Rayquaza negates Sun/Rain even in base form, which might be very relevant when Restricteds are allowed.I only see that happening if they legalize the Primals + Mega Ray alongside the other restricteds.
Say they delay legalizing the giga Hoenn ubers. While Zard Y will have to contend with Groudon + Koraidon as sun setters, I can see Zard Y still having a place, primarily in rulesets with only one restricted allowed. It doesn't take a restricted slot, it's not slowed down by Intimidate unlike the restricted sun setters, it opens the door for Zard Y + restricted comps, and it can override Kyogre's Drizzle with Mega Evolution like it can vs Pelipper and Politoed. Zard Y + Venu, I can see still being great vs Kyogre rain structures. Could even run both Koraidon AND Zard Y to effortlessly keep the sun up for Venu in the face of opposing weather lmao
All that said, Zard Y becomes a harder sell once two restricteds are allowed, since you can run Groudon or Koraidon as your sun setter + another restricted, even potentially a mega restricted, and then Zard Y really falls off once the Primals and Mega Ray arrive, since it can't change their weathers, and Primal Groudon is in contention for best mon ever made.
Ultimately, it depends on what they legalize when they start adding the restricteds, but in a non-Primal world, I wouldn't count Zard Y out just yet. In a Primal world, however, that's when we really stop seeing it.
(I wish there was SOMETHING not terrible which got Cloud 9, but they've been very paranoid with that ability for some unknowable reason)






