Rayquaza is undoubtedly one of the most powerful Legendaries of all time, especially during HeartGold and SoulSilver’s release.
While it was the original mascot for Pokemon Emerald, popular demand inevitably summoned it to HGSS.
Catching Rayquaza can be a trainer’s greatest feat – but also their biggest challenge.
In this Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver guide, I’ll lead you to the Emerald dragon’s location and teach you everything you need to know and overcome before you can capture the Sky High Pokemon.
So, tighten your hat and prepare your team for its toughest opponent yet.
More Pokemon HG/SS guides:
- How to Get the Team Rocket Uniform in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver
- How to Beat Whitney in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver
- How to Get to Violet City in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver
- Heracross Location in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Catching Rayquaza in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver
You can capture Rayquaza in the Embedded Tower, but only after obtaining the Jade Orb.
This Legendary Pokemon appears very late in the post-game, and there are several tough requirements you must meet before you are worthy of facing this super-ancient Pokemon.
Requirements for Catching Rayquaza:
- Have both Groudon and Kyogre in your party (HGSS Only).
- Surf and Rock Climb.
- Obtained National Pokedex.
- Have all 16 Badges.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to meet all of these requirements and get Rayquaza in HGSS.
Step 1: Defeat Red in Mount Silver

To unlock the full post-game and all the Legendary hunts, you need to defeat Red, the toughest trainer in the game.
He can be challenged in Mt. Silver, but you need to have all 16 badges to unlock the area. After getting all the Johto and Kanto badges, talk to Professor Oak in Pallet Town and find Red in Mt. Silver.
Red’s Team in HGSS:
- Pikachu
- Lapras
- Snorlax
- Charizard
- Blastoise
- Venusaur
All of them are in the level 80-88 range, so it will not be an easy battle. Bring your A game and stock up on items because he is legitimately the strongest Trainer.
But after your victory against Red, you will unlock new post-game events, including access to new items from Professor Oak.
Step 2: Catch Your Game’s Exclusive Legendary (Kyogre or Groudon)

Depending on which version of the game you have, you will be able to catch one of the weather trio. If you have HeartGold, you can catch Kyogre. For SoulSilver, it will be Groudon.
Before you can catch your exclusive Legendary, you need to fetch a few items.

First, you need the National Dex from Professor Oak; he’ll also give you the Kanto Starters during this time. Then, you need to go to Mr. Pokemon, and he will give you an Orb.
- HeartGold: Blue Orb – encounter Kyogre
- SoulSilver: Red Orb – encounter Groudon
After getting your Orb, head to the Embedded Tower. Go to Cianwood City and enter the Cliff Edge Gate. Bring a Surf and Rock Climb Pokemon and find the Embedded Tower.
If you have the required orb, the Legendary Pokemon will be waiting for you inside. Battle and catch it to proceed.
Step 3: Acquire the Opposite Legendary

Before you can meet Rayquaza, you need to have both Kyogre and Groudon in your party.
The only legitimate way to do that is to borrow the opposite Legendary from someone who has a different game version than you.
And no, trading Groudon or Kyogre from another game won’t work. It needs to be caught from an HGSS game only.
I understand that this could be quite difficult, or even impossible, for most of you. But don’t worry because here’s an easy workaround.
You can simply use the code below to catch Groudon or Kyogre and be able to get the Jade Orb. If you’re a completionist or just want to catch Rayquaza, this can be the closest thing to legitimate that you can get.
Cheats for Getting the Hoenn Legendaries in Pokemon HG/SS
Groudon
52247D8C 582000C0
12247D8A 00004801
02247D8C E0021C39
02247D90 0000017f
D2000000 00000000
Kyogre
52247D8C 582000C0
12247D8A 00004801
02247D8C E0021C39
02247D90 0000017e
D2000000 00000000
Rayquaza
52247D8C 582000C0
12247D8A 00004801
02247D8C E0021C39
02247D90 00000180
D2000000 00000000
Step 4: Get the Jade Orb and Catch Rayquaza

Now that you have both Groudon and Kyogre in your party, it’s time to get the Jade Orb. Go to Professor Oak again. He’ll be amazed at your accomplishment and reward you with the Jade Orb.
With this, you can now summon Rayquaza. So, go back to the Embedded Tower in the same room where you caught Kyogre/Groudon, and Rayquaza will be there instead.
Rayquaza will be at Level 50 when you encounter it here. Its moves are Rest, Air Slash, Ancient Power, and Outrage.
With Groudon and Kyogre on your team and a status inflictor, you can capture the Emerald Dragon successfully.
Conclusion
Catching Rayquaza in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver is a true badge of honor for any trainer.
It requires patience, preparation, and completing several of the most challenging post-game tasks, including defeating Red and acquiring both Groudon and Kyogre from the correct versions.
While the process may seem daunting, it’s also one of the most fulfilling moments in the game. Rayquaza isn’t just another legendary — it’s a symbol of mastery, an exclusive reward for those who explore every corner of Johto and Kanto.
So, if you’re ready to conquer the skies, follow these steps, and the Sky High Pokemon will soon be yours.
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Hi! Actually, Oak requires that both Kyogre and Groudon come from the embedded tower in order to give you the Jade Orb, so the Pokemon Modifier cheat doesn’t help with that. I play SS, and I found an action replay code to get Kyogre, from a trainer called Jin (thanks Jin!). I tried it myself and it works. BEWARE THO, it replaces the first pokemon in your party, so you better be careful with that. Out of sheer fear I first emptied my party into my computer and filled it with Unowns.
You have to activate the code and press L+R to replace the first pokemon in your party for a lvl. 50 Kyogre caught at Embedded Tower, which Oak accepts and then proceeds to give you the Jade Orb to trigger the encounter with Rayquaza:
94000130 FCFF0000
B2111880 00000000
E00000A8 000000EC
7A935241 AC8C0000
9A29345A BA9DEE01
CA6AA4A4 271B66B6
C234BB10 AB25C95E
560009C2 46E2A7B3
2BC06B8A 5FAC988B
102C26FB 7AA7936D
E3D648C3 267B3CF3
A7266D19 30232257
F1CEE7C9 55991D26
E65BED8C 8FF33FFB
2824DF73 DEF83A2C
D4684D73 76FECEEA
14F9AB13 D448D4CF
01A3335C 058FC567
0876B43F BD1EFCEA
ACAE9F73 894B3193
1E883310 C66DD68D
6F9498C0 1AC33A93
4EC2F961 0B57C97C
640AFD05 1F483A32
038D7BBC 099E8333
86BA644E B1A76D4C
8B19A205 793DDB8E
9F7574A9 7681CB52
36AEDA26 94C6507D
F3CDEE6C D0D01205
A3586596 043E0AB3
75E8844D F443922A
4FF73A6E 00000000
D2000000 00000000
Hi there Mafuyu, welcome! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this detailed information along with the cheat code. I’m sure this will be incredibly helpful to our readers.
– I’d like to invite the community to give their feedback on this, please drop a reply below and let us know if it worked for you.
Once we get a few positive confirmations, I’ll make sure to get this added to our official code lists. Thanks again for contributing to the community!