Pokémon Go Primal Energy and Primal Reversion Guide for Kyogre and Groudon

Kyogre and Groudon surge to primal power, but a hidden ritual only the bold can master unlocks their dawn.

How to get Primal Energy in Pokémon Go

To earn Primal Energy for Kyogre and Groudon, complete Primal Raid battles, finish Special Research tasks that reward energy, and participate in team-based events offering energy rewards. Additionally, daily quests and limited-time rotations often provide Primal Energy as drops or bonuses.

Similar to Mega Evolutions, you’ll have to collect Primal Energy for that specific Pokémon.

There are three ways to get Primal Energy in Pokémon Go:

• Defeating Primal Kyogre or Primal Groudon in raids (80-100 Primal Energy)
• Walking as your Buddy after transforming at least once (100 Primal Energy per 20km)
• Completing Chasing Legends research (one time 200 Primal Energy reward)

The best method for earning Primal Kyogre or Primal Groudon energy is in raids – by taking them on and earning Primal Energy for that specific Pokémon. The faster you beat them, the more Primal Energy you’ll be rewarded.

It will take multiple raids of the same Pokémon before you’ll have enough energy to initiate Primal Reversion. You need to have 400 Primal Energy for either Kyogre or Groudon to activate Primal Reversion for the first time in Pokémon Go.

Like Mega Raids, it’s likely Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon will not be available year-round and will rotate infrequently through events, starting with Go Tour Hoenn, so make sure to stock up on any Primal Energy you want before these Pokémon leave.

To give you a boost, be sure to complete Chasing Legends. This is research that can be started during the Go Tour Hoenn event hours, and doesn’t have a deadline. Completing this research will grant you an additional 200 Primal Energy for either Kyogre or Groudon, depending on your choice during “Primal Rumblings” Special Research.

At the time of writing, it’s unknown over time whether you will also earn Primal Energy from other methods beyond the above – such as completing research tasks – as you can with Mega Energy.

How Primal Reversion works in Pokémon Go

Primal Reversion lets Kyogre and Groudon temporarily take on their ancient forms, boosting their strength in battles and raids. After you collect enough Primal Energy, you can trigger this transformation from the Pokémon’s detail screen, similar to Mega Evolution. Each Primal form increases certain stats and grants bonuses, such as extra XP or Candy for specific Pokémon types appearing in the wild. Once the form ends, the Pokémon reverts to normal, but less Primal Energy is required for future transformations.

Once you have 400 Primal Energy, you can then transform Kyogre or Groudon into their Primal form temporarily.

Once reverted, they will remain in that form for eight hours, and the more transformations they undergo, the less Primal Energy is required each time.

As well as increased CP and power, there will also be additional perks to take advantage of when in Primal form. You can boost these the more you use each Primal form, with improvements across three stages: Base Level, High Level, and Max Level.

Primal Reversion bonuses

Primal Reversion bonuses grant Kyogre and Groudon enhanced stats and access to powerful Primal abilities, increasing their combat effectiveness in raids and battles. These bonuses also boost energy generation, reducing the time needed to reach full Primal Energy and enabling more frequent primal bursts. Collecting and managing energy efficiently is key to maximizing the impact of Primal Reversion in your lineup.

When in Primal form, Kyogre and Groudon will have the following perks. The exact improvements across all three levels – Base Level, High Level, and Max Level – have yet to be confirmed.

Primal Kyogre bonuses

• When in your party: Water-, Electric- and Bug-type attack boosted for your Pokémon
• As your buddy: Water-, Electric- and Bug-type catches will grant bonus XP and Candy

Primal Groudon bonuses

• When in your party: Fire-, Grass, and Ground-type attack boosts for your Pokémon
• As your buddy: Fire-, Grass, and Ground-type catches will grant bonus XP and Candy

What Primal Pokémon are available in Pokémon Go?

Only two Primal Pokémon are currently available in Pokémon Go: Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon. These special forms are enhanced versions of their original counterparts, introduced during special events and raids. Players can activate their Primal Reversion by collecting the required amount of Primal Energy, which is earned through participating in Primal Raids. Once reverted, these Pokémon gain boosted stats, new typings-Water and Ground for Kyogre, Ground and Fire for Groudon-and special bonuses that benefit players both in battles and while exploring.

Only Kyogre and Groudon can undergo Primal Reversion in Pokémon Go.

In fact, that’s also all the Primal forms currently available in the main series. Primal Reversion was a concept first introduced in 2014’s Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and to date, only those two Pokémon can undergo the transformation.

This is different than Mega Evolutions, in that the main games have countless more Mega forms that Pokémon Go has yet to see. Though it’s possible Pokémon Go could introduce more Primal forms, without them debuting in the main series first, this is unlikely.

What else do we know about Primal Reversion?

Primal Reversion is a special transformation that allows Kyogre and Groudon to temporarily return to their ancient forms, boosting their strength and enhancing specific abilities in battle. After completing this process, their appearance changes to reflect their original primal power, and certain moves may receive bonuses based on the Pokémon’s type. Players can trigger the transformation using Primal Energy, which is collected through special raids and events, and once a Pokémon has undergone Primal Reversion enough times, future transformations will require less energy.

Though Primal Reversion closely mirrors Mega Evolutions, there are some related observations and differences to be aware of:

• Based on the debut of Primal raids during Go Tour Hoenn Las Vegas, it’s possible to boost the average 60-90 Primal Energy reward to 100 if you manage to complete the encounter 30 seconds. With a high CP of over 90,000, you’ll need close to the max Raid lobby to pull this off.

• As with Mega Raids, you will only catch the pre-evolved version of the Pokémon during the catch phase. These Raid encounters have a chance to be shiny, and using a shiny Kyogre or Groudon during a Primal Reversion will adopt the same changed color scheme.

• You cannot have a Mega Evolution and a Primal Reversion active at the same time, and using one will disable the other if it’s currently active (thanks ThunderDragon356 on reddit for confirming).
• To underline the similarity between the two features, Mega Evolutions and Primal Reversion share the same filter in the in-game Pokédex.

Best counters for Primal Kyogre raids

Primal Kyogre, a Water-type raid boss in Pokémon Go, is weak to Electric and Grass-type moves, making those attackers most effective. Top counters prioritize high DPS while dodging its Waterfall, Surf, Hydro Pump, Blizzard, and Thunder movesets. Aim for 6+ high-level trainers with optimal teams for fast clears to maximize Primal Energy rewards.​

Top Counters

These rankings draw from detailed raid simulations, focusing on faints, time-to-win (TTW), and movesets for level 40 attackers.

Strategy Tips

Use Electric-types like Shadow Raikou or Zekrom for bulkier teams, or Grass like Mega Sceptile in Sunny weather boosts. Shadow Pokémon excel but faint faster; pair with a Primal Kyogre in your last slot for a 30% Electric damage boost raid-wide. Switch after faints to relobby and maintain DPS.

Best Mega Pokémon to use against Primal Kyogre

Primal Kyogre raids in Pokémon Go favor Mega Pokémon with Electric or Grass movesets to exploit its Water-type weakness, while providing type boosts to teammates. Top choices include Mega Sceptile for unmatched Grass DPS, Mega Venusaur for bulkier Grass performance, and Electric options like Mega Ampharos or Mega Manectric. Prioritize weather-boosted raids (Sunny for Grass) and dodge charged moves like Blizzard.

Top Mega Counters

Rankings prioritize DPS, durability, and simulation data for level 40 attackers against Primal Kyogre’s moveset. Grass Megas lead due to STAB and resistance to Water attacks.

Usage Tips

Activate your Mega early in the lobby to boost allies’ Electric/Grass attacks by 10-30% (higher at Mega Level 3). Mega Sceptile shines in solo/duo clears but watch for Ice moves; switch to Electric Megas if Blizzard appears frequently. Pair with Shadows like Raikou for hybrid teams.