Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: How to Defeat 7-Star Poison Tera Greninja

Get ready to dodge those Water Shurikens, Trainers! The stealthy, fan-favorite Greninja is making a grand return to the Paldea region in an epic 7-Star Tera Raid Battle event for Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet. If you missed out on adding this beloved Kalos starter to your team previously, now is your absolute best chance to face off against it at the black Tera Raid crystals.

Here at TrainerLoot, we have compiled the ultimate raid guide. Below is everything you need to know to find the raid, survive the battle, and defeat the Mightiest Mark Greninja!

Event Dates and Times Make sure to mark your calendars and prepare your best counters. This special Greninja will be appearing at black Tera Raid crystals during the following strict window:

• Start Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. PDT
• End Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 4:59 p.m. PDT

The Threat: Beware the Poison-Tera Type This isn’t your standard Water/Dark-type encounter. The Greninja featured in this exclusive event boasts a Poison Tera Type, making it a highly unique and formidable opponent. Because it retains its original Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) for its Water and Dark moves, it can easily counter Ground-types (with Water) and Psychic-types (with Dark). To top it off, this Pokémon possesses the coveted Mightiest Mark, proving it is a true boss-level threat. You will definitely want to coordinate a solid strategy to avoid a sticky situation.

Best Counters: How to Beat Poison-Tera Greninja To survive this ninja’s relentless attacks, you need Pokémon with excellent defensive typing and abilities that negate Greninja’s core moves. Here are the top three counters to bring to the fight:

• 1. Slowbro (The Solo King)
  • Held Item: Leftovers or Twisted Spoon
  • Key Moves: Stored Power, Iron Defense, Nasty Plot, Slack Off
  • Strategy: Slowbro is incredibly bulky and naturally resists Greninja’s Water and Ice-type coverage attacks. Use Iron Defense to boost your physical bulk and Nasty Plot to max out your Special Attack. Once your stats are highly boosted, unleash a devastating Stored Power (which gains massive base damage for every stat boost you have applied). Use Slack Off to heal when needed.
• 2. Gastrodon (The Water Absorber)
  • Held Item: Shell Bell or Soft Sand
  • Key Moves: Earth Power, Recover, Clear Smog, Amnesia
  • Strategy: Thanks to its Storm Drain ability, Gastrodon is completely immune to Greninja’s Water-type attacks (drawing them in and boosting its own Special Attack instead!). Greninja loves to use Double Team to increase its evasion; use Clear Smog to wipe away those stat changes so your team never misses. Spam Earth Power for super-effective Ground damage.
• 3. Clodsire (The Toxic Tank)
  • Held Item: Black Sludge or Soft Sand
  • Key Moves: Earthquake, Curse, Recover, Acid Spray
  • Strategy: Clodsire is an amazing support and attacking hybrid. With the Water Absorb ability, it takes zero damage from Water attacks, and its Poison/Ground typing makes it highly resistant to Greninja’s Poison-Tera moves. Use Acid Spray to severely lower Greninja’s Special Defense (which perfectly supports special attackers like Slowbro), or use Curse to boost your own stats and spam Earthquake.

How to Unlock and Find the Raid To ensure these black Tera Raid crystals spawn in your game, you need to sync your Nintendo Switch with the internet:

1. Open the X menu in your game.
2. Select Poké Portal.
3. Select Mystery Gift.
4. Choose Check Poké Portal News.

Note: To host these 7-Star Tera Raids on your own map, you must have completed the postgame events. If you haven’t finished the postgame yet, you can still participate by joining a raid hosted online by a friend!

Epic Rewards and Farming While this specific Mightiest Mark Greninja can only be caught once per save data, the fun doesn’t stop after the catch. You are highly encouraged to keep participating in these raids to farm incredible endgame loot. Defeating it multiple times yields massive amounts of Exp. Candy (L and XL), Poison Tera Shards for the Treasure Eatery, and high-value items like Ability Patches and Bottle Caps to perfect your competitive teams.

Good luck, and watch out for those critical hits!