If you’re anything like me, your January started with a bit of a Pokemon hangover. We just finished the New Year's 2026 festivities—RIP to my Pokéball stash after hunting those party hat Wurmples—and now we’re staring down the barrel of a very specific, very legendary mid-month shift.
Honestly? It's a weird time in the game. We're right in the thick of the Season of Precious Paths, and the raid rotation is moving away from the bug-heavy Genesect weeks into some serious weather-themed heavy hitters. If you haven't been checking your calendar, you're about to see the gym landscape change fast.
The big news right now is that we are officially swapping out the "Drive" versions of Genesect for the genies. Specifically, upcoming Pokemon Go raids are about to be dominated by the Incarnate Formes of Thundurus and Tornadus.
The Mid-January Shift: Thundurus and Sceptile Take Over
Starting today, Friday, January 16, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. local time, the five-star raids are pivoting. We’ve had our fun with Burn and Chill Drive Genesect, but now it’s time for Incarnate Forme Thundurus.
He’s sticking around until January 25.
You’ve probably seen the infographics floating around Reddit, and yeah, the news is true: Thundurus-I is actually soloable now. Thanks to the power creep we've seen with Kyurem-White and some of the buffed Electric counters like Regieleki, high-level trainers can actually take this guy down alone if the weather is right.
But look, just because you can doesn't mean you should without a plan. If it’s raining, he’s going to hit like a truck.
Parallel to the legendary shift, Mega Sceptile is replacing Mega Blaziken in Mega Raids. This is a massive deal for anyone who missed out on a top-tier Grass attacker. Sceptile is effectively the glass cannon king of the Grass meta. If you don't have enough Mega Energy to evolve one, this is your window until the 25th.
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Raid Schedule: Who is Coming and When?
Don't get caught using a remote pass on the wrong day. Here is the breakdown for the rest of the month:
- January 16 – January 25: Incarnate Forme Thundurus (5-Star) and Mega Sceptile (Mega).
- January 25 – February 4: Incarnate Forme Tornadus (5-Star) and Mega Ampharos (Mega).
- January 24 (The Big One): Shadow Raikou Raid Day.
That Saturday the 24th is going to be chaotic. Team GO Rocket is basically taking over the afternoon from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time.
Shadow Raikou is one of the most useful Electric attackers in the entire game for PvE. If you’re lucky, the shiny odds are boosted during those three hours. Niantic is also throwing us a bone with up to five extra free Raid Passes from spinning gyms.
Shadow Cresselia: The Weekend Nightmare
While the five-star raids rotate every week or so, Shadow Cresselia is the constant background noise for January 2026. She’s appearing in Shadow Raids every weekend until February 1.
Let's be real—Cresselia is a tank. In her Shadow form, she is even more of a headache. You’re going to need a solid group of at least 3-4 trainers with high-level Ghost and Dark types (think Mega Gengar or Shadow Tyranitar) to clear this comfortably.
Don't forget the Purified Gems.
Seriously.
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I’ve seen too many groups lose a raid because nobody bothered to use gems when the boss went into a sub-zero rage mode. It’s a waste of a pass and a waste of time.
Max Battles: The Drampa and Beldum Situation
It's not just about the gyms anymore. Power Spots are the new "raids" for many of us, and the schedule for January is surprisingly decent.
We just wrapped up the Drampa Max Battles, but right now, we’re seeing a lot of Caterpie (which, okay, whatever). The real prize is coming up from January 19 to January 25, when Dynamax Beldum hits the Power Spots.
Metagross is still a king in the Master League and a staple for any Steel-type raid team. Getting a high-IV Dynamax Beldum is basically a requirement if you want to compete in the upcoming Dynamax Weekend at the end of the month (January 31 – February 1).
Making a Plan for the High Zaptitude Event
We’re currently in the middle of the High Zaptitude event, which runs through January 18. This is where Wattrel and Kilowattrel finally made their debut.
If you’re raiding Thundurus right now, you’re actually helping the global community. There have been these global challenges to explore 50,000,000 km, and hitting those milestones is what unlocked the Wattrel spawns in the first place.
Basically, keep walking.
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If you're looking for the best way to spend your coins this week, I'd say save the Remote Raid Passes for Shadow Raikou day or the Tornadus swap later in the month. Thundurus is cool, but Raikou is the actual meta-changer you want in your storage.
What You Should Do Right Now
The meta moves fast, but your prep shouldn't.
First, check your Mega Energy. If you don't have enough for Sceptile, prioritize at least three or four Mega Raids before the 25th. You’ll want that Mega Grass boost for future Ground or Water-type raid bosses.
Second, start hoarding those Purified Gems. You get shards from Grunts and Leaders. Since Shadow Raikou is coming on the 24th, you’re going to need a full stack of 10 gems to make sure you don't get wiped out.
Finally, keep an eye on the weather app. Since Thundurus and Tornadus are soloable in specific conditions (usually Windy or Snowy depending on your counters), a little bit of IRL weather planning can save you from needing to coordinate with a local group.
Stay safe out there, and remember to actually look where you're walking—those Power Spots have a habit of popping up in the middle of nowhere.