Some Pokémon just don't play nice with others. That's certainly the case with Giratina, a Ghost- and Dragon-type Legendary Pokémon that just looks like bad news -- and kind of is. The good news, though, is that if you haven't encountered it yet in Pokémon Go, Niantic is giving you a chance right now, following hot on the heels of the Ultra Bonus event with an appearance by Altered Forme Giratina. You don't even have to journey all the way to the Distortion World to find it, so let's dive into where to find this mysterious and ominous Pokémon and find out how to have it fighting for you.
So what is Altered Forme Giratina and why is it altered?
Originally found in Generation IV in the Pokémon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum games, Giratina is a Legendary Pokémon brought into existence when Arceus hatched and originally given the job of creating anti-matter. Alas, it proved to be a bit too violent to peacefully coexist with others, and as a result was banished to the Distortion World, a trippy alternate dimension where Giratina was supposed to be trapped for eternity.
Naturally, that proved to not be the case, and Giratina has been referenced or seen in the anime series and numerous Pokémon games since, including Pokémon Go. Its Altered Forme is how it appears in the "real" world; Giratina also has an Origin Forme that represents what it looks like in the Distortion World. And yes, that 'e' is supposed to be on the end of Forme, as the people behind Pokémon must think it looks cooler that way.
Where will Altered Forme Giratina be appearing in Pokémon Go?
For the time being, in five-star raids. Specifically, Altered Forme Giratina will be part of the five-star raid rotation from Monday, Sept. 23, 2019, at 1 p.m. PDT to Thursday, October 17, 2019, at 1 p.m. PDT. Assuming my math is correct, that gives players two and a half weeks to track down, battle and capture the Renegade Pokémon this time around.
Will there be a Raid Hour for Altered Forme Giratina?
You'll be happy to know that there is, and it's pretty early on. From 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019 there will be a boosted amount of five-star raids with Altered Forme Giratina, making it the best possible time to go raiding. Remember that this is local to whichever time zone you're in, so while you will need to clear your schedule that evening, you won't have to bust out the world clock to figure out when it's going down.
Is there anything special about Altered Forme Giratina this time?
What, a Pokémon so ill-tempered that it needed to be sealed away in another dimension isn't special enough for you? Just kidding. Actually, this is the first time that you can find a Shiny Altered Forme Giratina, which will mean even players who have already caught one before will be out hunting for a Shiny to add to their collections. Like all Shiny Pokémon, there's no way to guarantee you'll find one, so the best advice here is just to catch as many as possible and hope the RNG gods smile upon you.
What are the best Pokémon to help take down Altered Forme Giratina in raids?
Since Dragon-type Pokémon are vulnerable to their own kind, some of the most effective Pokémon for battling Altered Forme Giratina are in that same family. Dragonite is probably the most common character if you have one with the Dragon Tail and Outrage or Dragon Meteor moves, but Rayquaza (Dragon Tail/Outrage), Garchomp (Dragon Tail/Outrage) and Salamence (Dragon Tail/Draco Meteor) are all excellent alternatives.
Altered Forme Giratina is also a Ghost-type, meaning Dark- and Ghost-type moves are also super effective against it. One intriguing possibility is Mewtwo with Shadow Ball, but you'll also find success with Pokémon like Gengar, Banette and Chandelure, all of whom can sport the Shadow Ball move themselves.
Okay, I'm on-board for hunting down Altered Forme Giratina, so what do I need to know again?
While Altered Forme Giratina isn't as widely prized in Pokémon Go as the Origin Forme, it's still worth grabbing to fill in an empty space in your Pokédex or to find in its Shiny version for the first time. Here's a recap of everything you need to keep in mind to do that:
- Look for Altered Forme Giratina in five-star raids from Sept. 23 through Oct. 17, 2019.
- Be sure to play during Raid Hour on Sept. 25, which runs from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in every time zone.
- Keep an eye out for Shiny Altered Forme Giratina, appearing in Pokémon Go for the first time.
- Bring Pokémon with your best Dragon- and Ghost-type moves to have the most success taking down Altered Forme Giratina in raids.
Any more questions about Altered Forme Giratina?
We'll do our best to answer them if at all possible. Please let us know in the comments section below and we'll do everything short of journeying to the Distortion World to respond.
