Raichu Is Secretly Much Cooler Than Pikachu
Andrew Patterson Raichu has always been in the shadow of the Pokémon series mascot and its own pre-evolution, Pikachu - but Raichu is actually the cooler of the two.
Pikachu may be the Pokémon series’ mascot, but Raichu is the cooler of the two electric rodents. Pikachu receives many gimmicks as the face of the Pokémon franchise, such as a Gigantamax form and increased stats as the player’s main partner in Let’s Go, Pikachu!, leaving Raichu as generally underutilized. Pikachu’s appearance as Ash’s trusty partner in the anime - who refuses to evolve under any and all circumstances - has also contributed to the lessened spotlight on the bigger Mouse Pokémon.
Pikachu wasn’t even going to be the Pokémon series’ mascot originally. Ash was initially going to start his journey with Clefairy, the planned mascot and potential starter for a hypothetical Pokémon Pink Version, but a last-minute swap to Pikachu changed the trajectory of the series, propelling Pikachu into increased popularity while leaving Raichu behind. While Clefairy still plays a starring role in the long-running Japanese slapstick manga series Pokémon Pocket Monsters, it can sometimes feel as though Raichu got the short end of the metaphorical stick in this exchange. Pikachu didn’t ask to become the Pokémon mascot - it had mascot-hood thrust upon it, and Raichu was the one to pay the price.
Being overshadowed by its pre-evolution doesn’t stop Raichu from being a cool little mouse, however. While Pikachu gets personalized costumes and abilities that are special in their own way, they’re not entirely unique to it. For example, any Pokémon could theoretically start a detective agency if they chose to. A Pokémon that could efficiently communicate with humans, like Team Rocket’s sneaky Meowth, could open an agency for humans; otherwise, they could work exclusively with other Pokémon - a premise that could fit in very well in a human-less universe such as the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. Plenty of individual Pokémon have showcased similar impressive abilities throughout the series’ history, but since Pikachu is the mascot, more Pikachu get shown overall, giving them more chances to share their talents compared to Raichu. But as a Pokémon species, Raichu has more going for it than Pikachu does.
Even With Fewer Gimmicks, Raichu Is More Versatile In Pokémon Battles Than Pikachu
Raichu is a stronger Pokémon than Pikachu in almost every respect, which isn’t unusual. Most evolved Pokémon are stronger than their pre-evolutions unless their pre-evolution happens to be rather bulky. In this case, the Pokémon can use Eviolite to surpass their evolution, such as Chansey and Dusclops. Pikachu is not a defensive powerhouse by any stretch of the imagination, though; in fact, its best item to hold is the Light Ball, an item that can only be used by Pikachu. This doubles Pikachu’s Attack and Special Attack but leaves it frail. While Pikachu can be an effective “revenge killer” on certain singles teams, Raichu can make use of more playstyles due to its better stats overall.
In double battles, Raichu can be a good pivot Pokémon thanks to its high speed, access to Fake Out, and Lightning Rod Hidden Ability. Raichu can redirect Electric-type attacks away from a teammate before retaliating with a Fake Out, and leaving once more with Volt Switch. Even without starter Pokémon base stats, Raichu doesn’t need Light Ball to do respectable damage. As a result, players can experiment with different builds for Raichu to fit their teams, such as bulky Assault Vest supporters or Life Orb heavy hitters. Raichu’s battle versatility makes it a fun choice to work in teams.
Pikachu, on the other hand, needs all the help it can get to be as effective in battle. In addition to the Light Ball that has been part of Pikachu’s arsenal since Gen 2, Pikachu received the exclusive Catastropika Z-Move, and the special cap-wearing Pikachu had access to the 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt Z-Move in Pokémon Sun and Moon; unfortunately, this requires the Pikachu in question to hold the proper Z-Crystal, denying it access to the crucial Light Ball item and weakening it significantly. Pikachu received a Gigantamax form in Pokémon Sword and Shield with the G-Max Move G-Max Volt Crash, which paralyzes all enemy Pokémon on the field. This can have its uses but would use up the player’s Dynamax for the battle. Raichu’s overall versatility still proves more helpful than Pikachu’s limited-time gimmicks.
Another of one Pikachu’s specialties is the starter Pokémon players receive in Let’s Go, Pikachu! This Pikachu has a base stat total of 430, making its stats a little closer to Raichu’s. In this case, Pikachu has a base Speed of 120, faster than Raichu’s 110, but the rest of Pikachu’s stats remain lower than Raichu’s. What’s disappointing here is that the special partner Pikachu gains a few exclusive attacks that are more gimmicky than helpful by Pokémon standards. The Electric-type Zippy Zap and the special partner power move Pika Papow are strong, but it’s not as though Pikachu was lacking in Electric attacks. The Flying-type Floaty Fall doesn’t really provide Pikachu with much practical coverage, leaving the Water-type Splishy Splash as the best move that can help Pikachu deal with Ground-types. Raichu can also learn Surf in certain games, though, so this isn’t particularly special.
Pikachu’s lack of move diversity isn’t only disappointing when compared to Raichu, but even when compared to the partner Eevee of Let’s Go, Eevee!. The partner Eevee gets a special move to represent each of its evolutions, including the Dark-type Baddy Bad and Fairy-type Sparkly Swirl, which are super effective against Ghost and Fighting respectively, the two types that give Normal-types like Eevee a rough time. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire’s Cosplay Pikachu somewhat makes up for this with more unique moves for each of its costumes, such as the Steel-type Meteor Mash and Ice-type Icicle Crash, but these still don’t help Pikachu navigate the battlefield as effectively as Raichu can.
Raichu Doesn't Need Equipment Like Pikachu Does To Be A Surfing Pokémon Prodigy
Pikachu has been shown to surf across the Pokémon series. In Pokémon Stadium and the Pokémon Yellow Version minigame “Pikachu’s Beach,” Pikachu can shred some waves with a classy pink surfboard. This is even depicted in “The Pi-kahuna” anime episode and a few classic TCG cards, which were lovingly brought back as nostalgic Pokémon V and VMAX for the 25th Anniversary set. But Raichu doesn’t even need a surfboard to maintain its hobbies.
Raichu can surf just as well as Pikachu, and in a way that’s much more impressive: it can hop onto its own tail and ride it like a surfboard. This iconic imagery originates from the discontinued Pokémon Stadium series, where Lt. Surge has a Raichu with Surf to handle pesky Ground-types that players may bring to use against him. In Gen 1, Diglett speed ties with Raichu, and Dugtrio is the only Ground-type that can fully outspeed it, making Lt. Surge’s surfing Raichu a true menace. It’s no wonder Lt. Surge keeps the surfing prodigy by his side in his Round 2 team and in Pokémon Stadium 2.
What’s most impressive about Raichu’s surfing prowess is how it inspired a full-blown regional variant. Alolan Raichu, introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon, is always riding its surfboard-hoverboard-tail hybrid. It even gained the secondary Psychic-typing and an exclusive Ability Surge Surfer, which doubles its already massive speed stat while in Electric Terrain. This adorable pancake puff is one of the cutest alternate forms in the entire Pokémon series; as cute as the popularity-incarnate Pikachu and its unique costumes are, they simply don’t hold a candle to the joyous ray of sunshine that is Alolan Raichu. The classic Kantonian Raichu is also one of Gen 1’s best designs, with a pleasant orange, yellow, and brown color scheme, stylish ears, and the right amount of rotundness to contrast with its sleek legs and iconic tail. No matter what region it’s from, Raichu is always shaped like a friend.
