Special
Pivot
485Average
110Fast
CTier

Raichu's stats are solid on their own, but Lightning Rod is what pushes it over the line. It redirects Electric moves and boosts its Sp. Atk. Only weak to Ground. A longtime staple going back to Gen 1.

Everything pushes toward mixed damage here. Raichu's Speed does the work, Defense pays the price. But you're still getting 3 Speed EVs per KO. Moderately hard to find, on a medium-fast 1M XP curve.

Base Stats
485Above
HP60
C
Attack90
B
Defense55
D
Sp. Atk90
B
Sp. Def80
C
Speed110
B
Total485
Low <60
Avg 60-89
High 90-149
Top 150+
EV YieldDefeating Raichu yields +3 Spe
HPAtkDefSpASpDSpe+3
Details
Catch75Challenging•Medium Fast1M XP•0.8m / 2'07"•30kg / 66.1 lbs•243Base XP
Pokedex Entries

It can discharge bursts of electricity exceeding 100,000 volts— a single strike with that amount of power would incapacitate one of the Copperajah of my homeland.

Legends Arceus

Raichu Weakness

Good

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.

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

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 485 total stats. Sp.Atk saw the largest single gain at +55.

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 Raichu 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 remaining moves is what separates a good sweep from a wasted boost. After Nasty Plot, Raichu threatens a wide range with max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs and Life Orb backing every hit.

Best Build

Legends: Arceus uses different battle mechanics.

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

The offense anchors on Volt Tackle and Thunder, with Normal and Steel coverage and more adding reach. It's a workable movepool for Raichu that handles most situations. Thunderbolt and Iron Tail give it enough punch where it matters.

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

Raichu can't learn any TM moves

Egg Moves

Raichu doesn't have any Egg moves

Tutor Moves

Src
Tutor
Baby-Doll Eyes+1
—10030Fairy
Tutor
Calm Mind
——20Psychic
Tutor
Charge Beam
509010Electric
Tutor
Giga Impact
150905Normal
Tutor
Hyper Beam
150905Normal
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

1 encounter spots for Raichu at decent spawn rates starting from mid-game routes. Best and Earliest sort options below help narrow down your approach based on odds vs. Accessibility.

Where To Catch Raichu in Legends: Arceus

To get Raichu, start by catching Pichu through walking encounters at walking. The chain covers 3 catchable stages before reaching the final form.

  1. Pichu
    Step 1Catch Pichu
    Floaro Gardens
    GrassUncommonForest
    EASY
    Golden Lowlands
    GrassUncommon
    EASY
    Nature’s Pantry
    GrassUncommon
    EASY
  2. Pikachu
    Step 2Catch or Evolve Pikachu
    Golden Lowlands
    GrassUncommon
    EASY
    Nature’s Pantry
    GrassUncommon
    EASY
    or evolve from Pichu (Step 1)
  3. Raichu
    Step 3Raichu ✓
    Golden Lowlands
    GrassUncommon
    EASY
    or evolve from Pikachu (Step 2)

  • Raichu looks average on paper at 485 BST. But Lightning Rod is why it sees play — build around that and it pulls its weight. C-Tier pivot on our tier list.

  • 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 110 Speed lets it outpace many threats and strike first, which matters more than trying to tank hits.

  • Pikachu evolves into Raichu using a Thunder Stone. Raichu is the final evolution in a 4-stage line starting from Pichu. At 485 BST, it's got solid stats to work with.

  • 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. But the speed tells the real story — base 110 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. Fits the pivot role.

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

Available since Red & Blue, Raichu appears in 22 games spanning 9 generations. Beyond its original form, it gained an Alolan form in Generation 7.