Countless Pokemon fans have been mispronouncing Rayquaza since the creature was first introduced in Gen 3 with the release of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. The Pokemon Company recently provided a helpful pronunciation guide for the Dragon/Flying-type beast, surprising many longtime Pokemon fans and causing a stir on social media, as the monster's name is meant to be Ray-KWAY-zuh, not Ray-KWAH-zuh.

pokemon Rayquaza

The 2025 Pokemon World Championships came to a close on August 17, but visitors and fans are still reeling from the excitement of the competition and the many exciting announcements featured during the event. Fans of the Pokemon TCG can expect a new rarity soon, Mega Attack, inspired by Mega Pokemon EX cards first introduced in the XY expansion in 2014. Pokemon TCG Pocket will soon add Mega Evolution EX cards, and the upcoming Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 title Pokemon Legends: Z-A will feature a four-player battle mode, making the October title even more tempting for longtime fans of the franchise. On top of these game announcements, the company behind the series also used the event to share some interesting trivia, with one fact in particular stunning some players.

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Rayquaza Is Officially Pronounced Ray-Kway-Zuh, Not Ray-Kwah-Zuh

One 2025 Pokemon World Championships' attendee took to Twitter to share a curious tidbit, courtesy of The Pokemon Company. Despite countless fans pronouncing Rayquaza as Ray-KWAH-zah for the past 20 years, the actual pronunciation is Ray-KWAY-zuh, as the creature's name is a combination of 'ray' and 'quasar.' While some members of the community were open to being corrected, many others on social media brushed the fact off, stating that they would continue pronouncing it incorrectly in the future. The Legendary Pokemon Rayquaza has been a fan-favorite for two decades, for both its design and strength in battle.

This isn't the first time the Dragon/Flying-type has been in the news this week. Footage of a Shiny Rayquaza encounter in Pokemon GO recently made the rounds online, with the player using their Mewtwo to destroy the incredibly rare creature in a single hit. Many in the community believe the encounter was the result of cheats, but the video still served to anger many fans.

Pokemon Community Infuriated by Shiny Rayquaza Encounter

With less than two months to go until the highly anticipated release of Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Game Freak and Creatures have begun offering up more details about the title. It was recently revealed that Pokemon Legends: Z-A will bring back poison damage outside of battles as a mechanic, and players will be able to Mega Evolve their creatures multiple times per battle. In Pokemon X and Y, players could only Mega Evolve once per fight.

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Pokemon Legends: Z-A
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RPG
Adventure
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Systems
super greyscale 8-bit logo
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Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
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Released
October 16, 2025
ESRB
Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
Developer(s)
Game Freak, Creatures Inc.
Publisher(s)
Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Genre(s)
RPG, Adventure