How to do a Primal Reversion in Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go has plenty of mechanics that can only be used by specific Pokémon, with Primal Reversion being one of the most exclusive—only applying to Groudon and Kyogre. But what does Primal Reversion do in Pokémon Go?

First introduced to Pokémon Go during Go Tour: Hoenn in February 2023, Primal Reversion is a Mega Evolution-adjacent mechanic used to change Groudon into Primal Groudon and Kyogre into Mega Kyogre. This is mostly tied to time-limited Primal Raids and a resource called Primal Energy you need to collect to achieve these powerful transformations. 

How does Primal Reversion work in Pokémon Go?

You can access Primal Reversion for any Groudon or Kyogre you have captured in Pokémon Go by collecting Primal Energy through a few specific methods. Primal Reversion, just like Mega Evolution, is a transformation where Pokémon take on a new appearance, gain new abilities, and otherwise improve their performance in battle. 

In its game of origin, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, this meant giving a Groudon or Kyogre their specific Orb and activating the Primal Reversion during a battle. Primal Energy has replaced those items and allows you to achieve that Primal state in and out of battle for a set period once activated. 

Once you collect enough Primal Energy, you can use Primal Reversion on your Groudon or Kyogre—typically you need 400 Primal Energy to activate the reversion initially. 

Once in their Primal state, Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre will remain that way for eight hours before reverting to their base forms. There is also a rest period after your Primal Reversion ends, preventing you from immediately using it again. 

You will access Primal Reversion from your Groudon or Kyogre’s Pokémon Summary page, also showing you the exact amount of Primal Energy you need to use the feature. The more you use Primal Reversion on a specific Pokémon, the less Primal Energy you will need to use each time and the higher their Primal Level and the bonuses you receive from them will be.

All Primal Level and Primal Reversion gameplay bonuses in Pokémon Go

According to Niantic, Primal Levels are “a special type of bonus that is only active while a Pokémon has undergone Primal Reversion.” The Primal Level and bonuses provided increase as a Pokémon undergoes more Primal Reversions, and here is a breakdown of those bonuses alongside when you will see them increase.

• Raid Bonuses
  • If a Pokémon that has undergone Primal Reversion is on the field during a Raid, every Pokémon receives attack bonuses. They receive an additional boost if they match the weather change brought on by Primal Groudon or Primal Kyogre. 
• Reduced cost for Primal Reversion
  • The more you increase a Pokémon’s Primal Level, the less Primal Energy you need to use during a Primal Reversion. 
  • Rest periods post-Primal Reversion will also be decreased. 
• More Candy
  • As you increase a Pokémon’s Primal Level you will see bonuses like bonus catch Candy, increased chances of getting Candy XL, and a set amount of bonus XP.

Here is a breakdown of Primal Levels provided by the Pokémon Go wiki. But no official data has been provided by Niantic.