Introduced in the third generation of the Pokémon games, Rayquaza is one of the most popular Legendary Pokémon available in Pokémon Go.
The species is known for its impressive attack and high damage-per-second output.
In battle, each Pokémon has access to two moves. Fast moves deal constant damage throughout the fight, while charge moves will only activate once the Pokémon has reached full charge, but these will deal significantly more damage.
Boasting a dual typing of Dragon and Flying, Rayquaza has access to a range of moves key to both types.
Picking a moveset for this Pokémon is going to depend on what matchups you plan on using it against, Rayquaza is reasonably diverse outside its critical weakness to Ice-type moves.
Here are the best movesets to use for Rayquaza.
Dragon type
For the most damage, you’ll want to take a full Dragon-type moveset. Currently, Rayquaza only has a single combination of Dragon-type moves: Dragon Tail and Outrage. When paired together the damage output is impressive, but this is also the perfect setup to take against another Dragon-type Pokémon. A key thing to remember when going into this type of matchup is that while the enemy Dragon-type opponent is vulnerable to Dragon-type moves, so is Rayquaza.
Mixed Offense
The second most-powerful moveset might be more ideal depending on the enemy Pokémon’s type. This is the Flying-type fast move Air Slash alongside Outrage. Statistically, this moveset will deal slightly less damage than the option above because of its mixed-type offense. But it may be more effective against those species with a weakness to Flying-type moves or those with resistances to Dragon types. This is the best moveset if you’re after something well rounded that won’t need to be optimized with TMs before heading into battle.
Flying type
If you’re planning to use Rayquaza against Fighting, Bug, or Grass-type foes, the best option is to take a full Flying-type moveset consisting of Air Slash with Aerial Ace. Players who have had Rayquaza for a long time may have caught it with the charge move Hurricane. If so, they should keep this, since it is the optimal Flying-type fast move, but it isn’t available currently in the game, so Aerial Ace is your best bet.
