How to Get Rayquaza in Pokémon Go

Rayquaza is one of the many legendary Pokemon you can find while playing Pokemon Go. Like many legendary Pokemon, it won’t always appear, and there are specific ways you can get it to add to your party to use in combat or future raids.

There are a handful of ways to get Rayquaza, many of which are time-sensitive. If you miss the window to add Rayquaza to your team, there are always future opportunities, but you need to be fast because of how limited your chances are. Here’s what you need to know about how to get Rayquaza in Pokemon Go.

Related: All Pokemon Type Locations in Pokemon Go

Where to Find Rayquaza in Pokemon Go

You can only catch Rayquaza by finding it in five-star raids while playing Pokemon Go and defeating it in battle. Finding Rayquaza in five-star raids can be tough because these raids regularly rotate out legendary Pokemon; if Rayquaza is not in the current rotation, you must wait for another event.

There are two ways to catch Rayquaza: five-star raids for Rayquaza or Mega Rayquaza raids. At the end of each battle, there’s a chance to catch a Rayquaza, and if you complete a Mega Rayquaza Raid, you receive Mega Rayquaza energy to use on your Pokemon. Mega Pokemon provides multiple bonuses for you during events. Outside of the Mega Rayquaza Raids, it’s waiting for Rayquaza to appear in a five-star raid for an event.

Rayquaza events happen relatively frequently, and by frequently, I mean Rayquaza normally appears at least once a year in Pokemon Go. For example, many of the legendary Pokemon make a brief appearance during the Pokemon Go Fest event, which happens in the summer. However, Rayquaza has a good chance of appearing in one of the weekly events for Pokemon Go, but we don’t have any direct details or knowledge about what legendary Pokemon will appear in five-star raids. The announcement typically happens at the beginning of the month for any Pokemon Go events.

Alternatively, there’s always the chance for another Pokemon Go player trading you a Rayquaza. However, I don’t see this happening as much as it entirely relies on another player having a spare Rayquaza they’d be willing to swap to your account. Plus, you need to be better than Great Friends if you want to receive a Pokemon you have never seen for yourself before.

Five-star raid encounters for Rayquaza are the best way to catch this legendary Pokemon in Pokemon Go. Make sure to keep your eyes on the Pokemon Go website and Twitter page to see when they announce all the monthly raids and see if Rayquaza could be among them.