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This is a guide to movesets and best builds for using Pikachu in competitive play for the games Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (SV). Read on for tips on the best Nature, EV spreads, Movesets, Tera Type, and Held Items to use with Pikachu, as well as its strengths and weakness.
| Pikachu - Related Guides | ||
|---|---|---|
List of Contents
|
Paldea #74 Kitakami #21 |
Type | |
|---|---|---|
Pikachu
|
||
| Abilities | ||
|
Static Lightning Rod (Hidden) |
||
| Weak to: | ||
| (2x) | ||
| Damaged Normally By: |
(1x) | |
| Resists: | (0.5x) | |
| Ability Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Static | Has a 30% chance to paralyze opponents that come into direct contact with the user. | |
| Lightning Rod (Hidden) |
The user draws in all Electric type moves. Electric-type moves cannot damage the user but instead will boost its Special Attack by one stage. | |
| Stat | Value | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| HP | 35 | 791 |
| Atk | 55 | 631 |
| Def | 40 | 721 |
| SpAtk | 50 | 585 |
| SpDef | 50 | 621 |
| Speed | 90 | 206 |
| Total | 320 | 636 |
| Stat | Max | 0Nat | 0EV | -Nat | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HP | 142 | 142 | 110 | 110 | 95 |
| Atk | 117 | 107 | 75 | 67 | 54 |
| Def | 101 | 92 | 60 | 54 | 40 |
| SpAtk | 112 | 102 | 70 | 63 | 49 |
| SpDef | 112 | 102 | 70 | 63 | 49 |
| Spd | 156 | 142 | 110 | 99 | 85 |
| Best Natures | ||
|---|---|---|
| Timid (+Spe, -Atk) |
Jolly (+Spe, -Sp. Atk) |
|
| Build Name | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Unrivaled Water Pikachu | ★★★ |
| Mystery Gift Flying Pikachu | ★★★ |
| Nature | Timid (+Spe, -Atk) |
|---|---|
| EV Spread | 4 HP / 252 Sp. Atk / 252 Spe |
| Final Stat Values | 111 HP / 67 Atk / 60 Def / 102 Sp. Atk (204 with Light Ball) / 70 Sp. Def / 156 Spe |
| Ability | Lightning Rod |
| Tera Type |
|
| Held Item | Light Ball |
| Moveset | ・
Encore
・ Surf ・ Thunderbolt ・ Grass Knot |
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Ability | Held Item | |
| Lightning Rod |
|
|
Pikachu's best Ability is Lightning Rod, as it can redirect all Electric-type Attacks to itself and use it to boost its own Special Attack. This makes Pikachu a useful switch-in to Electric-type Moves.
Its Held Item is Light Ball, an item that doubles Pikachu's Attack and Special Attack stat.
| Encore | Surf |
| Thunderbolt | Grass Knot |
Encore is great for punishing opponents who would play defensively.
Surf makes it so Pikachu isn't walled by Ground-type Pokemon. It is also great for attacking into opposing Rock and Fire-types.
Thunderbolt is Pikachu's most consistent Electric-type Move which can deal solid damage with Light Ball.
Grass Knot is useful for attacking into heavy Pokemon such as Stonjourner or Great Tusk.
| Water Tera Type Matchup | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weak to: | ||
| (2x) | ||
| Damaged Normally By: |
(1x) | |
| Resists: | (0.5x) | |
Unrivaled Pikachu's best Tera Type is Water as it can boost Surf's damage output, while still having an immunity to Electric.
Best Water Type Pokemon for Ranked Battle
It is important to max out Special Attack and Speed for Pikachu, as it needs to always hit hard and fast. It will not be taking many hits because of its frail defenses and lack of Focus Sash.
The remaining EVs are put into HP to raise ir by 1 point.
| Fake Out | Useful for breaking Focus Sashes and dealing small chip damage to opponents. |
|---|
| Item: Choice Band | Thunderbolt 144 ~ 170 (69.5 ~ 82.1%) Guaranteed 2-Hit KO |
Ability:
Static
Item:
Mystic Water
|
Thunderbolt 210 ~ 248 (101.4 ~ 119.8%) Guaranteed OHKO |
| Item: Choice Band | Grass Knot 170 ~ 202 (89.4 ~ 106.3%) 37.5% Chance to OHKO |
| Item: Focus Sash | Grass Knot 316 ~ 372 (179.5 ~ 211.3%) Guaranteed OHKO (Survives on Focus Sash) |
Game8's Competitive Damage Calculator
| Nature | Timid (+Spe, -Atk) |
|---|---|
| EV Spread | 4 HP / 252 Sp. Atk / 252 Spe |
| Final Stat Values | 111 HP / 67 Atk / 60 Def / 102 Sp. Atk (204 with Light Ball) / 70 Sp. Def / 156 Spe |
| Ability | Lightning Rod |
| Tera Type |
|
| Held Item | Focus Sash |
| Moveset | ・
Encore
・ Nuzzle ・ Grass Knot ・ Thunderbolt |
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Ability | Held Item | |
| Lightning Rod |
|
|
Pikachu's best Ability is Lightning Rod, as it can redirect all Electric-type Attacks to itself and use it to boost its own Special Attack. This makes Pikachu a useful switch-in to Electric-type Moves.
Its Held Item is Focus Sash, an item that will let it survive getting OHKOd.
| Encore | Nuzzle |
| Grass Knot | Thunderbolt |
Encore is great for punishing opponents who would play defensively.
Nuzzle can be disruptive as paralysis is a reliable form of Speed Control and disruption.
Grass Knot is useful for attacking into heavy Pokemon such as Stonjourner or Great Tusk.
And lastly, Thunderbolt is Pikachu's STAB option if it can't paralyze anything with Nuzzle.
| Flying Tera Type Matchup | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weak to: | ||
| (2x) | ||
| Damaged Normally By: |
(1x) | |
| Resists: | (0.5x) | |
| Immune to: | (0x) | |
Mystery Gift Pikachu's best Tera Type is Flying as it can protect it from Ground-type attacks, and reduce its weaknesses to two: Ice and Rock.
Best Water Type Pokemon for Ranked Battle
It is important to max out Special Attack and Speed for Pikachu, as it needs the extra boost to deal damage with Thunderbolt. With a Timid Nature, Attack EVs are unnecessary even though three out of its four Moves are physical, as those moves are included because of their secondary effects.
The remaining EVs are put into HP to raise ir by 1 point.
| Tickle | Can reduce the damage output and defense of Physical Attackers. |
|---|
| Item: Choice Band | Grass Knot 170 ~ 202 (89.4 ~ 106.3%) 37.5% Chance to OHKO |
| Item: Focus Sash | Grass Knot 316 ~ 372 (179.5 ~ 211.3%) Guaranteed OHKO (Survives on Focus Sash) |
Game8's Competitive Damage Calculator
| Build Name | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Unrivaled Water Pikachu | ★★★ |
| Mystery Gift Flying Pikachu | ★★★ |
| Nature | Timid (+Spe, -Atk) |
|---|---|
| EV Spread | 4 HP / 252 Sp. Atk / 252 Spe |
| Final Stat Values | 111 HP / 67 Atk / 60 Def / 102 Sp. Atk (204 with Light Ball) / 70 Sp. Def / 156 Spe |
| Ability | Lightning Rod |
| Tera Type |
|
| Held Item | Light Ball |
| Moveset | ・
Fake Out
・ Surf ・ Thunder ・ Protect |
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Ability | Held Item | |
| Lightning Rod |
|
|
Pikachu's best Ability is Lightning Rod, as it can redirect all Electric-type Attacks to itself and use it to boost its own Special Attack. This makes Pikachu a useful switch-in to Electric-type Moves.
Its Held Item is Light Ball, an item that doubles Pikachu's Attack and Special Attack stat.
| Fake Out | Surf |
| Thunder | Protect |
Fake Out is great for buying your teammates a turn, or breaking Focus Sashes.
Surf makes it so Pikachu isn't walled by Ground-type Pokemon. It is also great for attacking into opposing Rock and Fire-types.
Thunder is Pikachu's most damaging Electric-type Move and is best used in Rain. Without Rain, Thunderbolt is a solid alternative
Protect can save it from turns where it could potentially get KOd, or out-prioritized by Moves like Fake Out.
| Water Tera Type Matchup | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weak to: | ||
| (2x) | ||
| Damaged Normally By: |
(1x) | |
| Resists: | (0.5x) | |
Unrivaled Pikachu's best Tera Type is Water as it can boost Surf's damage output, while still having an immunity to Electric.
Best Water Type Pokemon for Ranked Battle
It is important to max out Special Attack and Speed for Pikachu, as it needs to always hit hard and fast. It will not be taking many hits because of its frail defenses and lack of Focus Sash.
The remaining EVs are put into HP to raise ir by 1 point.
| Thunderbolt | Thunderbolt is a more consistent Electric-type Move that Pikachu can use outside of Rain |
|---|
| Item: Choice Band | Thunder 174 ~ 206 (84 ~ 99.5%) Guaranteed 2-Hit KO |
Ability:
Static
Item:
Mystic Water
|
Thunder 210 ~ 248 (101.4 ~ 119.8%) Guaranteed OHKO |
| Item: Life Orb | Surf 130 ~ 154 (68 ~ 80.6%) Guaranteed 2-Hit KO |
Game8's Competitive Damage Calculator
| Nature | Timid (+Spe, -Atk) |
|---|---|
| EV Spread | 4 HP / 252 Sp. Atk / 252 Spe |
| Final Stat Values | 111 HP / 67 Atk / 60 Def / 102 Sp. Atk (204 with Light Ball) / 70 Sp. Def / 156 Spe |
| Ability | Lightning Rod |
| Tera Type |
|
| Held Item | Focus Sash |
| Moveset | ・
Fake Out
・ Nuzzle ・ Encore ・ Thunderbolt |
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Ability | Held Item | |
| Lightning Rod |
|
|
Pikachu's best Ability is Lightning Rod, as it can redirect all Electric-type Attacks to itself and use it to boost its own Special Attack. This makes Pikachu a useful switch-in to Electric-type Moves.
Its Held Item is Focus Sash, an item that will let it survive getting OHKOd.
| Fake Out | Nuzzle |
| Encore | Thunderbolt |
Fake Out is great for buying your teammates a turn, or breaking Focus Sashes.
Nuzzle can be disruptive as paralysis is a reliable form of Speed Control and disruption.
Encore is great for punishing opponents who would play defensively.
And lastly, Thunderbolt is Pikachu's STAB option if it can't paralyze anything with Nuzzle.
| Flying Tera Type Matchup | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weak to: | ||
| (2x) | ||
| Damaged Normally By: |
(1x) | |
| Resists: | (0.5x) | |
| Immune to: | (0x) | |
Mystery Gift Pikachu's best Tera Type is Flying as it can protect it from Ground-type attacks, and reduce its weaknesses to two: Ice and Rock.
Best Water Type Pokemon for Ranked Battle
It is important to max out Special Attack and Speed for Pikachu, as it needs the extra boost to deal damage with Thunderbolt. With a Timid Nature, Attack EVs are unnecessary even though three out of its four Moves are physical, as those moves are included because of their secondary effects.
The remaining EVs are put into HP to raise ir by 1 point.
| Protect | Because Pikachu is so frail, Protect can save it from turns where it could potentially get KOd. |
|---|
Unrivaled Pikachu can be equipped with Light Ball so that it can deal huge damage to threats that it can hit for super-effective. Because it cannot take many hits itself, it is important to know which Pokemon it can outspeed and which it can hit for super-effective. Good knowledge of Type Matchups and Speed will help with using Offensive Unrivaled Pikachu.
Speed Explained: How Does Speed Work?
Mystery Gift Flying Pikachu can be immensely disruptive thanks to its disruption options in Fake Out, Encore, and Nuzzle. Use these moves to your advantage and limit the opponent's options!
If considering this build, you may also want to try Raichu, who has better stats altogether.
Raichu Movesets and Best Builds
It is important to consider what role Pikachu will need to fill in your team. It can either be offensive or disruptive, or it can be both but sacrifice a little consistency.
| Physical Attacker | Special Attacker | Physical Attacker |
|---|---|---|
Palafin
|
Pikachu
|
Dragonite
|
Palafin can lead off the match, and switch into Pikachu when anticipating an Electric-type Move. Pikachu can lock an opponent into a move with Encore, and switch into Dragonite who can set up a Dragon Dance and position for a sweep.
| Disruptive Lead | Physical Attacker | Special Attacker |
|---|---|---|
Pikachu
|
Dragonite
|
Gholdengo
|
Pikachu can be disruptive, paving the way for a Dragon Dance Dragonite sweep. Gholdengo, another Ground-weak Pokemon benefits from having the Flying-type Dragonite as a defensive switch-in. It can also switch in for Dragonite to soak up an Ice-type Move.
| Redirection / Support | Physical Attacker |
|---|---|
Pikachu
|
Palafin
|
| Special Attacker | Redirection / Support |
Pelipper
|
Amoonguss
|
Unrivaled Water Tera Pikachu fits well into a Rain Team, being able to redirect attacks away from its Electric-weak Pokemon. Palafin especially appreciates the redirection, as it can get more chances to switch out. Pelipper is the main Rain setter of the team, with Amoonguss as a defensive switch in to Ground and Grass-type Moves as well as being disruptive support.
| Disruption / Support | Physical Attacker |
|---|---|
Pikachu
|
Roaring Moon
|
| Redirection / Support | Physical Attacker |
Amoonguss
|
Dragonite
|
Pikachu can redirect Electric-type Moves away from Tera Flying Roaring Moon. It can also offer disruption through Nuzzle, Fake Out, and Encore, letting it set up Dragon Dance and position for a sweep.
Similarly, the back end of this team composition accomplishes the same thing, which would add consistency to this strategy.
Dragons or Defensive Pokemon can severely limit Pikachu's usefulness, taking away its utility in a match. Dragons naturally have plenty of resistances, and they can make quick work of Pikachu if it does not have Focus Sash to survive more than one hit.
| Pokemon | Description |
|---|---|
Garchomp
|
Ranking: ★★★★★
・Can easily KO Pikachu with a Ground-type Move or force it to waste Tera. ・Is immune to Electric and takes neutral damage from Surf and Grass Knot. ▶️Garchomp Best Movesets |
Hydreigon
|
Ranking: ★★★★★
・Can easily KO Pikachu with its powerful offensive options such as Draco Meteor and Earth Power. ・Can effectively wall Pikachu and limit its usefulness. ▶️Hydreigon Best Movesets |
Gastrodon (West Sea)
|
Ranking: ★★★★★
・Even with Grass Knot, Gastrodon takes negligible damage from Pikachu thanks to its light weight. ・Can effectively wall Pikachu and limit its usefulness. ▶️Gastrodon Best Movesets |

Movesets & Best Builds for Ranked Battle
| Mythical/Restricted Builds |
|---|
Ranked Battle Regulation J: Rules and Banned Pokemon
| New Indigo Disk Pokemon Builds |
|---|
| New Indigo Disk Pokemon Builds |
|---|
| Returning Indigo Disk Pokemon Builds |
|---|
Blueberry Pokedex: List of All Indigo Disk Pokemon
| All Teal Mask DLC Builds |
|---|
Kitakami Pokedex: List of All Teal Mask DLC Pokemon
| All Pokemon HOME Builds |
|---|
All Pokemon HOME Transferable Pokemon
| All Treasures of Ruin Builds |
|---|
Best Treasures of Ruin Builds for Ranked Battle and Raids
| All Paradox Pokemon Builds |
|---|
Paradox Pokemon Builds for Competitive Battles and Tera Raids
| All Other Gen 9 Meta Pokemon Builds |
|---|
Gen 9 Pokemon: All New Pokemon
| All Gen 1~8 Meta Pokemon Builds |
|---|
| All Off-Meta Pokemon Builds |
|---|
Pikachu Movesets and Best Builds



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