The latest Pokémon to feature in Max Battles as part of Max Mondays in Pokémon GO is Dynamax Darumaka. The Fire-type from Generation 5 is set to make its debut as a Dynamax Pokémon as part of the weekly hour. It will feature on Monday, February 24, 2025, from 6 pm to 7 pm local time for that week's Max Monday. For that time, it will be the only Pokémon found in Max Battles. Following this event, Dynamax Darumaka will be available for all trainers to find, along with Pidove and Sobble.

While not one of the Pokémon GO, its evolution, Darmanitan can be useful in certain scenarios. To be able to take on Dynamax Darumaka, you need to find it in nearby Power Spots, but in most locations, there are as many of these as there are PokéStops. Once you have found it, you and up to three fellow trainers can try to defeat Dynamax Darumaka. If you are successful, you will get the chance to catch it and then use it in Max Battles going forward.

Dynamax Darumaka Weaknesses & Resistance In Pokémon GO

Three Weaknesses To Aim At

While not yet confirmed, Dynamax Darumaka is expected to be a one-star difficulty, meaning that if you go into the Max Battle with the right Pokémon, you can defeat it easily on your own. This is opposed to some of the newer Dynamax Pokémon that have been introduced, such as the Legendary Bird Dynamax Zapdos, which requires four trainers to beat.

As a pure Fire-type, Darumaka is only weak against Ground-, Water- and Rock-type attacks. You should focus on setting up Pokémon with all of these types of attacks, as they do additional damage that can quickly take Dynamax Darumaka down.

To participate in Max Raid battles, you need to use Max Particles, which can be found at Power Spots across Pokémon GO.

In comparison, Dynamax Darumaka resists attacks from six different types of Pokémon. Bug-, Fairy-, Fire-, Grass-, Ice- and Steel-type attacks all do limited damage to it. These types of Pokémon should all be avoided for those that are super-effective against them. Due to it being a pure Fire-type, Darumaka has fewer weaknesses and resists more attacks than many dual types.

Dynamax Darumaka Best Counters In Pokémon GO

Ground And Water Types Key

The biggest difficulty in defeating any Dynamax Pokémon in Pokémon GO is that you can currently only use those that have been caught in Max Battles, along with some caught through certain research tasks. Thankfully, a number of those that have previously been available to face in Max Battles fit into the category of types that are super-effective against Dynamax Darumaka. The best option, I feel, so far, is the Ground- and Steel-type Excadrill. It's first stage Drilbur was one of the first Max Raids after the introduction of Dynamax Pokémon. Excadrill's Ground-type attacks can make quick work of Darumaka.

Several Water-type Pokémon have also previously been available to face off against and then catch in Dynamax form. This includes Inteleon, Kingler, and Blastoise. Any of these or any other Water-types will quickly be able to win the battle. Blastoise's first stage, Squirtle, was one of the first three Pokémon introduced to Pokémon GO in a Dynamax form. While Greninja has only been a possible addition to teams this month.

Due to it being the lowest level Max Raid battle, any strong Dynamax Pokémon you have that Dynamax Darumaka doesn't resist will be able to defeat it. This includes popular types such as Electric- or Psychic-type attacks. When you start a Dynamax Battle, you will only have the option to attack as opposed to normal battles. With each attack you hit, you power up your Max Meter, which, once full, gives you further Max Moves to assist in the battle.

Once you have defeated Darumaka, you will be given the chance to catch it. There is also a chance that you will encounter a shiny version of Darumaka.

After catching Dynamax Darumaka, you can evolve it into Darmanitan using 50 Darumaka candies. Candies already obtained from its regular versions can be used to evolve Dynamax Pokémon. Dynamax Darumaka is an easy Pokémon to defeat in Pokémon GO, but with its first appearance in this form, all trainers should attempt to catch it.