How to play
Use Volt Switch against a favorable matchup to bring another teammate in. Lightning Rod grants Electric immunity and can raise Special Attack.
Starter moveset
Generation 9 · casual singles · base form
ITEMLife Orb
ABILITYLightning Rod
NATURETimid
1
Thunderbolt
2
Volt Switch
3
Grass Knot
4
Surf
Watch out for
Ground types block Electric moves. Low bulk and Life Orb recoil make repeated direct switches risky.
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 covers Ground attacks. Add a bulky partner to handle hits Raichu cannot take.
Corviknight
Immune to Ground attacks; Raichu covers its Electric weakness.
Gastrodon
Adds bulk and resists Rock and Fire attacks.
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: Pikachu
Pikachu trades Raichu’s higher Speed and bulk for access to Light Ball.
Try Pikachu →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.
HP60
Attack90
Defense55
Sp. Attack90
Sp. Defense80
Speed110
Evolution chain
- Pichu#172
High friendship + level up
Pikachu#025Thunder Stone
Raichu#026
Standard main-series evolution conditions. Regional forms and games with special evolution systems can differ.
Build your Raichu team
Start with Raichu. Add teammates and compare your type-and-base-stat score.
Gen 9 · National Dex · Casual Settings & scope
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.
Raichu
ElectricUnderstand your team
Offense70
Defense64
Coverage11
Synergy18
Types & base stats only · Not a win probability.
Saved teams · 0
Keep up to 20 teams in this browser. Clearing browser data removes saved teams.
No saved teams yet.
FIND A BETTER FIT
Recommended Pokémon
Fill your empty slots first. Each candidate is scored using the same rules as your current team. Only positive score changes are shown.
+29 pts
Golisopod
BugWater
Team score 43 → 72
Why this Pokémon?
- Adds Ground resistance or immunity
- Adds super-effective coverage against Fire, Grass, Ground and more
- Defense 64 → 74
+28 pts
Gyarados
Water
Team score 43 → 71
Why this Pokémon?
- Adds Ground resistance or immunity
- Adds super-effective coverage against Fire, Grass, Fighting and more
- Defense 64 → 76
+28 pts
Skarmory
Steel
Team score 43 → 71
Why this Pokémon?
- Adds Ground resistance or immunity
- Adds super-effective coverage against Grass, Ice, Fighting and more
- Defense 64 → 83
+28 pts
Corviknight
Steel
Team score 43 → 71
Why this Pokémon?
- Adds Ground resistance or immunity
- Adds super-effective coverage against Grass, Ice, Fighting and more
- Defense 64 → 83
+27 pts
Araquanid
WaterBug
Team score 43 → 70
Why this Pokémon?
- Adds Ground resistance or immunity
- Adds super-effective coverage against Fire, Grass, Ground and more
- Defense 64 → 74
+27 pts
Celesteela
Steel
Team score 43 → 70
Why this Pokémon?
- Adds Ground resistance or immunity
- Adds super-effective coverage against Grass, Ice, Fighting and more
- Defense 64 → 83
Suggestions optimize this initial planning heuristic. Your preferences and actual battle strategy may favor another Pokémon.
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.
Detailed type analysis · all 18 types
Incoming damage assumes typing only. 0× = immune, ½× / ¼× = resistant, 2× / 4× = weak. Resistance counts include immunities.
| Attack | Raichu | 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.
Data: Pokémon Showdown / @pkmn/dex · Sprites: PokéAPI contributors · Base species only
Sources & guide notes
Starter advice written for this guide; mechanics checked against Pokémon Showdown’s Generation 9 data.
- Smogon: format-specific strategy
- Pokémon Database: moves and evolution
- Pokémon Showdown mechanics data
Reviewed October 6, 2026. Suggest a correction.