In a surprise raid weekend, Rayquaza will be featured in five-star raids in Pokémon Go alongside Therian Forme Thundurus. Rayquaza will only be around for a limited time, so don’t expect to see it after Sunday in your local time zone. The legendary Dragon Pokémon shows up starting on Saturday, March 27 at 10 AM and will be available until March 28 at 8 PM in your local time zone. Because Rayquaza is sharing the spotlight with Therian Forme Thundurus, not every five-star raid you encounter will be Rayquaza. There’s a 50% chance of these Pokémon showing up for it. If you capture Rayquaza during these raids, it will know the exclusive charged move Hurricane, a move it needs for its best moveset.
Rayquaza’s shiny version can show up during these raids for players who love to complete their collection. Rayquaza’s shiny version has been around for quite some time, so not having it appear during these weekend raids seems to be unlikely.
The chances of encountering this Pokémon shiny version is pretty low, so the more five-star raids you participate in the higher chances you have of finding it. A shiny Rayquaza is distinctly different than the original one, with a solid black frame.
Rayquaza is not the toughest legendary Pokémon to battle, but we recommend bringing a few friends with you during the fight to defeat it. Unfortunately, it’s far from a good Pokémon to use in the Battle League, so you won’t see it being used by too many Ultra or Master League players. However, it does serve a useful purpose in PvE raids.
