
Is Raichu Good in Red & Blue Playthrough?
The payoff for evolving Pikachu. Raichu is one of the better Electric-types available, and Electric coverage matters a lot in Red and Blue since Water-types are everywhere. Useful against Misty, Lorelei, and any trainer running Water or Flying Pokemon. Just don't send it against Brock or Giovanni.
Brock's typing presses Raichu's defenses.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Misty's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Lt. Surge's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Erika's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Sabrina's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Blaine's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Giovanni's team.
Raichu has the type edge here and should clean up Lorelei's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Bruno's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Agatha's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Lance's team.
Raichu trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Catch Pikachu
Catch Pikachu in Viridian Forest (walking, Lv 3-5, rare).
Recommended Moves
- LV 9ElectricThunder WavePower —Accuracy 100%PP 20
- After Misty
- TM08NormalBody SlamPower 85Accuracy 100%PP 15S.S. Anne
- After Lt. Surge
- TM24ElectricThunderboltPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15Prize for defeating Vermilion Gym Leader Lt. Surge
- TM05NormalMega KickPower 120Accuracy 75%PP 5Celadon Department Store
- TM10NormalDouble-EdgePower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Rocket Hideout
- TM09NormalTake DownPower 90Accuracy 85%PP 20Silph Co.
- After Erika
- TM40NormalSkull BashPower 100Accuracy 100%PP 15Safari Zone
- LV 43ElectricThunderPower 180Accuracy 70%PP 10
How to Get Raichu in Red & Blue
Raichu shows up wild only in late-game spots, rare in Cerulean Cave and the Power Plant at levels 33 to 64. Five encounters total. Raising a Pikachu with a Thunder Stone is the usual route.
2 locations to catch Raichu2 locations to catch Pikachu
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Catch Pikachu at any of the 2 locations below, then use thunder stone — it evolves into Raichu.
Where To Catch Raichu in RB
To get Raichu, start by catching Pikachu through walking encounters at Lv. 3-24. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
Step 2Raichu ✓Power PlantLv.33-36FloorBlueRate 5%Cerulean Cave - B1FLv.64CaveRate 10%Cerulean Cave - 1FLv.53CaveRate 4%or evolve from Pikachu (Step 1)
Bring the right balls: check Raichu catch odds in the Red & Blue Catch Rate Calculator before you throw.
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 90 Special) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Electric, Flying |
- Only 15 types exist — Dark, Steel, and Fairy are absent
- Ghost has no effect on Psychic (a known bug, fixed in Gen II)
- Special stat governs both offense and defense — no Sp.Atk / Sp.Def split
What is Raichu Weak Against
AvgRaichu Evolutions
Pikachu's chain ends at Raichu (using a Thunder Stone). Despite 485 base stats, this Electric type doesn't breed. The evolution from Pikachu pushed Raichu to 485 total stats. Special saw the largest single gain at +40. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
RB Raichu Best Moveset
100 Speed and 90 Special power solid MoveThunderbolt with MoveBody Slam adding physical paralysis on top. Faster than Electabuzz with similar Special, filling a speed-first Electric attacker role. The move slots run Electric TermStab and Normal coverage from a clean stat profile.
Best Build
Utility Moveset
- Thunderbolt
- Surf
- Thunder Wave
- Body Slam
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Most of Raichu's flexibility comes from TMs. Same-type output runs through Thunder and Thunderbolt, but Normal and Fighting and the rest of the TM pool push it from predictable to genuinely threatening.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- 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.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM 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 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 23 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
Its long tail serves as a ground to protect itself from its own high voltage power.
Raichu Red & Blue Guide
In Red & Blue, 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.
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
Explore
Where to go next after Raichu.