Is Raichu Good in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Playthrough?
Thunder Stone gives you Alolan Raichu, an Electric/Psychic speedster with AbilitySurge Surfer. Crushes Kahili's Flying E4 and handles Hau's Noivern in the Title Defense. Fragile, but speed like that means you're almost always hitting first.
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).
How to Get Raichu in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
You're catching Pichu first, not Raichu. Pichu appears at moderate rates in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 3-stage chain with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Raichu in USUM
To get Raichu, start by catching Pichu through walking and gift encounters at Lv. 2-40. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
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 |
What is Raichu Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Raichu
 Torterra GrassGround | C | |
 Krookodile GroundDark | B | |
 Rhydon GroundRock | C | |
 Mudsdale Ground | C | |
Available Move Moves
Damage vs Raichu View Mudsdale builds →High Horsepower 2x148-175%KO | ||
 Sandslash Ground | C | |
Krookodile GroundDark | B | |
Torterra GrassGround | C | |
 Swampert WaterGround | C | |
Rhydon GroundRock | C | |
Sandslash Ground | C | |
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, Articuno's Ice Beam hits Raichu for 40-47%.
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityPressure ItemLeftovers NatureModest Moves
Damage vs Raichu View Articuno builds →Ice Beam40-47% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityWaterabsorb ItemIapapaberry NatureHardy Moves
Damage vs Raichu View Jellicent builds →Scald23-27% Ice Beam26-31% | ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityTechnician ItemEviolite NatureJolly Moves View Scyther builds →
| ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityIntimidate ItemQuickclaw NatureImpish Moves View Qwilfish builds →
| ||
C | ||
Recommended Build AbilityLevitate ItemLeftovers NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Raichu View Mesprit builds →Ice Beam39-46% Psyshock34-41% Shadow Ball34-41% | ||
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 485 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 50 partners from the Fairy and Ground egg groups. Notable egg moves include Bestow, Bide, Charge and 13 more.
USUM Raichu Best Moveset
110 Speed puts Raichu ahead of most of the field, and 90 on both offensive stats lets the moveset hit from either side. AbilityLightning Rod absorbs Electric attacks for a Sp. Atk boost. The Alolan form trades raw Speed for AbilitySurge Surfer that doubles Speed on Electric Terrain instead. Neither version finds a consistent role.
Best Build
Raichu best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Grass Knot
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power Ice
- Thunder
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
The egg pool carries weight here. Bestow and Bide aren't available any other way for Raichu, and they meaningfully change what it threatens. Stack those on top of Volt Tackle and Thunder for solid options.
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
As electricity builds up inside its body, it becomes more aggressive. One theory is that the electricity buildup is actually causing stress.
Because so many Trainers like the way Pikachu looks, you don’t see this Pokémon very often.
Raichu Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Guide
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, 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. Grassknot with Life Orb is the standard set.
In Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, 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.
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 110 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. Fits the pivot role.
For Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, the core moveset is Grassknot, Thunderbolt, Hiddenpowerice, and Thunder. Grassknot 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