Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Taking care of the requirements
• Part 2 of 2: Catching Rayquaza
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Rayquaza is the Legendary Monster that will mince the Elite 4 and any other trainer you face. Catching him is a two-step process, because you won't be able to catch him the first time you see him. However, if you have awakened him from his slumber and seen him in action in Sootopolis Town, you can return to where you first encountered Rayquaza and catch him there.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Taking care of the requirements

1. Make sure you can go to the Sky Pillar north of Pacifidlog Town. These areas are not unlocked until later in the game. If you can't go to Pacifidlog Town yet as part of the main quest, you can't get Rayquaza just yet.
   • Pacifidlog Town is located west of Route 131 and is later in the game than most places.
2. Buy a Mach Bike. If you don't have a Mach Bike you can't catch Rayquaza as the floor has some weak spots that you will fall through if you don't go full speed on the bike.
3. Make sure you have at least one Pokémon that has the HM technique "Surf’ can use. You have to go out into the ocean to reach Rayquaza, but this should be normal for you by the time you are ready to fight the beast. If you don't have a Pokémon that knows Surf on your team, you need to get one from your previous adventures.
4. Train a number of Pokémon until they reach level 70 to avoid getting rid of you. Rayquaza is the most powerful naturally occurring Pokémon you will encounter in the game, and is already at level 70 when you encounter it. To make it weak enough to catch, you need some Pokémon that can stand up to a high level monster.
   • You can catch Rayquaza before or after you engage in the Elite 4. The choice is yours.
5. Buy at least 30-40 Ultra Balls to have a safe margin, or choose to use your only Master Ball. This is probably the best reason to use your Master Ball, which will catch Rayquaza without a hitch and instantly. However, if you no longer have them, you will also manage with Ultra Balls, as long as you have a strong team that can weaken him / her first.
6. If you are not using your Master Ball, make sure that you have a Pokémon with you that has a high level attack, such as "Sleep", "Freeze" or "Paralyze". These attacks make it much easier to successfully capture the Legendary Monster. In addition, they ensure that he cannot fight back for a number of turns. Note that, logically, the higher the level of the Pokémon using the attack, the more likely it is that the attack will succeed.
7. Know that you cannot catch Rayquaza the first time you see him. During the main quest, you will meet Rayquaza the first time you go to Sky Pillar. He will fly away immediately, but you will encounter him again later when he is in a fight with Kyogre and Groudon. In this necessary cut scene (unlocked by flying to Sootopolis after waking Rayquaza from slumber), Rayquaza appears and the fight ends, then flies away. Once this scene is over, you can go back to the Sky Pillar to catch Rayquaza.
   • If you haven't gotten that far with the main quest, you can't catch Rayquaza just yet.

Part 2 of 2: Catching Rayquaza

1. Fly to Pacifidlog Town then surf to the cave just northeast of your location. From the Poké Center in the middle of the city, head to the top right, going through the small "maze" of stones to reach the cave just northeast of the city.
2. Use the Mach Bike to get over the cracks in the floor on your journey to the top of the Sky Pillar. The Sky Pillar is a small level with two doors at the top of the screen. Use these doors to reach the top layer. If you see cracks in the floor, use the Mach Bike to ride over it quickly, without stopping. You will fall through the floor if you try to walk over the cracks or come to a stop on a crack.
   • The Sky Pillar levels are filled with strong Pokémon, which you can avoid by using a Max Repel. This is a great way to save your Pokémon's HP for the later big battle with Rayquaza.
3. Once you reach the top level, you need to save the game before fighting. You only get one chance to catch Rayquaza, so don't forget to save in case you fail the first time. If he escapes, beats you, or passes out, you're out of luck. Except, of course, if you can reload the game you saved right before the fight.
4. Weaken Rayquaza until his health bar is in the lower yellow or red zone. Attacks such as "False Swipe" and "Tackle" always deal a small amount of damage, preventing you from accidentally knocking out Rayquaza and never catching it.
   • If you throw the Master Ball, you must do so immediately on the first turn. He will automatically catch Rayquaza for you!
5. Let him sleep, paralyze him or freeze him before throwing your Ultra Balls. Use one of these Status Affecting attacks ... and then throw that trade. When throwing Ultra Balls, you should know that each subsequent ball has a greater chance of successfully catching the Pokémon. Even if the first few fail, you should not proceed to weaken the monster any further. Keep it dormant or frozen and just keep throwing Ultra Balls until you get it.

Tips

• There is no trick to increase the catch speed, contrary to popular belief. Only status issues and Poké Ball types affect catch speed.
• A Master Ball will always catch the Pokémon.
• False Swipe can be used to safely lower Rayquaza's health to 1 HP, without risking passing out. You can also use Super Fang for this purpose.
• You need a Mach Bike to reach the top level as there are cracks in the floor that would otherwise make you fall through the floor.
• If you're using a Game Boy Advance or playing on the PC, you can save the game and try to catch Rayquaza with any ball, without harming him, just by letting him sleep.
• Rayquaza, like all other Pokémon, can appear as Shiny Pokémon (different colors + a glow at the start of each battle). The chances of finding a Shiny Pokémon are extremely low. About 1/8192.
• Just use the Master Ball. The only two Pokémon that have the same level as Rayquaza are Kyogre and Groudon.
• Rayquaza is a Dragon / Flying type Pokémon. It is immune to Ground-type attacks. Fairy-type Pokémon can be used against Dragon-type Pokémon. Always devise a strategy before starting a Pokémon battle.

Warnings

• Remember that all three Pokémon of Land, Sea, and Sky are at level 70.
• Rayquaza knows extremely good techniques; Outrage, Fly, Extreme Speed ​​and Rest (every individual of the legendary Emerald trio knows Rest). Make sure you are ready.

Necessities

• Lots of Ultra Balls, Timer Balls or a Master Ball
• About 25 Full Restores or 20 Hyper Potions (this can depend on your Pokémon's level)
• Pokémon Emerald for Nintendo GBA
• A compatible game system, a DS (Lite or original), or a Game Boy Advance