Rayquaza

Rayquaza
File:PokemonSymbol.png
A boss in	Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Universe	Pokémon
Article on Bulbapedia	Rayquaza

Rayquaza (レックウザ, Rekkūza) is a fictional creature from the Pokémon media franchise.

Official artwork of Rayquaza from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire Versions.

Rayquaza is a legendary Pokémon that debuted in the third generation of Pokémon games, serving as the version mascot for Pokémon Emerald, the third special edition game to Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. A green, serpentine creature, it is a member of the so-called "weather trio" of legendary Pokémon along with Groudon and Kyogre, and in its games is able to mediate the fights between those two. Its types are Dragon and Flying. It is considered very territorial and usually flies around in the ozone layer.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Role in the Subspace Emissary

Rayquaza is the second boss in adventure mode of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In the Subspace Emissary, Rayquaza first appears in the level The Lake after Diddy Kong goes to investigate a crashed Arwing. It bursts out of the water and destroys the Arwing with an attack resembling a ball of energy, then grabs Diddy. Before it can retreat into the water, Fox leaps from the burning Arwing and attacks Rayquaza using Fox Illusion, causing it to lose its grip on Diddy Kong. The beast attacks Fox with the energy ball attack again, but Fox reflects the attack back at Rayquaza using his Reflector, sending it tumbling back into the water. Both Diddy and Fox face off against the dangerous legendary Pokémon.

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.

Rayquaza's attacks & stats

Rayquaza fighting against Diddy Kong and Fox in The Lake

Attacks

First move

• Rayquaza uses Iron Tail as it sweeps its tail across the ground. It actually hits twice, and it can break shields quite easily at higher difficulties.
• Rayquaza ducks down and rushes to the other side of the stage.

Second move

• Rayquaza sends a ball of electricity in front of itself diagonally, or lowers its head and sends the lightning orb in front of itself, which travels across the stage unless it hits the ground, when it will explode. (This can be reflected by various reflecting attacks but not absorbed by PSI Magnet or Oil Panic). This move is similar to Energy Ball and Dragon Pulse from the Pokémon series.
• Rayquaza burrows underground, then bursts out of the ground where the player was standing. At lower HP, Rayquaza does this three times. When its HP is low enough that it can be captured, it will perform this attack four times. This move is similar to Dig from the Pokémon series.

Third move

• Rayquaza's eyes glow, and then it creates an explosion at the location where the character was at that time. While Rayquaza's eyes glow, fighters in contact with its head will be spiked to the ground, often a perfect setup for the explosion.
• Rayquaza flies up in a tight circle and attacks with a multi-hit lightning bolt (it does not have knockback, however). It breaks shields down quickly. During the time Rayquaza rises touching it will deal electric damage. It's one of the few attacks that are easier to dodge on higher difficulties due to its much shorter duration. Rayquaza only uses at lower HP. Similar to Pikachu's Thunder.
• Rayquaza flies up slowly, then crashes into the character while burrowing into the ground, then appears on the other side. The above lightning bolt attack is the substitute for this at lower HP.
• Rayquaza flies up, and then dashes back and forth near the ground. At lower HP, Rayquaza does this two or three times. Small characters can evade this attack by ducking if they can fit between the "waves" of Rayquaza's wavy shape and the ground, but the move also produces a wind that can push characters around (making crawling an asset) into a spot where they can be hit. Very similar to Twister, a move Rayquaza uses in Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire.

Random

• Rayquaza roars. During the first part of the roar, characters are pushed away from Rayquaza if they are close to it. This attack deals no damage and does not affect Rayquaza's attack cycle.

As a trophy

The Rayquaza trophy in Brawl.

• A Sky High Pokémon. It normally resides high up in the ozone layer where it flies endlessly, so it is rarely seen. However, when Groudon and Kyogre began to fight, it appeared to calm them down. It has the ability Air Lock, which blocks all weather-condition effects. It has exceedingly strong abilities, and its attack power is especially remarkable.

: Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire

: Pokémon Emerald

HP and damage taken

HP Values
The Lake	185.68	208.4	225.44	253.84	282.24

Damage taken	×0.7	×0.7	×0.5	×1.0	×0.7	×0.5	×0.5	×0.7	×0.7	×0.7	×0.3
Unknown	×1.0	×1.0	×0.7	×1.5	×1.0	×0.7	×0.7	×1.0	×1.0	×1.0	×0.8

While Rayquaza technically has less health than later bosses, its massive battery of resistances - taking normal damage only from Freezing attacks (a nod to the Pokémon games, where Rayquaza is very weak to ice based attacks, taking ×4.0 damage), and even then most such attacks are weakened by being projectiles - gives the strong illusion of having a very large amount of health.

Because Rayquaza's weak point numbers are not the default ×2.0 for all enemies without a weak point, it is assumed that Rayquaza has a weak point that is either undiscovered or was scrapped late in development.

Moveset gallery

• 

  Rayquaza roars.

• 

  Rayquaza uses Iron Tail.

• 

  Rayquaza sweeps to the other side of the stage.

• 

  Rayquaza charges a ball of electricity.

• 

  Rayquaza releases the ball of electricity along the ground.

• 

  Rayquaza shoots the ball of electricity downwards.

• 

  Rayquaza soars into the sky before using Dig.

• 

  Rayquaza uses Dig.

• 

  Rayquaza flashes its eyes before creating an explosion.

• 

  Rayquaza creates said explosion.

• 

  Rayquaza releases a bolt of electricity.

• RayuqzqDash.jpg

  Rayquaza dashes from the side of the screen.

Origin

Rayquaza first appeared in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire as a legendary Pokémon residing in Sky Pillar. However, it did not have much of a role in these games. In the fifth Pokémon game of Generation III, Pokémon Emerald, 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.

Trivia

• 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 Dive; or might possibly be sleeping there) and attacks by burrowing underground (it cannot learn Dig in the games). The Pokédex says that Rayquaza never touches the ground, however, unless Groudon and Kyogre were to fight.
• A glitch can happen when facing Rayquaza. It is unknown how this happens, but it can leave some of the playable character's model stuck frozen in the immediate foreground, moving with the camera. Any attack Rayquaza performs that targets the player's location go offscreen, failing to hit the almost-KO'ed player. This glitch lasts until the player quits the battle. [1]
• Rayquaza is the only boss fought at the beginning of a stage aside from Galleom in The Ruined Hall and Duon in Battleship Halberd Bridge, where the boss fight comprises the entire stage.
• Rayquaza is the only boss in The Subspace Emissary known to have a specific voice actor (Katsuyuki Konishi).
• Rayquaza seems to be the only boss in SSE without any true connection to the Subspace Army.
• Rayquaza is the only boss who never comes in contact with a character inside of its own series (in contrast to Porky Minch)
• 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, and water attacks more than flame attacks, whereas its Pokémon typing dictates it takes regular damage from electric, half damage from fire and water, and quarter damage from grass.