What is a good moveset for Alolan Raichu?

Question

If you have a good competitive moveset for Alolan Raichu, post an answer below and upvote the best ones. Movesets for any of its pre-evolutions can also be shared on this thread.

Be sure to include full set details in your post, e.g. items, abilities, natures and EVs. Some detail, including the intended game mode for your set, is also appreciated. Access the full list of guidelines here.

Raichu Pokédex and learnset for reference.

Comments

Note: I decided to allow Alolan Forms as separate questions, as these Pokemon are quite different to their regular forms.

Answer 1

Raichu-Alola @ Focus Sash
Ability: Surfer Surge
EVs: 6 HP, 252 Sp.,Atk, 252 Spe
Nature: Modest
- Electro Ball
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast
- Electric Terrain

Hooray for gimmicks! Setting up Electric Terrain activates Surfer Surge, which makes you faster. This in turn lets you run Modest over Timid and boost the power of your STAB Electro Ball. Focus Blast is coverage, and Psyshock is your other STAB.

Comments

Actually, the maximum amount of EVs is 510. That's enough for two stats to max out their EVs at 252, making a total of 504 EVs. This leaves 6 EVs that can be assigned to a stat. However, since only 4 of those EVs can be used to add a stat point, most players simply add 4 EVs to a stat and forget the other two. But it's not wrong to write 6 EVs on a 252/252 spread.

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I was waiting for someone to point this out for this Gen... again. Anyways, Astronautical's right. I usually Post these Movesets for future use, and my OCD will kick in if I don't put those 2 EVs somewhere.

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How do you teach alolan raichu electric terrain? does it learn it naturally or?

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Electric Terrain can only be obtained on a Pikachu as an Egg Move. Breed a Female Pikachu/Raichu with a Male Smeargle, Manectric, Luxray, or Togedemaru that knows Electric Terrain to pass it down.

Answer 2

Raichu-Alola @ Focus Sash
Ability: Surge Surfer
Ev's: 252 Spe / 252 SpA / 4 Hp
Timid Nature (+Spe, -Atk)

-Psychic/Psyshock
-Nasty Plot
-Focus Blast/Grass Knot
-Thunderbolt/Discharge

Explanation: My favorite Alolan form. Focus Sash is there to a least get off 1 Nasty Plot and not to get knocked out in one hit. Psychic and Psyshock are STAB. Psychic can lower the foe's Special Defense by one stage, or Psyshock can hit specially bulky targets like Blissey. Nasty Plot sets a Special Attack boost. Focus Blast and Grass Knot are coverage moves; Focus Blast is coverage against Dark, Ice, Rock and Steel types, or Grass Knot could cover Ground types. Thunderbolt or Discharge is your choice of Electric STAB.

Comments

Good moveset, but feel I should point out that Grass Knot only cares about absolute weight, not relative weight.

Answer 3

Alolan Raichu @ Wise Glasses/Focus Stash/Aloraichium Z
Ability - Surge Surfer
EV's - 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spd
Modest Nature (+SpA, -Atk)

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- Thunderbolt (STAB, flying & water coverage, plus paralysis chance)
- Psychic (STAB, poison & fighting coverage)
- Surf (Important coverage for ground, plus fire & rock, & decent neutral coverage)
- Calm Mind or Nasty Plot (Setup move) or Signal Beam (Important coverage for dark, plus grass & psychic)

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Added: The items that you give will be dependent on what moves you decide to use. If you opt to go with Signal Beam as your fourth move, use either Wise Glasses or Aloraichium Z. You could use Focus Stash, but I personally wouldn't use it. If you go with Calm Mind or Nasty Plot, using Focus Stash is mandatory if you want to set-up. Due to Alolan Raichu's squishiness, being able to set-up without instantly getting OHKO'd is very important.

Edit: Sword and Shield has made this possible now to any Alolan Raichu thanks to TRs (technical records) and also made make it possible to use Nasty Plot as well. Aloraichium Z is only for SM and USUM. However, Signal Beam is deprecated in this generation.

In Ultra Sun and Moon you can obtain a pikachu with the move surf from the man in the surf association in Heahea City after claiming the No. 1 spot on every island's mantine surfing spot, which is pretty funny. The man also has a pikachu that knows fly.

Comments

I prefer surf on regular Raichu, but that's just me

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No matter the votes on this page, this is the best set in the list.

Answer 4

Alolan Raichu @ Aloraichium Z
Ability: Surge Surfer
EVs: 4 HP / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Modest Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Psychic / Psyshock
- Nasty Plot
- Sweet Kiss / Grass Knot

A straight-forward set, except for Sweet Kiss. Sweet Kiss can confuse the target along with Stoked Sparksurfer's 100% chance to paralyze, making the opponent 50% of the time unable to attack. If not, you can have Grass Knot for coverage against ground types like Mudsdale. Stoked Sparksurfer is a power 175 Z-move and always causes paralysis. Thunderbolt is a great STAB move required for its exclusive Z-move and Psychic/ Psyshock is for STAB and power! Enjoy!

Answer 5

Raichu-Alola @ Air Balloon
Ability: Surge Surfer
EVs: 252 SpA / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
- Thunderbolt
- Psyshock
- Focus Blast/Surf/Grass Knot
- Nasty Plot

Similar to the others I suppose, but it's a different moveset nonetheless.

• First of all, Nasty Plot. You NEED that boost. If you want a sweep, boost. If you don't want to be KO'd back, boost. Raichu-Alola is better than regular Raichu... but it's still a Raichu. Also, Sucker Punch is a huuuuge weakness for Raichu-Alola, so having a boosting move can save your little tail-surfing behind if you manage to play some mind games.
  Electric/Psychic is fantastic coverage, punching holes in teams that don't expect you.
• Thunderbolt is preferable to Thunder for being way more reliable, and if you've already used a turn to boost your SAtk, you don't want to waste another turn whiffing a Thunder...
• I run Psyshock over Psychic since many Fighting-types tend to run Assault Vest, and as an option to hit SDef walls in general.
• As your last coverage move, Focus Blast has the most coverage and has huge base power. Surf is a safer option and hits resisting Ground-types way harder, and Grass Knot completely decimates Water-Ground-types, who are still pretty popular walls in the lower tiers. Up to you to decide what works best for your team!

Finally, I don't run Aloraichium-Z since I already use a Z-move somewhere else, and once I have a Nasty Plot boost or two, I don't feel the need for Life Orb or Expert Belt (another item it runs well due to its large coverage). However, an Air Balloon is always an unexpected item, and will let you swap into a Ground-type move to start setting up (run Surf or Grass Knot instead of Focus Blast if you plan on doing this though, you'll only have one turn to set up while they break your balloon).

Comments

You cannot get Surf and Nasty Plot on Alolan Raichu; Nasty Plot is a Pichu pre-evolution move.

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Update to the above comment: This is possible in Gen 8. Both moves are TRs, and if you move an Alolan Raichu to Galar, it is compatible with them.

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Stellar mentions a good point, I wouldn't have remembered this comment to correct it for this current gen. TRs are probably the second best thing SwSh added to the games.

Answer 6

I see no one has answered since the new moves have come out

Electric Terrain Sweeper
Raichu-Alola @ Choice Specs / Life Orb / Focus Sash
Ability: Surge Surfer (only ability, plus doubles speed in Electric Terrain)
EVs: 4 Def / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Timid Nature
IVs: 0 Atk
- Rising Voltage (double damage in Electric Terrain, plus STAB and terrain boost)
- Psyshock (STAB Psychic and physical damage move)
- Grass Knot (Ground coverage)
- Volt Switch / Focus Blast / Nasty Plot (pivot or Dark coverage or setup or stall while waiting for terrain),

MUST be used on Electric Terrain. Insane speed when on it, plus Rising Voltage gets a huge boost. Choice Specs or Life Orb for the extra damage. Works for doubles and singles, but you may want Life Orb and Protect for doubles if you don't have an Electric Surge Pokemon on your team. Focus Sash for Nasty Plot setup.

Answer 7

Raichu-Alola @ Life Orb
Ability: Surge Surfer
EVs: 252 Sp. Attack, 252 Speed, 4 Sp. Def
Nature: Timid (+Speed, -Attack)

-Surf
-Thunderbolt
-Psychic
-Focus Blast

:D

Answer 8

Alolan-Raichu @ Zap Plate/Leftovers/alolaraichuium/ Focus Sash
Nature-Modest (+SP ATK, -ATK)
EVs- 252 SPD, 128 SP ATK, 128 HP

Moves:
Electro Ball/ Thunderbolt/ Volt Tackle
Psychic/ Psyshock
Nasty Plot/ Agility/ Double Team
Electric Terrain

This Speed/ Special Attacker will deliver large amounts of damage in a few turns. By using Agility and electric Terrain, It's STAB Electro Ball becomes Even more powerful and you get to go first unless they have a 252 SPD timid Alolan Raichu that follows this as well.

Comments

If it's a special attacker, why is Volt Tackle an option? That move is physical.

Answer 9

Fast Special Attacker

Alolan Raichu @Focus Sash \ Alolaraichium Z
Ability: Surge Surfer
Nature: Modest
EVs: 252 SpA \ 252 Speed \ 4 HP
-Thunderbolt
-Psychic \ Psyshock
-Nuzzle \ Surf
-Nasty Plot

Move #1: Electric STAB. Mandatory if you want to run Raichu's exclusive Z-Move. Thunder and Volt Switch are options, but with Thunder's low accuracy and Volt Switch's lower damage output I say nah.
Move #2: Psychic STAB. Run Psyshock for special walls if needed.
Move #3: Either a move with 100% chance to cause paralysis, or coverage for Raichu's ground weakness. Whichever you prefer.
Move #4: Boosts the Special Attack stat. It's lethal for Raichu's success.

Comments

You cannot get Surf and Nasty Plot on Alolan Raichu; Nasty Plot is a Pichu pre-evolution move.

Edit: In SwSh you can now get both Surf and Nasty Plot thanks to TRs.

Answer 10

Ok.

SPECIAL ATTACKER ALOLAN RAICHU

Pokemon: Alolan Raichu
Item: @Focus sash
Nature: Timid/Modest (Timid: +Speed &-Atk) OR (Modest: +Sp.Atk & -Atk)
Ability: Surge Surfer
EVs: 252 Speed / 252 Sp.Atk / 6 Sp.Defense

MOVES

-Thunderbolt: STAB Move, It has great power and accuracy! AND has a 10% chance of paralyzing the Target

-Nasty Plot: SPECIAL ATTACK BOOST, YES!

-Hidden Power (Ice): Takes out ground types, Flying types, grass types AND dragon types

-Psychic: Its a STAB move, Great Power and accuracy, takes out Fighting types and poison types, AND has a 10% chance of lowering the targets Special defense

You could sweep if you get 1 nasty plot up

Hope this moveset helps you out!

Comments

I get the joke so the Alolan Raichu looks like a pancake and it's holding pancakes.....PERFECT!!

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Hidden Power has been removed in Gen 8, making this moveset no longer possible.

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It is possible in gen 7, just not gen 8

Answer 11

Alolan Raichu @ Aloraichium Z or Focus Sash
Ability: Surge Surfer
EVs: 252 SpA / 252 Spe / 4 SpD (or whatever you want to put the remaining 4 in)
Nature: Timid (Spe+ , Atk-)

• Thunderbolt
• Calm Mind (if you accidentally forgot Nasty Plot or you don't have access to it) / Nasty Plot
• Grass Knot
• Psyshock

Thunderbolt for STAB and POWAHHHHH and Psyshock instead of Psychic for those annoying special walls like Blissey and Chansey. Grass Knot for coverage, instead of Focus Miss which you could go for, but I think Grass Knot is more reliable. Calm Mind; you need this boost, but if you have Nasty Plot I would go for that too. I said Calm Mind because I just got a shiny Pikachu from friend safari and it didn't have Nasty Plot, so Calm Mind could?? be a good subsitution. Focus Sash to get atleast one Calm Mind off or if you aren't bothered, just go for the 100% paralysis with the Z-Move to cripple. Either is a good cup of tea.

Comments

This is one that really should have gotten more upvotes, and for some reason I can't upvote anything
But yes, this is a move set I'm willing to try. I'm going for Psychic instead of Psyshock, though.

Answer 12

Alola-Raichu (M) @Aloraichum Z
Ability: Surge Surfer
EVs: 252SAtk/4Hp/252Spd
Nature: Modest
- Thunderbolt
- Psychic
- Grass Knot
- Electric Terrain

Thunderbolt is a reliable STAB, with Aloraichum Z upgraded to Spoked Sparksurfer.
Psychic-Nice power, decent accuracy, STAB.
Grass Knot-Coverage for Ground Types. (most of them are heavy so it has good power :D)
And last, but not least, Electric Terrain. When you get that off, he's unstoppable! His ability, Surge Surfer, doubles its speed when Electric Terrain is active. Since its already amazing speed, 110, doubled to 220, plus 252Spd EVs, you get the fastest Pokemon ever, even faster than Speed Forme Deoxys!

Answer 13

Alolan Raichu - Fast Special Sweeper
Ability: Surge Surfer - Raises the speed when Electric Terrain is on the battlefield
Item: Life Orb - The holder deals more damage in exchange for 10% of their health when damage is dealt
Nature: Modest (+SpAtk, -Atk)
EVs: 252SpAtk, 252Spd, 4Def
IVs: Perfect
Moveset
Thunderbolt - 135 Base Power with Stab, 10% chance to paralyze the target
Psyshock - 120 Base Power with Stab, Damage is calculated based on target’s defense rather than special defense
Signal Beam - 75 Base Power, 10% chance to confuse the target
Nasty Plot - Sharply raises the user’s special attack, doubling that stat

Answer 14

Game: Pokémon Sword/Shield
Pokémon: Raichu (Alola form)
Nature: Modest or Timid
Held Item: focus sash
EV’s: 252 SpA, 252 Spe, 4 HP
Moves:
-Rising Voltage (learns via move tutor at isle of armor)
-Psychic (Learns by level up)
-Electric Terrain (learns via TM90) or nasty plot if you’re in doubles (move reminder)
-Grass Knot/Electro Ball/surf (Learns via TR77 for grass knot, TR80 for electro ball and TR04 for surf)

After the expansion pass in Sword and Shield, one of the new moves introduced caught my eye for potential power. See Alolan Raichu’s ability is surge surfer which doubles the speed stat while in electric terrain. And the new move I’m talking about is called Rising Voltage which is a base 70 power special move and if its used while in Electric Terrain, it’s power is doubled. So if Alolan Raichu is in electric terrain, it will have outstanding speed and a STAB 140 electric move with 100% accuracy, not to mention electric terrain’s normal effects. And this is where the focus sash comes into play, first turn you use electric terrain or nasty plot if you’re in doubles and have it already set up, and survive a potential OHKO move due to its poor defenses. After using electric terrain your speed will be doubled and could outspeed just about anything, then you use rising voltage against your opponent and if there’s a ground type you can use grass knot or surf. Psychic is here for a different strong STAB move and electro ball is if you run a timid nature as you will be faster than a lot of opposing Pokémon. This set can potentially have Raichu be a sweeper but you still have to be careful in double battles because if you’re hit twice the focus sash would be useless. Hope you enjoy the move set I came up with, if you have any of your own ideas or some feedback I’d like to know.

Comments

setting your terrain via a move is dumb. If you really wanna abuse surge surfer use electric surge pinchurchin. Also electro ball isnt good

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But Electro Ball works when you have the Speed boost from Surge Surfer, great natural speed, Timid, and 252 Speed EVs.

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Honestly, I don’t know the gen 8 mons well enough to know their abilities but yea, that could totally work. I’m just saying electric terrain because it was the only thing I could think of, you could replace it with nasty plot and use the focus sash that way, or maybe surf instead. And I said electro ball because it hits harder the faster you are and on electric terrain with timid it can outspeed a whole lot of mons. Thank you for the feedback and sharing your ideas.

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I also just realized Raichu can learn surf so it depends on what you want whether to have surf or grass knot, I mainly used it for ground coverage.

Answer 15

Gen 8 NU

Raichu-Alola @ Life Orb
Ability: Surge Surfer
EVs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
Naive / Hasty Nature (Rash Nature with Pincurchin support)

• Thunderbolt / Rising Voltage
• Knock Off
• Focus Blast
• Surf / Grass Knot

Thunderbolt is STAB, Rising Voltage is also STAB and is weaker than Thunderbolt outside of Electric Terrain, however in Electric Terrain it becomes a devastating wallbreaking tool. Knock Off cripples would-be switch-ins like Ground types by removing their item. Focus Blast is coverage, Surf consistently smacks Ground types, Grass Knot hits heavy Ground types harder.