Competitive Information for Pikachu [Ruby/Sapphire]
Electric
Abilities:
1/3 chance a Pokemon making contact with this Pokemon will be paralyzed.
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Movesets for Singles
Looking for a competitive moveset for Pikachu? These builds are optimized for Ruby/Sapphire Single Battles. The movesets and EVs are designed to maximize damage against common opponents and threats in the Ruby/Sapphire metagame. Check out the expert movesets below to boost your battle performance and dominate your opponents!
Pikachu is here! This phenomenal Pokémon is Electric-typed and ready to shine! Pikachu is not a Pokémon anyone usually expects to see on the battlefield. Don't underestimate it; it can be a hidden gem in the meta. Its only type-related weakness is Ground. Discover how Pikachu excels in battles with the movesets provided below.
Item: Light Ball / Shell Bell
Ability: Static
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Double-Edge / Return
- Brick Break / Seismic Toss
- Fly
- Dig / Mud-Slap
Pikachu thrives as a prestigious Physical Sweeper perfect for single battles. It is meant to take down the opponent's team with potent physical moves. Remember prior to Generation IV, a move's damage category was determined by its type. The Shell Bell item option is to help Pikachu recover from the recoil damage it may take from Double-Edge. With Static, 1/3 chance a pokemon making contact with Pikachu will be paralyzed. With a Light Ball equipped to it, if held by a pikachu, its special attack is doubled.
◆ Return is a physical 0-base power Normal-type move (max 102 power at maximum happiness).
◆ Brick Break is a physical 75-base power Fighting-type move (destroys screens, even if the target is immune).
◆ Seismic Toss is a physical 0-base power Fighting-type move (does damage equal to your Pikachu's level).
◆ Fly is a physical 70-base power Flying-type move (flies up on first turn, then strikes the next turn).
◆ Dig is a physical 60-base power Ground-type move (digs underground turn 1, strikes turn 2).
◆ Mud-Slap is a physical 20-base power Ground-type move (100% chance to lower the target's accuracy by 1 stage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/caa19
Item: Light Ball / Shell Bell
Ability: Static
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Volt Tackle / Thunderbolt
- Surf
- Defense Curl
- Thunder Wave
In single battles, Pikachu's Special Sweeper role is a top-notch. This moveset is formulated to take down the opponent's team with devastating special moves. In the dark days prior to Generation IV, a move's damage category was determined by its type. The Shell Bell item option is to help Pikachu recover from the recoil damage it may take from Volt Tackle. With Static, 1/3 chance a pokemon making contact with Pikachu will be paralyzed. With a Light Ball equipped to it, if held by a pikachu, its special attack is doubled.
◆ Thunderbolt is a special STAB-boosted 95-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze the target).
◆ Surf is a special 95-base power Water-type move (hits foes. Power doubles against dive).
◆ Defense Curl is a status move (raises your Pikachu's defense by 1 stage).
◆ Thunder Wave is a status move (paralyzes the target).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/cba19
Item: Light Ball
Ability: Static
Nature: Naughty (+Atk, -SpD)
EVs: 252 Hp / 33 Atk / 225 Def
Moveset:
- Brick Break
- Endure
- Reversal
- Agility
Prepare for single battles with Pikachu as a high-quality Physical Wall. This moveset is designed to absorb physical damage and return fire with decent force. In the dark days before Generation IV, a move's damage category was determined by its type. With Static, 1/3 chance a pokemon making contact with Pikachu will be paralyzed. With a Light Ball equipped to it, if held by a pikachu, its special attack is doubled.
◆ Endure is a status move (Pikachu survives attacks this turn with at least 1 hp).
◆ Reversal is a physical 0-base power Fighting-type move (more power the less hp your Pikachu has left).
◆ Agility is a status move (raises your Pikachu's speed by 2 stages).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/cca19
Movesets for Doubles
Need a strong doubles moveset for Pikachu? These builds are perfect for VGC (Pokémon Video Game Championship) and other competitive Ruby/Sapphire Double Battles. The VGC is the ultimate test of strategy and skill, and these movesets and EVs are designed to excel against multiple opponents at once while providing essential support to your team. Dominate the Ruby/Sapphire metagame with these expert-crafted setups!
Item: Light Ball / Shell Bell
Ability: Static
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Double-Edge / Return
- Brick Break / Seismic Toss
- Fly
- Dig / Mud-Slap
In double battles, Pikachu is known as an exceptional Physical Sweeper. It's designed to crush rivals using overwhelming physical moves. Back before Generation IV, a move's damage category was determined by its type. The Shell Bell item option is to help Pikachu recover from the recoil damage it may take from Double-Edge. With Static, 1/3 chance a pokemon making contact with Pikachu will be paralyzed. With a Light Ball equipped to it, if held by a pikachu, its special attack is doubled.
◆ Return is a physical 0-base power Normal-type move (max 102 power at maximum happiness).
◆ Brick Break is a physical 75-base power Fighting-type move (destroys screens, even if the target is immune).
◆ Seismic Toss is a physical 0-base power Fighting-type move (does damage equal to your Pikachu's level).
◆ Fly is a physical 70-base power Flying-type move (flies up on first turn, then strikes the next turn).
◆ Dig is a physical 60-base power Ground-type move (digs underground turn 1, strikes turn 2).
◆ Mud-Slap is a physical 20-base power Ground-type move (100% chance to lower the target's accuracy by 1 stage).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/daa19
Item: Light Ball / Shell Bell
Ability: Static
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
IVs: 0 Atk
Moveset:
- Volt Tackle / Thunderbolt
- Surf
- Defense Curl
- Thunder Wave
In double battles, Pikachu's Special Sweeper role is an impressive. This build is crafted to crush rivals using heavy-hitting special power. Remember before Generation IV, a move's damage category was determined by its type. The Shell Bell item option is to help Pikachu recover from the recoil damage it may take from Volt Tackle. With Static, 1/3 chance a pokemon making contact with Pikachu will be paralyzed. With a Light Ball equipped to it, if held by a pikachu, its special attack is doubled.
◆ Thunderbolt is a special STAB-boosted 95-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze the target).
◆ Surf is a special 95-base power Water-type move (hits foes. Power doubles against dive).
◆ Defense Curl is a status move (raises your Pikachu's defense by 1 stage).
◆ Thunder Wave is a status move (paralyzes the target).
Link (click to copy):
https://hohoushome.com/b/dba19
Movepool
Want to know what moves Pikachu can learn? Check out the full list of moves available in the Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by type, category, accuracy, and power. Moves in bold get the same-type attack bonus (STAB) when used by Pikachu.
Damage Modifiers:
Combo List
These are a list of several common move combinations Pikachu can perform in Ruby/Sapphire. Not every combo going to be game-changing, but some can be pretty fun to play with. Sometimes these can be easily overlooked or forgotten, hence why we find and list them here. Discover what items, abilities, and moves this Pokemon can use in combination with each other to gain a strategic advantage in competitive battles.
Competitive RS Move and Ability Combos for Pikachu
- Moves: Defense curl + Rollout
- Moves: Rain dance + Thunder
- Moves: Endure + Reversal
- Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
- Moves: Rest + Snore
- Moves: Substitute + Reversal
- Move: Swagger + Item: Mirror Herb
- Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
- Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
- Item: Blunder Policy + Move: Dynamic Punch
- Moves with Priority: Endure, Follow Me, Protect, Quick Attack
- Moves that Break Screens: Brick Break
- Moves that inflict status: Thunder Wave, Toxic
Moves that boost Pikachu's stats
- Agility
- Charge
- Defense Curl
Most notable and possible best moves for Pikachu
- Agility
- Hidden Power Grass
- Light Screen
- Protect
- Rest
- Thunderbolt
- Toxic
- Volt Tackle
Common Effort Values for Pikachu in Ruby and Sapphire
- Timid Nature ( 0/0/0/252/0/252/ )
- Timid Nature ( 4/0/0/252/0/252/ )
- Optimize Pikachu's Defensive EV-spread for Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire
Usage Data
Explore the latest analytical usage data for this Pokémon from various VGC and online competitions. We use this data to develop our strategies and movesets. The data is categorized by competition and skill level: top-ranking trainers, mid-level players, and entry-level players.
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