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

This forest-dwelling Pokémon stores electricity in its cheeks, so you’ll feel a tingly shock if you touch it.

Lets Go Pikachu / Lets Go Eevee

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

2 Evolutions
Pikachu
#025Pikachu
Raichu
#026RaichuThunder Stone
Alola RaichuAlola
#026Alola RaichuThunder Stone
Stat Comparison 3 Stages
Pikachu
Electric
Raichu
Electric
Alola Raichu
Electric
HP
35
60+25
60+25
ATK
55
90+35
90+35
DEF
40
55+15
55+15
SP.ATK
50
90+40
90+40
SP.DEF
50
80+30
80+30
SPE
90
110+20
110+20
BST
320C-Tier
485C-Tier+165
485C-Tier+165
ROLE
Balanced
Pivot
Pivot
TYPE
Utility
Mixed
Mixed
Breeding
Very Easy

Breed with Pikachu to get Pichu eggs easily 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

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

Best Build

Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee uses different battle mechanics.

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

Leveling does the heavy lifting. Pikachu picks up Thunderbolt and Thunder along the way, building toward a complete offensive set. TMs add Normal and Fighting coverage and more, but the foundation's already strong by then.

Level-Up Moves

Lv 1
Growl
—10040Normal
Lv 1
Thunder Shock
4010030Electric
Lv 3
Tail Whip
—10030Normal
Lv 6
Quick Attack+1
4010030Normal
Lv 9
Double Kick
3010030Fighting
Lv 12
Double Team
——15Normal
Lv 15
Thunder Wave
—9020Electric
Lv 18
Light Screen
——30Psychic
Lv 21
Thunderbolt
9010015Electric
Lv 24
Slam
807520Normal
Lv 27
Agility
——30Psychic
Lv 30
Thunder
1107010Electric

TM Moves

Src
TM13
Brick Break
7510015Fighting
TM33
Calm Mind
——20Psychic
TM10
Dig
8010010Ground
TM12
Facade
7010020Normal
TM01
Headbutt
7010015Normal
TM03
Helping Hand+5
——20Normal
TM19
Iron Tail
1007515Steel
TM06
Light Screen
——30Psychic
TM57
Pay Day
4010020Normal
TM07
Protect+4
——10Normal
TM09
Reflect
——20Psychic
TM05
Rest
——10Psychic
TM15
Seismic Toss
—10020Fighting
TM08
Substitute
——10Normal
TM38
Thunder
1107010Electric
TM23
Thunder Punch
7510015Electric
TM16
Thunder Wave
—9020Electric
TM36
Thunderbolt
9010015Electric
TM27
Toxic
—9010Poison

Egg Moves

Pikachu doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Src
Tutor
Floaty Fall
909515Flying
Tutor
Splishy Splash
9010015Water
Tutor
Zippy Zap+2
5010015Electric

Event Moves

Src
Event
Pika Papow
——20Electric

This 2-stage line starts with Pichu, a baby that doesn't spawn wild. Breed Pikachu at the nursery to hatch one, then level through the stages to reach Pikachu.

Where To Catch Pikachu in Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee

To get Pikachu, start by catching Pichu through walking and gift encounters at Lv. 3-6. The chain covers 1 catchable stage before reaching the final form.

  1. Pichu
    Step 1Breed Pichu from Pikachu

    Breed from Pikachu at the Day Care.

  2. Pikachu
    Step 2Pikachu ✓
    Pallet Town
    Let's Go PikachuGift from NPCLv.5EarlyCityStarter choice
    Viridian Forest
    Let's Go EeveeGrassLv.3-65%EarlyForest
    CHALLENGING
    Viridian Forest
    Let's Go PikachuGrassLv.3-65%EarlyForest
    CHALLENGING
    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.