Pichu is a baby Pokemon from Gen 2 — it can't hold its own in battle yet. The payoff is Raichu, which is where the real competitive value lives. Worth raising if you need one on your team. Only weak to Ground.
Speed and Attack carry most of Pichu's stat budget. Defense's the obvious dump stat. Common in the wild and yields 1 Speed EV. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.
The electric sacs on its cheeks are still small. They cannot store much electricity yet.
It plays with others by touching tails and setting off sparks. This appears to be a test of courage.
Pichu Weakness
GoodPichu is weak to Ground-type moves. Few weaknesses and 3 resistances make the typing clean. Lightning Rod grants an additional Electric immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.
This is the baby stage. Pichu grows into Pikachu by leveling up. Want more? Breed the adults. Baby Pokemon sit in the Undiscovered egg group. Evolving adds up to 280 stat points total.
How to Evolve
Focus Sash guarantees Pichu survives one hit from full HP. That's enough to deal early damage and fire off Nuzzle before going down. Lightningrod and max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs maximize first-turn impact.
Best Build
Best Pichu Moveset
- Endeavor
- Fake Out
- Nuzzle
- Thunderbolt
Recommended Teammates
Egg moves make a real difference. Pichu gets Charge and Disarming Voice exclusively through breeding, filling gaps that TMs and level-up can't touch. Coverage across 7 types rounds out the picture alongside Thunder and Thunderbolt.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Pichu is available from mid-game routes onward at high spawn rates. 4 encounter spots give you plenty of options. Grab one early and it'll be ready to evolve or train by mid-game.
Best Locations
Pichu's encounter pool splits between Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. You've got 4 walking spots at Lv. 16+ total, but your version determines which ones actually show up.
Pichu is meant to evolve into Pikachu. At 205 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.
Pichu's biggest threats include Golem (Ground), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about.
Pichu evolves into Pikachu by leveling up. Pichu is the base form in a 4-stage evolutionary line.
Lightning Rod is what you want on Pichu. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Static) work on paper but Lightning Rod is what makes Pichu worth using.
At base 60 Speed, it won't be moving first often. On offense, Pichu is a physical attacker with base 40 Attack. Defensively? Fragile — can't afford to take many hits.
Pichu appears in 19 games, including Gold & Silver, Crystal, and Ruby & Sapphire.
Available in 19 titles since its debut in Gold & Silver, Pichu spans 8 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through catching or hatching as a base form in most mainline games.
- Gen IY
Yellow - Gen IRB
Red & Blue - Gen IIGSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen IIC
Crystal - Gen IIIRS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen IIIFRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen IIIE
Emerald - Gen IVPt
Platinum - Gen IVHGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen IVDP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen VBW
Black & White - Gen VB2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen VIXY
X & Y - Gen VIORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen VIIUSUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen VIISM
Sun & Moon - Gen VIILGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen VIIISwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen VIIIPLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen VIIIBDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen IXSV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen IXLZA
Legends: Z-A