Rayquaza: Difference between revisions

|japanactor    = Katsuyuki Konishi

[[File:RayquazaSpriteE.png|left|thumb|Rayquaza's sprite in ''Pokémon Emerald''.]]

Rayquaza is a dual {{iw|Bulbapedia|Dragon|type}}/{{iw|Bulbapedia|Flying|type}}-type legendary Pokémon that debuted in the third generation of ''Pokémon'' games, serving as the version mascot for ''{{s|bulbapedia|Pokémon Emerald}}'', the solitary third version of ''{{iw|bulbapedia|Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire}}'' and fifth main series game in {{iw|bulbapedia|Generation III}} overall. It's categorized within the Pokédex at #384 as the "Sky High Pokémon".  A green, serpentine creature, it is part of a trio of legendary Pokémon commonly referred to as the {{iw|bulbapedia|weather trio}} along with [[Groudon]] and [[Kyogre]], and in its games is able to mediate the fights between those two. Symbolising this, it has the ability {{iw|Bulbapedia|Air Lock|ability}}, which neutralises weather effects. It is considered very territorial and usually flies around in the ozone layer, often having battles with {{iw|bulbapedia|Deoxys|Pokemon}}.

Rayquaza first appeared in ''Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire'' as a legendary Pokémon residing in Sky Pillar. However, it didn't have a significant story role, with little even implying its existence. In ''Pokémon Emerald'', however, Rayquaza is the mascot and served a much bigger role, becoming the one who stops the fight between [[Kyogre]] and [[Groudon]]. It also stays in Sky Pillar once the conflict is finished and can be obtained much earlier. Rayquaza later returned in the remakes, ''{{s|bulbapedia|Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire}}'', playing a major role in the post-game's "Delta Episode", where it was shown to be capable of [[Mega Evolution]]. Uniquely, Mega Rayquaza is the only Mega Evolution to date accessible without the use of a Mega Stone, instead simply by having the move {{iw|bulbapedia|Dragon Ascent|move}}.

Even though it wasn't working for the Subspace army, Tabuu brings back Rayquaza to slow down the heroes in The Great Maze.

Also, when Rayquaza is defeated, it twitches at the last second, which probably means it was only knocked out (a possible throwback to the ''Pokémon'' series, where a Pokémon who is defeated in battle is said to have fainted).

It can also be battled at any given time in [[Boss Battles Mode]].

====Moveset gallery====

While Rayquaza technically has less health than later bosses, its massive battery of resistances practically gives Rayquaza a very large amount of health. In fact, the only moves which it does not resist are those with [[freezing]] hitboxes, which is a nod to the Pokémon games where Rayquaza's typing makes it weakest to Ice-type moves. However with there being only a few moves in the game with hitboxes of the freezing type, only possessed by the {{SSBB|Ice Climbers}}, {{SSBB|Lucas}}, and {{SSBB|Mr. Game & Watch}}, this lone relative weakness can rarely be exploited. Even then most of those few freezing moves are projectiles, meaning Rayquaza will still resist them, while also being low-damaging and laggy moves that would make them ineffective for using against bosses. With this inability to use moves that Rayquaza doesn't possess an at least x0.7 resistance to, it is effectively about as or even more durable than [[Duon]], the most durable boss outside of [[Tabuu]].

None of Rayquaza's hurtboxes are programmed to be a weak point, though interestingly it has weak point numbers programmed in that are not the default ×2.0 like they are for other enemies that lack a weak point. This may indicate that Rayquaza originally had a weak point to counterbalance its massive resistances, that was scrapped late in development.

*Despite being the "Sky High" Pokémon who lives high in the ozone layer, Rayquaza in ''Brawl'' seems to be able to live underwater (although in the game, it is capable of learning the move {{iw|Bulbapedia|Dive|move}}) and attacks by burrowing underground (it cannot learn {{iw|Bulbapedia|Dig|move}} in the games). The Pokédex says that Rayquaza never touches the ground, however, unless [[Groudon]] and [[Kyogre]] were to fight.

**Additionally, despite being immune to ground-type attacks in its home series such as {{iw|Bulbapedia|Earthquake|move}}, it can still be hit by moves with ground-only hitboxes in ''Brawl'', such as {{SSBB|Donkey Kong}}'s [[Hand Slap]].

*Rayquaza is the only boss fought at the beginning of a stage whose fight isn't the entire stage.

*Aside from freezing attacks being the most effective, many of Rayquaza's weaknesses and resistances do not match its properties in the ''Pokémon'' games: it resists electric, grass, water, and dark attacks more than flame attacks, whereas its Pokémon typing dictates it takes regular damage from electric and dark, half damage from fire and water, and quarter damage from grass.