Shiny Rayquaza Tera Raid Guide for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

For a limited time only, trainers in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have the rare chance to snag the elusive Shiny Rayquaza-an awe-inspiring black and gold legendary dragon-through challenging five-star Tera Raid Battles running from December 20, 2024, to January 5, 2025. This event marks the first guaranteed opportunity to catch this majestic Pokémon in the game, but with only one catch allowed per save, preparation and strategy are key to adding this sky-high powerhouse to your team before it vanishes again into the clouds.

The last time shiny Rayquaza was distributed outside of Japan was in 2015 as part of a promotion with Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. You can shiny hunt Rayquaza in just about any game it appears in, except Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (though we suppose that’s why they had the distribution event). You also cannot shiny hunt Rayquaza regularly in Scarlet and Violet, which brings us here. Luckily, nabbing a black and gold buddy from a Tera Raid will be significantly easier than testing your luck and soft resetting your games to find one of these.

Below, we explain how to get shiny Rayquaza in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet and explain the best counters you’ll want to use to take it on.

How to get shiny Rayquaza in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

To get a shiny Rayquaza in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, you need to participate in a special five-star Tera Raid event where shiny Rayquaza appears. This event runs from December 20, 2024, to January 5, 2025. To access the raid, you must have completed the main storyline of the game and connect to the internet to refresh the Tera Raid dens via the Poké Portal. If you haven’t finished the story, you can still join multiplayer raids hosted by other players. Once you defeat Rayquaza in the raid, you get a chance to catch the shiny black and gold version, but you can only catch one per save file. Using Fairy-type Pokémon is recommended to counter Rayquaza’s powerful Dragon-type moves during the battle.

From Dec. 20, 2024, until Jan. 5, 2025, shiny Rayquaza will appear in Tera Raid dens. Note that even though you can participate in this fight multiple times, you can only catch one shiny Rayquaza from it. After you catch your first one, you won’t get the prompt to try to catch it again upon victory.

To be able to participate in these raids, you’ll need to have met the following requirements:

Complete the main story in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Connect to the internet in the Poké Portal to refresh your dens

Once you got all that squared away, you can seek out Rayquaza at a raid den or via the online portal.

If you have Nintendo Switch Online and you can do these battles with other trainers, you won’t need to beat the story – you should be able to join other players’ Rayquaza raid dens.

Shiny Rayquaza Tera Raid best counters

The best counters for the Shiny Rayquaza Tera Raid in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are primarily Fairy-type Pokémon due to Rayquaza’s Dragon Tera-type during the event, which makes it weak to Ice, Dragon, and Fairy moves but resistant to others. Top picks include Azumarill, which excels with a Belly Drum and Play Rough strategy using a Shell Bell, and Sylveon or Primarina, which can spam Calm Mind and Draining Kiss while holding a Metronome. Other effective Fairy-types are Clefable, Florges, and Gardevoir. Magearna is also a strong choice, especially when paired with Intimidate users. These counters exploit Rayquaza’s weaknesses while resisting its powerful Dragon-type attacks, making the raid more manageable.

Below, we detail builds to take in against Rayquaza that should work out decently. Of course, your mileage may vary, as there’s a bit of RNG when it comes to Rayquaza using specific attacks and whatnot. Don’t be surprised if it takes you a couple tries. (Rayquaza’s Hurricane attack can confuse your Pokémon, which. can be annoying, to say the least.)

Azumarill Belly Drum build

Nature: Adamant
Ability: Huge Power
Tera Type: fairy
EVs: 252 HP/252 Attack/4 Defense
IVs: Maxed HP, Attack, Defense, Special Defense, and Speed
Held item:Shell Bell
Moveset: Belly Drum (mirrored egg move), Play Rough (learned at level 25), Liquidation (TM110), Helping Hand (learned at level 1)

This is the OG raid setup, which comes in handy here, as Azumarill will be fully immune to Rayquaza’s dragon-type attacks. You’ll max out Azumarill’s attack with Belly Drum and then use Play Rough to dish out some serious damage. Getting the set up properly can take a couple tries, since Belly Drum cuts Azumarill’s health, you risk getting knocked out.

Sylveon Draining Kiss build

Nature: Modest
Ability: Pixilate
Tera Type: fairy
EVs: 252 Defense/252 Special Attack/4 HP
IVs: Maxed HP, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed
Held item:Covert Cloak
Moveset: Hyper Beam (TM163), Draining Kiss (learned at level 30), Helping Hand, Calm Mind (TM129)

This is a bit of a safer set-up. You can dish out lots of damage using Hyper Beam with the Pixilate and using Draining Kiss to regain your HP if it gets too low. Just like Azumarill, Sylveon will be immune to a good number of Rayquaza’s attacks.

How can I maximize my chances of catching shiny Rayquaza in Scarlet and Violet

To maximize your chances of catching Shiny Rayquaza in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, follow these key strategies:

Prepare a strong Fairy-type team: Rayquaza’s first move in the raid is always Dragon Ascent, which Fairy types resist or are immune to. Sylveon with a Fairy Tera Type and the held item CT Cloak (to block stat-lowering effects) is a highly recommended choice. Sylveon’s hidden ability Pixelate turns Normal moves into Fairy moves, boosting damage further.
Lower Rayquaza’s stats early: Use moves like Fake Tears, Screech, Tickle, or Snarl to reduce its stats before it gains momentum. Avoid buffing your own Pokémon’s stats until Rayquaza’s health drops below 80%, as it clears stat changes early in the battle.
Buff your team and Terastallize: After Rayquaza clears stat changes, buff your Pokémon up to three times and Terastallize to gain an advantage. Rayquaza uses Dragon Dance at 50% health, so play aggressively at that point to finish the battle quickly.
Join multiplayer raids if possible: If you have Nintendo Switch Online, join other players’ Rayquaza raid dens to increase your chances of success without having to complete the main story first. Otherwise, you must complete the main storyline and refresh dens via the Poké Portal to find Rayquaza raids.
Keep trying but remember you can only catch one: You can attempt the raid multiple times, but only catch one Shiny Rayquaza per save file. Use each attempt to learn the pattern and improve your strategy.

By carefully selecting your team, using stat moves strategically, and cooperating with other players, you can significantly increase your odds of capturing this rare black-and-gold legendary dragon before the event ends on January 5, 2025.

What are the most effective counters to increase my shiny Rayquaza catch rate

The most effective counters to increase your chances of catching Shiny Rayquaza in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are strong Fairy-type Pokémon with specific builds designed to resist Rayquaza’s Dragon and Flying moves and to lower its stats:

Azumarill (Belly Drum build): Adamant nature, Huge Power ability, Fairy Tera Type, EVs focused on HP and Attack, holding Shell Bell. Use Belly Drum to maximize attack and then Play Rough to deal heavy damage. Azumarill’s Fairy typing grants resistance to Dragon moves, making it a classic and powerful counter.
Sylveon (Draining Kiss build): Equipped with Pixelate ability (turns Normal moves into Fairy), Fairy Tera Type, moves like Draining Kiss and Fake Tears to both damage and heal, plus support moves such as Helping Hand and Hyper Beam. Holding Covert Cloak to prevent confusion from Rayquaza’s Hurricane move is highly recommended. Calm Mind can boost Sylveon’s special stats for survivability and damage.
Clefable and Primarina: Both are solid Fairy-type alternatives with Calm Mind and Draining Kiss, also holding Covert Cloak to avoid confusion. These Pokémon provide flexibility depending on your available roster.
Zacian (Crowned form): A Steel/Fairy type that can resist Rayquaza’s moves and hit back hard, though care must be taken with Rayquaza’s Electric or Fire coverage moves.
Corviknight: Immune or resistant to many of Rayquaza’s moves, making it a durable choice in raids.

Additional strategic tips to improve success:

Use moves that lower Rayquaza’s stats early in the battle, such as Fake Tears, Screech, or Snarl, to reduce its offensive threat.
Avoid buffing your own stats until Rayquaza’s health drops below 80% and it clears stat changes, then buff up and Terastallize for maximum effect.
Bring bulky support Pokémon like Milotic or use status conditions to increase survivability.
If soloing, Fairy-types are your best bet due to immunity to Rayquaza’s first move Dragon Ascent.

By combining these Pokémon choices and tactics, you can maximize your odds of defeating and catching the elusive Shiny Rayquaza in the Tera Raid event.