Super-ancient Pokémon

Groudon and Kyogre battle as Rayquaza arrives.

The super-ancient Pokémon in their alternative forms in the anime.

The super-ancient Pokémon (Japanese: 超古代ポケモン super-ancient Pokémon) is a term that describes to the three ancient Legendary Pokémon from Hoenn legend—Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza. This trio has historically been called the weather trio by fans.

Starting in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, Groudon and Kyogre can undergo Primal Reversion to become Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre, and Rayquaza can Mega Evolve into Mega Rayquaza.

Design

The three super-ancient Pokémon all have some physiological similarities, with similar symbols on their bodies as well as yellow eyes.

Abilities

Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza all have weather-changing Abilities. In their debut appearance in the Generation III games, their Abilities were exclusive to them (although Cloud Nine has the same effect as Rayquaza's Air Lock Ability). Upon undergoing Primal Reversion or Mega Evolution, Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza gain new exclusive Abilities, which are enhanced versions of their original Abilities.

Groudon and Kyogre have Drought and Drizzle, which create harsh sunlight and rain, respectively. From Generation III to V, these Abilities created weather that lasted for the remainder of the battle—this contrasts with the moves Sunny Day and Rain Dance, which only create weather for 5 turns. This was changed in Generation VI, so that these Abilities also only create weather for 5 turns.

Rayquaza's Air Lock Ability removes the effects of any weather as long as Rayquaza remains in battle, allowing it to remove the effects of the Abilities of Groudon and Kyogre.

Primal Groudon, Primal Kyogre, and Mega Rayquaza have the Abilities Desolate Land, Primordial Sea, and Delta Stream, which create the special weather conditions extremely harsh sunlight, heavy rain, and strong winds, respectively. These weather conditions last as long as they remain in battle. Extremely harsh sunlight and heavy rain are enhanced versions of harsh sunlight and rain, having all the same effects as the base weather, but providing additional benefits and being harder to remove. All three weather conditions cannot be replaced by other weather conditions while a Pokémon with the corresponding Ability remains on the field, except each other.

Origin

The three Pokémon represent separate elemental spheres: Kyogre having dominion over the hydrosphere, Groudon over the lithosphere, and Rayquaza over the atmosphere. These roles are reflected in their types. The three Pokémon could be references to creatures from Hebrew myth: Leviathan, a sea monster; Behemoth, a land beast; and Ziz, a giant bird.

History

Mythology and ancient history

The super-ancient Pokémon's history was first revealed in the Hoenn Generation III games and expanded upon in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. The Draconid people kept recorded history of the trio through mural paintings at Sky Pillar.

Thousands of years ago, during the Hoenn region's primal age, the world was overflowing with natural energy. Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre fought over that energy in long clashes, creating natural disasters in the process. The Hoenn region was created from these clashes. In the face of their great power, people could do nothing. But Rayquaza intervened, and its power overwhelmed that of the two primal Pokémon, ending their conflict and returning peace to the world.

A thousand years later, a meteoroid hit the earth, creating what would become Sootopolis City. This impact caused cracks in the ground that unleashed natural energy, causing Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre to battle each other again, threatening to destroy the world in the process. Humans had a collective memory of how Rayquaza saved their race long ago, and their wish for this to happen again combined with the power of the Meteorite allowed Rayquaza to Mega Evolve for the first time and calm the other two Pokémon. Stripped of their primal forms, Groudon and Kyogre entered a deep slumber in their respective homes while Rayquaza returned to the sky.

Sky Pillar was then created by the Draconid people to honor and preserve the super-ancient Pokémon's history. They also prepared for the day when Rayquaza would be needed again upon the eventual appearance of the Grand Meteor Delta. The Red Orb and Blue Orb were created in case Groudon and Kyogre returned, with the power to calm down the two of them without the aid of Rayquaza.

Pokémon Emerald

Team Aqua and Team Magma use the Red Orb and Blue Orb to awaken Groudon and Kyogre from within Jagged Pass and the Seafloor Cavern. This caused the two Pokémon to clash in Sootopolis City, and sending the weather across Hoenn into a frenzy.

To stop their fighting, the player awakens Rayquaza at the Sky Pillar. Rayquaza descends on Sootopolis City to quell the pair's fighting, returning the weather to normal.

Similar movesets

The following are the super-ancient Pokémon's level-up movesets from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Lv.	Kyogre  Water	Groudon  Ground / Ground  Fire	Rayquaza  Dragon  Flying
1	Origin Pulse	Precipice Blades	Dragon Ascent
	Ancient Power
	Water Pulse	Mud Shot	Twister
	Body Slam	Lava Plume	Air Slash
	Scary Face
9	Aqua Tail	Earth Power	Crunch
18	Calm Mind	Bulk Up	Dragon Dance
27	Muddy Water	Earthquake	Extreme Speed
36	Ice Beam	Hammer Arm	Dragon Pulse
45	Sheer Cold	Fissure	Hyper Voice
54	Aqua Ring	Rest
63			Fly
72	Hydro Pump	Fire Blast	Hurricane
81	Double-Edge	Solar Beam	Outrage
90	Water Spout	Eruption	Hyper Beam
Moves in bold are STAB. Moves in italics do no damage. Moves in bold italics are only STAB for Primal Groudon, which is not present in Scarlet and Violet.

Base stat comparison

Pokémon	Kyogre	Groudon	Rayquaza
HP	100	100	105
Attack	100	150	150
Defense	90	140	90
Sp. Atk	150	100	150
Sp. Def	140	90	90
Speed	90	90	95
Total	670	670	680

Primal/Mega Evolved forms

Pokémon	Kyogre	Groudon	Rayquaza
HP	100	100	105
Attack	150	180	180
Defense	90	160	100
Sp. Atk	180	150	180
Sp. Def	160	90	100
Speed	90	90	115
Total	770	770	780

In the core series games

Rayquaza confronting Kyogre and Groudon in a cutscene in Emerald.

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire

In these games, both Kyogre and Groudon appear in the Cave of Origin in their respective games, and after entering the Hall of Fame, the player can encounter Rayquaza at rest on the topmost floor of the Sky Pillar.

Pokémon Emerald

In the enhanced version of Ruby and Sapphire, Kyogre and Groudon both appear in alternating caves after entering the Hall of Fame: Marine Cave (on Route 105, Route 125, Route 127, or Route 129) for Kyogre and Terra Cave (on Route 114, Route 115, Route 116, or Route 118) for Groudon. Rayquaza appears atop the Sky Pillar after calming Kyogre and Groudon in Sootopolis City, and is obtainable before entering the Hall of Fame.

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

All three super-ancient Pokémon can be obtained in the Embedded Tower after Red is defeated and player has the National Pokédex, Kanto first partner Pokémon, and respective Orbs. Kyogre is obtainable in HeartGold, and Groudon is obtainable in SoulSilver. Once both a Kyogre from HeartGold and a Groudon from SoulSilver are in one game, the player gets an opportunity to catch Rayquaza.

• 

  Kyogre

• 

  Groudon

• 

  Rayquaza

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

In the remakes, both Kyogre and Groudon appear in the Cave of Origin just like in the originals. However, when the player faces them, they are in their Primal Forms. Rayquaza is obtained during the Delta Episode atop Sky Pillar, which occurs after the player become the Champion and is granted access to Sky Pillar by Wallace. Rayquaza must be caught when encountered; if the player runs away from it or defeats it, they will have to battle it again until it is caught.

Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, all three members of the super-ancient Pokémon can be encountered in the Ultra Space Wilds through Ultra Warp Ride. Groudon^US can be encountered in the Cave World through a yellow warp hole. Kyogre^UM can be encountered in the Water World through a blue warp hole. Rayquaza can be encountered in the Cliff World through a red warp hole, as long as both Groudon and Kyogre are in the player's party.

Pokémon Sword and Shield

In The Crown Tundra DLC, the super-ancient Pokémon be found at Max Lair during Dynamax Adventures. Groudon can be found in Sword, while Kyogre can be found in Shield; however, the player can get the other Legendary by participating in other players' Dynamax Adventures.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the super-ancient Pokémon can all be encountered at Ramanas Park after capturing the legendary giants, Legendary beasts^BD/Legendary birds^SP and Eon duo. The trio is located at Oceanic Room, Tectonic Room, and Stratospheric Room respectively. Each room needs either Oceanic Slate, Tectonic Slate, or Stratospheric Slate to unlock the encounter.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

In The Indigo Disk DLC, the super-ancient Pokémon can be obtained via snacks from Snacksworth. Groudon can be found in Scarlet, while Kyogre can be found in Violet. The player can get the other Legendary by participating in Blueberry Quests through the Union Circle online. Rayquaza can be obtainted through the exclusive online group quests.

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team, as well as their remake, Rescue Team DX, Groudon and Rayquaza serve notable roles in the story. Groudon awakens after the player has visited Mt. Freeze and spoken with Ninetales. After Team A.C.T. and another team have failed to defeat it, the player's team must travel to Magma Cavern to stop it. Rayquaza, meanwhile, serves as the final boss of the main game. The player and their partner must climb to the top of the Sky Tower in order to ask Rayquaza's help in destroying a giant meteor that's threatening the planet. While Rayquaza initially attacks them due to them intruding on his territory, it sees reason at the last second and uses Hyper Beam to destroy the meteor just before it can hit.

During the post-game, each of the super-ancient Pokémon can be recruited by defeating them on the final floor of a dungeon. Kyogre resides at the bottom of the Stormy Sea, while Groudon and Rayquaza can be found in the same dungeons as during the main game. In the remake, Kyogre and Groudon will undergo Primal Reversion while being fought, while Rayquaza will Mega Evolve.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness and Explorers of Sky, the player and partner encounter a Groudon at the end of Steam Cave, though after it is defeated, it turns out to have been just an illusion created by Uxie to protect the Time Gear of Fogbound Lake. During the post-game, each of the super-ancient Pokémon can be found in a dungeon, protecting one of the Seven Treasures and needing to be defeated in order to obtain them.

In Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, Rayquaza makes several brief appearances during the main game, fleeing the planet in fear of the Dark Matter, though it eventually returns to prevent the Dark Matter from taking the Tree of Life away from the planet, teaming up with Deoxys to do so. Though the Dark Matter turns both of them to stone soon after, they're restored to normal following Dark Matter's defeat. During the post-game, each of the super-ancient Pokémon serves as the boss of a dungeon, appearing in their alternate forms.

	Spoilers end here.

Pokkén Tournament

In Pokkén Tournament, Mega Rayquaza appears as a Support Pokémon in the Switch version of the game alongside Mimikyu.

Pokémon Masters EX

All three of the super-ancient Pokémon appear in Pokémon Masters EX, forming recruitable sync pairs with various Trainers associated with them in the core series games.

Dex	Trainer		NDex	Pokémon		Type	Weakness	Role	EX role	Base potential	Availability
#080		Zinnia	#0384		Rayquaza Mega Rayquaza	Dragon	Rock			★★★★★☆EX	Legendary Adventures The Dragon That Rules the Sky
#127		Maxie	#0383		Groudon	Ground	Ice			★★★★★☆EX	Master Fair Sync Pair Scout
#128		Archie	#0382		Kyogre	Water	Grass			★★★★★☆EX	Master Fair Sync Pair Scout
#081		Anniversary 2021 Steven	#0384		Rayquaza Mega Rayquaza	Flying	Ice			★★★★★☆EX	Master Fair Sync Pair Scout

In animation

An ancient mural depicting the clash between Groudon and Kyogre, as seen in Mega Evolution Special III

Pokémon the Series

All three super-ancient Pokémon have appeared in Pokémon the Series.

Destiny Deoxys

Main article: Rayquaza (M07)

Rayquaza first appeared in Destiny Deoxys, where it defended its territory from a Deoxys.

Primal Kyogre, Primal Groudon, and a Shiny Mega Rayquaza all made a major appearance in Hoopa and The Clash of Ages. Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon were summoned by a dark entity of Hoopa's Unbound form, along with the Pokémon of Myth and Kyurem, and were controlled by the evil shadow in order to terrorize Dahara City. It was revealed that long ago, Kyogre and Groudon engaged in a battle with Hoopa in its Unbound form to entertain the citizens of Dahara City, but this ended when Hoopa's power was sealed by Ghris. Mega Rayquaza was summoned by Hoopa along with Latias and Latios in order to stop the entity of Hoopa's Unbound form from terrorizing Dahara City.

Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire

Main article: Kyogre and Groudon (Ruby and Sapphire series)

Kyogre and Groudon both debuted in Gaining Groudon. Kyogre had been captured by Team Magma, who was also in possession of the Blue Orb. Groudon was in Team Aqua's possession along with the Red Orb. The two teams were planning on swapping Groudon and Kyogre, but Kyogre was released by Team Aqua commander Shelly, who had infiltrated Team Magma. Archie then proceeded to take control of Kyogre using the Red Orb. In the following episode, Archie threatened to use Kyogre's power to flood the island both teams had met at. At this time the now awakened Groudon came and began to battle with Kyogre. During this time, Ash, his friends, and Lance managed to snap Archie out of the Red Orb's possession. Now free from the Orbs' possession Kyogre and Groudon retreated into the ocean and a volcano, respectively.

Mega Evolution Specials

Main article: Super-ancient Pokémon (XY series)

Kyogre and Groudon make prominent appearances in the Mega Evolution Specials of Pokémon the Series: XY.

In Mega Evolution Special II, Rayquaza appeared after Alain and Steven Stone used their Mega Ring and Mega Stickpin, respectively, to open one of Hoenn's ancient ruins and reveal the legendary Giant Rock. The energy emitted by the rock not only brought Rayquaza to the ruins, but it also awoke Groudon and Kyogre from their slumbers. Rayquaza, in a fit of rage, began attacking the people responsible for unlocking the Giant Rock. Seeing that, Alain and Steven sent out Charizard and Metagross to stop the Sky High Pokémon, but to no avail. Rayquaza destroyed the ruins by using Draco Meteor, disintegrating the Giant Rock in the process before returning to the ozone layer.

In Mega Evolution Special III, Alain and Steven were monitoring the area around Rustboro City when they noticed that Groudon had awakened and was seemingly moving towards the coastline. Steven wondered if Kyogre could also appear, and just at that moment, they received footage of the Sea Basin Pokémon. Lysandre then commented on the possibility of the Pokémon world being destroyed, scaring Mairin. After that, Steven explained to her that there is a legend in the Hoenn region that has been told since ancient times. According to Steven, the legend says that in the prehistoric era, Primal Groudon expanded the continents and Primal Kyogre expanded the seas. The two Legendary Pokémon were locked in a fierce struggle to obtain a source of enormous energy. That struggle shook the land and the skies, nearly destroying the world in the process. He also added that some people believe the energy source they were searching for was the Giant Rock.

Steven and Lysandre soon discovered that both Groudon and Kyogre were following an energy similar to that of the Giant Rock. Suspecting the rock would materialize in the place Groudon and Kyogre were headed, Lysandre ordered Alain to protect it from the super-ancient Pokémon. After that, Alain and Steven flew over the area on a plane and, when the two Primal Pokémon started fighting for the source of energy, they sent out their Charizard and Metagross to prevent them from consuming the rock's energy. However, Charizard and Metagross had trouble fighting against the Legendary Pokémon, but their combined efforts protected the Giant Rock long enough for Rayquaza to step in and put an end to the conflict between Groudon and Kyogre, causing them to return to their regular forms. After that, Lysandre's employees appeared to take away the Giant Rock, blocking its energy and placing it in a submarine. With the rock away, all three super-ancient Pokémon retreated.

Pokémon Horizons: The Series

Main article: Black Rayquaza

A Shiny Rayquaza known as the Black Rayquaza plays a major role in the series. It was once owned by the Ancient Adventurer Lucius, contained in an Ancient Poké Ball that eventually wound up in Roy's possession. He initially thought the Poké Ball was empty, until The Ancient Poké Ball, where it reacted with Liko's pendant and opened to reveal Rayquaza, which subsequently flew away, setting up Roy's dream to follow and find it.

Rayquaza next appeared before the Rising Volt Tacklers in Lapras's Feelings for its Friends. In the following episode, Amethio fought against Rayquaza, but was quickly defeated by it. In The Plan to Capture Rayquaza, the Explorers conducted an operation where to summon and capture Rayquaza, but were foiled by the Rising Volt Tacklers, who proceeded to battle Rayquaza in the next episode, but were defeated.

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Main article: Super-ancient Pokémon (Adventures)

All three super-ancient Pokémon have appeared in Pokémon Adventures.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Ruby & Sapphire arc

Kyogre and Groudon are awakened by Team Aqua and Team Magma, causing massive devastation across Hoenn and necessitating Norman to awaken Rayquaza in order to help stop them.

Emerald arc

While the actual super-ancient Pokémon do not appear in this arc, Guile Hideout uses Jirachi's wish-granting powers to summon a sentient mass of sea water in the shape of a Kyogre to sink the Battle Frontier into the ocean.

Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc

The three super-ancient Pokémon are awakened once again, this time to help stop the world from being destroyed by a giant meteoroid, gaining the access to their ultimate forms for this purpose. Kyogre and Groudon expend all of their energy in stopping just a fragment of the meteoroid, leaving it up to Rayquaza and the humans of the world to stop the main body of the meteoroid.

	Spoilers end here.

Artwork

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  Super-ancient Pokémon artwork for Pokémon Masters EX Villain Arc Hoenn (Part 1)

• 

  Super-ancient Pokémon artwork for Pokémon Masters EX Villain Arc Hoenn (Part 2)

• 

  Crown Tundra wallpaper (Hoenn) by Tomokazu Komiya

Trivia

• The term "super-ancient Pokémon" has previously been attributed to Fossil Pokémon in the Japanese anime.
• The colors of the three super-ancient Pokémon are the additive primary colors of light.
• The super-ancient Pokémon are the only Legendary trio in which all of its members are in different habitats — Kyogre is in the Sea habitat, Groudon is in the Rough-Terrain habitat, and Rayquaza is in the Rare Habitat.

In other languages

Language Title Japanese 超古代ポケモン Chō kodai Pokémon Mandarin Chinese 超古代宝可梦 Chāo gǔdài Pokémon French Pokémon ancestraux German Wetter-Legenden Italian Pokémon millenari Korean 초 고대포켓몬 Cho godae Pokémon Brazilian Portuguese Pokémon de tempos imemoriais Spanish Pokémon ancestrales Vietnamese Pokémon siêu cổ đại

See also

• Kyogre
• Groudon
• Rayquaza

Groups of Legendary and Mythical Pokémon

Duos

Mew duo

Tower duo

Eon duo

Lunar duo

Sea guardians

Legendary heroes

Paradox duo

Trios

Legendary birds

Legendary beasts

Super-ancient Pokémon

Lake guardians

Pokémon of Myth

Tao trio

Aura trio

Light trio

Loyal Three

Quartets

Swords of Justice

Forces of nature

Guardian deities

Treasures of ruin

Quintets

Legendary giants

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