NationalDex
raikou
#243

Raikou

Thunder Pokémon

Electric

The rain clouds it carries let it fire thunderbolts at will. They say that it descended with lightning.

Base Stats

HP 90
Attack 85
Defense 75
Sp. Atk 115
Sp. Def 100
Speed 115
Total 580

Type Effectiveness

Abilities

Evolution Chain

Moves

Details

Category Thunder Pokémon
Height 1.9 m
Weight 178.0 kg
Base Exp 261
Growth Rate Slow
Capture Rate 3
Base Happiness 35
Gender Genderless
Habitat Grassland
Egg Groups No Eggs
Legendary Pokémon

Sprites

raikou Front Front
raikou Back Back
raikou Front Shiny Front Shiny
raikou Back Shiny Back Shiny
raikou Official Art Official Art
raikou Official Art (Shiny) Official Art (Shiny)

Competitive

Offensive Pivot
Item
Heavy-Duty Boots
Ability
Inner Focus
Nature
Timid
EVs
SpA 252
SpD 4
Spe 252

Strategy Overview

Raikou is a solid fast pivot in UU due to its base 115 Speed, which allows it to outspeed and threaten common Pokemon like Keldeo, Nihilego, and Cobalion, giving it a niche over other Electric-type pivots like Thundurus-T. Being a fast pivot makes Raikou hard to wear down and allows it to bring in threatening Pokemon like Keldeo to wallbreak. It has multiple coverage moves that hinder switch-ins; Scald chips Ground-types like Hippowdon, Nidoqueen, and Swampert and threatens them with a potential burn, while Aura Sphere nails Zarude and Hydreigon. However, Raikou has limited defensive utility due to its average bulk and typing. Its frailty is also worsened by its offensive limitations, as it has a hard time breaking through foes like Hippowdon and Nihilego and gets completely stopped by Amoonguss, Chansey, and Assault Vest Tangrowth. It also struggles to trade with common offensive threats, such as Nidoqueen and Zarude. Because of this, Thundurus-T is generally the superior choice, being stronger, having more versatile coverage, and also providing better typing that can make up for it being slower than Raikou.

Most Used Moves

Scald
98.6%
Calm Mind
29.4%

Most Used Items

Leftovers
22.6%

Competitive data from Smogon University via data.pkmn.cc