Rayquaza is a legendary Pokémon that can defeat any trainer, even the Elite Four, with ease. To catch Rayquaza, you can follow the two methods listed in this article. However, note that you won't be able to catch him the first time you meet him in the Sky Pillar. If you manage to wake Rayquaza and see him in action in Sootopolis Town, you can return to the Sky Pillar to fight and capture him.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Meeting the Required Prerequisites
Step 1. Make sure you can reach the Sky Pillar which is to the north of Pacifidlog Town
You will not be able to reach these two places early in the game. Therefore, if you can't get to Pacifidlog Town, you won't be able to catch Rayquaza.
Pacifidlog Town is west of Route 131 and can be visited once you've completed most of the game's story
Step 2. Buy a Mach Bike
You won't be able to catch Rayquaza if you don't have a Mach Bike. To catch this Pokémon, you'll need to pass through a place where only the bike can pass.
Step 3. Bring at least one Pokémon that can use the "Surf" type HM
" You have to cross the sea with HM Surf to reach the location where Rayquaza is. If you have completed most of the game's story, you can find this HM easily. If you don't have HM Surf, you can get it by defeating the Gym Leader in Petalburg City.
Step 4. Train multiple Pokémon to at least level 70 to defeat Rayquaza
Rayquaza is the strongest Pokémon in the game and is level 70 when you fight him. To catch it, you'll need some Pokémon that are strong enough to deal with its attacks.
You can catch Rayquaza before or after defeating the Elite Four
Step 5. Buy at least 30 to 40 Ultra Balls or use Master Balls
If you have a Master Ball, you can use it to catch Rayquaza automatically. However, if you don't have a Master Ball, you can use an Ultra Ball as long as you have some Pokémon that can weaken it.
Step 6. Make sure your Pokémon has a strong Move, such as "Sleep," "Freeze," or "Paralyze" if you didn't use a Master Ball to catch Rayquaza
This move can help catch Rayquaza more easily and prevent him from attacking your Pokémon for multiple turns. Note that the higher the level of the Pokémon using this Move, the greater the chance that the Move's attack will hit Rayquaza.
Step 7. Know that you can't catch Rayquaza the first time you meet him
In the game's main story, you'll meet Rayquaza when you reach the Sky Pillar for the first time. However, the Pokémon leaves as soon as you see it. You can reunite with Rayquaza when he fights Kyogre and Groudon. In the cutscene that occurs after you wake Rayquaza and fly to Sootopolis, Rayquaza will appear and stop the battle between the two Pokémon. After that, Rayquaza will leave. When the cutscene ends, you can return to the Sky Pillar to catch Rayquaza.
If you haven't reached this cutscene, you can't catch Rayquaza yet
Part 2 of 2: Catching Rayquaza
Step 1. Fly to Pacifidlog Town and use Surf to cross the sea to the cave that is to the northeast of the city
From the Pokémon Center in the middle of Pacifidlog Town, head northeast of the city and through the stone maze to reach the cave where Rayquaza is.
Step 2. Use the Mach Bike to traverse the cracked floor until you reach the top floor of the Sky Pillar
The Sky Pillar is a small area that has two doors above it. You can enter the door to reach the top floor of the Sky Pillar. If you see a cracked floor, use the Mach Bike to go through it quickly without stopping. You will fall into the hole if you walk or stop on it.
The Sky Pillar area contains many powerful Pokémon. However, you can dodge these Pokémon with Max Repel. This can help keep the Pokémon's HP high until you fight Rayquaza
Step 3. Save game data before fighting Rayquaza on the top floor of Sky Pillar
You only have one chance to catch Rayquaza. Therefore, make sure you have saved the game data in case you fail to catch it. If Rayquaza escapes, beats you, or fails (faint), you should try to fight him back by loading game data (load game).
Step 4. Attack Rayquaza until his HP bar turns yellow or red
Some moves such as " False Swipe " and " Tackle " only reduce Rayquaza's HP a little. Therefore, you can use this Move to prevent Rayquaza from fainting while trying to reduce his HP.
If you have a Master Ball, you can use it on your first turn to automatically catch Rayquaza
Step 5. Use the Move "Sleep", "Paralyze", or "Freeze" before throwing the Ultra Ball
Use one of these moves before throwing the Ultra Ball. If you fail to catch Rayquaza, the Ultra Ball you use next will have a greater chance of catching him. Therefore, you don't need to keep attacking Rayquaza even if the Ultra Ball you throw fails to catch him. You just need to use a Move that puts it to sleep or freeze and keep throwing Ultra Balls until you catch it.
Tips
- Note that there are no tricks that can increase your chances of catching Rayquaza. Only Move and type of Poké Ball can increase the chance.
- The Master Ball will always succeed in catching any Pokémon.
- False Swipe and Super Fang can be used to reduce Rayquaza's HP by 1 HP without making him faint.
- You must use the Mach Bike to reach the top floor of the Sky Pillar. Otherwise, you will fall when you cross the cracked floor.
- If you're using the Game Boy Advance and playing Pokémon Emerald on your computer, you can save your game data and try to catch Rayquaza using any Poké Ball. You just have to put him to sleep to catch him. If you fail and run out of Poké Balls, you can reload the game.
- Rayquaza can appear as a Shiny Pokémon just like any other Pokémon. Shiny-type Pokémon are Pokémon that have a different color than usual and glow when fighting other Pokémon. However, the chances of finding Shiny Pokémon are very slim. You only have a 1 in 8192 chance.
- You can use the Master Ball if you're having trouble catching Rayquaza. You don't have to worry about using it because there are only two other Pokémon at the same level as Rayquaza, namely Kyogre and Groudon.
- Rayquaza is a Dragon and Flying type Pokémon. This Pokémon cannot be countered with Ground-type attacks. Fairy-type Pokémon are very effective against Dragon-type Pokémon. It's a good idea to strategize before fighting Rayquaza.
Warning
- Note that the three legendary Pokémon available in Pokémon Emerald, namely Rayquaza, Kyogre, and Groudon, are level 70.
- Rayquaza has very powerful Moves, such as Outrage, Fly, Extreme Speed and Rest. Note that all three legendary Pokémon in Pokémon Emerald have Rest. Therefore, make sure you have prepared before fighting him.
