Pokemon Go – Everything you Need to Know About Finding/ Catching Mewtwo

After over a year of play, loads of rumors and Level 40 invite-only test Raids, Mewtwo has finally been unleashed in Pokémon Go. And like many other aspects of this game, it’s a wonderful mix of lore and nostalgic callbacks. So let’s cover all the bases of catching this one of a kind monster… I mean misunderstood being!

Meeting Mewtwo – Ex Raids & How To Be Invited:

The hardest thing about Mewtwo is that unlike other Raids that just pop up and require a Daily/ Premium Raid Pass, you need to be invited to a Mewtwo Raid in order to participate. The passes for these raids are time and location specific, but since they give you so much time to prepare, it is possible to make arrangements and assemble a team of fellow trainers. Though the big question still remains, HOW do you get invited?

Well when the EX Raid passes started going out publicly, it seemed like they were occasionally awarded to Trainers who completed Raids at highly trafficked areas. The first instance of this was the Columbus Circle gym. Though last week, this changed up a bit with the next wave of releases being tied to Sprint stores. As you know, Sprint is one of the sponsored Poke-Stops/ Gyms in the game. Now this might seem shady and “capitalistic”, but hey. Now we actually have a specific location to shoot for. Additionally, it’s still not known how many Raids you need to complete at that gym for an EX Raid Pass to appear in your inventory; but we do know that the Level of Raid doesn’t matter. So whether you’re battling Raikou or Magikarp, you do still have a chance it seems.

Additionally, there are varying reports about WHEN these Raids were completed. One such trainer on the Silph Road reported doing a Raid two weeks before the Sprint Store release and still got an EX Invite. Though to be fair, the rate could differ between rural and city since rural players have far fewer gyms around their daily routines. Regardless of how/ when you get the EX Raid Invites, it seems you’ll have a few days to prep as they have thus far been happening on Fridays. When last week’s Sprint Raids were kicking off, many of the invites listed September 15^th (Friday) between 6:00 and 7:00pm as the main event, which again is great for organizing with local players who might have also been invited. As for where the events will take place next, reports are already starting to pour in of Starbucks (another sponsored stop) giving out EX Raid passes for Thursday the 21st. Though sadly, every Starbucks isn’t a gym – if they were, every block in NYC would have one…. at least!

Now overall, this might seem like an annoying mechanic, but (1) Mewtwo is one of the rarest and most powerful Pokemon around. Meeting him wouldn’t be easy and I expect similar events to potentially take place for other uber legendaries moving forward such as Mew, Celebi, Rayquaza, Jirachi and more! And (2), with Mewtwo these invites have a special level of importance lore wise. In Pokemon: The First Movie, Ash and other trainers only encountered Mewtwo after he invited them to his island. Thankfully though, this time around you’re being invited to have a chance at catching Mewtwo – and not so he can beat you and then clone your Pokemon…. But let’s move on to how you actually can beat Mewtwo!

Battling Mewtwo – CP, Counters & Numbers Needed:

If you’re wondering why Niantic waited for Gen 2 to come out before unleashing Mewtwo, it’s because you NEED Dark Types for this Raid. Though even with them, this is no walk in the park! Mewtwo’s average CP sits around a crushing 50,000! And whereas its Psychic typing might make you think Tyranitar is the perfect counter, it’s not that simple. Even though most Mewtwo will have a moves featuring Psychic or Shadow Ball, some will have Focus Blast, which is a Fighting Type move. Tyranitar has a x4 Weakness to Fighting, so you have to play just as defensively as you do offensively! And considering Tyranitar is one of the bulkiest in the game, you’re going to have to play carefully with all your other Pokemon too.

DPS as always is your best friend, so for the love of Arceus STOP USING BLISSEY! The rejoin bug was fixed a while ago, so the only thing you gain by ‘outlasting’ the match is the disdain of everyone around you. If you play selfishly in this match, there’s a very strong chance you’ll cause the whole team to lose. Mewtwo needs about 8 extremely prepared trainers to beat. If you are using less than stellar Pokemon, you need to bulk up your numbers! And considering you’ll need to focus on both Offense and dodging his insane charge moves, it doesn’t hurt to pad your numbers a little more since you are on the clock!

Catching Mewtwo – Moves & Catch Rate:

When it comes to capturing Mewtwo, the battle thankfully gets a little easier. First, take note of his movements. Unlike other Legendaries, Mewtwo will stand further back, and his height is both a blessing and a curse. The larger hit frame does help guarantee a hit, but the precision circle focuses on his head, meaning you’ll have to cast some pretty far throws. Though once you do manage to hit him, the odds get even better!

Unlike all the other Legendary Pokemon who have a base capture rate of between 2-3%, Mewtwo’s is a staggering 6%. Now that might not seem like much, but when you add the Capture bonuses for berries and precision throws, it REALLY adds up. And thankfully Silph Road/ Reddit user Baynex took care of all the calculations! For example, using a Golden Razz Berry automatically pumps it up to about 12%. Add in a Curve Ball and that’s now 20%. Hit an Excellent precision throw and now you’re nearing 34%. And that’s not even factoring in any Psychic Capture Medals you have! In fact, if you have Psychic Medals and a Golden Razz, a Curve Ball has a 40% capture rate on an Excellent Throw!

*Note: For Raid Bosses, 6% Base Capture Rate doesn’t mean 6% chance for a regular throw with no berry, curve or medals. Thank you again Baynex for clearing up these calculations!

Sound like an insane capture rate right? Well keep in mind that this all is just ONE THROW! On average you’ll complete a raid with at least 7 Premier Balls. That’s at least 7 chances, each with incredible odds! So the odds are definitely in your favor! Mewtwo might not always show his face; but when he does, he seems more than willing to join your team should you best him in battle!

Sources:

The Silph Road – Sprint EX Raid Passes

The Silph Road – My Raid Experience

The Silph Road – Mewtwo Catch Rates

Pokemon Go NYC Facebook Group