Best Palkia Tera Raid counters in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Arriving alongside Dialga for a limited time, plenty of trainers have been wondering what the best Palkia counters are for its Tera Raid in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. 

Although it's only a 5-Star Raid Boss, Palkia is still a powerful Legendary Pokemon that makes it tough to take down - requiring some essential strategy. So, let's get into the best Palkia counters in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. 

Best Palkia Tera Raid counters in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

Azumarill

Already one of the most reliable bulky physical attackers for Tera Raids in general, Azumarill is one of the best counters for Palkia in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. 

The best Azumarill Tera Raid build to beat Palkia is as follows: 

• Ability: Huge Power
• Nature: Adamant
• Tera Type: Fairy
• Hold Item: Shell Bell
• EVs: 252 Attack, 252 Sp. Def, 4 HP
• Moveset: Amnesia, Belly Drum, Liquidation, Play Rough

Similar to my individual Azumarill build guide for Tera Raids, the Marill evolution boasts a resistance to both Palkia's Dragon and Water-type attacks. 

After buffing your Sp. Def with Amensia, you'll then be able to smash through Palkia with Play Rough after maxing out Azumarill's Attack with Belly Drum.

At least some of the health you've lost by then should be recovered with the held Shell Bell. 

Iron Valiant

Along with being a strong physical attacker, Iron Valiant is able to deal out serious damage whilst taking down Palkia's offensive stats at the same time. 

The best build for Iron Valiant to use against the Palkia Tera Raid is as follows: 

• Ability: Quark Drive
• Nature: Adamant
• Tera Type: Fairy
• Hold Item: Shell Bell
• EVs: 252 Attack, 252 Sp. Def, 4 HP
• Moveset: Drain Punch, Light Screen, Spirit Break, Swords Dance

After powering up with Swords Dance, you'll be jumping between using Iron Valiant's two damage-inflicting moves: Drain Punch and Spirit Break.

Whilst Drain Punch recovers HP equal to half the damage inflicted, Spirit Break will help keep Palkia at bay by also lowering its Sp. Atk by one stage with each use. 

Sylveon

With a massive Sp. Def stat and a versatile moveset, Sylveon is a pure Fairy-type that's able to take hits whilst building itself up to deal major blows. 

Here is the best Sylveon Tera Raid build to defeat Palkia:

• Ability: Pixelate
• Nature: Modest
• Tera Type: Fairy
• Hold Item: Shell Bell
• EVs: 252 Sp. Attack, 252 Sp. Def, 4 HP
• Moveset: Calm Mind, Draining Kiss, Fake Tears, Hyper Voice

As well as an immunity to Palkia's Draco Meteor, this Sylveon build will also allow you to buff up your Sp. Atk and Sp. Def stats with Calm Mind - allowing you to give and take hits simultaneously.

What's more, Sylveon's Pixelate ability lets you change Hyper Voice to a Fairy-type move as well. With that, you'll have a much more powerful damage-dealing move. Finally, you'll have Draining Kiss to recover extra health if need be. 

Palkia's weaknesses in Scarlet & Violet

As a pure Dragon-type in this Tera Raid battle, Palkia has three big weaknesses: Dragon-type, Ice-type, and Fairy-type attacks. 

However, with Draco Meteor making an appearance in Palkia's moveset, I'd recommend you stick with Fairy-type counters, as Dragon-types will be just as vulnerable.

When does the Palkia Raid run until in Scarlet & Violet?

The Palkia Tera Raid is taking place from Thursday, December 7, 2023, at 15:59 PST to Thursday, December 21, 2023, at 15:59 PST. This was confirmed on the news post with details for the event.

Although Palkia can be transferred from Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Pokemon GO, Pokemon Shield, and Shining Pearl via Pokemon HOME, beating this 5-Star Boss means you'll have a strong new build and moveset to add to your collection.

Plus, beating this Tera Raid also nets you a whole bunch of extra rewards like treasures, vitamins, and Tera Shards for your effort.

How to find Palkia Tera Raids in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet

You can quickly find Palkia Tera Raids in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet by looking for the Dragon-type crystals on the map, as Palkia has a Dragon Tera Type.

However, keep in mind that the Palkia Tera Raid is a Pokemon Violet version exclusive. If you only have Pokemon Scarlet, you can still access the Raid by joining one from another player via the Poke Portal.

Palkia moveset in the 5-Star Tera Raid

In case you want to test any counters different from the list above, you'll also need to keep in mind the moveset this Tera Raid Boss will use:

• Draco Meteor
• Fire Blast
• Hydro Pump
• Gravity
• Rain Dance
• Thunder

That's everything to know about the best Palkia Tera Raid counters in Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. 

If you want to try beating more bosses, check out our Tera Raid event schedule. Otherwise, take a look at our Pokemon Scarlet & Violet guides and news homepage for even more essentials right here at GGRecon.