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Moves Focus Blast is used break through many Pokemon that can withstand Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Ice without too much difficulty. It can OHKO Probopass and offensive Golem with its Sturdy broken and 2HKO specially defensive Golem, as well as hitting ZU's many Normal-types super effectively, OHKOing or nearly OHKOing defensive ones such as Lickilicky, Assault Vest Komala, and Vigoroth after a Nasty Plot boost when boosted by Fightinium Z or Life Orb. The ability to break through bulky Normal-types after a Nasty Plot boost makes Raichu very difficult to wall. Hidden Power Ice lets Raichu take out Gabite after a Nasty Plot Boost while hitting various Grass- and Ground-types hard without risking missing Focus Blast. Altaria is also hit much harder by Hidden Power Ice than by Thunderbolt, and it is always OHKOed at +2 after Stealth Rock. Set Details Maximum Speed and Special Attack investment with a Timid nature is necessary to outspeed Pokemon like Kadabra and Rapidash while hitting as hard as possible. Lightning Rod is the chosen ability to block Volt Switch and force Pokemon like Electivire and Probopass to predict correctly or risk giving Raichu a Special Attack boost. Fightinium Z is used over other Z-Crystals to give Raichu a 190-Base Power Fighting-type attack with perfect accuracy that can break through the many Normal-types in the tier, as well as taking out bulky Golem and offensive Komala without a boost. Life Orb is a good item choice if Raichu's team already has a Z-Crystal user, because Raichu needs to hit as hard as possible and will often fall to attacks with or without the recoil from Life Orb. Life Orb can let Raichu achieve some KOs it would otherwise miss or require All-Out Pummeling to accomplish, such as against Gourgeist-XL and physically bulky Golem after Stealth Rock with a +2 Hidden Power Ice. Physically bulky Golem only has a 6.3% change to be KOed by a +2 Hidden Power Ice without Life Orb, forcing Raichu to use its Z-Move or risk missing Focus Blast. However, the damage from Life Orb can rack up in combination with entry hazards or status damage to put Raichu in range of even very weak attacks such as Gourgeist's Foul Play and Golem's Sucker Punch. If using Life Orb, change Raichu's HP IVs to 29 to take less recoil. Usage Tips Raichu can be used either as a battering ram to break a defensive core early- or mid-game or as a fast sweeper late-game. Try to put Raichu into situations where it will force switches, such as against slower Water- and Flying-types or against passive Pokemon that cannot significantly damage it, so that it can boost with Nasty Plot to break through the opposing team. Switching Raichu in directly will nearly always be hazardous, so when possible, bring Raichu in safely through pivoting moves such as U-turn and Parting Shot or send it in after a teammate has fainted. There may not be very many opportunities to set up with Raichu over the course of a battle, and against some offensive teams, there might not be any. If Raichu doesn't need to break through any walls on the opponent's team, it can still be very useful for its high Speed tier and decently powerful attacks. This set is very effective versus stall and bulky teams because the only relevant Unaware user in ZU, Pyukumuku, is hit super effectively by Thunderbolt. Lickilicky, the most prominent special wall on stall teams, is always OHKOed by +2 All-Out Pummeling without concerns of missing. However, beware that Lickilicky can sometimes dodge the KO with Protect, as +2 Focus Blast does not always KO after a weakened All-Out Pummeling, and +2 Life Orb-boosted Focus Blast is not a guaranteed OHKO either. A small amount of chip damage on Lickilicky can greatly boost Life Orb Raichu's odds of breaking stall. Choose All-Out Pummeling's target carefully, but be aware that missing Focus Blast against Komala and Golem will often mean the end of Raichu. A neutral All-Out Pummeling hits significantly harder than a neutral Thunderbolt or a super effective Hidden Power Ice, so using it on a target that is not weak to Fighting can sometimes be advantageous. For example, offensive Silvally-Fighting is never OHKOed by a +2 Thunderbolt without Life Orb but will always be KOed by a boosted All-Out Pummeling. Be aware that without Life Orb, boosted Thunderbolts are not that strong and fail to 2HKO some bulky Pokemon like Muk and Bronzor. While Raichu can block Volt Switch from Electivire, Zebstrika, and Probopass, switching into the wrong move from any of these Pokemon can be the last thing Raichu does in a battle. Team Options Raichu appreciates Pokemon that can take physical hits, especially Ground-type attacks and Water-type attacks from Floatzel. Grass-types such as Gourgeist-XL, Servine, and Leafeon resist both those types and can check Choice Scarf Electivire. Ground-immune Pokemon such as Altaria, Swanna, and Bronzor can also switch into Ground-type attacks for Raichu. Raichu also pairs well with other special sweepers that appreciate its ability to weaken or KO special walls, such as Chatot, Swanna, and Kadabra. Swanna and Chatot again cover Raichu's Ground weakness, while Raichu blocks Volt Switches aimed at them. Silvally formes, Probopass, Monferno, and Komala can all use pivoting moves to help circumvent Raichu's frailty and bring it in safely. Silvally-Water in particular can help check Floatzel and Golem while luring Electric attacks for Raichu to switch into. Powerful physical attackers such as Rampardos and Komala can take out special walls for Raichu, allowing it to sweep without needing to find an opportunity to set up a Nasty Plot boost. Memento, dual screens, and Parting Shot from Pokemon such as Misdreavus, Dugtrio, Meowstic, and Silvally can weaken incoming attacks to help Raichu set up.

Raichu's superb Speed stat makes it one of the fastest Fake Out users, and it can provide its teammate a turn to safely make a move. Encore locks a foe into the same move for three turns, potentially forcing them to repeatedly use an unfavorable move or switch out. Thunderbolt is the strongest STAB move, while Volt Switch is slightly weaker but can be used to take advantage of forced switches and generate momentum. Hidden Power Ice targets Landorus-T, but note that unboosted Hidden Power Ice is too weak to OHKO Landorus-T from full HP. Protect guards Raichu from attacks for a turn and let its teammates handle a problematic foe. Feint breaks foes' Protect or Detect, leaving them vulnerable to Raichu's teammates. It also proves to be useful with breaking Focus Sashes and securing the success of a Z-Move. Nuzzle paralyzes non-Ground- and Electric-type foes and reduces their Speed, leaving them vulnerable to slower and powerful attackers like Incineroar and Landorus-T. Focus Sash allows Raichu to survive a potential KO and generally aids it by improving its chances of survivability. Electrium Z can be used to provide Raichu with more offensive presence by letting it use Gigavolt Havoc. While the damage output may not seem great at a first glance, Gigavolt Havoc is capable of doing massive damage after teammates like Tapu Koko used Discharge to activate Raichu's Lightning Rod. Ensure that Raichu is providing sufficient support for its teammates. This means Fake Out should be used against problematic foes in the beginning and faster threats and Choice Scarf users should be taken down or crippled by Nuzzle. Scouting a foe with Protect and locking them into a wrong move with Encore can also provide good setup opportunities for Raichu's teammates. Pokemon that are weak to Electric-type moves, such as Mega Charizard Y, Gyarados, Braviary, and Pelipper, can be paired with Raichu due to its Lightning Rod. They also can switch into Ground-types aimed at Raichu thanks to their immunity to Ground. Tapu Fini and Azumarill also appreciate Lightning Rod. Various Pokemon with setup options can take advantage of free turns that Raichu generates with Fake Out, Encore, and even full paralysis after Nuzzle. Setup sweepers like Mega Salamence and Gyarados can set up without fearing Electric-type moves while discouraging Earthquake from foes, while slower threats like Incineroar can effectively combat faster foes after Raichu paralyzes them.

Raichu's high Speed allows it to make other Fake Out users like Incineroar and Mega Kangaskhan flinch. Fake Out's general utility proves to be useful for Raichu's teammate, as they gain a free turn to safely set up. Nuzzle paralyzes non-Ground- and Electric-type foes, crippling their Speed. Electroweb is an alternative option to provide a general speed control against two foes at the same time, and it can provide speed control even when Misty Terrain is active. Both of them are viable utilities for Raichu to utilize as support options, and they can't be prevented with Taunt. Volt Switch lets Raichu pivot out and switch to another teammate and preserve momentum. Feint removes the effect of Protect and Detect from a foe, leaving them vulnerable to Raichu's teammates. Especially if Raichu's teammate is a Z-Move user, Feint helps ensuring that a foe will take massive damage from Z-Move after their protection is broken. Knock Off rids foes of an item, and it is useful for getting rid of foes' items and scouting possible Z-Crystals. Ridding foes like Cresselia, Gastrodon, and Tapu Fini of their item and removing pinch Berries also greatly reduces their longevity and overall defensive presence. This set is dedicated to make Raichu as bulky as possible with an Assault Vest and heavy investment in HP. The given EV spread allows Raichu to survive -1 Adamant Mega Kangaskhan's Double-Edge from full HP, survive Ludicolo's rain-boosted Hydro Vortex, and avoid the 2HKO from Timid Mega Charizard Y's Heat Wave. 76 Speed EVs and a Timid nature allow Raichu to outspeed neutral-natured base 100 Speed Pokemon. Pokemon like Mega Charizard Y, Tapu Fini, Gyarados, and Pelipper enjoy Raichu's Lightning Rod and ability to render the likes of Tapu Koko and Zapdos ineffective. They also notably force Ground-types like Landorus-T to refrain from using their STAB moves. Practically any Pokemon with mediocre Speed appreciates Raichu's useful speed control and Fake Out that improves their matchup against faster foes. Tailwind setters and setup sweepers also enjoy the various utility options Raichu can provide. Slower and bulkier Pokemon like Incineroar and Landorus-T can take advantage of Raichu's speed control and hindrance of various physical walls, while Mega Salamence and Gyarados can have significantly better setup conditions with Raichu's support. Their Intimidate also improves Raichu's durability further by compensating for Raichu's pitiful Defense stat, while Assault Vest improves Raichu's matchup against special attackers.

Moves Nasty Plot greatly increases Raichu's power and allows it to break through bulky teams. Thunderbolt is Raichu's best STAB move with its good power and no drawbacks. Focus Blast gives Raichu good coverage and hits Pokemon like Audino and Regice, while Hidden Power Ice does good damage to Grass-types and Ground-types, such as Gourgeist-XL and Stunfisk. Set Details The given EVs maximize Raichu's good Speed and Special Attack. A Timid nature is used instead of a Modest nature to let Raichu to Speed tie with Jumpluff and outspeed everything slower such as Simipour, Ninetales, and Dodrio. Lightning Rod can boost Raichu's Special Attack while also giving Raichu an immunity to Electric-type moves. Life Orb increases Raichu's damage so that it can wallbreak more easily. Usage Tips Raichu's primary focus should be to wallbreak mid-game; however, Nasty Plot should only be used against bulkier Pokemon such as specially defensive Clefairy and Grumpig, as the extra power is needed to damage them enough for a KO. Late-game cleaning is possible against slower teams once they have been softened up enough. Raichu's nice Speed tier also lets it revenge kill Pokemon like as Stoutland, Simipour, and Rapidash. Nasty Plot can be used on forced switches. Raichu should never be switched in directly because it is so frail. Priority move users, such as Dodrio and Pawniard, and Choice Scarf users, such as Simipour and Sawsbuck, are important to take out because many of their attacks can KO Raichu. In addition, Raichu should be wary of switching into Electric-type attacks because it can be severely crippled by a mispredicted move. Team Options Water-types such as Floatzel and Simipour and Flying-types such as Dodrio appreciate Raichu's immunity to Electric, which also stops Volt Switch, while they can get rid of Ground- and Grass-types, respectively, for it. Fire-types such as Simisear and Monferno can KO Grass-types in exchange for Raichu KOing the majority of Water-types for them. Entry hazard setters such as Roselia and Metang make Raichu's job of wallbreaking easier by weakening the opponent's Pokemon. For example, one layer of Spikes or Stealth Rock will ensure the OHKO on Regice with a +2 Focus Blast. Entry hazard removal from the likes of Swanna and Vullaby makes it easier for Raichu to switch in. Slow Volt Switch and U-turn users such as Probopass and Vibrava can give Raichu free switches. Mr. Mime and Clefairy can use Healing Wish to let Raichu have a second chance at wallbreaking or cleaning. Roselia lures such as Knock Off Tangela, Knock Off Simipour, and Choice Band Floatzel can weaken or KO Roselia so that it can't check Raichu.

Moves Volt Switch lets Raichu pivot and gain momentum on an obvious switch or an unfavorable matchup. Thunderbolt is a powerful STAB move for Raichu to use when staying in. Surf is Raichu's main coverage move and hits Rock- and Ground-types, such as Camerupt and Stunfisk, much harder than any other move. Hidden Power Ice is a secondary coverage move that hits Grass-types, such as Gourgeist-XL and Jumpluff. Set Details Life Orb gives Raichu more power to be a more threatening cleaner. Maximum Special Attack investment boosts Raichu's already good Special Attack, while maximum Speed investment with a Timid nature lets it outspeed fast Pokemon such as Simisear and Simisage. Static must be Raichu's ability because Lightning Rod is incompatible with Surf. Usage Tips In the early-game, Raichu will be using Volt Switch to pivot out of and wear down its counters such as Clefairy and Grumpig to weaken them. As the match goes on, Raichu can be used as both a revenge killer and a late-game cleaner. Raichu is too frail to come in on direct hits, so the best option is to come in on a teammate's slow Volt Switch, U-turn, or after a teammate faints. Ground-types and Lightning Rod users need to be weakened enough so that Raichu can take them out by itself, as otherwise, Raichu can't use Volt Switch and Thunderbolt safely. Team Options Raichu should be paired with Water-types, such as Floatzel and Simipour, because they can easily get rid of Ground-types. Flying-types such as Dodrio and Chatot can KO Grass-types that resist Raichu's STAB moves. Fire-types such as Monferno and Simisear can also take out Grass-types for Raichu, while Raichu can take out Water-types for them in return. Defoggers such as Swanna and Vibrava can clear the field of entry hazards, which is important because Raichu already takes so much residual damage from Life Orb. Ninjask and other U-turn users can make a nice VoltTurn core with Raichu, and some slower users of pivoting moves can be used so that Raichu can have an easy time switching in. Knock Off users such as Simisage can remove Eviolite and Leftovers from foes so that Raichu has an easier time weakening them with Volt Switch.

Moves The main niche with Raichu is that its blinding base 110 Speed lets it use Fake Out before most other common Fake Out users. With its fast Fake Out, it can force the opponent into a hard decision, because a Fake Out lets Raichu's ally use an attack that could threaten your opponent. Thunderbolt is a strong STAB move that makes use of those Lightning Rod boosts, while Volt Switch gives a bit of flow to your team, allowing you to shuffle around and switch your Pokemon with ease, all while keeping your momentum. If Raichu is on a weather-based team, Volt Switch should be your main choice, as your weather could be cancelled while your setter and Raichu are out: in this case, just switch your setter out and Volt Switch it back in again to bring your weather back. This can catch opponents off-guard: for example, bringing back rain while a Mega Charizard Y is on the field severely reduces its power. The final move is a toss-up. Protect stalls out a weather or Perish Song turn or lets your ally clear out a threat. Hidden Power Ice gives Raichu the amazing BoltBeam coverage, letting it 2HKO Garchomp and hit other Ground-types hard. Set Details The EV spread is simple. 28 HP EVs and 4 Def EVs allow Raichu to survive Adamant Mega Kangaskhan's Sucker Punch, while maximum Speed investment is used to fire off Raichu's attacks as quickly as possible. The remaining EVs are put in Special Attack in order to maximize damage output, as Raichu will most likely run a Focus Sash and isn't really bothered by most strong attacks. The Focus Sash can let Raichu survive moves such as Garchomp's Earthquake, allowing it to KO the opponent next turn. Lightning Rod is the best ability by far, letting Raichu redirect all Electric-type moves and gain a Special Attack boost. When coupled with a fast Encore, this can make Raichu difficult for enemy Rotom-A and Zapdos to deal with. On a side note, if you use Hidden Power Ice, use the 31/0/30/31/31/31 IV spread, as this lets Raichu keep its Speed at the highest level. Usage Tips A very aggressive playstyle best fits Raichu's role. You have to keep up the pressure on your opponent; if an opening is available, take it. Otherwise, it can lose games for you. For example: if your opponent threatens to use an Electric-type move, switch Raichu in safely; if a Garchomp uses Substitute, Encore it. With high pressure tactics, you keep your opponent on their feet, and you can control the game. Team Options Perish Trap Mega Gengar is a brilliant partner when Raichu carries Volt Switch. If Gengar uses Perish Song and proceeds to switch out, Raichu can use Volt Switch to bring Gengar back in. You can also run Raichu with a Disable user. This, in conjunction with Raichu's Encore, causes your opponent to Struggle and lose 25% of its HP per turn if they hit. Again, Mega Gengar is a suitable user of this move due to its Speed and ability Shadow Tag. Even if Raichu just Encores an opponent into using Electric-type moves, Mega Gengar traps it, forcing it to continue boosting Raichu's Special Attack stat. It can be one of the most destructive combinations out there. In addition, rain teams love Raichu around, because you can lead with it and another ally and proceed to Volt Switch into Politoed to set up rain. In addition, Electric-type moves can be redirected to Raichu, meaning that Water-types such as Azumarill won't have to fear those.

Moves Fake Out is a staple of VGC play as a result of it making the foe flinch, allowing a partially free turn for your team to get the upper hand in terms of momentum. Volt Tackle is generally the superior option to Thunderbolt, as this allows Raichu to better check Primal Kyogre, which has lower Defense than Special Defense. Nuzzle and Feint may be used interchangeably depending on the needs of Raichu's team. Nuzzle is useful as a form of speed control to paralyze foes, while Feint allows the player to fearlessly double target an opposing Pokemon, as well as break Focus Sash and pick off low-HP Pokemon. Finally, Encore is useful for restricting the foe's options on each turn by locking them into ineffectual moves. Protect may seem tempting given how frail Raichu is, but in such a momentum-based format as VGC 2016, sometimes having Raichu faint can result in a positive outcome by allowing a free switch into an allied restricted Pokemon. Set Details Magnet is recommended, as it allows Raichu to pick up the OHKO on 252 HP Primal Kyogre. Focus Sash may seem like a poor choice given that Raichu breaks it with the use of Volt Tackle, but granting it the ability to occasionally last an extra turn still makes Focus Sash useful. The Speed EVs are maximized in order to outpace as many foes as possible, most notably those in the base 100 Speed tier such as Mega Kangaskhan. Lightning Rod is chosen over Static due to its usefulness in shutting down Thundurus and other Thunder Wave users. Static could theoretically see use to get off a free paralysis onto foes while bluffing Lightning Rod, but this is inconsistent and therefore not recommended. Usage Tips Raichu should be played aggressively due to how aggressive the format is in general. The combination of support moves Raichu has access to allows it to put on an incredible amount of pressure on turn one, so it's best suited as a lead. Make good use of Nuzzle to spread paralysis, bearing in mind that it can't be stopped by Taunt like Thunder Wave and will allow your team to have the Speed advantage during the late-game. Make sure not to let Raichu faint too early if it's needed to defend partners like Rayquaza and Primal Kyogre from Electric-type attacks through the use of Lightning Rod. Try to avoid switching Raichu into attacks, as its lack of bulk means it's likely to take a severe amount of damage when doing so. Team Options Raichu typically sees the best use on teams featuring the combination of Rayquaza and Primal Kyogre, as it does an excellent job defending the duo from the likes of Thundurus and opposing Primal Kyogre. Xerneas and other setup sweepers such as Swords Dance Rayquaza and Power-Up Punch Mega Kangaskhan also appreciate Raichu's Fake Out to help them set up, as well as its Lightning Rod to prevent them from being paralyzed after doing so. Another group of Pokemon that enjoy Fake Out and Lightning Rod support are Tailwind setters such as Talonflame and Mega Salamence, which can more freely set up speed control for their entire team.

Moves Nice access to one of the fastest Fake Outs lets Raichu outspeed other Fake Out users and immobilize a foe for a turn nearly without fail, giving Raichu's partner room to set up or go on the offensive without being hindered. Encore locks a foe into the same move for three turns, possibly forcing it to use a suboptimal move. An Electric-type STAB move in the form of Volt Switch or Thunderbolt enables Raichu to still be an offensive threat to frailer foes, such as Talonflame and Azumarill. Volt Switch lets Raichu pivot to refresh Fake Out and bring in a partner; alternatively, Thunderbolt deals more damage and, when combined with more Special Attack EVs, picks up the KO on threats such as Talonflame. In addition, Thunderbolt is a better option for situations where Raichu does not wish to switch out. Nuzzle lets Raichu provide speed control for a team and reduce its tendency to suck momentum, even hitting Mega Diancie where Thunder Wave cannot due to bypassing Magic Bounce in addition to Taunt. Feint breaks Protect, making it a good option for applying offensive pressure while also synergizing with the threat of Fake Out. Feint is especially helpful for partners that use single-target attacks, such as Mega Kangaskhan, which benefit from Raichu breaking Protect. Set Details Lightning Rod redirects Electric-type attacks, neutering the offensive pressure of opposing Electric-types such as Thundurus. Maximum Speed EVs and a Timid nature let Raichu Speed tie with the competitive base 110 Speed tier, which includes threats such as Latios and Mega Diancie. The remainder is put into HP to alleviate Raichu's poor bulk, letting it survive attacks like Mega Charizard Y's Heat Wave. An alternative set with maximum Special Attack instead of HP is recommended if using Thunderbolt, to pick up the KO on Talonflame. Air Balloon is useful for discouraging opposing Choice Scarf Landorus-T from locking itself into Earthquake, forcing a U-turn or a Rock Slide, both of which Raichu is relatively unafraid of. On the other hand, Focus Sash is a good catch-all defensive item for surviving any powerful attack, including not only Landorus-T's Earthquake but also Talonflame's Flare Blitz. Usage Tips Raichu's Fake Out support is key to helping allies set up—such as through Belly Drum, Swords Dance, Tailwind, or Substitute—or to maintain offensive pressure. Due to Raichu's access to Encore, its Fake Out is especially threatening, as foes cannot stall out the Fake Out turn with Protect. Feint can punish Protects as well. Although opposing Pokemon will want to double Protect on Raichu's Fake Out, Encore combined with a high Speed allows Raichu to lock foes into Protect, making them effectively useless for three turns or until they switch out. In addition, Encore is useful for locking foes into Fake Out, which doesn't work after the first turn out, or setup moves such as Belly Drum and Substitute, and for locking foes into resisted moves or Electric-type moves, either for Raichu's partner or itself. Thus, Raichu should be used for building up offensive pressure and providing the necessary support to its partner. With Volt Switch, Raichu can take advantage of its rotational power to keep itself healthy and refresh Fake Out, coming in when the support is needed and avoiding situations where it becomes a momentum sink, unable to impact the field. For example, Raichu can't threaten certain fast threats such as Choice Scarf Landorus-T and Talonflame and bulkier threats such as Aegislash and Amoonguss, all of which either outspeed and KO it first or are relatively untouched by anything from its movepool. Be careful when bringing Raichu in on attacks, as its poor bulk and negligible resistances leave it susceptible to being KOed on the switch. Instead, mostly use it as a lead or switch it in after a partner is KOed. Team Options Water- and Flying-types, such as Azumarill and Talonflame, that benefit from Lightning Rod incapacitating opposing Electric-types such as Thundurus make for very good partners for Raichu. Fake Out support is good for partners that appreciate the free setup opportunities, such as Belly Drum Azumarill, Power-Up Punch Mega Kangaskhan, and Substitute users such as Heatran and Kyurem-B. Unlike other Electric-types, Raichu has a poor matchup against Talonflame, being outsped and OHKOed by Flare Blitz, so good Talonflame checks such as Landorus-T and Mega Diancie help alleviate this weakness. Raichu is incapable of threatening Amoonguss, so Amoonguss checks and switch-ins that are immune to Spore such as Safety Goggles Jirachi compensate for Raichu's poor Amoonguss matchup. Other Pokemon that can threaten to KO Amoonguss such as Talonflame and Mega Charizard Y also are good options.

Moves Fake Out is a great move for giving Raichu's teammate a free turn. Raichu is an especially good user of Fake Out due to its high Speed, allowing it to outpace the most common Fake Out user, Mega Kangaskhan. It also outspeeds one of the most common Quick Guard users, Terrakion. Encore is a great move to disrupt foes and works very well in conjunction with Fake Out to punish opponents who shield themselves with Protect. Thunderbolt is a powerful, reliable STAB attack with very good neutral coverage. Hidden Power Ice can be used as a secondary attack to hit Pokemon such as Salamence and Landorus-T. Set Details Maximum investment in Special Attack and Speed allows Raichu to hit as hard and as quickly as possible. Because Raichu is frail, Focus Sash allows it to survive a single powerful attack. Keep in mind that base 110 is a crowded Speed tier, so Raichu will face many speed ties against Pokemon such as Mega Metagross and Gengar. Lightning Rod can easily patch up a teammate's weakness to Electric-types, and it's also great for avoiding Thunder Wave and almost completely shutting down Thundurus. Lightning Rod also makes Raichu's offensive presence much better when it is activated. Usage Tips Raichu works well as a lead. Fake Out can immediately start opening up opportunities for Raichu's teammate, giving it a free turn to use a form of speed control such as Tailwind or a setup move such as Dragon Dance. After using Fake Out, Encore or attack as you see fit. Any time the foe uses Protect is an opening for Encore. Keep in mind your opponent will play cautiously around Raichu. Most players know that they won't be able to use Protect around Raichu or won't be able to keep their Pokemon in after using Protect. Try to predict them accordingly. Team Options Water-types make for great teammates because they appreciate Raichu's Lightning Rod support to nullify their Electric weakness. Raichu works well on rain teams to preserve Politoed. Gyarados can set up Dragon Dance easily with the help of Fake Out. Azumarill can find more opportunities to use Belly Drum with Raichu's Fake Out support as well. Suicune is another great partner, as it can deal with Landorus-T easily, which Raichu normally has trouble with. Suicune can also set up Tailwind easier with Fake Out support. Mega Charizard Y is a good teammate that makes use of the Lightning Rod support to negate its weakness as well. Because Charizard forces a lot of foes to use Protect thanks to it's strong offensive presence, Raichu's Fake Out and Encore support works really well with Charizard. Mega Gengar is a good teammate because it can trap foes and even create a Disable and Encore combination with Raichu, forcing foes to struggle when locked into their moves. With Mega Gengar, Raichu can effectively use Volt Switch to help with the flow of Perish Trap teams.

Raichu is one of the fastest Pokemon in the tier, and it has a very solid Special Attack stat and great coverage moves to deal with just about anything. After a Nasty Plot, not many Pokemon will want to switch into it. Its Thunderbolt can do great damage to any Electric-weak target and most neutral foes that have middling bulk; examples of these would be Lairon, Simisear, Arbok and Mr. Mime. Hidden Power Ice hits the Ground- and Grass-types that resist Thunderbolt. Focus Blast is used to pick up OHKOs on Pokemon that Thunderbolt or Hidden Power Ice doesn't, like Lairon, Glaceon, and Graveler. Endure with a Salac Berry is an alternative to boost Raichu's Speed and survive Persian's Fake Out, which is useful on hyper offensive teams. When running Salac Berry + Endure sets, you lose out on 2HKOs with Life Orb at +2 against Meganium, Grumpig and Clefairy, but you gain the ability to outspeed Choice Scarf users except for Simisear. Ice Gem picks up the OHKOs on Hippopotas and bulky Shelgon with Hidden Power Ice after a Nasty Plot boost. Lightning Rod is used over Static to come in on opposing Electric-types to gain a free Special Attack boost. Raichu isn't very keen on taking physical attacks anyways. Raichu does well on balance, offensive, or hyper offensive teams looking for a powerful special sweeper. There are very few options that can deal with Raichu, let alone Raichu with a Nasty Plot boost; these options may outspeed it naturally or with a Choice Scarf. Choice Scarf users would be the likes of Arbok, Grumpig, Mienfoo, and Mr. Mime; naturally, Raichu is outsped by Emolga, Simisear, and Persian. Frillish, Shelgon, and Lairon do well against the majority of these checks. Priority moves are also an option against Raichu, such as Pawniard's and Arbok's Sucker Punch, Pikachu's Extreme Speed, or Muk's Shadow Sneak. Pokemon like Lairon, Solrock and Pelipper can come in on these checks. Another choice is Pokemon with great Special Defense like Meganium, Gloom, Ivysaur, Grumpig, and Clefairy that can take a hit at +2, but they won't OHKO it back unless Raichu has been previously weakened. Bulky Whiscash is the only Pokemon that can take a hit from boosted Raichu and OHKO back. Simisear appreciates Raichu as a teammate to help get through the bulky Water-types like Walrein, Staryu, Pelipper, and Frillish. Raichu ideally wants to pair with a Grass-type like Leafeon, Meganium, or Ivysaur to help with Ground-types Hippopotas, Whiscash, and Wormadam-G. It can pair with Poison-types such as Arbok and Muk to handle the bulkier Grass-types mentioned above, which it can't break through with Hidden Power Ice. Raichu also does well with physical wallbreakers like Muk, Leafeon, and Slaking to help break through their respective physical walls.

Choice Specs Raichu is a blistering fast and threatening special wallbreaker with the ability to pivot. The boost from Choice Specs makes its STAB Thunderbolt very threatening to any Pokemon that does not resist Electric or is immune to it. Hidden Power Ice helps with the Grass-, Ground-, and Dragon-types it struggles with. Raichu is able to 2HKO most of its Grass-type counters with Hidden Power Ice like Ivysaur and Gloom, and even opposing Raichu after taking Stealth Rock damage. The same goes for its Ground- and Dragon-type counters, as well as Electric-immune Emolga. Focus Blast is a great coverage move to blast through Pokemon such as special defensive Clefairy and Whiscash, which aren't threatened by Thunderbolt. It also helps pick up the OHKO on bulkier Pokemon like Slaking, Lairon, and Glaceon. Volt Switch is a great move to keep up the momentum in battle; it can be used on the Grass or Dragon resistances to bring in a teammate that can deal with it and force progress. Lightning Rod is useful for switching into other Electric-type moves and getting a free +1 boost from the likes of Emolga and opposing Raichu. A Timid nature allows Raichu to naturally outspeed Leafeon and Mr. Mime, but if these matchups are not a concern, a Modest nature can be used instead. Raichu works well on balance or offensive teams looking for a strong special attacker and/or a Volt Switch pivot. Simisear, Arbok, and Muk pair well with Raichu to help with the Grass-types like Meganium, Gloom, and Ivysaur that want to switch in on it, while Ivysaur, Leafeon, Meganium, and Walrein help with the Ground-immune Pokemon that want to stop it such as Hippopotas, Whiscash, and Wormadam-G. There are also Pokemon with abilities to absorb its Electric-type moves like Pikachu, Emolga, and opposing Raichu. Bringing counters for Raichu and Pikachu like Whiscash, Clefairy, and Meganium work well, whereas Solrock, Hippopotas, and Lairon work better for Emolga. Raichu helps teams looking to break physical walls like Solrock, Lairon, and Wormadam-S. It also deals with the Water-types that Simisear might struggle with like Staryu, Walrein, and Pelipper. Usually, it is paired with a pivot like Persian, Mienfoo, or Raticate that draw in some of the previously mentioned physical walls for Raichu to blast through. The Water-types also can use Raichu as a teammate to block Electric-type moves and deal massive damage back to anything that comes in to its +1 boost. Raichu also appreciates entry hazard support in order to turn some previously non-guaranteed OHKOs into surefire knockouts.

This set utilizes Raichu's high Special Attack, good Speed, and decent movepool to turn it into a hard-hitting special attacker. Thunderbolt is Raichu's most reliable STAB move, hitting almost every Pokemon that doesn't resist it for good damage. Another option for a STAB move is Discharge; the 30% paralysis chance that Discharge provides can be very helpful. However, as Discharge hits all Pokemon on the field instead of just one, it should only be used if Raichu's teammates are immune to Electric-type attacks. Fake Out is more of a support move, meant to be used on turn one to flinch the opponent; this helps Raichu to break Focus Sashes and take down threats immediately with the combined help of a teammate. Hidden Power Ice hits Dragon-types that resist Raichu's STAB move, such as Latios and Haxorus, for super effective damage; it also provides coverage against Ground-types that threaten Raichu, such as Garchomp. Focus Blast is an alternative coverage move that allows Raichu to hit Rock- and Ice-types such as Tyranitar and Abomasnow for super effective damage. The choice between Hidden Power Ice and Focus Blast depends on the type of Pokemon your team has trouble with. Protect allows Raichu to avoid Fake Out from faster Pokemon on turn one and is also useful for scouting purposes. Encore is also a viable choice for the fourth moveslot, however; it forces a Pokemon into using the move it used last, and is thus useful against Pokemon that set up Trick Room or Tailwind. Focus Sash allows Raichu to survive one attack—providing that it's not a multi-hit one—and strike back with a powerful attack of its own. Life Orb gives Raichu a nice power boost and is certainly a viable option over Focus Sash, seeing as hail and sandstorm, both of which are disastrous for Focus Sash holders, are common in the VGC 2012 metagame. The EV spread used on this set is quite simple; it maximizes Raichu's Special Attack and Speed, allowing it to be as fast and powerful as possible. A Timid nature makes Raichu even faster and allows it to outspeed all Pokemon with base 99 Speed or below, most notably Haxorus and Krookodile. Alternatively, a Modest nature can be used to make Raichu hit even harder. As for teammates, Drizzle Politoed helps Raichu by summoning rain, allowing it to run Thunder without fear of missing. Bulky Water-types, such as Jellicent and Politoed, are both teammates that can help Raichu by baiting Electric-type attacks for it to redirect and absorb. Ludicolo and other Grass-types can quickly dispose of Ground-types that wall Raichu, such as Gastrodon. Pokemon that carry Discharge, such as Zapdos, can give Raichu a free Special Attack boost through Lightning Rod as well.

Raichu can force switches easily, being an Electric-type. Predict this, Wish, and switch to whatever counters what they sent in. It can stay alive against Blissey by Wishing and then Substituting. Wish prevents it from using Surf, so you are stuck using Hidden Power.

Raichu is one of the fastest Encorers in the game. In standard, play it as follows: come in on a non-attacking move coming from a slower Pokemon and Encore it, then predict what your opponent is going to do. If Blissey, Snorlax or Regice are coming in, Focus Punch on the switch. If you think Swampert is coming, Hidden Power Grass it on the switch--it will not OHKO though. If you're insecure about prediction, use Substitute after Encoring, and handle from there. However, it's recommended to use Hidden Power Grass if your skills allow it, because Swampert is on nearly every team and it greatly hinders Raichu's sweeping potential. For UU play, Focus Punch probably won't come handy, as Thunderbolt will 2HKO Aggron and Clefable is rare, and not much else weak to Fighting is around, besides Golem who you can OHKO with Hidden Power Grass. Therefore, the EVs suggested are for standard play. A guaranteed 2HKO on Blissey with Focus Punch, and enough Speed to outspeed all Heracross.

OHKOs Blissey and other normal friends and is a nice surprise. They might think you are whittling down yourself to get a Petaya Boost, so take advantage of their surprise. Watch out for Venusaur and Dusclops. Unfortunately, Surf cannot be used in tandem with Reversal. Not really recommended in either UU or standard: in standard Tyranitar messes you up, and in UU there's a lot of Quick Attack and similar moves around.

Use this set with Substitute and Hidden Power Grass in UU to get quite a threatening sweeper. Surf is the main reason to use it over Manectric, because it 2HKOs Gligar and OHKOs Camerupt. Only use Hidden Power Ice in standard for Flygon and Salamence (usually doesn't OHKO), because you need Hidden Power Grass in UU for Quagsire. Like with the first set, if you smell a standard Special wall coming, Focus Punch it. When using Focus Punch, use the EVs suggested on the first set. Otherwise, use these. Timid Raichu ties with Jolly Fearow, Dodrio, Linoone and anything else with 100 base Speed and a +Speed nature. Modest ties with the same Pokemon, except with Adamant versions. You'll usually outspeed Salamence as well as the rare Charizard. Use the IVs suggested when using Hidden Power Ice in standard, having absolute max Speed is important.

Other Options:

Other Options: