POKÉDEX #025 · GENERATION 1

Pikachu Build Guide

Electric

Fast special attacker

Build a team with Pikachu ↓

Starter moveset

Generation 9 · casual singles · base form

ITEMLight Ball

ABILITYLightning Rod

NATURETimid

Thunderbolt

Reliable Electric damage; Ground types are immune.

Volt Switch

Deal damage and switch out; Ground types block the pivot.

Grass Knot

Coverage for heavier Ground types; power depends on weight.

Surf

Water coverage for Ground types; does not make switching into them safe.

How to play

Bring Pikachu in after a teammate faints or through a safe pivot. Light Ball doubles its Attack and Special Attack. Use Thunderbolt for damage, or Volt Switch to keep momentum when the opponent has no Ground switch-in.

Watch out for

Its low bulk makes direct switches risky. Ground types block Electric attacks; coverage does not guarantee a safe matchup.

About this example

This editorial starting point is not a ranked-format recommendation or a legality check. It does not specify EVs or Tera type. Moves, items and abilities here do not change the builder score.

Teammate ideas

A Flying teammate can cover Ground attacks; a bulky Water partner can absorb hits Pikachu cannot.

Corviknight

Corviknight is immune to Ground, Pikachu’s only type weakness. Pikachu threatens Water targets for it. Both still need a plan for strong Fire attackers.

Try this pair →

Gastrodon

Gastrodon resists Fire and Rock and provides a sturdier option. Pikachu pressures Water targets, while its Electric typing resists neither Ground nor Grass: add a Grass answer.

Try this pair →

These are typing-based starting pairs, not a complete competitive team. Check the remaining four slots and your game’s rules.

Compare computed teammate suggestions →

Alternative: Raichu

Raichu offers more Speed and bulk, but cannot use Light Ball’s boost.

Try Raichu →

Type matchups

Weak to

Ground2×

Resistances and immunities

Electric0.5×Flying0.5×Steel0.5×

Typing only. Abilities, items and battle effects can change these matchups.

HP35

Attack55

Defense40

Sp. Attack50

Sp. Defense50

Speed90

Evolution chain

Pichu#172
High friendship + level up
Pikachu#025
Thunder Stone
Raichu#026

Standard main-series evolution conditions. Regional forms and games with special evolution systems can differ.

Build your Pikachu team

Start with Pikachu. Add teammates and compare your type-and-base-stat score.

Gen 9 · National Dex · Casual Settings & scope

GameFormat

Format scope · casual planning

Base species #001–1025, using Generation 9 data. A casual planning pool, not a VGC, ranked, or Showdown National Dex legality validator. Regional, Mega and alternate forms are not included yet.

SLOT 01#025

Pikachu

Electric

SLOT 02

SLOT 03

SLOT 04

SLOT 05

SLOT 06

Understand your team

Offense59

Defense64

Coverage11

Synergy8

Types & base stats only · Not a win probability.

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Key insights

Ground attacks threaten 1 of 1 teammates, with no teammate resisting them by type.
Your own types can hit 2 of 18 single-type targets super effectively. Actual move coverage can differ.
No teammate has a base Speed of 100 or higher. Consider adding a faster option.

Detailed type analysis · all 18 types

Incoming damage assumes typing only. 0× = immune, ½× / ¼× = resistant, 2× / 4× = weak. Resistance counts include immunities.

Incoming damage by attacking type
Attack	Pikachu	Weak	Resist
Normal	1×	0	0
Fire	1×	0	0
Water	1×	0	0
Electric	½×	0	1
Grass	1×	0	0
Ice	1×	0	0
Fighting	1×	0	0
Poison	1×	0	0
Ground	2×	1	0
Flying	½×	0	1
Psychic	1×	0	0
Bug	1×	0	0
Rock	1×	0	0
Ghost	1×	0	0
Dragon	1×	0	0
Dark	1×	0	0
Steel	½×	0	1
Fairy	1×	0	0

Offensive type coverage

Against single-type targets, using only same-type attacks. This is not coverage against every dual-type species.

NormalNeutral

FireNeutral

Water✓ Super effective

ElectricResisted

GrassResisted

IceNeutral

FightingNeutral

PoisonNeutral

GroundImmune target

Flying✓ Super effective

PsychicNeutral

BugNeutral

RockNeutral

GhostNeutral

DragonResisted

DarkNeutral

SteelNeutral

FairyNeutral

How is the score calculated?

Offense (25%): neutral-or-better type coverage and strongest attacking base stats. Defense (30%): team resistances, unprotected and repeated weaknesses, and 4× vulnerabilities. Coverage (25%): fraction of 18 single-type targets hit super effectively by your own types. Synergy (20%): teammates resisting each other’s weaknesses, physical/special/bulk stat signals and base Speed ≥100. Scores are rounded to 0–100; the total uses the displayed subscores.

Rating bands: Excellent ≥80, Good ≥65, Fair ≥45, Poor below 45. An empty team has no rating.

Small teams are provisional and are not given a separate completion bonus. Adding a Pokémon can lower the score if it creates new weaknesses or lowers averages. These initial heuristics have not been calibrated against battle outcomes.