Pokémon Scarlet and Violet may have launched a few years back, but it continues to receive fresh content. The latest addition is the Shiny Rayquaza, which has now become a Tera Raid boss. Unlike the downloadable content (DLC), this update is free, meaning players can dive into the adventure whenever they choose. As is the case with all shiny Pokémon, Shiny Rayquaza is quite rare.
Players can hunt shiny versions of Legendary Pokémon in any game by saving the game just before their encounter. If the shiny doesn’t appear, reloading the save allows you to try again. However, it’s important to note that Rayquaza is only available through the DLC for Scarlet and Violet, making the opportunity to catch it in raids very appealing, especially for those who’ve been eager to find it. Tera Raids offer an efficient means to add Shiny Rayquaza to your team.
How To Catch Shiny Rayquaza
Complete The Main Game and Access Your Dens
To start your mission to catch Shiny Rayquaza, you first need to complete the main story of the game. This does not involve any of the DLC, so it should be manageable. Once you’ve finished the main storyline, connect to the internet using the Poké Portal to refresh the raid dens in your game, allowing Shiny Rayquaza to spawn. If you haven’t completed the game yet, you can join other players’ Tera Raids through Nintendo Switch Online.
Best Counters Against Shiny Rayquaza
Choose Your Best Pokémon
When facing Shiny Rayquaza, the choice of Pokémon to use will depend on your roster. Ideally, you should opt for one of these four Pokémon: Magearna, Sylveon, Clefable, or Primarina. Given that Shiny Rayquaza is a Dragon/Flying-type, Fairy and Steel-type moves will be particularly effective. Just like in Pokémon GO, Primarina serves as a solid and dependable attacker.
Primarina, Sylveon, and Clefable can serve well in this scenario—it’s really up to your preferences. Make sure these Pokémon have Calm Mind and Draining Kiss, and have them hold a Covert Cloak to protect them from confusion caused by Rayquaza’s Hurricane. Using Calm Mind will enhance their Special Defense and Special Attack, allowing Draining Kiss to keep you healed during the fight.
If you choose to battle with Magearna, you’ll need to be more specific with its moveset and ability. Here’s the ideal setup for Magearna:
| Stats | Details |
|---|---|
| Moves | – Draining Kiss – Dazzling Gleam – Reflect – Metal Sound |
| Ability | Soul-Heart |
| Held Item | Shell Bell |
| Nature | Modest (Boosts Special Attack, lowers Attack) |
| Effort Values | – HP: 4 – Defense: 252 – Special Attack: 252 |
This setup works similarly to Primarina and Sylveon, utilizing Draining Kiss for healing while relying on the Soul-Heart ability to maximize Special Attack damage. Your primary damage dealer will be Dazzling Gleam, while Draining Kiss provides sustainability.
Tips and Strategies
If you prefer to tackle the raid solo, consider resetting your raid until you encounter NPCs that bring Pokémon with the Intimidate ability, which will lower Rayquaza’s Attack.
For those on the hunt for the best Shiny Rayquaza, you can soft reset offline raids. Just remember to save before you start and ensure that auto-save is disabled in your game settings. After loading back in, you’ll need to re-roll the raid to begin the process again.
During the event period running from December 20 to January 5, you can attempt the raid multiple times. However, you can only catch Shiny Rayquaza once. After securing it, the additional raids primarily serve to collect materials as rewards. Shiny Rayquaza is one among many rare Pokémon featured in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Tera Raids, and we hope there will be more exciting updates to come in the future!
