Honestly, facing a high-speed Electric type like Regieleki or a boosted Miraidon is enough to make any trainer's stomach drop. You see that yellow blur and you know a Discharge or an Electro Drift is coming to ruin your day. Most people think the answer is simple: just throw out a Ground type and call it a night. But if you’ve spent any time in the Master Ball tier lately, you know it's never that easy.
Electric types are uniquely annoying because they only have one literal weakness. Just one. Ground. But being "weak" to something and being "countered" by something are two very different things in 2026.
The Ground-Type Problem
If you blindly switch into a Ground type every time you see a spark, you're going to get punished. Hard. Most competitive Electric types carry coverage moves specifically designed to lure in and destroy Ground types. We’re talking about Grass Knot, Ice Beam, or even Tera Blast Water.
The secret to finding the best pokemon against electric isn't just looking for the brown icon on the stat sheet. You need a mix of natural immunity, bulk, and the ability to apply pressure. You've got to think about the "switch-in" factor. If your counter dies to a single Ice Spinner, it wasn't really a counter, was it?
Great Tusk: The Physical Wall
Great Tusk is basically the gold standard right now. It’s a Paradox Pokémon with a Protosynthesis boost that makes it a nightmare for physical attackers.
- Why it works: It’s Ground/Fighting. This means it resists Rock and Dark moves that Electric types often use for coverage.
- The catch: Its Special Defense is kind of trash. If you're facing a special attacker like Raging Bolt, Great Tusk might fold faster than a lawn chair.
- Pro tip: Run it with an Assault Vest. It bridges that Special Defense gap and lets you stay on the field long enough to land a devastating Headlong Rush.
Gastrodon: The Secret MVP
I’m being serious here. Gastrodon might look like a squishy slug, but it’s arguably the best defensive switch-in for Electric moves. Why? Because of the Storm Drain ability. Not only is it immune to Electric because of its Ground sub-type, but Storm Drain makes it immune to Water moves too. This shuts down those pesky "surprise" Water Tera Blasts that Miraidon players love to spam.
Clodsire: The Special Tank
If Great Tusk is the physical wall, Clodsire is the special fortress. With its massive HP and Special Defense, it can eat a Thunder or a Volt Switch without even flinching. Plus, if you run the "Unaware" ability, it ignores any nasty Special Attack boosts your opponent tried to set up. It basically tells the opponent, "Cool Nasty Plot, bro. Anyway, here's an Earthquake."
Dealing with the "No Weakness" Problem
You’ve probably run into Eelektross or something similar with the Levitate ability. Since it’s Electric type but floats, Ground moves don't hit it. It effectively has zero weaknesses.
In these cases, you have to stop looking for super-effective damage and start looking for neutral pressure.
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- Mold Breaker: Pokemon like Tinkaton or Haxorus have the Mold Breaker ability. This ignores Levitate. You can Earthquake an Eelektross right into the dirt.
- Gravity: It’s a niche move, but using Gravity brings all floating Pokemon to the ground.
- Iron Hands: Sometimes the best way to beat an Electric type is with a bigger, bulkier Electric type. Iron Hands has the bulk to trade hits and the Drain Punch to stay healthy.
Pokemon GO: A Different Ballgame
If you’re playing GO, the "best pokemon against electric" list changes slightly because of how fast moves work. You aren't worried about complex abilities; you're worried about TDO (Total Damage Output).
Garchomp with Mud Shot and Earth Power is the king here. It resists Electric 3x (triple resistance!) because of its Ground/Dragon typing. That is absolutely massive for raids. Landorus-Therian is another heavy hitter, though it’s a bit of a glass cannon compared to the big shark.
The Tera Factor in 2026
We can't talk about counters without mentioning Terastallization. A lot of people are using Tera Ground on non-Ground types to flip the script.
Imagine you have a Tyranitar. Usually, it's just okay against Electric. But you Tera Ground right as the opponent clicks Thunderbolt. Not only do you take zero damage, but your own Earthquake now gets a STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) boost. It’s a total momentum swinger.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest mistake? Forgetting about Volt Switch.
Electric types love to hit you and run away. If you switch in a Ground type, they might just Volt Switch out. Except—they can't! Ground types block the "switch" part of Volt Switch. If an Electric type hits a Ground type with that move, they are stuck in battle. This is your chance to trap them and take them out.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Battle
Stop looking for a "one size fits all" Pokemon. Instead, build a core that handles the three main Electric threats: the Speedsters, the Special Sweepers, and the Bulky Pivots.
Check your team for a "Ground-Water" or "Ground-Dragon" type. These dual typings are the most consistent because they cover the natural weaknesses of pure Ground types. If you’re building for a tournament, ensure at least one member has the move Stealth Rock. Electric types hate hazard damage because they usually rely on switching in and out frequently.
Finally, don't sleep on Rillaboom. While it's a Grass type, its Grassy Terrain weakens the power of Earthquake, which sounds bad, but it also provides passive healing that can help your tanks outlast a speedy Electric team. Use it to disrupt the Electric Terrain that many top-tier Electric legendaries rely on for their power boosts.