Raikou
Thunder Pokémon
The rain clouds it carries let it fire thunderbolts at will. They say that it descended with lightning.
Base Stats
Type Effectiveness
Abilities
Evolution Chain
Moves
Locations
Details
Sprites
Competitive
Strategy Overview
Raikou is a great pivot in the Almost Any Ability metagame. The combination of its typing, which gives it a single weakness to Ground, and its high Speed and decent bulk allow it to switch in on many Pokemon and pressure them with its STAB moves. Additionally, STAB Volt Switch enables it to get out of unfavorable matchups and do chip damage and is great to keep your momentum up when Raikou forces a foe out. Raikou also does well as a pivot because it's extremely customizable. It can run most abilities, depending on your team's needs, so it can usually check a wide range of Pokemon. Sadly, it can easily get worn down by entry hazards, as it switches in and out a lot. Raikou also has a decent Special Attack stat, which allows it to revenge kill Pokemon and do well versus frailer offensive teams, but it struggles against stall, as it's not strong enough to break most walls. Still, it can be useful against stall by running a Magnet Pull set. While its special bulk is quite good with an Assault Vest, its physical bulk is lacking, making it unable to pivot into physical attackers too many times. It's also fairly predictable, as while it can run many abilities, it's nearly always a pivot and can be fairly easily prepared for.
Most Used Moves
Common Teammates
Competitive data from Smogon University via data.pkmn.cc