Party Hat Raticate appeared in Raid Battles in Pokémon Go in 2022. This is one of the special costumed Pokémon Niantic released as part of the Pokémon Go New Year event. To kickoff 2022, trainers were able to find Pokémon with more festive gear. This includes an adorable Hoothoot rocking a golden tuxedo and a Slowking with '2022' glasses on its head. While many of these Pokémon can be found in the wild, Party Hat Raticate needed to be defeated in battle.
It's important to mention that the Pokémon Go New Year event is over. It concluded on January 4th, and all the special Pokémon tied to the event disappeared with it. The only way to get it in the game now is by trading with another player who might have an extra one. That's what makes these costumed Pokémon so special. Since they only appear during special events, it's common for trainers to miss out on capturing them. Although, Party Hat Raticate will likely return to the game during the New Years' 2023 event. Trainers will still need to win the raid battle to capture it.
Fortunately, Party Hat Raticate isn't the most dangerous Pokémon in the world. In fact, many trainers can defeat it on their own if they'd like. However, most Raid Battles require multiple Pokémon Go players to have a chance at winning. In the case of Raticate, it's a mono-Normal-type Pokémon with average moves. The only thing that makes this version special is the party hat. This immediately turns it into a rare collector's item. Since it's a Normal-type, these are the best Pokémon to use to defeat it.
The Best Party Hat Raticate Counters in Pokémon Go
- Alakazam: Counter and Focus Blast.
- Blaziken: Counter and Blast Burn.
- Emboar: Low Kick and Focus Blast.
- Hariyama: Counter and Dynamic Punch.
- Heracross: Counter and Close Combat.
- Mewtwo: Confusion and Psystrike.
Because it's a Normal-type Pokémon, it's weak to only Fighting-type moves. As long as trainers use any Fighting-type moves, Party Hat Raticate will be pretty easy to defeat. It also has the chance to appear in its Shiny form. Although, finding one in the wild will have to wait until the next New Years' event. Fortunately, there are many upcoming events like the Pokémon Go Johto Tour. This event will finally add the remaining Shiny Pokémon of the Johto region into the game, including fan favorites like Phanpy and Hoppip. During limited-time events, it's valuable to capture as many event-exclusive Pokémon as possible. They can be useful for trading negotiations in the future.
Pokémon Go is available now on iOS and Android.