Pikachu is known as a pokemon that's only good in the anime, and while I can see why they say that with pokemon like Garchomp tearing the competitive scene up, but they're all wrong. It's actually not bad at all. It has a notable niche in the form of Light Ball which allows it to deal more damage than fully evolved pokemon like Alakazam, and his base speed of 90 isn't the best, but it's fast enough to outspeed damn near everything with Sticky Web, and if the opponent doesn't have an answer to that, that's a wrap. But his HP is far below average, it's defensive stats are a joke, and without Sticky Web, he's not fast enough to deal with other speedsters. Overall, he's definitely viable but if you're looking to win serious battles, there are better options. You really should only use it if you're funny. Like me !!!
Here's a variation of the most common Pikachu set
Pikachu (F) @ Light Ball
Ability: Static
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Volt Tackle
- Knock Off
- Extreme Speed
- Fake Out
This set is honestly pretty good. Fake Out and Extreme Speed both let it hit anything that's faster, and for anything that's not, Knock Off and Volt Tackle can take care of it. But I wouldn't recommend it. It does hit harder than special sets, but lack of weakness coverage forces it to switch out against Ground-types that it can't hit with Volt Tackle, speaking of which, Volt Tackle sucks on Pikachu. Yes, it's the strongest attack in it's kit, right next to Zap Cannon (which is also trash but significantly more trash), but it forces it to take 33% of the damage it inflicts on the target, and with 30 base HP, that's not exactly an acceptable trade-off for big damage. All this build does is make Pikachu a worse Staraptor, because besides the obvious difference in Speed and Attack, Staraptor's Brave Bird is a move that can damage everything, while Volt Tackle has zero effect on Ground pokemon.
But Pikachu's physical attack is higher than his special attack, so, if physical isn't the best build for it, what is ???
Pikachu (M) @ Light Ball
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Grass Knot / Surf
- Nasty Plot
Now we get into the good shit.
As mentioned earlier, Pikachu's physical attack is higher than his special attack, but special set Pikachu have actual weakness coverage, allowing it to stay in against Ground-types. Pikachu also has a Hidden Ability called Lightningrod, which instead of taking damage boosts special attack upon being attacked by an Electric-type move. So if you have a Water- or Flying-type pokemon on your team, you can bait out an Electric-type move and get a free buff to your subsequent attacks, which makes special builds superior to the more popular physical ones.
Thunderbolt is already the best electric attack in the game so naturally it's Pikachu's best move as well. It's a reliable STAB that has a 10% chance to paralyze and deals more (consistent) damage than anything on this list. HP Ice is a lock-on pick for Pikachu, because it allows it to beat pokemon like Garchomp, Dragonite, and Gliscor, which are dangerously weak to ice thanks to their secondary typing. Grass Knot and Surf are interchangeable, though. You can pick one or the other depending on which typings you run into more often. Nasty Plot is a high-risk, high-reward move. It leaves you open for an entire turn, but it doubles your already insane special attack until you switch out or get a Sp.Atk debuff. Which can help Pikachu destroy the enemy team, especially with Sticky Web in play.
Here's a variation of the most common Pikachu set
Pikachu (F) @ Light Ball
Ability: Static
Shiny: Yes
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Jolly Nature
- Volt Tackle
- Knock Off
- Extreme Speed
- Fake Out
This set is honestly pretty good. Fake Out and Extreme Speed both let it hit anything that's faster, and for anything that's not, Knock Off and Volt Tackle can take care of it. But I wouldn't recommend it. It does hit harder than special sets, but lack of weakness coverage forces it to switch out against Ground-types that it can't hit with Volt Tackle, speaking of which, Volt Tackle sucks on Pikachu. Yes, it's the strongest attack in it's kit, right next to Zap Cannon (which is also trash but significantly more trash), but it forces it to take 33% of the damage it inflicts on the target, and with 30 base HP, that's not exactly an acceptable trade-off for big damage. All this build does is make Pikachu a worse Staraptor, because besides the obvious difference in Speed and Attack, Staraptor's Brave Bird is a move that can damage everything, while Volt Tackle has zero effect on Ground pokemon.
But Pikachu's physical attack is higher than his special attack, so, if physical isn't the best build for it, what is ???
Pikachu (M) @ Light Ball
Ability: Lightning Rod
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Thunderbolt
- Hidden Power [Ice]
- Grass Knot / Surf
- Nasty Plot
Now we get into the good shit.
As mentioned earlier, Pikachu's physical attack is higher than his special attack, but special set Pikachu have actual weakness coverage, allowing it to stay in against Ground-types. Pikachu also has a Hidden Ability called Lightningrod, which instead of taking damage boosts special attack upon being attacked by an Electric-type move. So if you have a Water- or Flying-type pokemon on your team, you can bait out an Electric-type move and get a free buff to your subsequent attacks, which makes special builds superior to the more popular physical ones.
Thunderbolt is already the best electric attack in the game so naturally it's Pikachu's best move as well. It's a reliable STAB that has a 10% chance to paralyze and deals more (consistent) damage than anything on this list. HP Ice is a lock-on pick for Pikachu, because it allows it to beat pokemon like Garchomp, Dragonite, and Gliscor, which are dangerously weak to ice thanks to their secondary typing. Grass Knot and Surf are interchangeable, though. You can pick one or the other depending on which typings you run into more often. Nasty Plot is a high-risk, high-reward move. It leaves you open for an entire turn, but it doubles your already insane special attack until you switch out or get a Sp.Atk debuff. Which can help Pikachu destroy the enemy team, especially with Sticky Web in play.
