How to catch Rayquaza in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk

Rayquaza has been a fan-favorite Legendary in the Pokémon franchise, and it’s making its return in the Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk DLC. The green serpentine sky dragon is part of Gen III’s Weather Trio of the Hoenn region, and it’s gotten special treatment over the years with a Mega Evolution back in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

Now the beloved Rayquaza is flying high in the Paldea region, and you’re tasked with finding and catching it along with the 24 other returning Legendaries in the DLC. If you aren’t sure how or where to start your search, we’ve got your back. 

Here are all the steps you need to take to unlock and catch Rayquaza in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet The Indigo Disk: Rayquaza location and unlock requirements

Rayquaza will not spawn in Paldea until you’ve obtained the Rayquaza Treat. This special item is locked until after you play through the whole DLC story and caught or defeated Terapagos. Once you’ve made it to the post-game, an NPC named Snacksworth will appear at Blueberry Academy’s entrance.

He’s the person you need to speak to if you want to catch all of the returning Legendaries, including Rayquaza. Earn the Rayquaza Treat from him by completing solo and group Blueberry Quests (BBQs) around the Terarium.

As you finish more quests, Snacksworth will give you different Legendary treats, one at a time. Keep working on BBQs and speaking to Snacksworth until he eventually rewards you with the Rayquaza Treat.

Now it’s time to go find Rayquaza.

After Snacksworth hands you the right treat, Rayquaza will then spawn in Paldea, and you just need to find it. As a sky dragon, your best bet is to look to the sky. More specifically, Rayquaza is waiting for you at the top of the mountains surrounding The Great Crater of Paldea aka Area Zero.

Fly to the Pokémon Center in South Province (Area Three) and head north. You need to climb up the tall rocky mountain, but it’ll all be worth it because Rayquaza is the powerful Legendary ‘mon awaiting you there.

From there, challenge it to a battle, weaken it, and catch it in your favorite Poké Ball. This is a one-time static encounter at level 70, so it’s best to save your game before jumping into such an important battle. And like all of the other returning Legendaries, this Rayquaza is unfortunately Shiny-locked in The Indigo Disk.

That’s all there is to it! Now that you know how to find Rayquaza in Pokemon Scarlett and Violet, it’s time to get out there and get that Rayquaza treat.