Pikachu (XY) | Hohou's Home | Competitive Movesets

Competitive Pokemon X/Y Movesets and Strategies for Pikachu

Base Stats for Pikachu

Electric

Abilities:
,

Evolutions / Family:
Pichu Pikachu
Pikachu-Belle Pikachu-Cosplay
Pikachu-Libre Pikachu-PhD
Pikachu-Pop-Star Pikachu-Rock-Star
Raichu

Weakness Chart for Electric-type:

Bug

Dark

Dragon

Electric

Fairy

Fighting

Fire

Flying

Ghost

0.5x

Grass

Ground

Ice

Normal

Poison

Psychic

Rock

Steel

Water

2x

0.5x

¼x

½x

2x

4x

Movesets for Singles

What is a good competitive moveset for Pikachu? These builds have been optimized for Pokemon competing in X/Y Single Battles. The movesets and EVs have been specifically calibrated to deal the most amount of damage to the largest group of potentially common opponents and typing threats for the X/Y generation metagame.

Pikachu is a fabulous Electric-typed Pokemon. Pikachu is not a Pokemon anyone usually expects sees on the battlefield. Pikachu's only type-related weakness is Ground.

Species: Pikachu
Item: Light Ball / Focus Sash
Ability: Lightning Rod
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Volt Tackle / Wild Charge
- Double-Edge / Return
- Knock Off
- Brick Break / Seismic Toss

Physical Sweeper Pikachu (Lightning Rod)

Pikachu is an extraordinary Physical Sweeper. It's primary goal is to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. Focus Sash helps protect Pikachu from being one-shotted and allowing it to atleast use a crucial move when brought out. With Lightning Rod, Pikachu draws electric moves to itself to raise sp. atk by 1; electric immunity.

♦ Volt Tackle is a physical STAB-boosted 120-base power Electric-type move (has 33% recoil. 10% chance to paralyze target).
♦ Wild Charge is a physical STAB-boosted 90-base power Electric-type move (has 1/4 recoil).
♦ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 33% recoil).
♦ Return is a physical 0-base power Normal-type move (max 102 power at maximum happiness).
♦ Knock Off is a physical 65-base power Dark-type move (1.5x damage if foe holds an item; Note: This will also remove that item).
♦ Brick Break is a physical 75-base power Fighting-type move (destroys screens, unless the target is immune).
♦ Seismic Toss is a physical 0-base power Fighting-type move (does damage equal to your Pikachu's level).

Species: Pikachu
Item: Light Ball / Focus Sash
Ability: Lightning Rod
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Thunderbolt / Discharge
- Surf
- Signal Beam
- Round / Snore

Special Sweeper Pikachu (Lightning Rod)

Pikachu is a phenomenal Special Sweeper. It's goal is to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Focus Sash helps protect Pikachu from being one-shotted and allowing it to atleast use a crucial move when brought out. With Lightning Rod, Pikachu draws electric moves to itself to raise sp. atk by 1; electric immunity.

♦ Thunderbolt is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze the target).
♦ Discharge is a special STAB-boosted 80-base power Electric-type move (30% chance to paralyze adjacent pokemon).
♦ Surf is a special 90-base power Water-type move (hits adjacent pokemon. double damage on dive).
♦ Signal Beam is a special 75-base power Bug-type move (10% chance to confuse the target).
♦ Round is a special 60-base power Normal-type move (power doubles if others used round this turn).
♦ Snore is a special 50-base power Normal-type move (Pikachu must be asleep. 30% chance to flinch target).

Species: Pikachu
Item: Light Ball
Ability: Static
Nature: Naughty (+Atk, -SpD)
EVs: 252 Hp / 33 Atk / 225 Def
Moveset:
- Brick Break
- Endure
- Reversal
- Agility

Pikachu Physical Wall (Light Ball Pika)

Pikachu is a fabulous Physical Wall. It tries to take a great amount of physical hits while dealing some decent damage. With Static, 30% chance a pokemon making contact with Pikachu will be paralyzed.

♦ Brick Break is a physical 75-base power Fighting-type move (destroys screens, unless the target is immune).
♦ 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).

Species: Pikachu
Item: Light Ball
Ability: Static
Nature: Mild (+SpA, -Def)
EVs: 128 Atk / 128 SpA / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Electro Ball
- Volt Tackle
- Quick Attack
- Thunderbolt

Pikachu Mixed Sweeper (Pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu)

Pikachu is an extraordinary Mixed Sweeper. With Static, 30% chance a pokemon making contact with Pikachu will be paralyzed. This is the pikachu used by ash:same moves and ability, just edited to make it usable.

♦ Electro Ball is a special STAB-boosted 0-base power Electric-type move (more power the faster your Pikachu is than the target).
♦ Volt Tackle is a physical STAB-boosted 120-base power Electric-type move (has 33% recoil. 10% chance to paralyze target).
♦ Quick Attack is a physical priority-increased 40-base power Normal-type move (usually goes first).
♦ Thunderbolt is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze the target).

Species: Pikachu
Item: Light Ball
Ability: Lightning Rod
Nature: Jolly (+Spe, -SpA)
EVs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Nuzzle
- Grass Knot
- Volt Tackle
- Fake Out

Pikachu Physical Sweeper (Volt Tackle )

Pikachu is a stupendous Physical Sweeper. It is primarily designed to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. With Lightning Rod, Pikachu draws electric moves to itself to raise sp. atk by 1; electric immunity.

♦ Nuzzle is a physical STAB-boosted 20-base power Electric-type move (100% chance to paralyze the target).
♦ Grass Knot is a special 0-base power Grass-type move (more power the heavier the target).
♦ Volt Tackle is a physical STAB-boosted 120-base power Electric-type move (has 33% recoil. 10% chance to paralyze target).
♦ Fake Out is a physical priority-increased 40-base power Normal-type move (hits first. first turn out only. 100% flinch chance).

Movesets for Doubles

What is a good doubles moveset for Pikachu? These builds have been optimized for X/Y Double Battles. They have movesets and EVs specifically calibrated to generally work best versus multiple Pokemon at once as well as helping to support other team members and allys in the X/Y generation metagame.

Species: Pikachu
Item: Light Ball / Focus Sash
Ability: Lightning Rod
Nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Volt Tackle / Wild Charge
- Double-Edge / Return
- Knock Off
- Brick Break / Seismic Toss

Doubles Physical Sweeper Pikachu (Lightning Rod)

Pikachu is an astounding Physical Sweeper. It was designed to take down the opponent's team with brute physical power. Focus Sash helps protect Pikachu from being one-shotted and allowing it to atleast use a crucial move when brought out. With Lightning Rod, Pikachu draws electric moves to itself to raise sp. atk by 1; electric immunity.

♦ Volt Tackle is a physical STAB-boosted 120-base power Electric-type move (has 33% recoil. 10% chance to paralyze target).
♦ Wild Charge is a physical STAB-boosted 90-base power Electric-type move (has 1/4 recoil).
♦ Double-Edge is a physical 120-base power Normal-type move (has 33% recoil).
♦ Return is a physical 0-base power Normal-type move (max 102 power at maximum happiness).
♦ Knock Off is a physical 65-base power Dark-type move (1.5x damage if foe holds an item; Note: This will also remove that item).
♦ Brick Break is a physical 75-base power Fighting-type move (destroys screens, unless the target is immune).
♦ Seismic Toss is a physical 0-base power Fighting-type move (does damage equal to your Pikachu's level).

Species: Pikachu
Item: Light Ball / Focus Sash
Ability: Lightning Rod
Nature: Modest (+SpA, -Atk)
EVs: 4 Hp / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Discharge / Electroweb
- Surf
- Signal Beam
- Round / Snore

Doubles Special Sweeper Pikachu (Lightning Rod)

Pikachu is an interesting Special Sweeper. It's goal is to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. Focus Sash helps protect Pikachu from being one-shotted and allowing it to atleast use a crucial move when brought out. With Lightning Rod, Pikachu draws electric moves to itself to raise sp. atk by 1; electric immunity.

♦ Discharge is a special STAB-boosted 80-base power Electric-type move (30% chance to paralyze adjacent pokemon).
♦ Electroweb is a special STAB-boosted 55-base power Electric-type move (100% chance to lower the foes speed by 1 stage).
♦ Surf is a special 90-base power Water-type move (hits adjacent pokemon. double damage on dive).
♦ Signal Beam is a special 75-base power Bug-type move (10% chance to confuse the target).
♦ Round is a special 60-base power Normal-type move (power doubles if others used round this turn).
♦ Snore is a special 50-base power Normal-type move (Pikachu must be asleep. 30% chance to flinch target).

Species: Pikachu
Item: Light Ball
Ability: Lightning Rod
Nature: Naive (+Spe, -SpD)
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Moveset:
- Grass Knot
- Fake Out
- Protect
- Thunderbolt / Thunder

Pikachu Special Sweeper (Double-battle Pikachu)

Pikachu is a sensational Special Sweeper. This moveset attempts to take down the opponent's team with high-damaging special attacks. With Lightning Rod, Pikachu draws electric moves to itself to raise sp. atk by 1; electric immunity. This Pikachu is really more of a 2v2 style build. Use Fake Out first to allows your partner to use a support moves (Tailwind, Icy Wind, or Spore) for an easier second turn. Thunderbolt is Pikachu's main STAB move, which does plenty of damage to anything that doesn't resist it. The alternative Thunder is a harder-hitting option should only be used with rain teams since its horrible accuracy without the rain isn't worth the extra damage. Grass Knot is an excellent way for Pikachu to smack a wide variety of Pokemon with super effective damage Especially those super heavy Ground- and Rock-types likes Rhyperior, Gastrodon, Tyranitar, and Terrakion. Protect is useful to allows Pikachu to last longer during battle, and it allows your teammates to give Pikachu to power up and go on the offensive.

♦ Grass Knot is a special 0-base power Grass-type move (more power the heavier the target).
♦ Fake Out is a physical priority-increased 40-base power Normal-type move (hits first. first turn out only. 100% flinch chance).
♦ Protect is a status move (prevents moves from affecting your Pikachu this turn).
♦ Thunderbolt is a special STAB-boosted 90-base power Electric-type move (10% chance to paralyze the target).
♦ Thunder is a special STAB-boosted 110-base power Electric-type move (30% chance to paralyze. can't miss in rain).

Movepool

Wondering what moves can Pikachu learn? Here is the list of moves this Pokemon can learn in this selected generation.
Sort and organize the learnset by move type, category, accuracy, and power. Bolded moves will gain the same-type attack bonus (STAB) if this Pokemon uses them.

Combo List

These are a list of several common move combinations Pikachu can perform in X/Y. 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 XY Move and Ability Combos for Pikachu

Moves: Defense curl + Rollout
Moves: Rain dance + Thunder
Moves: Endure + Flail
Moves: Endure + Reversal
Moves: Endure + Endeavor
Moves: Rest + Sleep talk
Move: Fling + Item: King's Rock
Move: Facade + Item: Flame Orb
Move: Facade + Item: Toxic Orb
Move: Endeavor + Item: Focus Sash
Item: Blunder Policy + Move: Dynamic Punch
Moves with Priority: Bide, Quick Attack, Endure, Protect, Extreme Speed, Fake Out, Follow Me, Helping Hand, Feint
Moves that Break Screens: Brick Break

Optimize Pikachu's EVs for X/Y

Competitive Information for Pikachu [X/Y]