Is Raichu Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Thunder Stone on Pikachu. Electric-type with AbilityStatic. Raichu handles Misty's Kanto gym and the water-heavy postgame routes. The late timing limits impact, but Electric coverage against Red's Lapras and Blastoise has value.
Falkner's Pokemon outpace and outclass Pichu here.
Bugsy's Pokemon outpace and outclass Pichu here.
Pichu trades roughly evenly with Whitney's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Morty's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Chuck's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Jasmine's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Pryce's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Clair's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Brock's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Misty's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Lt. Surge's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Erika's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Sabrina's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Blaine's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Blue's team.
Raichu resists most of Will's coverage and hits back hard.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Bruno's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Lance's team.
Catch Pichu
Catch Pichu in Ilex Forest (interact, Lv 30, limited). Requires Pikachu-colored Pichu in party. Bring the event Pikachu-colored Pichu to Ilex Forest to encounter the Spiky-eared Pichu.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 30)
- LV 30ElectricThunder ShockPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 30
- After Bugsy
- TM25ElectricThunderPower 180Accuracy 70%PP 10Goldenrod Department Store
- TM24ElectricThunderboltPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Goldenrod Game Corner
- TUTORNormalHeadbuttPower 70Accuracy 100%PP 15Ilex Forest
- After Morty
- TM57ElectricCharge BeamPower 75Accuracy 90%PP 10Olivine City
- After Jasmine
- TM23SteelIron TailPower 100Accuracy 75%PP 15Prize for defeating Jasmine
- TM43NormalSecret PowerPower 70Accuracy 100%PP 20Lake of Rage
- TM10NormalHidden PowerPower 60Accuracy 100%PP 15Lake of Rage
Evolve Pichu to Raichu
Pikachu evolves into Raichu with a Thunder Stone. You can usually obtain this item before you reach Morty.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 19)
- LV 19ElectricThunderboltPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15
- After Bugsy
- TM25ElectricThunderPower 180Accuracy 70%PP 10Goldenrod Department Store
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM52FightingFocus BlastPower 120Accuracy 70%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM28GroundDigPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 10National Park
- After Whitney
- HM04NormalStrengthPower 80Accuracy 100%PP 15Gift from a Hiker on Route 42
- After Chuck
- TM01FightingFocus PunchPower 150Accuracy 100%PP 20Prize for defeating Chuck
- After Jasmine
- TM23SteelIron TailPower 100Accuracy 75%PP 15Prize for defeating Jasmine
How to Get Raichu in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Raichu never appears wild in either region. Catch the rare Pikachu near Viridian and use a Thunder Stone, which evolves it into Raichu on the spot. The mouse line ends entirely on that stone, not a level.
Wild Raichu may be holding when caught:
Oran Berry (5% chance) It may be used or held by a Pokemon to heal the user by just 10 HP.Catch Pichu or Pikachu at any of these 3 spots to eventually evolve into Raichu.
Encountered via tall grass encounters
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Badge 8How to Obtain Raichu in HGSS
Pichu is your first catch on the way to Raichu. You'll find fixed and walking encounters from Lv. 4-30 across 8 total spots in the chain.
- Step 2Catch or Evolve PikachuViridian ForestLv.4-7GrassRate 6%Morning/dayViridian ForestLv.4GrassRate 5%NightSaffron CityIn-game tradeLimitedTrade for (give Pikachu)or evolve from Pichu (Step 1)
- Step 3Raichu ✓
How to Get Shiny Raichu in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Raichu comes from a Pichu, so breed that baby Masuda-style, raise it to Pikachu, and evolve it with a Thunder Stone. Compare Shiny Raichu odds across every game
Shiny Raichu Evolution
3 Forms
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Raichu Calculator
3 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
Soft Reset: Save in front of a static, gift, or legendary encounter, then reset until it sparkles.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Planning a longer hunt? Set up Raichu in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Odds Calculator to compare every method side by side.
Raichu Weakness
Type-wise, Raichu takes extra damage from Ground. Not many exploitable gaps in the Electric typing defensive 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
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 35 partners from the Fairy and Field egg groups. Notable egg moves include Bide, Charge, Double Slap and 8 more.
HGSS Raichu Best Moveset
Mixed attacker at 90 in both Attack and Sp. Atk with 100 Speed to act first. The moveset fires physical and special Electric attacks from both sides, and AbilityStatic can paralyze on contact. 60 HP and 55 Defense keep it fragile.
Best Build
Raichu best EVs are HP and Sp. Atk
Special Tank Moveset
- Nasty Plot
- Thunderbolt
- Thunder
- Grass Knot
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
The egg pool carries weight here. Bide and Charge 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
All 25 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Reminder Moves
Base Stats
When its electricity builds, its muscles are stimulated, and it becomes more aggressive than usual.
If the electric pouches in its cheeks become fully charged, both ears will stand straight up.
Raichu HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Raichu plays as a pivot. It outspeeds most threats, so it can pressure opponents before they move. Thunderbolt is the primary attack.
Yes. Alolan Raichu is a regional variant with different typing and a reworked stat spread. Introduced in Gen 7. Plays completely differently from the original.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, Modest is the go-to nature for Raichu. That's +Sp. Atk / -Attack. Pair it with 252 HP / 252 SpA / 4 SpD EVs. Fits the pivot role.
Game Availability
Available since Red & Blue, Raichu appears in 22 games spanning 9 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 7Let's Go
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
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