There have been a lot of bumps and rough patches acrossPokemon’s ninth generation, butPokemon ScarletandVioletare still carrying on. While they haven’t fixed everything, these Nintendo Switch games have had plenty of updates to keep them going, and fans invested in them have had a delightful time. As the first open-worldPokemongames and with cooperative online multiplayer integrated into that world,Pokemon ScarletandVioletswung for the fences in several ways and made just enough of their shots count.
ScarletandVioletwould be considerably less than what they are now without their generous DLC offerings and live service elements. WhileThe Teal Mask,The Indigo Disk, and the DLC epilogue are the obvious highlights, a steady flow of Mystery Gift giveaways and Tera Raid Battle events are what have keptPokemon ScarletandVioletgoing through their second year of life. Acting as anevolution ofPokemon SwordandShield’s Max Raid Battles, Tera Raids set a group of human or mixed human-and-NPC trainers against giant Terastallized Pokemon on a time limit, and the system is about to debut its most unique challenge yet.
Tera Raid Battles in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Are Entering Uncharted Territory
AfterPokemon ScarletandViolet’s debut, Game Freak and The Pokemon Company quickly began rolling out Tera Raid Battle events. While randomTera Raid Battles are found throughoutScarletandViolet, allowing players to catch Pokemon with varying Tera Types, these tend to involve rarer Pokemon with unusual Tera Types and other impressive rewards. The toughest Tera Raid Battles available from these events reach 7 Stars of difficulty, which is nothing to scoff at when unlocking the black crystals for daily 6-Star battles already requires significant progress inPokemon ScarletandViolet’s postgame.
A 7-Star Shiny Rayquaza Raid Is Bound To Turn Heads
However, these 7-Star raids have proven popular due to their unusuallyhigh difficulty for aPokemongame, so they’ve become a regular sight in Tera Raid Battle events. An upcoming 7-Star raid is shaking things up through its choice of Pokemon, however, and it’s not one that fans expected to see. From Jun 26, 2025, to Jun 16, 2025, players can test their might against a shiny Rayquaza, which they will catch if they defeat. Further details are not known yet, but this is a huge moment for several reasons, not the least of which being its novel status.
Why Pokemon Making A Shiny Rayquaza Raid Is A Big Deal
Shiny Legendary Pokemon were a rare sight due to the low chances of one appearing naturally, and the inconsistent instances of mandatory Legendary encounters being shiny locked, and thus never shiny. Shiny Legendaries have been given away as event Pokemon for a long time now, but now one is appearing as a raid boss for the first time.Pokemon ScarletandViolethave never featured shiny Legendaries in their Tera Raid Battles before, and while normal Tera Raids have a chance to be shiny,Tera Raid events are shiny-lockedand have previously just featured shiny Gimmighoul a couple of times.
How This Shiny Rayquaza Raid Ties Into The Pokemon Anime
Shiny Rayquaza was likely chosen as an exception toScarletandViolet’s usual rules due to its prominence in thePokemon Horizonsanime. A black Rayquaza is part of the Legendary trainer Lucius’ team, and finding it is the series’ current goal. Because of this special connection, and the visuals used for this Rayquaza in the show, some are speculating that this might beScarletandViolet’s second Stellar Type Tera RaidafterThe Indigo Disk’s Legendary mascot, Terapagos. There’s a lot that will only become clear once this shiny Rayquaza’s Tera Raid Battle event starts, but it’s certain to be an exciting time for thePokemon ScarletandVioletcommunity.
