One of the most popular Legendary Pokemon in the franchise is the good old Rayquaza. This guy showed up in Pokemon Emerald and since then, the Sky High Pokemon has become a heavy fan-favorite.
For players of Pokemon Emerald, catching Rayquaza is one of the most breathtaking parts of the game. To learn how to get Rayquaza in Pokemon Emerald, read on!
It isn’t that hard to catch it, except for the actual catching where you’ll probably run out of Poke Balls. You just need to know the requirements for catching it.
We’ll also provide some tips to make your life easier when catching this Emerald Legendary Pokemon.
Other How To Topics
- Pokemon Emerald: The Best Team to Use
- How To Get EXP Share In Pokemon Emerald
- Pokemon Emerald Gym Leaders
- How to Use the Pokemon Emerald Item Duplication Glitch
- How to Do Pokemon Emerald’s Pokemon Duplication Glitch
Table of Contents
Everything About Rayquaza in Pokemon Emerald
Rayquaza is a Gen 3 Pokemon introduced in Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire. While other Pokemon games may have Rayquaza as a capturable legendary, the most associated game with this Pokemon is Pokemon Emerald.
It is a Dragon/Flying-type Pokemon and is considered one of the best Pokemon in of base stats. In later Gens, it also received a Mega Evolution form with improved stats.
Only one can be caught per save file and the requirements and steps are listed below.
Things You’ll Need to Catch Rayquaza in Emerald
To catch Rayquaza, you’ll need to obtain the following things:
Mach Bike
It is critical that you need the Mach Bike and not the Acro Bike. You’ll know more about why in the steps below.
A Pokemon That Knows Surf
HM Surf is important to access the Sky Pillar where Rayquaza is.
Max Repels
This one is optional, but it makes life better when you’re climbing up the Sky Pillar and not have encounters.
Lots of Poke Balls and Ultra Balls
At this point, a Poke Ball can be just as good as an Ultra Ball, but cheaper. Like catching other legendaries, you need to have a large supply of these items to catch Rayquaza.
How to Get Rayquaza in Pokemon Emerald
Here is a definitive guide to capture Rayquaza in the game:
Reaching the Sky Pillar
The path to the Sky Pillar is tricky but doable as long as you follow these steps:
Step 1: Start off by Surfing from Pacifidlog
Surf from the right side of the Pokemon Center as seen in the image below.
You’ll be on your way to Route 131. This should be done after the story event in Sootopolis.
Step 2: Find This Swimmer and Head North
Find this swimmer with a blue cap. Once you find him, head north as the arrow shows in the image below.
Step 3: Follow the Path to the Sky Pillar
It’s easy now, so just follow the path until you reach the Sky Pillar’s entrance.
Navigating Inside the Sky Pillar
Now that you’re at the Sky Pillar, you need to navigate your way here. That’s because this place has some nasty tricks that can make your life hard.
Don’t forget to use your Repel if you want to avoid any wild Pokemon encounters.
1F
Nothing to worry about here, just head to the exit.
2F
Time to use the Mach Bike.
WARNING:
The cracks on the floor will open if you simply walk or if your Mach Bike doesn’t get the acceleration it needs.
Simply follow where the arrows begin and end so that you don’t fall on the cracks as you use the Mach Bike.
3F
Nothing hard here, just head to the exit.
4F
On this floor, follow the arrows again. However, in the exit, you need to land on one of the cracks (where the STAR is).
Your exit will be dropping to the previous floor.
3F (AGAIN)
When you drop from above, just head to the exit.
4F (AGAIN)
Head to the exit.
5F
Nothing to worry about here, just head to the exit.
TOP FLOOR
You are about to meet Rayquaza, so be prepared and battle it when you’re ready.
Tips When Catching Rayquaza
Rayquaza’s Kit
Rayquaza has the following moves: Fly, Extreme Speed, Rest, and Outrage. It also is level 70 and has over 200+ HP.
Ice and Dragon-type Moves
Rayquaza is very weak to Ice-type moves due to its type combination.
If you have Mudkip as your starter, it can learn Ice moves like Ice Beam and Blizzard later on when it evolves into Swampert.
If you also have Pokemon like Walrein and Milotic, then they can be put to good use in this fight.
A Ghostly Pair
Banette and Shedinja are also good Pokemon against Rayquaza, but not in a conventional way.
These Pokemon can learn and use Spite, which can be useful in shredding down Rayquaza’s PP.
Banette can be caught in the Sky Pillar, so you can use it right away, and Shedinja’s only main concern is Rayquaza’s Fly and all its other moves have no effect on Shedinja.
Use the Master Ball (Optional)
You can encounter Rayquaza before you fight the Elite 4. In fact, you can even fight it before the 8th Gym Leader.
If you want to make it easy, just use the Master Ball, which you should also get before this point. It’s the only guaranteed way to catch Rayquaza.
Save Before the Fight
This one is a given, save before the fight. That way, if you fail to catch it or run out of balls, just reset the game and start over.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you catch Rayquaza Before the Elite Four?
Yes, you can even get it before fighting Juan, the eighth Gym Leader. The game doesn’t really tell you about that, but once the Sootopolis event is over, you can catch Rayquaza.
Is Rayquaza good?
Yes. For starters, it is level 70 when you get it, making it an ideal sweeper against the Elite Four. Plus, Rayquaza can be taught some moves to change its existing ones.
Is it worth using the Master Ball on Rayquaza?
It’s up to you depending on how much you want it. If you’ve followed our tips and stocked up on items, capturing him shouldn’t be that hard and you won’t need your Master Ball.
It’s probably just going to be tedious if you end up restarting your game over and over again.
In Closing
Now that you know how to catch Rayquaza in Pokemon Emerald, it’s time to get ready.
The real challenge is that Rayquaza can be a tough nut to crack. The good thing is you don’t have to worry about losing several of your Pokemon.
As long as you have one remaining, you’re good. This is why saving before the battle is ideal.
The path going to Rayquaza is trickier, but we’ve already given you all the steps to make it easy for you to fight and tame this beast.
these key steps:
- Prepare Your Team: Make sure to have a Pokemon with Surf and the Mach Bike to navigate to and through the Sky Pillar.
- Navigate the Sky Pillar: Use your Mach Bike to avoid falling through the cracks as you ascend to Rayquaza’s location.
- Save Before the Battle: Always save your game before engaging Rayquaza to ensure you can retry if necessary.
- Battle Tips: Use Ice-type moves to exploit Rayquaza’s 4x weakness, and consider using Pokemon like Banette or Shedinja for strategic advantages.
- Capture Rayquaza: Stock up on Poke Balls or Ultra Balls, and if you want a guaranteed capture, don’t hesitate to use your Master Ball.
