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Mega Rayquaza is doubly weak to Ice-type attacks, making powerful Ice Pokémon the best choices for its Mega Legendary Raids. Rock, Dragon and Fairy attacks also deal super-effective damage, while Ground- and Grass-type attackers are poor options because Mega Rayquaza heavily resists them.
You do not catch Mega Rayquaza after the battle. The raid boss changes into regular Rayquaza for the bonus encounter, where you can catch it, receive Mega Energy and potentially find its black-bodied shiny form.
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Mega Rayquaza weaknesses
Mega Rayquaza is a Dragon/Flying-type raid boss. Ice is its most important weakness: Pokémon GO’s damage system treats this as a double weakness of approximately 2.56× damage, not a literal 4× multiplier. Rock, Dragon and Fairy attacks deal approximately 1.6× damage.
| Attack type | Effectiveness |
|---|---|
| Ice | Double super effective |
| Rock, Dragon, Fairy | Super effective |
| Ground, Grass | Heavily resisted |
For additional raid guidance and counter simulations, see PokéBattler’s Mega Rayquaza analysis and Pokémon GO Hub’s Rayquaza raid guide.
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Best Mega Rayquaza counters
Counter rankings depend on trainer level, friendship bonuses, weather, dodging and Mega Rayquaza’s randomly assigned moveset. These Pokémon and movesets are among the strongest current choices:
| Pokémon | Fast move | Charged move | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Kyurem | Ice Fang | Ice Burn | Top Ice damage in current simulations |
| Mega Mewtwo Y | Psycho Cut | Ice Beam | Extremely powerful Ice damage |
| Black Kyurem | Dragon Tail | Freeze Shock | High-damage alternative |
| Shadow Mamoswine | Powder Snow | Avalanche | Powerful and comparatively accessible |
| Mega Mewtwo X | Psycho Cut | Ice Beam | Strong Ice damage with a Mega boost |
| Mega Rayquaza | Dragon Tail | Breaking Swipe | Strong Dragon attacker |
| Eternatus | Dragon Tail | Dynamax Cannon | Reliable Dragon-type option |
| Mega Gardevoir | Charm | Triple Axel | Strong Fairy/Ice option and team boost |
| Mamoswine | Powder Snow | Avalanche | Best widely available non-Shadow choice |
| Galarian Darmanitan | Ice Fang | Avalanche | High damage, but less durable |
Current published 2026 simulations include White Kyurem, both Mega Mewtwo forms, Black Kyurem, Shadow Mamoswine, Mega Rayquaza, Eternatus and Mega Gardevoir among the leading counters. Rankings may change when move stats, raid parameters or new Pokémon change.
Best accessible team
If you do not have the newest Legendary or Mega counters, build an Ice-focused party around these six Pokémon:
- Shadow Mamoswine: Powder Snow and Avalanche
- Mamoswine: Powder Snow and Avalanche
- Galarian Darmanitan: Ice Fang and Avalanche
- Baxcalibur: Ice Fang and Avalanche
- Glaceon: Frost Breath and Avalanche
- Weavile: Ice Shard and Triple Axel
Mamoswine is particularly practical because its recommended Ice moves are not Community Day-exclusive.
How many trainers do you need?
Two very high-level trainers with optimized teams may defeat Mega Rayquaza under favorable conditions, but that is not a general recommendation. Plan for at least three strong trainers using optimized Level 40 counters. Lower-level teams should aim for five or more trainers.
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Ice counters can deal excellent damage but may be vulnerable to some of the boss’s attacks. If your first party faints, rejoin with another prepared team rather than assuming the raid is lost. Weather can also change the practical difficulty:
- Snow: boosts Ice attackers.
- Partly Cloudy: boosts Rock attackers.
- Windy: boosts Dragon attackers and the Rayquaza encounter.
- Cloudy: boosts Fairy attackers.
Mega Rayquaza’s possible raid moves
Raid references list these possible charged attacks:
- Aerial Ace — Flying
- Ancient Power — Rock
- Outrage — Dragon
- Dragon Ascent — Flying
- Breaking Swipe — Dragon
The listed fast attacks are generally Dragon Tail and Air Slash. Because the moveset is randomly assigned, a boss carrying a move that threatens Ice, Dragon or Fairy Pokémon can change which counter is safest. Check the raid’s recommended party and be ready to relobby.
What do you catch after the raid?
Mega Rayquaza reverts to regular Rayquaza for the catch encounter. The normal encounter is:
- 2,102–2,191 CP at Level 20 without a weather boost
- 2,627–2,739 CP at Level 25 with a Windy weather boost
- 2,191 CP for a perfect unboosted encounter
- 2,739 CP for a perfect weather-boosted encounter
Use Golden Razz Berries, curveballs and Great or Excellent throws for a normal encounter. Your Premier Ball total depends on factors such as damage dealt, Gym control and raid speed. The raid boss changing back to regular Rayquaza is expected behavior, as explained by the Pokémon GO Help Center.
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Is shiny Rayquaza available?
Yes, shiny Rayquaza is available from raid encounters. Its body is black rather than the standard green, with its yellow markings still visible. The raid boss normally appears in its standard form during the battle; shiny status is determined for the post-raid encounter, so you cannot identify a shiny Rayquaza from the battle model.
Niantic does not publish a permanent universal shiny-rate table. Community-tracked data commonly places Legendary raid shinies at roughly 1 in 20, but event-specific rates can differ. For example, Niantic advertised an increased Shiny Rayquaza chance for the October 18, 2025 Mega Rayquaza Raid Day in its official announcement. There is no pity counter: completing 20 raids does not guarantee a shiny encounter.
A shiny Legendary encountered after a raid is generally guaranteed to be caught when a Premier Ball successfully hits it. A Pinap or Silver Pinap Berry can provide extra Candy. The guarantee does not cover missed throws, running out of Premier Balls, connection problems or other encounter failures.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to Mega Evolve Rayquaza
Mega Energy alone is not enough. The Rayquaza you want to Mega Evolve must know Dragon Ascent, a Flying-type Charged Attack. You need a Meteorite to teach it; neither a regular Charged TM nor an Elite Charged TM can teach Dragon Ascent.
Teach Dragon Ascent
- Open the Pokémon menu.
- Select Rayquaza.
- Open its details screen.
- Open the Item menu.
- Select Meteorite and use it on that Rayquaza.
After the move requirement, Meteorite and Mega Energy requirements are met, tap Mega Evolve on the Rayquaza details screen. An eligible Rayquaza in your Battle Party can also be Mega Evolved from a raid lobby. The Meteorite is applied to the specific Rayquaza you select.
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The first Mega Evolution costs more than later evolutions of the same Rayquaza. Subsequent evolutions cost less, and repeated Mega Evolutions can eventually become free after the relevant cooldown. Under the standard system, a Mega-Evolved Pokémon remains Mega Evolved for eight hours. See the Pokémon GO Help Center’s Mega Evolution instructions for the current requirements.
Raid-tier and entry rules
Do not assume every Mega Rayquaza appearance uses the same access rules. Pokémon GO currently distinguishes among:
- Mega Raids
- Mega Legendary Raids
- Super Mega Raids
Mega Legendary Raids are harder than standard Mega Raids. Super Mega Raids add an enraged phase with shields that Mega Pokémon must help break using Charged Attacks. Trainers without a Mega Pokémon in their Battle Party may be unable to tap Ready until they add one, although they can still enter by waiting for the lobby timer to expire. Primal Reversion does not count as a Mega Pokémon for breaking Super Mega Raid shields.
Link Charges are a newer resource used for some Mega Raid entry. For an in-person Mega Raid, the game may offer Link Charges, a free Raid Pass or a Premium Battle Pass; if a free Raid Pass is available, it is used first. Remote Super Mega Raids require both Link Charges and a Remote Raid Pass. Always check the specific event announcement and in-game raid tier.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchMega Rayquaza originally appeared in Elite Raids, which were in-person only in the 2024 announcement. That historical rule should not be applied automatically to every later appearance. Consult the current Pokémon GO raid-entry guidance.
Quick Recap
Outdated Mega Rayquaza claims to avoid
- “You catch Mega Rayquaza.” No. The catch encounter is regular Rayquaza.
- “Ice deals 4× damage.” No. In Pokémon GO, the double weakness is approximately 2.56×.
- “Dragon Ascent is Dragon-type.” No. It is a Flying-type Charged Attack.
- “A Charge TM teaches Dragon Ascent.” No. You need a Meteorite, and Elite Charged TMs do not work.
- “Mega Rayquaza is always an in-person Elite Raid.” Outdated. Entry depends on the current raid tier and event rules.
- “A shiny is guaranteed after a certain number of raids.” No. Encounters are independent and there is no published pity counter.
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