Shadow Lugia is available in Pokémon GO for players to find and capture. Team GO Rocket is back to their old tricks, and Giovanni returns with an entirely new set of Pokémon to battle. Shadow Lugia has been part of the Pokémon series since the release of Pokémon Colosseum for the Nintendo Gamecube. In that title, Shadow Lugia received an exclusive black design. Players have been able to catch Lugia in Pokémon GO before, but this is the first time it appears with its shadowy aura. To obtain one, players will first need to locate and defeat Giovanni.
Finding and defeating Giovanni is part of the Misunderstood Mischief Special Research in Pokémon GO. It was originally dedicated to introducing Hoopa, but, as more tasks become available, the story has spun into something different. Upon completing Step 15 of Misunderstood Mischief, players will be tasked with defeating the Team GO Rocket boss.
Players will be able to find Giovanni after obtaining a Super Rocket Radar in Pokémon GO. Players can obtain this item in Step 15 of the Misunderstood Mischief Special Research questline, after defeating three Team GO Rocket Admins. When players engage him, Giovanni will come to the battle with several different Pokémon, depending on the encounter.
Defeat Giovanni to Get Shadow Lugia in Pokémon GO
Giovanni will have three different Pokémon with him during his encounter in Pokémon GO's Misunderstood Mischief Research quest, and the second one will be different with each battle. His lineup includes the following, in order:
- Persian
- Rhyperior, Kingler, or Nidoking
- Shadow Lugia
The best counters for bringing him down include:
- Persian: A Pokémon with Fighting-type moves, like Hariyama or Machamp
- Rhyperior: A Pokémon with either Grass- or Water-type attacks like Torterra or Swampert
- Kingler: A Pokémon with Grass- and Electric-type attacks like Zapdos or Torterra
- Nidoking: A Pokémon with Ground-, Ice-, Water-, and Psychic-type attacks like Excadrill or Kyogre
- Lugia: Two Pokémon with Rock-, Electric-, Ghost-, Dark-, or Ice-type moves like Rhyperior or Tyranitar
Players will need to plan their moves carefully and ensure they have Pokémon that can break down Giovanni's two shields as well. Options can include Crunch, Smack Down, Hydro Cannon, and Power-up Punch.
After beating Giovanni in Pokémon GO, players will be given the chance to capture their own Shadow Lugia. At this point, it should be a guaranteed catch, but players can use a Razz Berry and Curveballs to increase their chances of landing their ball. Players can then opt to purify Lugia to return it to its normal form or leave it in its Shadow form permanently.
Pokémon GO is available now on iOS and Android.