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The Legendary Pokemon Rayquaza's design takes clear inspiration from the appearance of Eastern Dragons seen in Chinese mythology, but it's by no means the only creature to pay homage in this regard. For example, Shenron, Earth's Eternal Dragon from the Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama, is another dragon that has a similar aesthetic.
Both of these dragons have near-immeasurable power, but what if they faced off in a battle? Sure, Shenron isn't exactly a Pokemon and can only be collected by gathering the seven Dragon Balls, but if the two did meet in the right conditions, who would be the victor?
For a bit of fun, it doesn't hurt to examine a hypothetical battle between a beloved Dragon-type Pokemon and Earth's wish-granting dragon from a completely different universe.
Rayquaza vs Shenron: Who wins this dance of dragons?
Rayquaza's lore and abilities
Known as one of the three Super-Ancient Pokemon, Rayquaza is the protector of the skies, whereas its counterparts Kyogre and Groudon are masters of the sea and land, respectively. When the two latter creatures enter into conflict, Rayquaza emerges from the Ozone Layer to settle the dispute with its dominating presence.
Hundreds of millions of years old, Rayquaza is a Pokemon of immense power that is extremely territorial. It attacks anything it perceives as an intruder, including the Mythic species Deoxys (the two have often battled in Earth's orbit and its outermost atmosphere).
In addition to its immeasurable strength, Rayquaza possesses the ability to Mega Evolve on command from its trainer when it knows the move Dragon Ascent. However, this is only possible if the Pokemon isn't carrying a Z-Stone. Regardless, the Dragon/Flying-type Pokemon's strength is multiplied after it Mega Evolves, becoming one of the most powerful creatures in the franchise's canon.
Across the Pokemon franchise's media, Rayquaza has rarely ever been seen being defeated in battle or captured. The exceptions are the Evolutions animated series, where the creature willingly allowed May to battle and capture it. Team Rocket once captured it during the film Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea.
Lastly, a shiny Rayquaza was seen escaping from an ancient Pokeball in the Pokemon Horizons anime. It may have been captured by a legendary explorer, but it escaped its confines and flew off into the Paldea region and beyond in Horizons' story.
Only one thing is absolutely certain: when this creature is angered, very few Pokemon or trainers can stand in its way, and they tend to be better off escaping to avoid the unfathomable destruction the creature leaves in its wake.
Shenron's lore and abilities
Although Shenron has multiple iterations across the Dragon Ball franchise, the version most fans are familiar with is his traditional appearance in Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super. He became Earth's Eternal Dragon when Kami, Earth's first Guardian, created the seven Dragon Balls on the planet.
Shenron is a neutral entity, capable of granting wishes to anybody who assembles the Dragon Balls and summons him regardless of whether they're good or evil. However, his power isn't unlimited, and there are some wishes he's incapable of granting.
Furthermore, if Earth's Guardian or an entity that once comprised The Nameless Namekian (such as Piccolo Jr.) dies, the Dragon Balls are turned to stone. In this situation, Shenron cannot be summoned.
Although he is considered a Divine Dragon, Shenron has reverence for certain cosmic beings that outrank him in power. This includes Gods of Destruction like Lord Beerus, angels like Whis, and the Omni-King Zeno.
Shenron's power is significantly tied to his creator, incapable of killing any entity that outranks The Nameless Namekian (and his descendants) or Earth's Guardian in power. Furthermore, there are limitations to his ability to resurrect the dead depending on how long they've been deceased (when reviving multiple people) or if they've been revived before or died of natural causes.
In Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Shenron's immense knowledge was shown to span all of time and history when he assisted Goku with unlocking the power of the Super Saiyan God. Be that as it may, Shenron's presence is also limited, as he only has a set amount of time he can be summoned before the Dragon Balls are dispersed across Earth once more.
Despite his limits, Shenron holds power befitting the Eternal Dragon moniker. He can create matter out of thin air, resurrect the dead, grant immortality, heal a being's wounds, see the future, teleport, and draw out the latent power of individuals as he did for Piccolo in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
Additionally, Shenron can vastly improve an individual's ki, remove Sealing Spells, and even read minds. Although he isn't hostile by nature, his power would immensely overwhelm nearly any opponent without some form of connection to the divine beings of the Dragon Ball franchise.
Winner: Shenron by a large margin
Although Shenron isn't immortal, his powers outrank anything a Pokemon like Rayquaza can muster. This is partly due to Shenron only having been killed once by King Piccolo, who held half the power of the Eternal Dragon's creator. Otherwise, it hasn't been seen to be remotely possible to defeat Shenron in combat.
In a hypothetical battle, Rayquaza's best bet would be to attempt to destroy Earth's Guardian to turn the Dragon Balls to stone, but it's highly unlikely that Shenron would allow this to happen in a battle. As powerful as a Legendary Pokemon can be, Shenron's abilities simply outmatch anything Rayquaza has access to, even when Mega Evolved.
When it comes to Pokemon that would be more on par with Shenron's abilities, Arceus or the Creation Trio are much more evenly matched. Sadly, despite Rayquaza's destructive capabilities, Shenron simply has it beaten outright.
The only other real alternative Rayquaza might have to beat Shenron is to wait until his summoning time has run out and the Dragon Balls disperse. Be that as it may, Rayquaza is still a Pokemon that operates primarily off its base instincts. Furthermore, Shenron would be aware of his own time limitations and seek to end the fight quickly.
Throw in his ability to see the future and kill any entity that isn't stronger than his creator, and Shenron could mop the floor with just about any Pokemon barring a few Mythicals and Legendaries. In this hypothetical dance of dragons, it is Shenron who emerges as the clear winner.
