Quick facts
Species: Cresselia (Legendary)
Types: Psychic
Primary weaknesses: Bug, Ghost, Dark
Recommended lobby: 3–7 trainers
🌙 Cresselia Raid Guide in Pokémon GO
Cresselia is a Legendary Psychic-type Pokémon in Pokémon GO. It is famous for its incredible bulk and strong defensive stats, which make it one of the tankiest raid bosses in the game.
In this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about Cresselia raids, including its weaknesses, best counters, moveset, catch CP, weather boost, and the best strategy to defeat it efficiently.
Table of Contents
Weakness Best Pokemon Regular Counters Shadow Counters Mega Counters Moveset Weather Effects Size Rewards FAQs🧬 About Cresselia in Pokémon GO
Cresselia is a pure Psychic-type Legendary Pokémon from the Sinnoh region. While it is not a top-tier attacker in raids, it is extremely annoying to fight because of its high HP and Defense.
Cresselia is especially popular in:
- GO Battle League (PvP)
- Pokédex completion
- Legendary collection
Weaknesses & resistances
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| ❌ Weak To: |
 Bug •
 Ghost •
 Dark
|
| ✅ Resistant To: |
 Fighting •
 Psychic
|
| Notes | Cresselia is weak to Bug, Ghost, and Dark moves. Trainers can exploit these weaknesses to reduce battle time significantly. Its Psychic typing also resists Fighting and Psychic attacks, meaning that using the wrong counters can make the raid drag on. Planning your team around its vulnerabilities is key to success. |
🗡️ Best Counters for Cresselia
The best way to defeat Cresselia is to use Dark, Ghost, or Bug-type Pokémon.
👻 Ghost-type Counters
- Darkrai: (Shadow Ball)
- Chandelure: (Hex / Shadow Ball)
- Black Kyurem: (Shadow Claw)
🌑 Dark-type Counters
- Houndoom: (Snarl / Foul Play)
- Darkrai: (Snarl)
- Salamence: (Bite / Brutal Swing)
🐛 Bug-type Counters
- Scizor: (Fury Cutter / X-Scissor)
- Heracross: (Struggle Bug / Megahorn)
- Vikavolt: (Bug Bite / X-Scissor)
Best Mega Evolutions
Recommended Megas to use against Cresselia:
- Gengar, Banette, Alakazam – Ghost boost
- Rayquaza - Dragon boost
- Pinsir, Heracross, Scizor - Bug boost
- Alakazam - Psychic boost
- Tyranitar, Absol, Houndoom, Salamence – Dark boost
- Rayquaza - Flying boost
Difficulty
Unlike glass-cannon raid bosses, Cresselia survives longer and hits steadily. The challenge isn’t raw damage but managing sustained DPS over multiple charged attacks. Groups of mid-level trainers may need shields and coordination, while large groups can brute-force it—but efficiency comes from picking the right counters.
Best Regular Counters
Regular pokemon that amplify the right types give you a powerful edge. Below are top Regular counters with short notes on why they excel.
| Pokémon | Fast Moves | Charged Moves | Elite Moves | Best Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zacian | Metal Claw / Air Slash | Play Rough / Close Combat / Giga Impact / Behemoth Blade | - | Air Slash (12) and Giga Impact / Behemoth Blade (200) |
| Black Kyurem | Shadow Claw / Dragon Tail | Stone Edge / Blizzard / Iron Head / Outrage / Fusion Bolt / Freeze Shock | - | Dragon Tail (14) and Freeze Shock (160) |
| Lunala | Air Slash / Shadow Claw / Confusion | Shadow Ball / Psychic / Future Sight / Moonblast | - | Confusion (19) and Moonblast (130) |
| Blacephalon | Astonish / Incinerate | Shadow Ball / Mystical Fire / Overheat | Mind Blown | Incinerate (32) and Overheat (160) |
| Darkrai | Snarl / Feint Attack | Focus Blast / Shadow Ball / Dark Pulse | Sludge Bomb | Snarl / Feint Attack (11) and Focus Blast (140) |
| Chandelure | Hex / Fire Spin / Incinerate | Shadow Ball / Overheat / Flame Charge / Energy Ball | Poltergeist | Incinerate (32) and Overheat (160) |
| Dawn Wings Necrozma | Shadow Claw / Metal Claw / Psycho Cut | Dark Pulse / Iron Head / Future Sight / Outrage / Moongeist Beam | - | Shadow Claw / Metal Claw (6) and Moongeist Beam (230) |
Best Shadow Counters
Shadow pokemon that amplify the right types give you a powerful edge. Below are top Shadow counters with short notes on why they excel.
| Pokémon | Fast Moves | Charged Moves | Elite Moves | Best Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Chandelure | Hex / Fire Spin / Incinerate | Shadow Ball / Overheat / Flame Charge / Energy Ball | Poltergeist | Incinerate (32) and Overheat (160) |
| Shadow Darkrai | Snarl / Feint Attack | Focus Blast / Shadow Ball / Dark Pulse | Sludge Bomb | Snarl / Feint Attack (11) and Focus Blast (140) |
| Shadow Tyranitar | Iron Tail / Bite / Dragon Breath | Stone Edge / Fire Blast / Crunch / Brutal Swing | Smack Down | Iron Tail (14) and Fire Blast (140) |
| Shadow Hydreigon | Dragon Breath / Bite | Fly / Flash Cannon / Dragon Pulse / Dark Pulse | Brutal Swing | Dragon Breath / Bite (6) and Flash Cannon (100) |
| Shadow Gengar | Hex / Shadow Claw / Sucker Punch | Focus Blast / Drain Punch / Sludge Bomb / Shadow Ball | Lick / Sludge Wave / Shadow Punch / Psychic / Dark Pulse | Hex (8) and Focus Blast (140) |
| Shadow Absol | Psycho Cut / Snarl | Megahorn / Thunder / Dark Pulse / Payback | Brutal Swing | Snarl (11) and Megahorn (105) |
| Shadow Weavile | Ice Shard / Feint Attack / Snarl | Focus Blast / Avalanche / Triple Axel / Foul Play | - | Feint Attack / Snarl (11) and Focus Blast (140) |
| Shadow Mewtwo | Psycho Cut / Confusion | Focus Blast / Flamethrower / Thunderbolt / Psychic / Ice Beam | Hyper Beam / Shadow Ball / Psystrike | Confusion (19) and Hyper Beam (150) |
| Shadow Vikavolt | Mud Slap / Bug Bite / Spark | Fly / X-Scissor / Discharge / Crunch | - | Mud Slap (19) and Fly (90) |
| Shadow Salamence | Fire Fang / Dragon Tail / Bite | Fly / Fire Blast / Hydro Pump / Draco Meteor / Brutal Swing / Crunch | Outrage | Dragon Tail (14) and Draco Meteor (150) |
| Shadow Houndoom | Fire Fang / Snarl | Fire Blast / Flamethrower / Crunch / Foul Play | - | Fire Fang (13) and Fire Blast (140) |
| Shadow Scizor | Fury Cutter / Bullet Punch | X-Scissor / Iron Head / Trailblaze / Night Slash | - | Bullet Punch (10) and Trailblaze (65) |
Best Mega Counters
Mega pokemon that amplify the right types give you a powerful edge. Below are top Mega counters with short notes on why they excel.
| Pokémon | Fast Moves | Charged Moves | Elite Moves | Best Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Tyranitar | Iron Tail / Dragon Breath / Bite | Stone Edge / Fire Blast / Crunch / Brutal Swing | Smack Down | Iron Tail (14) and Fire Blast (140) |
| Mega Gengar | Hex / Shadow Claw / Sucker Punch | Focus Blast / Drain Punch / Sludge Bomb / Shadow Ball | Lick / Sludge Wave / Shadow Punch / Psychic / Dark Pulse | Hex (8) and Focus Blast (140) |
| Mega Houndoom | Fire Fang / Snarl | Fire Blast / Flamethrower / Crunch / Foul Play | - | Fire Fang (13) and Fire Blast (140) |
| Mega Absol | Psycho Cut / Snarl | Megahorn / Thunder / Dark Pulse / Payback | Brutal Swing | Snarl (11) and Megahorn (105) |
| Mega Rayquaza | Air Slash / Dragon Tail | Aerial Ace / Dragon Ascent / Ancient Power / Outrage | Hurricane / Breaking Swipe | Dragon Tail (14) and Dragon Ascent (140) |
| Mega Scizor | Fury Cutter / Bullet Punch | Iron Head / X-Scissor / Trailblaze / Night Slash | - | Bullet Punch (10) and Trailblaze (65) |
| Mega Banette | Hex / Shadow Claw | Shadow Ball / Thunder / Dazzling Gleam | - | Hex (8) and Shadow Ball / Thunder / Dazzling Gleam (100) |
| Mega Pinsir | Rock Smash / Bug Bite / Fury Cutter | Vise Grip / Close Combat / Superpower / X-Scissor | Submission | Rock Smash (17) and Close Combat (105) |
| Mega Alakazam | Psycho Cut / Confusion | Focus Blast / Shadow Ball / Fire Punch / Future Sight | Counter / Psychic / Dazzling Gleam | Confusion (19) and Focus Blast (140) |
| Mega Heracross | Counter / Struggle Bug | Close Combat / Upper Hand / Earthquake / Rock Blast / Megahorn | - | Struggle Bug (15) and Earthquake (140) |
| Mega Salamence | Fire Fang / Dragon Tail / Bite | Fly / Fire Blast / Hydro Pump / Draco Meteor / Brutal Swing / Crunch | Outrage | Dragon Tail (14) and Draco Meteor (150) |
🌀 Cresselia Moveset
Cresselia common fast moves are Confusion or Psycho Cut. Charged moves include Future Sight or Aurora Beam or Moonblast. Elite moves include Grass Knot.
Most dangerous moveset: Confusion + Moonblast or Future Sight
🌦️ Weather Boost
Cresselia gets a weather boost in:
- Windy weather (boosts Psychic)
Your counters get boosted in:
- Foggy → Dark and Ghost-types
- Rainy → Bug-types
Recommended Teams
🌑 Dark / 👻 Ghost Team
- Mega Tyranitar
- Mega Gengar
- Hydreigon
- Darkrai
- Giratina (Origin)
- Chandelure
💡 Best Strategy to Defeat Cresselia
- Use Dark or Ghost-type Pokémon for best damage
- Avoid Fighting and Psychic types
- Dodge Moonblast if possible (it hits very hard)
- Use Mega Pokémon to boost team damage
- Raid with friends for faster and safer clears
👥 How Many Trainers Are Needed?
- 2 very strong trainers → Possible, but difficult
- 3–4 trainers → Comfortable clear
- Low-level players → Bring at least 5–6 trainers
Rewards
Reasons include Pokédex entry, strong Psychic attacker, shiny chance, and XL Candy farming.
📌 Is Cresselia Worth Raiding?
Cresselia is a collector and utility raid. Trainers raid for shiny hunting, XP farming, and to gain XL Candy for powering up top-tier Dark, Ghost, and Bug Pokémon. Its high HP and sustained damage also make it a fun and strategic raid for advanced trainers who enjoy planning and coordination.
PvP Relevance
While Cresselia isn’t top tier in PvP, it’s a fun spice pick. Cresselia shines more in raids and PvE content.
FAQ
Can Cresselia be shiny in Pokémon GO?
Shiny Cresselia has been released in raids or events.
What are best moveset of Cresselia?
Best moveset of Cresselia are Confusion which does damage of 19 under Fast Attack and Moonblast of 130 under Charged Attack.
Are Shadow Pokémon better?
Yes—Shadow forms have +20% attack, making them excellent choices if available.
What is the best weather to raid Cresselia?
Foggy weather to boosts Dark and Ghost type counters, Cloudy weather to boosts Bug types counters.
🏁 Conclusion
Cresselia is a longer, endurance-focused raid. Pick counters that exploit its Psychic weaknesses, consider weather boosts, and plan around shields to survive charged moves. Even casual trainers can succeed with proper preparation, but the true challenge is maximizing efficiency while keeping your squad alive.
Related Guides
Looking for more counters? Check out our Mega Gengar Raid Guide, Mega Tyranitar Raid Guide, Mega Absol Raid Guide