Pokémon GO Sets July 25 Ozone Ascension With Guaranteed Rayquaza and Meteorite

Q: With a free Meteorite guaranteed, how will players earn the Mega Energy needed to finally evolve Rayquaza?

Players will need to get Rayquaza Mega Energy through the paid Ozone Ascension Timed Research, because the free research only guarantees a Rayquaza encounter and a Meteorite. Niantic’s event details, as reflected in the announcement and supporting information, make clear that the $4.99 premium research includes Rayquaza Mega Energy, along with a second Meteorite and another Rayquaza encounter. By contrast, the free limited-time research mentions no Mega Energy reward, only the item needed to teach Rayquaza Dragon Ascent and unlock its Mega Evolution. That means the free path appears to solve only part of the problem: it gives players the rare Meteorite that was previously hard to obtain, but not the energy required to actually Mega Evolve Rayquaza. Based on the information released so far, there is no confirmed free in-event source of Rayquaza Mega Energy. Unless Niantic adds another earning method before the event begins, players who do not already have stored Rayquaza Mega Energy from earlier gameplay may have to buy the premium research to complete the evolution. That is why the current announcement has prompted uncertainty among players: the event makes Mega-Rayquaza more accessible than before, but full access still appears to depend on whether a player has existing Mega Energy or pays for the extra research.

1 articles · Updated · Mein-MMO · Jun 26

July 25-26's Ozone Ascension will offer limited-time research that guarantees both a Rayquaza encounter and a meteorite, giving players a clearer path to Mega-Rayquaza.
That matters because Mega-Rayquaza has largely been locked behind difficult raids, and meteorites were not guaranteed drops even after successful clears.
A $4.99 paid research track will also include another meteorite, another Rayquaza encounter and Rayquaza Mega Energy, while the free research announcement does not yet confirm any Mega Energy.
The event starts Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and ends Sunday at 8:00 p.m., landing after global GO Fest as part of Pokémon GO's broader July 2026 event lineup.