Is Pikachu Good in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Playthrough?
Gift or wild catch with Catastropika as its exclusive Z-Move. That Z-Move delivers a massive burst when you need one, but Pikachu's stats are too thin to rely on otherwise. Thunder Stone for Alolan Raichu is the better long-term investment.
Pichu trades roughly evenly with Ilima's team.
Pichu trades roughly evenly with Hala's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Lana's team.
ElectricSteelReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou... (Ultra Moon only)
BugElectricReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou... (Ultra Sun only)
GrassReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou... (Ultra Sun only)
GhostFairyReceived as a Totem-sized gift Pokemon by collecting enou...
Pikachu trades roughly evenly with Kiawe's team.
Mallow's typing presses Pikachu's defenses.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Olivia's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Sophocles's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Acerola's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Nanu's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Mina's team.
Hapu's team hits Raichu's weaknesses hard.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Molayne's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Olivia's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Acerola's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Kahili's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Kukui's team.
Catch Pikachu on Route 1 (walking, Lv 2-3). Alternate S.O.S. encounters; UNCOMMON; Called by Pichu.
Raichu can be obtained by breeding (post-game).
Raichu can be obtained by breeding (post-game).
Catch Pichu on Route 1 (walking, Lv 2-3).
How to Get Pikachu in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
moderate rates for Pikachu across 4 locations in early-game routes. Nothing complicated. Check the sorted list below, compare the top few options, and head to whichever is closest.
Where To Catch Pikachu in USUM
The path to Pikachu starts with Pichu at Lv. 2-40 via walking and gift encounters. 2 catchable stages total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch PichuRoute 1 - EastLv.2-3GrassRate 5%
Step 2Pikachu ✓Route 1 - EastLv.2-3GrassSOS from PichuHeahea City - Surf AssociationLv.40Gift from NPCOne-timeMantine Surf high scoreor evolve from Pichu (Step 1)Available in-game· 2 pathsPick one
Pikachu Weakness
Ground 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.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Electric, Flying, Steel |
What is Pikachu Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Pikachu
 Torterra GrassGround | C | |
 Krookodile GroundDark | B | |
 Rhydon GroundRock | C | |
 Mudsdale Ground | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Pikachu View Mudsdale builds →High Horsepower 2x231-272%KO | ||
 Sandslash Ground | C | |
Krookodile GroundDark | B | |
Torterra GrassGround | C | |
 Swampert WaterGround | C | |
Rhydon GroundRock | C | |
Sandslash Ground | C | |
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Excadrill threatens a KO with Earthquake (363-427%).
A | ||
Recommended Build AbilityIron Barbs ItemLeftovers NatureSassy Moves View Ferrothorn builds →
| ||
 Excadrill GroundSteel | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityMold Breaker ItemFocus Sash NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Pikachu View Excadrill builds →Earthquake 2x363-427%KO Rapid Spin61-72% | ||
Pikachu Evolutions
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. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Pikachu to get Pichu eggs easily using 50 partners from the Fairy and Ground egg groups. Notable egg moves include Bestow, Bide, Charge and 13 more.
USUM Pikachu Best Moveset
The single largest item boost any Pokemon gets comes from Held ItemLight Ball, doubling both Attack and Sp. Atk. 90 Speed lets the moveset strike first against slower targets. But 35 HP means one hit ends everything, and surviving to use that doubled power happens too rarely to matter.
Best Build
Pikachu best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Sweeper Moveset
- Volt Tackle
- Thunderbolt
- Iron Tail
- Quick Attack
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Don't skip the egg moves. Pikachu picks up Bestow and Bide only through breeding, and both fill gaps the natural movepool can't. STAB runs through Volt Tackle and Thunder while coverage across 7 types adds range.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Base Stats
Its nature is to store up electricity. Forests where nests of Pikachu live are dangerous, since the trees are so often struck by lightning.
While sleeping, it generates electricity in the sacs in its cheeks. If it’s not getting enough sleep, it will be able to use only weak electricity.
Pikachu Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Guide
For Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, you can run Pikachu through the first few routes without issues. 320 BST won't carry you far though. Get it to Raichu as fast as you can.
Game Availability
Since debuting in Red & Blue, Pikachu has appeared in 23 titles over 10 generations. Along the way, it received a Gigantamax form in Generation 8, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RBDebut
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwShGigantamax
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves