Stats & Training
Raikou's built around special offense. Sp. Atk leads the charge, Defense pays for it. Near-impossible to catch, worth 3 Sp. Atk and Speed EVs. Follows a slow 1.25M XP grind.
Raikou embodies the speed of lightning. The roars of this Pokémon send shock waves shuddering through the air and shake the ground as if lightning bolts had come crashing down.
Raikou embodies the speed of lightning. The roars of this Pokémon send shock waves shuddering through the air and shake the ground as if lightning bolts had come crashing down.
Raikou Weakness
Raikou's Electric typing leaves it vulnerable to Ground. Its Electric typing keeps the defensive matchups simple. Raikou's special bulk (base 100 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Ground |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Electric, Flying, Steel |
In Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, Garchomp threatens a KO with Earthquake (130-153%).
 | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityStatic ItemSitrus Berry NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Raikou View Zapdos builds →Heat Wave26-31% Thunderbolt18-21% | ||
 Garchomp DragonGround | A | |
Recommended Build AbilityRough Skin ItemRocky Helmet NatureJolly Moves
Damage vs Raikou View Garchomp builds →Earthquake 2x130-153%KO | ||
 | B | |
Recommended Build AbilitySturdy ItemRocky Helmet NatureImpish Moves View Skarmory builds →
| ||
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Evolution
You can't breed Raikou or evolve it into anything else. This Electric legendary packs 580 stats and doesn't need a chain to be relevant. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire Raikou Best Moveset
Volt Switch keeps your team's momentum going. Raikou doesn't need to stay in long, Leftovers provides passive recovery each turn and max Sp. Atk and Speed EVs make every visit count. Thunderbolt threatens on the way out. Pressure adds passive value.
Best Build
Raikou best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Sweeper Moveset
- Hidden Power Ice
- Volt Switch
- Thunderbolt
- Shadow Ball
Doubles Special Sweeper Moveset
- Shadow Ball
- Hidden Power Ice
- Thunder
- Extrasensory
Recommended Teammates
Moves
Without TMs, Raikou's movepool is bare bones. With them, you get coverage across 8 types on top of Zap Cannon and Thunder for STAB. The natural kit handles basics, but TMs are doing the real work.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Transfer Moves
How to Get Raikou in Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
Raikou Guide
For the Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire meta, At 580 BST, Raikou is built different. We rank it B-Tier. As a Legendary Pokemon, the raw stats back up the reputation. Best used as a sweeper. Hiddenpowerice with Leftovers is the standard set.
In Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, watch for Rhydon (Ground) when using Raikou. They all hit it super-effectively with STAB. Only 1 weakness means fewer dedicated counters to worry about.
Pressure increases the PP cost of moves targetting the Pokémon by one. That's the one you want on Raikou. Inner Focus is the hidden ability. Niche, but it has its uses.
In Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, Raikou fills the sweeper role. It's a special attacker with base 115 Sp. Atk. Base 115 Speed lets it outrun most of the field. And it's enough bulk to take a hit or two.
In Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, run Hiddenpowerice, Volt Switch, Thunderbolt, and Shadow Ball on Raikou. Hiddenpowerice is the most common pick at 18% usage. Thunderbolt provides reliable STAB damage.
Game Availability
Raikou has appeared in 17 games since Gold & Silver, spanning 9 generations. As a Legendary, it's typically a one-per-save encounter tied to the story or post-game content.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 2GSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves