Winds & Waves has not been released yet. Some info may be incomplete or subject to change.
Utility
Balanced
320Low
90Moderate
DTier

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

No Pokedex entries available for this game yet.

Pikachu Weakness

Good

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.

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 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

Best Build

Winds & Waves has not been released yet. Build info will be available after launch.

Check back after the game launches for competitive build content.

Move info for Winds & Waves is not yet available

Location info for Winds & Waves is not yet available.

Location details will be added when the game launches.

  • 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 leaning toward the physical side (base 55 Attack). Defensively? Fragile — can't afford to take many hits.

  • Pikachu appears in 23 games, including Yellow, Red & Blue, and Gold & Silver.

Since debuting in Red & Blue, Pikachu has appeared in 23 titles over 10 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.