Pokémon Go's newest season, Shared Skies, will see the return of Mega Rayquaza raids, and Niantic has announced dates for when players will be able to get Mega Rayquaza energy. However, initial reaction from players, while positive, has been hesitant about the grind and getting enough energy to evolve.
80 Mega Rayquaza Raids with 3 Hundos and 3 Shinies Caught – Pokemon GO Fest 2023
Niantic shared that Mega Rayquaza will be available via Elite Raids, with four time slots in a player’s local area on June 29. When players launch a raid, they’ll have 45 minutes to defeat Rayquaza, and they’ll only be for Pokémon Go players to complete in person. Based on the amount of energy players earn from these raids, players who defeat Rayquaza with the best time will receive 100 energy, though many will likely earn less. Since it costs 400 energy to Mega Evolve Rayquaza, Pokémon Go players are seeing the announcement as a major upcoming grind in a single day.
The discussion takes place on TheSilphRoad Reddit thread . Many players have noted that grinding may require you to complete a Mega Raid in every available time slot, potentially taking up six hours of your day. The event should be a tough hurdle, but previous Elite Raids in Pokémon Go have proven problematic, with desync issues, bugs, and players struggling to find enough players in their area to participate, such as when Enamorus debuted earlier this year.
Some Pokémon Go players are hopeful, however. Many have a healthy amount of Mega Rayquaza energy until they only need one for a single encounter to use it in the future. Others are hoping that the announced free Timed Research could include Mega Rayquaza energy, but its tasks have yet to be revealed and won't be until the event on June 29.