Origin Forme Dialga is finally making its way to Pokemon GO, expanding on the Legendary Pokemon's time-controlling powers with not only some of the most powerful moves in the mobile title, but completely new ways to play the game.
This form first appeared in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, seeming to be Dialga's attempt at mimicking the power and look of Arceus but failing to do so—ultimately leading it to revert to its standard form, which players have been familiar with since Pokemon Diamond and Pearl. While the two forms of Dialga can be switched between freely simply by having it hold the Adamant Crystal, Origin Forme Dialga is only available during specific event Raid periods in Pokemon GO, the first being this year's Pokemon GO Tour: Sinnoh.
Both Dialga and Origin Forme Dialga boast the same base stat total (BST) of 680, though the latter takes a bit of the former's offensive prowess and repurposes it into its defenses. This ultimately makes the fights against the two appearances of Dialga rather similar, but Origin Forme Dialga has its signature move Roar of Time at its disposal, which can make quick work of any Pokemon it makes contact with.
Here's a look into the counters to Origin Forme Dialga and the most efficient strategies that will give players the opportunity to catch it.
Pokemon GO Origin Forme Dialga Counters and Weaknesses
Origin Forme Dialga is both a Steel and Dragon Type Pokemon, allowing it to resist damage from almost every other type in the series. Therefore, players will need to exploit its weaknesses to Fighting and Ground Type attacks, or else this Legendary Pokemon will take very little damage—all while completely destroying entire teams of Pokemon with ease.
- Fighting: Pokemon of this type pack a punch, though are oftentimes considered glass cannons, as they are normally only able to attack a few times before being quickly taken down. Yet its Fighting Type Pokemon that act as the biggest threats to Origin Forme Dialga—it just may take a full team of six Fighting Types to stand a chance.
- Pokemon like Machamp, Hariyama, Cobalion, Buzzwole, Bewear, and Galarian Zapdos equipped with Fighting Type moves like Close Combat can chip away at Origin Forme Dialga's HP, though players will need to ensure that they have backup prepared.
- Ground: While Ground Type attacks will deal super-effective damage to this formidable Raid boss, players that bring Ground Type Pokemon will have to be wary whether or not they have a secondary typing, as an abundance of Ground Type Pokemon are part Rock Type—resulting in taking super-effective damage from Origin Forme Dialga's Steel Type attacks.
- Therefore, single-type Pokemon like Groudon and Hippowdon have room to thrive, or opt for dual-types without a Steel Type weakness such as Excadrill, Landorus, and Ursaluna.
- Each of these Pokemon should be equipped with Ground Type Fast Attacks and Charged Attacks—like Earthquake, High Horsepower, or Earth Power—to ensure that super-effective damage is always being dealt.
Players should refrain completely from using Dragon, Rock, or Fairy Type Pokemon, as Origin Forme Dialga's movepool consists of those that target the weaknesses of these types in particular.
Pokemon GO Origin Forme Dialga Adventure Effect
Alongside Origin Forme Palkia, Origin Forme Dialga brings a new feature into Pokemon GO known as "Adventure Effects," giving these Pokemon ways to alter overworld gameplay that others cannot. This feature requires both Legendary Pokemon to know their signature moves—Spacial Rend and Roar of Time, respectively—then unlocking a new option in their information screen underneath where new moves can be unlocked.
Origin Forme Dialga's time manipulation is central to its Adventure Effect. For five Dialga Candies and 5,000 Stardust, players can freeze the timers of their active items, including Star Pieces, Incenses, and Lucky Eggs, for six-minute intervals up to a cap of 24 hours. This will allow for the bonuses these items provide to last until they run out, which won't occur until Origin Forme Dialga's Adventure Effect ends.
Roar of Time will only be available as a Charged Attack for Origin Forme Dialga during the Pokemon Go Tour: Sinnoh event. It is unclear if players will be able to teach this attack to other Dialga in their possession using Elite Charged TMs in the future.
Pokemon GO Origin Forme Dialga Catching Tips
Once players overcome the mighty power of Origin Forme Dialga, the real challenge begins: catching it. Like any other Raid, players will be gifted a certain number of Premiere Balls to catch this Legendary Pokemon depending on their performance in the Raid, how many members of their team competed, and the status of the Gym the Raid appears at. These are the only Poké Balls that players are given to catch Origin Forme Dialga, so they need to make sure every throw counts.
Before throwing the first Premiere Ball, take a few seconds to understand Origin Forme Dialga's movement patterns—does it move left to right? Does it fly around the screen at certain intervals? When does its attacking animation end? After analyzing what it will be doing for the rest of the catching duration, use a Razz Berry, Golden Razz Berry, or Silver Pinap Berry to increase your catching chance, then attempt to throw a curveball into the glowing outline of the circle as it becomes smaller.
Should players have a Master Ball in their inventories, they can also use that for a guaranteed capture. However, if you are lucky to encounter a Shiny Origin Forme Dialga, please note that it is a guaranteed capture with the first Premiere Ball to make contact with it. In these situations, refrain from using Razz Berries of any type and instead use Pinap or Silver Pinap Berries to maximize earned Candies and unlock Origin Forme Dialga's powerful Adventure Effect.
