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Rayquaza

ListEntry

Table of Contents

#384

284

ATK

170

DEF

213

STA

Lvl 50Max CP

4336

Lvl 40

3835

Lvl 25Weather Boost

2739

Lvl 20Raids/Eggs

2191

Lvl 15Research

1643

Stage 1

Stage 2

Moves

Fast

Dragon Tail

Air Slash

Charge

PvE Analysis

Rayquaza, the master of Kyogre and Groudon, has arrived. With its arrival, it assumed the place of best Dragon-type attacker and a top generalist attacker. It sat on that throne for quite some time, but has actually fallen from its place amid the stars in the face of powerful Shadows surpassing it. 
...But all is not lost for Rayquaza, because it has received its signature move, Dragon Ascent. Dragon Ascent is the best Charged Attack in the game, causing Rayquaza's DPS to tower over even Mewtwo. With this monstrously powerful attack, Rayquaza not only becomes the game's uncontested best Flying attacker, it also becomes a very respectable generalist. The move also enables Rayquaza to Mega Evolve, and Mega Rayquaza's power is on a whole new level...
Note that Dragon Ascent can only be taught using Meteorites; it cannot be taught even with an Elite Charged TM.
Best PvE Offensive Moveset
Air Slash + Dragon Ascent*Best
Dragon Tail + Outrage or Breaking Swipe*Best
Dragon Tail should be paired with Outrage or Breaking Swipe*, as the Dragon set has wider neutral coverage than the Flying set. Outrage and Breaking Swipe are roughly as good as each other, with Outrage having a higher peak DPS, but overall less reliability as Breaking Swipe. Pairing Dragon Tail with Dragon Ascent gives Rayquaza the highest possible neutral DPS, but the lack of type synergy makes this a rather situational combination
Air Slash should be used for Flying Type damage. Dragon Ascent* is far and away the strongest Flying-type move choice, but its availability is limited. Hurricane* falls behind to a large degree, while Aerial Ace is hardly worth a mention.. 
Ancient Power is not a good investment for Rayquaza.

Air Slash + Dragon Ascent*	Best
Dragon Tail + Outrage or Breaking Swipe*	Best

PvP Analysis

Dragon Tail + Breaking Swipe* & Dragon Ascent*Best
Dragon Tail is slightly superior to Air Slash in terms of energy gain, but more importantly in the formats where Rayquaza can compete in, Dragon-type coverage is valuable against other Dragon Pokemon, as well as its relatively neutral coverage overall. 
Breaking Swipe is one of the best Charged Attacks in the game, having the same damage and energy as Dragon Claw but with an additional guaranteed Attack drop. Dragon Ascent has a steep cost and also comes with a Defense self-debuff, but its raw power makes it an incredible closing move when shields are down. It provides coverage against Fairy-type Pokemon, and is strong enough to nearly OHKO them. Hurricane is generally an outclassed option; it is slightly cheaper, but inconsequentially so, and it is so much weaker than Dragon Ascent. Ancient Power can provide a quick way to smash Ho-Oh and is Rayquaza's best non-exclusive option. Aerial Ace is a terrible move. Outrage is a solid attack, but it leaves Rayquaza helpless against Fairies.
Great League
Research Rayquaza can have a low enough CP to enter the Great League if rerolled via trade, but it really shouldn't be wasted for such things. Competition with Dragons such as Altaria, Dragonite, and Dragonair leaves Rayquaza as largely a gimmick choice.
Ultra League
Rayquaza's huge attack stat doesn't do it any favors in any restricted-CP format, resulting in poor bulk compared to the rest of the meta. Breaking Swipe may be an excellent move, but Rayquaza still heavily competes with higher stat Dragons like Dragonite and Giratina. Its poor bulk means it won't be able to make great use of Breaking Swipe's debuff.
Master League
WIthout the CP cap to hold it back, Rayquaza's huge attack is finally an asset rather than a hindrance. The addition of the extremely potent Breaking Swipe gives Rayquaza a tangible niche over the similar Dragonite. Though Rayquaza's bulk is still poor by Master League standards, it is now bulky enough where Breaking Swipe's Attack drops can prove to be irritating. Rayquaza is at its strongest in 2-shield matchups, where it can rack up multiple Attack drops on an opponent. This is most devastating against opponents who rely on Charged Attacks to deal a majority of their damage, such as Excadrill and Mewtwo. Additionally, thanks to Dragon Ascent, Rayquaza can be a devastating closer; the move can pull off impressive feats such as nearly oneshotting Zacian, Xerneas, and Togekiss. Even the extremely tanky Lugia reels to the sheer power of the move.
Despite Breaking Swipe's potency, Rayquaza can find itself still struggling against common Pokemon such as Dialga, Zacian, Xerneas, and Melmetal. Its weakness against common high damage Fast Attacks such as Dragon Breath, Dragon Tail, and to a lesser extent, Charm and Powder Snow make it challenging for Rayquaza to stack Attack drops. Unlike Dragonite, Rayquaza struggles to cleanly dent Steel-type opponents, and may have to rely on committing shields to overcome them.

Great League
Research Rayquaza can have a low enough CP to enter the Great League if rerolled via trade, but it really shouldn't be wasted for such things. Competition with Dragons such as Altaria, Dragonite, and Dragonair leaves Rayquaza as largely a gimmick choice.
Ultra League
Rayquaza's huge attack stat doesn't do it any favors in any restricted-CP format, resulting in poor bulk compared to the rest of the meta. Breaking Swipe may be an excellent move, but Rayquaza still heavily competes with higher stat Dragons like Dragonite and Giratina. Its poor bulk means it won't be able to make great use of Breaking Swipe's debuff.
Master League
WIthout the CP cap to hold it back, Rayquaza's huge attack is finally an asset rather than a hindrance. The addition of the extremely potent Breaking Swipe gives Rayquaza a tangible niche over the similar Dragonite. Though Rayquaza's bulk is still poor by Master League standards, it is now bulky enough where Breaking Swipe's Attack drops can prove to be irritating. Rayquaza is at its strongest in 2-shield matchups, where it can rack up multiple Attack drops on an opponent. This is most devastating against opponents who rely on Charged Attacks to deal a majority of their damage, such as Excadrill and Mewtwo. Additionally, thanks to Dragon Ascent, Rayquaza can be a devastating closer; the move can pull off impressive feats such as nearly oneshotting Zacian, Xerneas, and Togekiss. Even the extremely tanky Lugia reels to the sheer power of the move. Despite Breaking Swipe's potency, Rayquaza can find itself still struggling against common Pokemon such as Dialga, Zacian, Xerneas, and Melmetal. Its weakness against common high damage Fast Attacks such as Dragon Breath, Dragon Tail, and to a lesser extent, Charm and Powder Snow make it challenging for Rayquaza to stack Attack drops. Unlike Dragonite, Rayquaza struggles to cleanly dent Steel-type opponents, and may have to rely on committing shields to overcome them.