A new Palkia, Dialga, and Darkrai all appeared in the game. This year's special event started with a new twist and a brand-new chance to capture a special Legendary Pokémon and several Shiny Pokémon.

This year's event focuses on Shiny Rayquaza, a rare black-scaled version of the popular Legendary Pokémon. From now until January 5th, 2025, Shiny Rayquaza will appear in 5-Star raids for all players. While Shiny Rayquaza can only be caught once, it can be challenged multiple times. In addition, Mass Outbreaks of Cetoddle, Carbink, and Fraxure will appear in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, with increased chances of those particular species of Pokémon appearing as Shiny Pokémon.

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's Shiny Rayquaza Event Explained

Players Can Only Catch The Legendary Pokémon One Time

Shiny Rayquaza will appear as a Dragon Tera-type, which means it is only weak against Dragon-type attacks, Fairy-type attacks, and Ice-type attacks. Like other 5-Star Raid Pokémon, Rayquaza knows more than four moves. The Pokémon knows Dragon Pulse, Hurricane, Earthquake, Extreme Speed, Dragon Ascent, Draco Meteor, and Dragon Dance. Because Rayquaza has the Dragon Tera-Type, many of those moves will be boosted. However, bringing a Fairy-type Pokémon into the raid negates all of those attacks. Since Rayquaza is a 5-star raid, most experienced players shouldn't have too much difficulty completing the raid successfully.

In addition to Shiny Rayquaza, players also have a boosted chance of encountering certain Shiny Pokémon in the wild via Mass Outbreaks. Cetoddle will appear in the Paldea region, Carbink in Kitikami, and Fraxure in the Blueberry Terarium. All three Pokémon species were chosen because their Shiny form is black, just like Shiny Rayquaza. While these Mass Outbreaks will appear regularly, there's no guarantee that Shiny Pokémon will appear. Players can boost their Shiny appearance rate with the use of Sandwiches.

Our Take: Legendary Pokémon Should Appear More Than Once A Year

Regular Events Would Have Made Pokémon Scarlet & Violet More Fun

I've enjoyed both the previous Legendary Pokémon events in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. They bring the community together and offer a fun and exciting challenge for players. It's a shame that events like the Shiny Rayquaza event don't happen more often.

I think more regular, high-profile events would have reshaped the reputation of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. I hope that Game Freak and The Pokémon Company learn the right lessons and keep these Legendary Pokémon events going into the next generations of Pokémon games.

Source: Serebii, The Official Pokemon YouTube Channel