Shadow Reshiram

Say hello to the strongest Fire-type Shadow Pokémon in the meta! 🔥 Shadow Reshiram makes its fiery debut with a bang, surpassing all existing Fire Pokémon in damage output.

Mega Charizard Y was always the best Fire Pokémon against Grass Raid Bosses due to its 0.391x resistance, surpassing even Mega Blaziken in effectiveness. Now, the Fire/Dragon type Shadow Reshiram boasts the same 0.391x resistance to Grass, while also resisting Bug and Steel. This makes this Legendary the premier Fire-type attacker in these battles.

In the off chance Blacephalon eventually gets the Shadow treatment, the Ultra Beast would obviously lead the rankings. But even then, it's extremely glassy and Shadow Reshiram will almost always be preferred in Raids.

Obviously, you will need its signature move, Fusion Flare, to enjoy this level of performance, but rest assured, this powerhouse is well worth the Elite Charged TM!

Is Shadow Reshiram future proof?

Well, Pokémon Legends: Z-A gave us two new amazing Mega Evolutions that will dominate the Fire-type meta in Pokémon GO ➡️ Mega Delphox and Mega Heatran. The difference in DPS between Mega Heatran and Mega Reshiram isn't much, but the stronger Mega Delphox is the wiser choice, given its cheaper power up costs (as a starter Pokémon). Still, this doesn't take the spotlight from the carnage that Shadow Reshiram is capable of.

Ultimately, Shadow Reshiram has cemented itself as one of the premier Fire-type attackers in Pokémon GO, and should you get one with high IVs, don't think twice before investing in it! 📈

Coming to the heavily contested Dragon meta, Shadow Reshiram is still a neat attacker courtesy of its boosted ATK and access to Draco Meteor. However, while this Legendary literally takes the throne in the Fire department, it is reasonably outclassed as a Dragon type.

Shadow Reshiram edges past regular Rayquaza in damage figures, and is well behind other Shadows like Shadow Palkia, Shadow Salamence, and Shadow Dragonite.

A more comprehensive comparison would be Shadow Dialga since it shares the exact same stats as Shadow Reshiram, and even the same Dragon-type moveset. In this case, Shadow Dialga is superior simply because the Steel subtyping helps it take neutral damage from Dragon Raid Bosses, whereas Shadow Reshiram takes super-effective damage.

As such, Shadow Reshiram should strictly be used as a Fire-type attacker in Pokémon GO, and to repeat, feel free to use an Elite Charged TM on it to unlock Fusion Flare! 🧨

🔵 Great League

Not applicable

🟡 Ultra League

The Ultra League's CP restrictions hold back Shadow Reshiram from unleashing its true potential, bagging only a handful of wins despite a good moveset. Moreover, it is decent in its regular form with Overheat, but the Shadow nerf to its DEF makes it lose a number of matchups it would have otherwise won, including Shadow Empoleon, Togekiss, Cresselia, Shadow Drapion, Walrein, Forretress, and Ludicolo. As a saving grace, Shadow Reshiram beats both Ancient Power and Shadow Sneak versions of Giratina Altered, Bellibolt, and Talonflame, but at the end of the day, it is quite underwhelming.

🟣 Master League

Shadow Reshiram is borderline broken with its dreaded Crunch and Overheat combo in the Master League, even though it impresses with all its move pairs, including Fusion Flare and Draco Meteor.

Anyway, with its best toolkit of Crunch and Overheat, Shadow Reshiram takes out close to 3/4th of the Master League meta in the (1-1) shield scenario, facing trouble only against Ground (still beats Dragon Tail Groudon) and Rock types, and also going down to White Kyurem, Palkia Origin, Primarina, and Mewtwo. Indeed, Shadow Reshiram's unique ability to beat Ice, Steel, and Fairy (as a Dragon type, and a large number of Dragons, makes this Legendary an asset for even high Ranked battles of the GBL.

In fact, Overheat is essential to give Shadow Reshiram a above 50% win rate in the (0-0) shield scenario. Of course, its performance drops to a great extent with both shields up, so it's best to show off your Shadow Reshiram only when your opponent has lost at least one shield. While it doesn't take super-effective damage, be wary of the fact that Dragon Breath and Crunch doesn't do much to Fairy types. So in these matchups under a shield, use Crunch first (which also has a 20% chance to debuff the opponent's DEF), and then finish them with a deadly Overheat.