Rayquaza is a Legendary Dragon- and Flying-type Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region. According to its Pokédex entries, Rayquaza lived for hundreds of millions of years in the earth’s ozone layer. Learn which Pokémon will be most effective in Raid Battles against Rayquaza, how to catch Rayquaza after winning a Raid Battle, and how best to use the Sky High Pokémon after you’ve caught it. 

Which Pokémon to Use in an Rayquaza Raid in Pokémon GO

As a Dragon- and Flying-type Pokémon, Rayquaza is vulnerable to Ice-, Rock-, Dragon- and Fairy-type attacks. It’s worth noting that Ice-type attacks are the most effective because both Flying- and Dragon-type Pokémon are vulnerable to Ice-type attacks. When choosing six Pokémon for your Rayquaza Raid Battle lineup, it’s important to choose Pokémon that have an Ice-, Rock-, Dragon-, or Fairy-type Fast Attack and Charged Attack if you want to deal maximum damage as quickly as possible. It’s not necessary to choose Ice-, Rock-, Dragon-, or Fairy-type Pokémon, but utilizing a Pokémon with a type that matches its attack type will offer a same-type attack bonus, causing it to deal an additional 20% damage.  If you’re not sure which type to choose, go with Ice-type attacks.

If you have multiple Pokémon that fit the correct type and move set profile, choose the Pokémon with the highest CP and best overall stats with an emphasis on Ice-type Pokémon with Ice-type attacks. Remember that speed is one of the factors that determine how many Premier Balls you will receive at the conclusion of a successful Raid Battle, so it makes sense to go into this raid with the most powerful Pokémon team possible.

• Cloyster / Shadow Cloyster (Water/Ice)

  • Fast Attack: Frost Breath (Ice), Ice Shard (Ice)

  • Charged Attack: Aurora Beam (Ice), Avalanche (Ice), Blizzard (Ice)*, Icy Wind (Ice)

• Lapras / Shadow Lapras (Water/Ice)

  • Fast Attack: Frost Breath (Ice), Ice Shard (Elite TM) (Ice)

  • Charged Attack: Blizzard (Ice), Ice Beam (Elite TM) (Ice)

• Articuno / Shadow Articuno (Ice/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Frost Breath (Ice), Ice Shard (Ice)

  • Charged Attack: Ancient Power (Rock), Blizzard (Ice), Ice Beam (Ice), Icy Wind (Ice)

• Glalie / Mega Glalie (Ice)

  • Fast Attack: Frost Breath (Ice), Ice Shard (Ice)

  • Charged Attack: Avalanche (Ice)

• Walrein / Shadow Walrein (Ice/Water)

  • Fast Attack: Frost Breath (Ice), Powder Snow (Ice)*

  • Charged Attack: Blizzard (Ice), Icicle Spear (Ice)*

• Abomasnow / Mega Abomasnow (Grass/Ice)

  • Fast Attack: Powder Snow (Ice), Razor Leaf (Grass)

  • Charged Attack: Blizzard (Ice), Energy Ball (Grass), Weather Ball (Ice)

• Weavile / Shadow Weavile (Dark/Ice)

  • Fast Attack: Ice Shard (Ice)

  • Charged Attack: Avalanche (Ice)

• Glaceon (Ice)

  • Fast Attack: Frost Breath (Ice), Ice Shard (Ice)

  • Charged Attack: Avalanche (Ice), Ice Beam (Ice), Icy Wind (Ice)

• Mamoswine / Shadow Mamoswine (Ice/Ground)

  • Fast Attack: Powder Snow (Ice)

  • Charged Attack: Avalanche (Ice)

• Galarian Darmanitan (Ice)

  • Fast Attack: Ice Fang (Ice)

  • Charged Attack: Avalanche (Ice), Ice Punch (Ice)

• Tyranitar / Shadow Tyranitar (Rock/Dark)

  • Fast Attack: Smack Down (Rock)*

  • Charged Attack: Stone Edge (Rock)

• Rhyperior (Ground/Rock)

  • Fast Attack: Smack Down (Rock)

  • Charged Attack: Rock Wrecker (Rock)*, Stone Edge (Rock)

• Salamence / Mega Salamence (Dragon/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Dragon Tail (Dragon)

  • Charged Attack: Draco Meteor (Dragon), Outrage (Dragon)*

• Latios / Mega Latios (Dragon/Psychic)

  • Fast Attack: Dragon Breath (Dragon)

  • Charged Attack: Dragon Claw (Dragon)

• Kyurem (Dragon/Ice)

  • Fast Attack: Dragon Breath (Dragon)

  • Charged Attack: Blizzard (Ice), Draco Meteor (Dragon), Dragon Claw (Dragon), Glaciate (Ice)*

• Gardevoir / Shadow Gardevoir (Psychic/Fairy)

  • Fast Attack: Charm (Fairy)

  • Charged Attack: Dazzling Gleam (Fairy)

• Togekiss (Fairy/Flying)

  • Fast Attack: Charm (Fairy)

  • Charged Attack: Dazzling Gleam (Fairy)

*An Elite Fast TM or an Elite Charged TM is typically required to teach this Pokémon this attack.

Make the Most of Premier Balls and Berries

After a Rayquaza raid, you’ll have a limited number of Premier Balls you can use to catch Rayquaza, so make each one count. You can earn extra Premier Balls for battling with friends and defeating Rayquaza more quickly.

In an encounter with Rayquaza, your chance of catching it is greatest when the target ring is small enough for you score Excellent throws. Throwing Curveballs can improve your chances even more. But work within your abilities—if you don't think you can reliably make Excellent Curveball Throws, aim for Nice Throws or Great Throws rather than risk missing the target ring completely.  

Rayquaza isn’t going to make it easy on you by sitting still while you’re trying to catch it. Don’t waste your Premier Balls by throwing while it’s moving around. Watch Rayquaza to get a feel for its cycle of movement and the pauses in between this movement. During one of these pauses, wait for the target ring to reappear, and then throw as it starts to grow smaller to increase your odds of making a Great Throw or an Excellent Throw.  

Berries can help you catch Rayquaza. A Razz Berry will make Rayquaza easter to catch, and a Golden Razz Berry will make it much easier to catch. If you find yourself failing to land any throws, a Nanab Berry will calm Rayquaza, making its movements less erratic and allowing you to make precise throws more easily. If you need extra Rayquaza Candy, using a Silver Pinap Berry will make Rayquaza easier to catch and grant you extra Candy when you catch it.

Buddy Pokémon with a Buddy Level of Great Buddy or higher have the Catch Assist Perk. If a Pokémon—even a Legendary Pokémon—deflects a Poké Ball, your buddy might bounce it back for a second catch opportunity!

Like all Legendary Pokémon, Rayquaza is tricky to catch, so don’t be discouraged if it escapes. Get a second wind by stocking up on useful items—like Max Potions, Max Revives, and Golden Razz Berries—and try again.

What To Do with Rayquaza Once You’ve Caught It

As a Dragon- and Flying-type Pokémon, Rayquaza is resistant to Fire-, Water-, Grass-, Fighting-, Ground-, and Bug-type attacks. While Rayquaza is not generally chosen for the GO Battle League, it is considered an excellent attacker in raids. With a respectable max CP and choice of Flying- or Dragon-type Fast and Charged Attacks, Rayquaza is a solid choice against the many Dragon-type Pokémon featured in raids, including Dragonite, Garchomp, Giratina, and Palkia.

As always, when using a Pokémon in a raid, it’s beneficial to power it up as much as possible and to teach your Pokémon a second Charged Attack to maximize its efficiency. For a Pokémon with a substantial max CP, like Rayquaza, this will require a lot of Stardust and Candy, so it’s a good idea to participate in as many raids as possible and make liberal use of your Pinap Berries. Choosing a move set for Rayquaza will depend on whether you plan on using it as a Flying- or Dragon-type attacker. It might be wise to teach one Rayquaza Flying-type attacks and another Dragon-type attacks. But if that’s not an option, consider opting for a Dragon-type Fast Attack and one Charged Attack each of Flying- and Dragon-type.

Good luck with your next Raid Battle, and remember to check back to Pokemon.co.uk for more Pokémon GO, video game, and Pokémon TCG tips.