Pokémon GO Raid Battle Tips: Which Pokémon to use in a Tapu Fini Raid, how to make the most of Premier Balls and Berries, and what to do with Tapu Fini once you’ve caught it

Tapu Fini is a Water- and Fairy-type Legendary Pokémon originally discovered in the Alola region. This guardian deity of Poni Island can control water, and the dense fog it creates brings the downfall and destruction of its confused enemies. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Tapu Fini, how to catch Tapu Fini after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Land Spirit Pokémon after you’ve caught it.

As a Water- and Fairy-type Pokémon, Tapu Fini is vulnerable to Grass-, Electric-, and Poison-type attacks. When selecting Pokémon for your Tapu Fini Raid Battle lineup, it helps to choose Pokémon that have a Fast Attack and a Charged Attack of one of these types if you want to deal as much damage as possible. It’s not necessary to choose only Grass-, Electric-, or Poison-type Pokémon, but a Pokémon that shares a type with these attacks will benefit from a same-type attack bonus, which will allow these attacks to deal an additional 20% damage.

If you have multiple Pokémon that know Grass-, Electric-, or Poison-type attacks, choose the Pokémon with the highest CP and best overall stats. Remember that speed of victory affects how many Premier Balls you will receive at the conclusion of a successful Raid Battle, so bring your strongest Pokémon and defeat Tapu Fini as quickly as you can.

• Venusaur / Mega Venusaur / Shadow Venusaur (Grass/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Razor Leaf (Grass), Vine Whip (Grass)

  • Charged Attack: Frenzy Plant (Grass)*, Petal Blizzard (Grass), Solar Beam (Grass)

• Victreebel / Shadow Victreebel (Grass/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Acid (Poison), Razor Leaf (Grass)

  • Charged Attack: Acid Spray (Poison), Leaf Blade (Grass), Leaf Tornado (Grass), Sludge Bomb (Poison), Solar Beam (Grass)

• Mega Sceptile (Grass/Dragon)

  • Fast Attack: Bullet Seed (Grass)

  • Charged Attack: Frenzy Plant (Grass)*, Leaf Blade (Grass)

• Tangrowth / Shadow Tangrowth (Grass)

  • Fast Attack: Vine Whip (Grass)

  • Charged Attack: Power Whip (Grass), Solar Beam (Grass)

• Kartana (Grass/Steel)

  • Fast Attack: Razor Leaf (Grass)

  • Charged Attack: Leaf Blade (Grass)

• Zarude (Dark/Grass)

  • Fast Attack: Vine Whip (Grass)

  • Charged Attack: Energy Ball (Grass), Power Whip (Grass)

• Raikou / Shadow Raikou (Electric)

  • Fast Attack: Thunder Shock (Electric), Volt Switch (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Thunder (Electric), Thunderbolt (Electric), Wild Charge (Electric)

• Manectric / Mega Manectric (Electric)

  • Fast Attack: Charge Beam (Electric), Thunder Fang (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Thunder (Electric), Wild Charge (Electric)

• Magnezone / Shadow Magnezone (Electric/Steel)

  • Fast Attack: Charge Beam (Electric), Spark (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Wild Charge (Electric), Zap Cannon (Electric)

• Electivire / Shadow Electivire (Electric)

  • Fast Attack: Thunder Shock (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Thunder (Electric), Thunder Punch (Electric), Wild Charge (Electric)

• Xurkitree (Electric)

  • Fast Attack: Spark (Electric), Thunder Shock (Electric)

  • Charged Attack: Discharge (Electric), Thunder (Electric)

• Beedrill / Mega Beedrill (Bug/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Poison Jab (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Sludge Bomb (Poison)

• Gengar / Mega Gengar (Ghost/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Hex (Ghost), Lick (Ghost)*, Shadow Claw (Ghost)

  • Charged Attack: Sludge Bomb (Poison), Sludge Wave (Poison)*

• Roserade (Grass/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Bullet Seed (Grass), Poison Jab (Poison), Razor Leaf (Grass)

  • Charged Attack: Grass Knot (Grass), Leaf Storm (Grass), Sludge Bomb (Poison), Solar Beam (Grass)

• Nihilego (Rock/Poison)

  • Fast Attack: Acid (Poison), Poison Jab (Poison)

  • Charged Attack: Gunk Shot (Poison), Sludge Bomb (Poison)

* An Elite Fast TM or an Elite Charged TM is typically required to teach this Pokémon this attack.

After a successful Tapu Fini raid, you’ll have a limited number of Premier Balls you can use to catch Tapu Fini, so make each one count. You can earn extra Premier Balls by battling with friends and defeating Tapu Fini more quickly.

In an encounter with Tapu Fini, your chance of catching it is greatest when the target ring is small enough for you to score Excellent Throws. Throwing Curveballs can improve your chances even more. But work within your abilities—if you don’t think you can reliably make Excellent Curveball Throws, aim for Nice Throws or Great Throws rather than risk missing the target ring completely.

Tapu Fini isn’t going to make it easy on you by sitting still while you’re trying to catch it. Don’t waste your Premier Balls by throwing while it’s moving around. Watch the Pokémon to get a feel for its cycle of movement and the pauses in between the cycles. During one of these pauses, wait for the target ring to reappear, and then throw as it starts to grow smaller to increase your odds of making a Great Throw or an Excellent Throw.

Berries can help you catch Tapu Fini. A Razz Berry will make it easier to catch, and a Golden Razz Berry will make it much easier to catch. If you find yourself failing to land any throws, a Nanab Berry will calm Tapu Fini, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Tapu Fini Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Tapu Fini easier to catch and grant you extra Candy when you catch it.

Buddy Pokémon with a Buddy Level of Great Buddy or higher have the Catch Assist Perk. If a Pokémon—even a Legendary Pokémon—deflects a Poké Ball, your buddy might bounce it back for a second catch opportunity!

Like all Legendary Pokémon, Tapu Fini is tricky to catch, so don’t be discouraged if it escapes. Get a second wind by stocking up on useful items—like Max Potions, Max Revives, and Golden Razz Berries—and try again.

As a Water- and Fairy-type Pokémon, Tapu Fini is resistant to Fire-, Water-, Ice-, Fighting-, Bug-, Dragon-, and Dark-type attacks. This is a substantial list, particularly notable for covering a lot of Pokémon favored in the GO Battle League. Tapu Fini’s resistance to these prominent types, combined with its respectable bulk, might make it the ace your GO Battle League lineup needs.

Tapu Fini surfs ahead of the competition in the Great League and Ultra League, frequently appearing on winning competitive teams. In fact, there’s a good chance you’ll see some Tapu Fini in the ring at the 2023 Pokémon World Championships in Yokohama, Japan. The minimum CP a wild Tapu Fini might have exceeds the Great League’s 1,500 CP cap, but you can potentially get a Tapu Fini with a lower CP by trading—since trading a Pokémon changes its stats, there’s a chance that you’ll get a Pokémon with under 1,500 CP. This strategy takes some time, effort, and luck, but it can be well worth it considering Tapu Fini’s many strengths.

Tapu Fini has the same types as Azumarill, which is a popular alternative to Tapu Fini in the Great League. Although Azumarill is a slightly more common choice in that format, they’re both popular for a reason. Fairy-type Pokémon are notoriously weak to Steel-type attacks—and there are plenty of Steel-type Pokémon lurking around every level of the GO Battle League—but its dual Water typing washes away that key vulnerability. Trainers are also likely to see plenty of Fighting-type Pokémon fielded to counter the commonplace Steel types, and Tapu Fini is happy to take Fighting types on. Further, Tapu Fini can take a lot of damage without having to expend Protect Shields to keep it in battle. In the Great League, it consistently beats some of the most common Pokémon, including Alolan Ninetales, Noctowl, Swampert, Medicham, and Galarian Stunfisk.

Tapu Fini shines most brightly in the Ultra League, where Azumarill’s lower maximum CP prevents it from being competitive. In the Ultra League, it dominates popular picks like Charizard, Cobalion, and Talonflame, along with many others. Most Trainers utilizing Tapu Fini favor Water Gun for its Fast Attack and Moonblast and Surf for its two Charged Attacks. As always when competing in the GO Battle League, you’ll want two Charged Attacks to maximize your Pokémon’s potential. You’ll need quite a bit of Tapu Fini Candy to power it up and teach it that second Charged Attack, so it helps to participate in as many Tapu Fini raids as possible. Fortunately, you won’t need Candy XL for Tapu Fini to be competitive in Great League or Ultra League. In addition to catching as many Tapu Fini as you can, using Pinap Berries and Silver Pinap Berries will increase the number of Tapu Fini Candy you receive after each successful catch.

Good luck with your next Raid Battle, and remember to check Pokemon.com/Strategy for more Pokémon GO, video game, and Pokémon TCG tips.