How to take on Rayquaza in Pokémon Go

The Legendary Dragon and Flying type, Rayquaza is back!

Rayquaza is coming back to Pokémon Go for the Ultra Unlock Bonus Week: Dragon Week. For the first week in August 2020, Trainers can challenge this Legendary Dragon in Five Star Raids again, and if you're lucky, you might even find a Shiny one! We here at iMore have everything you need to know to take on this Raid.

Who is Rayquaza

A Legendary Dragon and Flying type from the Gen III Hoenn Region, Rayquaza is the king of Dragon types in Pokémon. It's only competition come in the form of Shadow Pokémon and even they struggle to compete. Rayquaza in the leader of the Weather Trio, the only Pokémon capable of calming Groudon and Kyogre's fight, and the first Pokémon to ever Mega Evolve. Rayquaza is also the only Pokémon who can Mega Evolve without a Mega Stone. Although Mega Evolution isn't here yet, it is coming soon, so you'll want to have at least one of this powerful Pokémon ready when it arrives.

What are the best counters?

As a Dragon and Flying type, Rayquaza is weak to Rock, Dragon, and Fairy type moves, and has a quad weakness to Ice type moves. It can know the fast moves Dragon Tail and Air Slash, and the charged moves Outrage, Aerial Ace, and Ancient Power. Ice type moves should be your priority, but there are also some Dragon and Rock type counters that can serve you well in this fight.

Galarian Darmanitan

An Ice type regional variant recently introduced to Pokémon Go, Galarian Darmanitan brings no notable resistances to this battle and is weak to Rayquaza's Ancient Power. Still, short of Shadow Pokémon, it is the top counter for this Raid, if you happen to have one fully powered up. You'll want it to know Ice Fang and Avalanche.

Mamoswine

An Ice and Ground type, Mamoswine brings no notable resistances or weaknesses to this fight and it's quite the tank. Having been featured in a Community Day, most players also have a few fully powered up. Powder Snow and Avalanche is the moveset you want your Mamoswine to know for this Raid.

Weavile

Although not quite as sturdy as Galarian Darmanitan or Mamoswine, Weavile is a Dark and Ice type from Gen IV. It's weak to Rayquaza's Ancient Power, but otherwise performs very well against the king of Dragons. You'll want it to know Ice Shard and Avalanche for this fight.

Glaceon

The Ice type eeveelution, Glaceon is super easy to get and power up. Eevee has been around since day one, featured in multiple events, and the star of a Community Day, so odds are you have at least a couple strong Glaceon. Like many of the counters, Ancient Power does double damage to Glaceon, but it still shines in this Raid. The moveset you'll want is Frost Breath and Avalanche.

Mewtwo

Although there are definitely better uses for the Gen I Legendary Pokémon Mewtwo, as a Psychic type it isn't weak to any of Rayquaza's attacks and there have been plenty of opportunities to add Mewtwo to your roster. For it to work in this Raid, you'll need Psycho Cut and Ice Beam.

Kyurem

Brand new to Pokémon Go, Kyurem is a Legendary Dragon and Ice type Pokémon from the Gen V Unova Region. It takes double damage from both Rock and Dragon, so be prepared to go through a lot of Revives and Potions, and because it's so new, many players don't have more than one. Still, if you're bringing it to this Raid, Dragon Breath and Blizzard is the moveset you'll want.

Rayquaza

Like all Dragon types, Rayquaza is weak to itself and it's been available often enough that most players have at least one or two strong ones. You'll burn through a lot of Revives and Potions, but if you're bringing Rayquaza to this Raid, you'll want it to know Dragon Tail and Outrage.

Salamence

The Dragon and Flying type final evolution of Bagon, Salamence works well in this Raid. It's weak to Dragon and Rock type moves, so you'll want to dodge and have plenty of Revives and Potions on hand, but having been featured in a Community Day, and a prominent Shadow Pokémon, you probably have a couple. Dragon Tail is the fast move you'll want and either Outrage or Draco Meteor work well for the charged move.

Dragonite

There's no good reason not to have at least a few powerful Dragonite in your roster. While it doesn't perform quite as well as the other Dragon and Flying types Salamence and Rayquaza, it's been around since the beginning, been featured in Community Day and as a Shadow Pokémon, and even has a prominent role in Special Research. If you're bringing Dragonite to this fight, Dragon Tail and Outrage or Draco Meteor are the moves you'll want.

Zekrom

Very new to Pokémon Go, Zekrom is a Legendary Dragon and Electric type from Gen V's Unova Region. It's weak to Dragon type moves, but resistant to Flying types. It's only had a single run in Legendary Raids and that was during a global pandemic, so many players don't have this Pokémon fully powered up. Still, if you're bringing Zekrom to this Raid, you'll want it to know Dragon Breath and Outrage.

Garchomp

A pseudo-Legendary from the Gen IV Sinnoh Region, Garchomp is a Dragon and Ground type that is weak to Dragon types, but resistant to Rock. It's first stage, Gible was featured in a Community Day, so many players have a few in their roster. If you're bringing Garchomp to this Raid, Dragon Tail and Outrage is the moveset you're looking for.

Palkia

A Legendary Water and Dragon type from Gen IV, Palkia is, like so many other counters, weak against Dragon type moves. It's been featured a few times in Raids, most recently during Pokémon Go Fest 2020 so plenty of players have at least one powered up for this fight. Dragon Breath and Draco Meteor is the moveset you'll want your Palkia to know.

Rhyperior

The final evolution of the Gen I Rhyhorn, Rhyperior is a Ground and Rock type that most players have in their roster. It's been featured in a Community Day and though Rhyperior wasn't introduced until much later, Rhyhorn has been around since day one. Resistant to Rock and Flying type moves, it will last a lot longer than some other counters, but to be truly effective you need the Community Day exclusive move Rock Wrecker.

Dialga

Last, but not least, the Gen IV Legendary Steel and Dragon type, Dialga is an absolute tank. It's resistant to both Rock and Flying type moves and is a rare Dragon type who isn't weak to Dragon type moves. Plus, Dialga has been featured a few times in Raids, including during Pokémon Go Fest 2020. You'll want your Dialga to know Dragon Breath and Draco Meteor for this Raid.

Back-ups?

While most players can probably form a solid team or two of the best counters, there are also quite a few solid back ups to face Rayquaza. If you're looking to fill in a gap in your team, consider the following:

• Regice with Frost Breath and Blizzard
• Togekiss with Hidden Power or Charm and Dazzling Gleam
• Jynx with Frost Breath and Avalanche
• Haxorus with Dragon Tail and Dragon Claw
• Rampardos with Smack Down and Rock Slide
• Articuno with Frost Breath and Ice Beam
• Vanilluxe with Frost Breath and Blizzard
• Beartic with Powder Snow and Ice Punch
• Abomosnow with Powder Snow and Weather Ball
• Porygon-Z with Hidden Power and Blizzard
• Cloyster with Frost Breath and Avalanche

Shadow Pokémon

The rebalance of Shadow Pokémon rescued from Team GO Rocket make them excellent glass cannons. Not only are their stats boosted, but during special events, it's possible to change their moves. If you happen to have any of the following Pokémon with the right moveset, they will work very well in this Raid:

• Shadow Weavile
• Shadow Mewtwo
• Shadow Articuno
• Shadow Salamence
• Shadow Dragonite
• Shadow Abomasnow
• Shadow Lapras
• Shadow Gardevoir

Note: Shadow Mewtwo and Shadow Weavile outperform every other Pokémon in the best counters list. Shadow Articuno, Shadow Salamence, and Shadow Dragonite also perform on par with the other best counters.

How many players does it take to beat Rayquaza

Although Rayquaza remains the strongest Dragon type in the game, it's one of the easier Legendary Raids. Two top level players with solid counters can take this Raid alone. If you're lower level or don't have ideal counters, you may want a team of four to six players. If you happen to have some of the top Shadow Pokémon on our counter list, you should definitely be able to duo this Raid, but make sure to stock up on Revives and Potions, because they go down fast.

Weather conditions to keep in mind include Windy Weather, which will boost Ryaquaza's Dragon and Flying type moves, as well as your Dragon Counters, and Partly Cloudy Weather, which will boost Rayquaza's Rock type moves, as well as Rock type counters. Snow will boost your Ice type counters and Cloudy Weather will boost your Fairy types.

Questions about taking on Rayquaza?

Do you have any questions about taking on the Legendary Dragon and Flying type Pokémon Rayquaza? Got any tips for your fellow Trainers? Drop them in the comments below, and be sure to check out our Complete Pokédex, as well as our many Pokémon Go Guides so you too can become a Pokémon Master!