Pokémon Go Ultra Unlock: Raid Battle cheat sheet and when to expect Mega Lucario

As is expected by now, this will introduce rare Pokémon and give you a chance to add them to your collection.

With plenty of event bonuses to boot, and Field Research for those going above and beyond, it's going to be quite the bonanza.

Intrigued? Let's take a deep dive into Pokémon Go Ultra Unlock, and find out exactly what to expect.

Pokémon Go Ultra Unlock event schedule explained

As has happened with previous Pokémon Go events, this will take place across multiple days, with different things happening at different times. So don't expect it all to be the same throughout the whole period!

Let's take a look at the schedule:

Ultra Unlock: Better Together

The Better Together section of Ultra Unlock will take place from Wednesday 17th July at 10am to Monday 22nd July 2024 at 8pm local time.

In this event (which begins today!) you'll be able to catch Tandemaus in Party Play encounters, and 50 Tandemaus Candy to evolve it into Maushold.

Event bonuses include the following:

• 4× Catch XP
• 2× Catch Candy
• Friendship levels increase faster when opening Gifts, trading Pokémon, and battling together

Event-themed Research tasks will of course be available, adding even more Pokémon encounters (you'll already be encountering more in the wild than usual in the event).

Tandemaus hoodies and slippers will be available for your avatar, too!

Ultra Unlock: Strength of Steel

The Strength of Steel section begins on Thursday 25th July, and ends on Tuesday 30th July 2024 at 8pm local time.

The event bonuses for this section are the following:

• More Candy XL for catching Pokémon for Trainers over level 31
• More likely for Trainers over level 31 to receive Candy XL catching Pokémon with Nice Throws or better
• More Candy for Nice Throws or better
• 3× Stardust for catching Pokémon

Also expect Field Research task rewards, Timed Research, Collection Challenges and more!

Mega Lucario Raid Day

Within these events is a specific day in which Mega Lucario will be available in Raids.

This will be on Saturday 27th July 2024 from 11am to 5pm local time.

It's the first time Mega Lucario will appear in Mega Raids, and there's a possibility you'll get a Shiny!

Also a part of this Raid Day are the following extras:

• Lucario Mask avatar with early access
• Five more free Raid Passes from spinning Gym Photo Disc
• 1.5× more XP from Raid Battles
• Higher chance to get Rare Candy XL from in-person Raid Battles

Pokémon Go Ultra Unlock raid battle cheat sheet: All weaknesses and counters

A variety of Pokémon will appear far more frequently during the event's 5-Star Raids.

To help you successfully catch them, we'll list them below and share their weaknesses and the best counters to use against them.

Let's start with the main event!

Mega Lucario

• When: 11am to 5pm on 27th July
• Type: Fighting, Steel
• Weakness: Fire, Fighting, Ground
• Best counters: Mega Charizard Y, Mega Blaziken, Reshiram

Hisuian Growlithe

• When: 10am 17th July to 8pm 22nd July
• Type: Fire, Rock
• Weaknesses: Ground, Water, Fighting, Rock
• Best counters: Mamoswine, Terrakion

Alolan Grimer

• When: 10am 17th July to 8pm 22nd July
• Type: Poison, Dark
• Weaknesses: Ground, Water, Fighting, Rock
• Best counters: Mamoswine, Terrakion

Unown

• When: 10am 17th July to 8pm 22nd July
• Type: Psychic
• Weaknesses: Bug, Ghost, Dark
• Best counters: Pheromosa, Gengar

Hisuian Typhlosion

• When: 10am 17th July to 8pm 22nd July
• Type: Fire
• Weaknesses: Ground, Rock, Water
• Best counters: Rampardos, Kingler

Hisuian Samurott

• When: 10am 17th July to 8pm 22nd July
• Type: Water
• Weaknesses: Grass, Electric
• Best counters: Kartana, Xurkitree

Hisuian Decidueye

• When: 10am 17th July to 8pm 22nd July
• Type: Grass and Ghost
• Weaknesses: Flying, Ghost, Fire, Ice, Dark
• Best counters: Darmanitan (Galarian Zen), Reshiram

Skarmory

• When: 10am 25th July to 8pm 30th July
• Type: Steel and Flying
• Weaknesses: Fire and Electric
• Best counters: Reshiram, Xurkitree

Klink

• When: 10am 25th July to 8pm 30th July
• Type: Steel
• Weaknesses: Fighting, Ground, Fire
• Best counters: Reshiram, Terrakion

Pawniard

• When: 10am 25th July to 8pm 30th July
• Type: Dark and Steel
• Weaknesses: Fighting, Ground, Fire
• Best counters: Terrakion, Pheromosa

Togedemaru

• When: 10am 25th July to 8pm 30th July
• Type: Electric and Steel
• Weaknesses: Fighting, Ground, Fire
• Best counters: Landorus (Therian), Mamoswine

Steelix

• When: 10am 25th July to 8pm 30th July
• Type: Ground and Steel
• Weaknesses: Fighting, Ground, Fire, Water
• Best counters: Reshiram, Terrakion

Scizor

• When: 10am 25th July to 8pm 30th July
• Type: Bug and Steel
• Weaknesses: Fire
• Best counters: Reshiram, Chandelure

Mawile

• When: 10am 25th July to 8pm 30th July
• Type: Fairy and Steel
• Weaknesses: Fire and Ground
• Best counters: Reshiram, Chandelure

Aggron

• When: 10am 25th July to 8pm 30th July
• Type: Rock and Steel
• Weaknesses: Fighting, Ground, Water
• Best counters: Terrakion, Pheromosa

What else to expect from Pokémon Go Ultra Unlock event

As usual, there will be plenty of Pokémon that will appear more frequently in random encounters during these events.

There's always a chance of a Shiny, too!

However, it'll be a different batch of Pokémon for each of the sub-events.

The following will appear more frequently during Ultra Unlock: Better Together, from 17th to 22nd July 2024:

• Vulpix
• Alolan Vulpix
• Diglett
• Alolan Diglett
• Meowth
• Alolan Meowth
• Galarian Meowth
• Exeggcute
• Wooper
• Paldean Wooper
• Zigzagoon
• Galarian Zigzagoon
• Combee
• Binacle
• Alolan Exeggutor
• Magneton
• Klink

The following will appear more frequently during Ultra Unlock: Strength of Steel, from 25th to 30th July 2024:

• Alolan Sandshrew
• Magnemite
• Pineco
• Nosepass
• Aron
• Beldum
• Bronzor
• Ferroseed
• Galarian Stunfisk
• Togedemaru
• Onix
• Scyther
• Skarmory
• Klink

And let's not forget the Pokémon you'll encounter when you complete Field Research tasks.

You'll encounter the following when you complete Field Research tasks during Ultra Unlock: Better Together, from 17th to 22nd July 2024:

• Slowpoke
• Galarian Slowpoke
• Voltorb
• Hisuian Voltorb
• Koffing
• Combee
• Darumaka
• Galarian Darumaka
• Vanillite
• Deino
• Tandemaus

You'll encounter the following when you complete Field Research tasks during Ultra Unlock: Strength of Steel, from 25th to 30th July 2024:

• Beldum
• Klink
• Togedemaru
• Steelix
• Scizor
• Aggron

There will be free Timed Research with Better Together, and Timed Research with Strength of Steel.

That's all the information we have on the Ultra Unlock events. Enjoy!

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