The best moveset for Xerneas in Pokémon Go

Xerneas is a powerful Legendary Pokémon you can encounter in Pokémon Go. You can typically find it in five-star raids, but it only appears for a short amount of time. When you do catch it, you want to get the most out of this Pokémon by teaching it a powerful moveset.

The attacks you teach Xerneas are critical to ensure it can do a good amount of damage to its opponent. As a Legendary Pokémon, Xerneas has the chance to be one of the better choices you can use in PvE and PvP content against other players, including in the Master League. Here’s what you need to know about the best moveset to teach Xernas in Pokémon Go.

Xerneas’ best moveset in Pokémon Go

There are clear choices for what moves to teach Xerneas in Pokémon Go. These attacks are the fast move Geomancy and the charged moves Close Combat and Moonblast. You want to lean into Xerneas being a Fairy-type Pokémon, making it the perfect counter to nearly any Dragon-type Pokémon.

Xerneas has several fast move attacks to pick from, such as Geomancy, Tackle, and Zen Headbutt. Of these three, Geomancy is the best choice, even if it doesn’t do the most damage. Both Tackle and Zen Headbutt do far more damage than Geomancy, but the amount of energy it generates makes Geomancy a worthwhile choice, enabling you to unleash Xerneas’ charged moves far more often—which is where the real damage is during a Pokémon Go battle. Plus, Geomancy is a Fairy-type move, and the attack receives a bonus because Xerneas is Fairy-type.

Next, Xerneas can pick from multiple charged attacks. Here’s the full breakdown of every charged attack Xerneas can learn in Pokémon Go.

• Close Combat (Fighting-type)
• Giga Impact (Normal-type)
• Megahorn (Bug-type)
• Moonblast (Fairy-type)
• Thunder (Electric-type)

Between these five options, Close Combat and Moonblast are your best bet. The major weakness for Xerneas are Steel-type Pokémon, and Close Combat is an excellent choice to prevent them from knocking it out of a fight. Unfortunately, Close Combat does cause a debuff to Xerneas, but it’s worth it to dispatch any Steel-type Pokémon your opponent might use. The second choice, Moonblast, is a high-powered Fairy-type move perfect for taking out any Dragon-type Pokémon you’re fighting. The other three choices, such as Megahorn, are solid and could be argued as situational moves, but Close Combat and Moonblast are by far the best options.

Is Xerneas good in Pokémon Go?

Xerneas is one of the best Master League Pokémon you can use in Pokémon Go, especially when fighting against other players. It’s an ideal counter when fighting against some of the most-used Pokémon in those competitions, such as Dragonite, Excadrill, Dialga, Lugia, and Giratina. Outside the Battle League, Xerneas is a powerful Fairy-type Pokémon ideal for competing in five-star or Mega Raids, or facing off against any Team Rocket member.