Is Raichu Good in Black 2 & White 2 Playthrough?
Thunder Stone on Pikachu. Electric with AbilityStatic. If imported, decent Speed handles Skyla and Marlon. Ampharos and Galvantula are better and don't require a trade.
Pichu trades roughly evenly with Cheren's team.
Pichu trades roughly evenly with Roxie's team.
Burgh's typing presses Pichu's defenses.
Elesa's typing presses Pichu's defenses.
Clay's Pokemon outpace and outclass Pichu here.
Pichu has the type edge here and should clean up Skyla's team.
Drayden's Pokemon outpace and outclass Pichu here.
Pichu has the type edge here and should clean up Marlon's team.
Pichu trades roughly evenly with Shauntal's team.
Grimsley's team hits Pichu's weaknesses hard.
Pichu trades roughly evenly with Caitlin's team.
Marshal's team hits Pichu's weaknesses hard.
Iris's team hits Pichu's weaknesses hard.
Raichu cannot be caught in this game. It must be traded in from a compatible game where it appears in the wild. Cross-region trading typically becomes available after defeating the Elite Four.
How to Get Raichu in Black 2 & White 2
No wild encounters for Raichu in Black 2 & White 2. Bring Pichu over from Crystal, Diamond & Pearl, or Scarlet & Violet, then level through the stages. Each step in the chain is laid out below.
How to Obtain Raichu in B2W2
Step 1Breed Pichu from PikachuLATER APPEARANCEfrom CrystalNot TradeableAppears in Crystal via Gift · Route 34 · Hatch Odd Egg (random). Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Diamond & PearlNot TradeableAppears in Diamond & Pearl via Walking · Trophy Garden. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom PlatinumNot TradeableAppears in Platinum via Walking · Trophy Garden. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in HeartGold & SoulSilver via Special encounter · Ilex Forest · Requires Pikachu-colored Pichu. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Sun & MoonNot TradeableAppears in Sun & Moon via Walking · Route 1. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon via Walking · Route 1. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.
Step 2Evolve into Pikachu- Step 3Raichu ✓
Raichu Weakness
Type-wise, Raichu takes extra damage from Ground. Not many exploitable gaps in the Electric typing defensive chart. Lightning Rod grants an additional Electric immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Raichu's special bulk (base 80 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Electric, Flying, Steel |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Raichu Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Raichu
 Excadrill GroundSteel | A | |
 Sandslash Ground | C | |
 Gliscor Ground | B | |
 Krookodile GroundDark | B | |
 Camerupt FireGround | C | |
Excadrill GroundSteel | A | |
Sandslash Ground | C | |
Gliscor Ground | B | |
Krookodile GroundDark | B | |
Camerupt FireGround | C | |
Excadrill GroundSteel | A | |
Krookodile GroundDark | B | |
Gliscor Ground | B | |
Sandslash Ground | C | |
 Mamoswine IceGround | B | |
In Black 2 & White 2, Landorus can KO Raichu with Earthquake (189-223%).
 Landorus Ground | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySheerforce ItemLife Orb NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Raichu View Landorus builds →Earthquake 2x189-223%KO U Turn44-52% Stone Edge63-74% | ||
Raichu Evolutions
Raichu evolved from Pichu's chain using an evolution item. It's a non-standard trigger, so check the details below. Breed this form to get Pichu eggs (quick to hatch). The evolution from Pichu pushed Raichu to 475 total stats. Sp.Atk saw the largest single gain at +55. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Raichu to get Pichu eggs easily using 38 partners from the Fairy and Ground egg groups. Notable egg moves include Bestow, Bide, Charge and 11 more.
B2W2 Raichu Best Moveset
110 Speed and 90 Sp. Atk fire Electric TermStab before most lower-tier targets can respond. AbilityLightning Rod as a hidden ability redirects Electric moves for a Sp. Atk boost, letting the moveset answer Electric attackers by absorbing their hits. 60 HP crumbles under any Ground move.
Best Build
Raichu best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Thunderbolt
- Nasty Plot
- Grass Knot
- Hidden Power Fire
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Hard to wall, honestly. Raichu threatens 10 types beyond its own STAB, with Normal and Fighting standing out. Pair that with Volt Tackle and Thunder and switchins need to think twice.
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
Transfer Moves
Base Stats
Its tail discharges electricity into the ground, protecting it from getting shocked.
Raichu Black 2 & White 2 Guide
In Black 2 & White 2, Raichu looks average on paper at 475 BST. But Lightning Rod is why it sees play. Build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier pivot on our tier list. Thunderbolt with Focus Sash is the standard set.
In Black 2 & White 2, Raichu's biggest threats include Golem (Ground), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about. Raichu's base 100 Speed lets it outpace many threats and strike first, which matters more than trying to tank hits.
Raichu gets Lightning Rod and Static. But Lightning Rod is the one that matters. It's the centerpiece of every viable set. Build around that.
Raichu is a special attacker with base 90 Sp. Atk. Speed tells the real story. Base 100 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. Fits the pivot role.
For Black 2 & White 2, the core moveset is Thunderbolt, Nasty Plot, Grassknot, and Hiddenpowerfire. Thunderbolt leads at 0% usage. Thunderbolt provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
Available since Red & Blue, Raichu appears in 23 games spanning 10 generations. Beyond its original form, it gained an Alolan form in Generation 7.
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 7SMAlolan
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
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