Pokemon GO
NianticThere were 20 new Pokémon that arrived with a new Gen 3 update in Pokémon GO yesterday, but one of them was more significant than all the others. That would be Rayquaza, the flying-dragon type that appears in the handhelds when Kyogre and Groudon fight, though Niantic didn’t exactly coordinate anything in keeping with the lore, and just released Rayquaza normally.
Rayquaza is an interesting case. He’s by far the easiest legendary in the game to defeat because A) he has a very low defense stat and B) as flying-dragon, he’s double weak to ice.
So, who does that mean you should be bringing to Rayquaza raids? Possibly some Pokémon you haven’t used in quite a white. Here’s a breakdown of your best options:
Jynx – Double ice moveset, I have caught more Jynx than I can count, and if you ever snagged a good one, now it’s her time to shine
Articuno – Double ice moveset, probably the only other legendary worth using here
Walrein – Double ice moveset, a Gen 3 pick that should get the job done and tank a good amount of damage
Pokemon GO
NianticLapras – Double ice moveset, lord knows you probably have a few of these around from back when he was top-tier in the early days
Gardevoir – Psychic/fairy moveset, a non-ice pick that’s one of Gen 3’s strongest, and will help counter Rayquaza all the same
Pillowswine – Any move/Avalanche, being part ice type plus avalanche as a heavy move should spell doom for Rayquaza
Dragonite – Double dragon moveset, when in doubt, Dragonite
Technically you could just plow through Rayquaza with a full Jynx team, but I’d mix it up a bit, and if you have powered up a half dozen or more Jynx, I have some questions for you.
In terms of actually catching Rayquaza, as ever, he has a low base catch rate, but with how easy he is to beat, hopefully you’ll get more chances than you would otherwise, if you can succeed in the raid with less people (he’s already been two-manned in the first few hours of release).
Rayquaza is a little bit closer than the far-off Kyogre was, but not as close as say, Ho-Oh, so throw your balls accordingly. Overall, I really do think this is going to be one of the easiest raid battles to date, and that’s interesting given that it will probably be one of the last new legendaries out for a while, unless Niantic starts throwing mythics in the mix. My guess is that Niantic will start bringing back old Legendaries for another go-round for a while, and later this summer/fall, yep, it’s Gen 4 time, like clockwork.
Best of luck in your Rayquaza hunt. I have a feeling he’ll be a lot less frustrating to beat and secure than others for you.
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