Dragons too, so you don’t drop to weaker counters after a faint.
- Add Fairy if your Dragons keep fainting. Mega Gardevoir resists Palkia’s Dragon moves and lasts much longer, at a lower damage rate.
- Use your Mega first. A Mega Evolution boosts damage for everyone in the lobby, so activate it before joining.
- Check CP on the catch screen. 2280 (or 2850 when boosted) is a 100% IV Palkia. Use a Golden Razz Berry if you see it.
If you raided Dialga last week, the Dialga raid guide covers its counters. Most of them are Fighting and Ground, so they won’t help here.
Tracking Your Palkia Catches
After a Raid Hour it is easy to lose track of which Palkia was the high-IV one, which you planned to power up, and which to transfer.
A tracker like GoDex helps. Scan a catch screenshot to read CP and IVs, tag the keeper, and mark a Shiny as soon as you get one.
A scan also shows PvP rank. A Palkia with high IVs is great for raids but can rank poorly in Ultra League, where a low Attack IV scores better.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Palkia weak to in Pokémon GO? Dragon and Fairy attacks only.
What is the best Palkia counter? GO Hub’s simulations rank Mega Rayquaza first. Without Megas or Legendaries, Shadow Garchomp, Shadow Haxorus and Garchomp rank highly.
What is the 100% IV CP for Palkia? 2280 CP without weather boost, and 2850 CP in Rainy or Windy weather.
When is the Palkia Raid Hour? Wednesday, October 21, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. Palkia stays in five-star raids until October 27.
How many players do you need for Palkia? At least 2 with top counters. Three to five is more comfortable, and six or more if your counters are lower level.
Can Palkia be Shiny? Community sources report Shiny Palkia is available. Odds for Legendary raids are reported at about 1 in 20.
Key Takeaways
- Bring Dragon counters, with backups. They deal the most damage but faint quickly.
- Use Fairy to stay in the fight longer. Fairy types resist Palkia’s Dragon moves.
- Hope for Windy weather: it boosts your Dragons and raises the catch CP to 2850.
- Look for 2280 or 2850 CP on the catch screen to spot a 100% IV Palkia.
We do our best to keep these guides accurate, but Pokémon GO mechanics change often. If you spot a mistake or something that's out of date, please send us feedback — we'll fix it.
About GoDex
A free companion app for tracking your collection, scanning IVs from screenshots, and checking PVP rankings. Available on iOS and Android.
