'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAb/2gAIAQEAAAAAoif/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAF/9oACAECEAAAACP/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAE/9oACAEDEAAAAH//xAAfEAABBAICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQMEEQASISJBUWH/2gAIAQEAAT8Ahxjmz24Up98Ed3eQ2T5XWi8p19VzfzGJ88mWy1jFYotldrn/xAAbEQEAAAcAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAIDBCFBwf/aAAgBAgEBPwC2rTuV11j/xAAXEQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMA/9oACAEDAQE/ANMoFkO//9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Raichu is the evolution of Pikachu, the Pokemon franchise's mascot, and although it can be outshined at times in Pokemon GO by its Alolan version, the original Kanto-native Raichu still has a few things to offer in combat.
As a PvE attacker and in Pokemon GO's Great League PvP, Raichu has some upsides in combat despite losing out to more than a few other options in the Electric-type Pokemon category. It isn't likely to wipe out any teams or many raid boss Pokemon on its own, but that doesn't mean it can't contribute a solid amount of damage to its targets. With that in mind, it's worth looking into Raichu's optimal movesets so Pokemon GO trainers can gear their Mouse Pokemon for a specific battle role.
Pokemon GO: Top Raichu movesets for PvE/PvP
With a total of nine learnable moves in Pokemon GO, Raichu has a large pool of potential moves, and many of these attacks are some of the better options in the game. However, Raichu is hindered by its maximum stats, which aren't great compared to many other Electric-type Pokemon. This shouldn't completely dissuade players, as optimizing Raichu's movesets for PvE or PvP can still allow it to be a capable fighter in certain situations. It's no Zekrom or Manectric, but Raichu can still contribute in battle and its moves can make it viable in matches it would otherwise be outshined in.
When using Raichu as a PvE attacker in Pokemon GO, its top moveset on offense is Thunder Shock and Wild Charge. Spark is a decent Fast Move, but Thundershock provides slightly better capability. Wild Charge is flat out Raichu's best Charge Move, and both Thundershock and Wild Charge receive a Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) to increase damage thanks to the moves matching types with Raichu.
When using Raichu in Pokemon GO's PvP, Thundershock and Wild Charge are still top picks. However, trainers opting to pick up an additional Charge Move should consider the move Brick Break. Though it isn't a great Fighting-type move, it still provides a solid counter to common Steel-type Pokemon in the PvP meta that often use Ground-type moves that can devastate Raichu. Combining these three moves, Raichu should be able to outperform its constraints in a number of cases for either PvP or PvE and contribute significantly to a player's battle team in Pokemon GO.
