Special
Balanced
320Low
90Moderate
CTier

Mid-stage Pokemon like Pikachu rarely see competitive play outside of special formats. It's a waypoint on the road to Raichu, which is where the real potential kicks in. Can go either physical or special depending on the set. An original Gen 1 pick.

Speed and Attack carry most of Pikachu's stat budget. HP's the obvious dump stat. Common in the wild and yields 2 Speed EVs. Follows a medium-fast 1M XP curve.

Base Stats
320Avg
HP35
F
Attack55
D
Defense40
D
Sp. Atk50
D
Sp. Def50
D
Speed90
B
Total320
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Pikachu yields +2 Spe
HPAtkDefSpASpDSpe+2
Details
Catch190Easy•Medium Fast1M XP•0.4m / 1'04"•6kg / 13.2 lbs•112Base XP
Pokedex Entries

Possesses cheek sacs in which it stores electricity. This clever forest-dweller roasts tough berries with an electric shock before consuming them.

Legends Arceus

Pikachu Weakness

Good

Ground-type moves hit Pikachu for super-effective damage. Few weaknesses and 3 resistances make the typing clean. Lightning Rod grants an additional Electric immunity, reshaping the matchup chart.

4xCriticali
None
2xWeaki
Ground
½xResisti
ElectricFlyingSteel
¼xResisti
None
0xImmunei
Electric
STAB (2)i
WaterFlying
1Weak
3Resist
1Immune
Scorei+1
SpikesGrounded — up to 25%
Toxic SpikesVulnerable
Abilities
StaticHas a 30% chance of paralyzing attacking Pokémon on contact.
Lightning RodHARedirects single-target electric moves to this Pokémon where possible. Absorbs Electric moves, raising Special Attack one stage.
Lightning Rod grants Electric immunity

Sitting between Pichu and Raichu, Pikachu is part of a chain that requires an evolution item. Not your typical level-up setup. So far, Speed got the biggest boost (+30 from Pichu). The final form adds another 165 stats on top.

How to Evolve

3 Forms
Pichu
#172Pichu
High Friendship
Pikachu
#025Pikachu
Thunder Stone
Raichu
#026Raichu
Stat Comparison 3 Stages
Pichu
Electric
Pikachu
Electric
Raichu
Electric
HP
20
35+15
60+25
ATK
40
55+15
90+35
DEF
15
40+25
55+15
SP.ATK
35
50+15
90+40
SP.DEF
35
50+15
80+30
SPE
60
90+30
110+20
BST
205D-Tier
320C-Tier+115
485C-Tier+165
ROLE
Balanced
Balanced
Pivot
TYPE
Utility
Utility
Mixed
Breeding
Very Easy

Breed with Pikachu to get Pichu eggs easily using 18 partners from the Fairy and Ground egg groups.

Egg Groups
FairyGround
Gender
♂50.0%♀50.0%
Hatch Time
10 cycles·2,570 steps
Fast~3 min with Flame Body
Breed With (best first)
togekissmanaphyraichutogeticpachirisupikachuroseradegolduckwalreininfernapeempoleonglalie
12 of 18·

The recommended build leans into Pikachu's strengths as an attacker. Lightball provides extra utility, and max Attack and Speed EVs back that up. Lightningrod rounds out the package.

Best Build

Legends: Arceus uses different battle mechanics.

Competitive build content is not applicable for this game. Select a main series game for builds.

A solid spread overall. Pikachu gets Volt Tackle and Thunder for same-type damage alongside Normal and Steel coverage and more. It won't blow anyone away, but it doesn't leave you stuck either.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Thunder Shock
4010030Electric
Lv 5
Quick Attack+1
4010030Normal
Lv 9
Thunder Wave
—9020Electric
Lv 15
Swift
60—20Normal
Lv 21
Spark
6510020Electric
Lv 29
Thunderbolt
9010015Electric
Lv 37
Iron Tail
1007515Steel
Lv 47
Thunder
1107010Electric

TM Moves

Pikachu can't learn any TM moves

Egg Moves

Pikachu doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Src
Tutor
Baby-Doll Eyes+1
—10030Fairy
Tutor
Calm Mind
——20Psychic
Tutor
Charge Beam
509010Electric
Tutor
Iron Tail
1007515Steel
Tutor
Play Rough
909010Fairy
Tutor
Rest
——10Psychic
Tutor
Rock Smash
4010015Fighting
Tutor
Swift
60—20Normal
Tutor
Thunder Punch
7510015Electric
Tutor
Thunderbolt
9010015Electric
Tutor
Volt Tackle
12010015Electric
Tutor
Wild Charge
9010015Electric

Pikachu starts showing up in mid-game routes at decent spawn rates across 2 encounter spots. The list below is sorted so you can pick what fits your current progress without scrolling through everything.

Where To Catch Pikachu in Legends: Arceus

Pichu is your first catch on the way to Pikachu. You'll find walking encounters from walking across 5 total spots in the chain.

  1. Pichu
    Step 1Catch Pichu
    Floaro Gardens
    GrassUncommonForest
    EASY
    Golden Lowlands
    GrassUncommon
    EASY
    Nature’s Pantry
    GrassUncommon
    EASY
  2. Pikachu
    Step 2Pikachu ✓
    Golden Lowlands
    GrassUncommon
    EASY
    Nature’s Pantry
    GrassUncommon
    EASY
    or evolve from Pichu (Step 1)

  • Pikachu is meant to evolve into Raichu. At 320 BST, the stats aren't there for competitive play yet. Pre-evolution Pokemon rarely hold up against fully evolved threats.

  • Watch for Rhydon (Ground) when using Pikachu. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about.

  • Pichu evolves into Pikachu by leveling up. Pikachu can evolve into Raichu and Alolan Raichu depending on the method. Pikachu is a middle-stage evolution in the Pichu line.

  • Lightning Rod is what you want on Pikachu. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind. The alternatives (Static) work on paper but Lightning Rod is what makes Pikachu worth using.

  • Base 90 Speed is workable — faster than some, slower than many. On offense, Pikachu is a special attacker with base 50 Sp. Atk. Defensively? Fragile — can't afford to take many hits.

  • Pikachu appears in 22 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.

Since debuting in Red & Blue, Pikachu has appeared in 22 titles over 9 generations. Along the way, it received an Alolan form in Generation 7 and a Gigantamax form in Generation 8, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.