How to Get Pikachu & Raichu in Pokémon LeafGreen

by

This article first appeared on Game Empress, where you can find more gaming news at gameempress.com.

You can find Pikachu in two places in Pokémon LeafGreen: Viridian Forest at the beginning of your adventure, or the Power Plant as you progress. If you want a Raichu, you’ll need to evolve Pikachu using a Thunder Stone, as Raichu doesn’t appear naturally in the wild in this game.

Where to Find Pikachu in Pokémon LeafGreen

Pikachu appears in two locations, each suited to a different point in the game.

Location When available Level Encounter rate Best for
Viridian Forest Early game 3–5 ~5% Getting Pikachu before Brock
Power Plant Later game (requires Surf) 22–26 ~25% Faster, easier Pikachu farming

If you’re eager to get Pikachu right away, head to Viridian Forest. However, if you’re okay with waiting a bit, the Power Plant is a much easier place to catch one. These locations also work if you’re playing Pokémon FireRed – check out our guide specifically for that version if needed.

How to Catch Pikachu in Viridian Forest

Viridian Forest is located on Route 2, between Viridian City and Pewter City. It’s famous as the first place players can encounter Pikachu, and it’s accessible even before challenging the first Gym Leader, Brock.

You likely won’t see much activity here – only about 5% of the time will something happen. You might have to wait a bit in the tall grass. Here are a few things you can do to increase your chances of finding something:

  • Repels do not target specific Pokémon, but they can reduce lower-level encounters if your lead Pokémon is set at the right level. For most players, the simpler method is to keep walking in the grass and expect several encounters before Pikachu appears.
  • In Generation III, Static gives roughly a one-in-three chance of paralyzing a Pokémon that hits Pikachu with a contact move, so be careful using contact moves when weakening it.
  • Have Poké Balls ready before entering — there is no shop inside the forest.

Pikachu in this area are usually between levels 3 and 5, so they’re not too difficult to catch, but you’ll need to train them up from a low level.

How to Catch Pikachu at the Power Plant

You can reach the Power Plant by using the Surf move on Route 10. This makes it a location you’ll access later in the game, once you’ve learned Surf (HM03) and are able to use it while exploring the overworld.

You have about a 25% chance of encountering a Pikachu here, making it much easier to find one compared to Viridian Forest. These Pikachu are typically between levels 22 and 26, meaning they’ll already know a few moves and be a bit tougher to battle. To help with catching them, it’s a good idea to bring a Pokémon that can put opponents to sleep or paralyze them.

You can find the Legendary Pokémon Zapdos at the Power Plant, but this guide focuses on catching Pikachu.

How to Evolve Pikachu into Raichu

If you want a Raichu in Pokémon LeafGreen, you’ll need to use a Thunder Stone on Pikachu. Raichu doesn’t evolve naturally by gaining levels, and you won’t find one by exploring the game world.

You can use the Thunder Stone to evolve your Pokémon at any level. This evolution is permanent – you can’t undo it, so make sure you understand what will happen before using the stone.

Where to Get a Thunder Stone in Pokémon LeafGreen

The simplest way to get a Thunder Stone is at the Celadon Department Store in Celadon City. Head to the fourth floor and purchase one for $2,100. You can buy as many Thunder Stones as you want, making this a consistently available option.

Okay, so I was exploring the Power Plant, and guess what? I found a Thunder Stone just lying around! It’s super handy if you’re already there trying to snag a Pikachu, because you can evolve it right then and there. Definitely worth checking for while you’re powering through that place.

Should You Evolve Pikachu Right Away?

This depends on what you want from Raichu.

Okay, so as a player, I’ve noticed Raichu is just straight-up stronger than Pikachu. Evolving Pikachu into Raichu gives you a boost in everything – attack power, special attack, defense, and even its HP. Basically, it’s an instant upgrade when you’re battling!

Pikachu can learn certain attacks by gaining levels that Raichu can’t learn on its own. If you evolve Pikachu too soon, you might miss out on powerful moves like Thunderbolt, which Pikachu learns at level 26. The best strategy is to make sure Pikachu learns all the moves you want before using the Thunder Stone to evolve it.

When you catch a strong Pikachu at the Power Plant, it will likely already have some helpful attacks, letting you evolve it quickly without needing to train it much beforehand.

Can You Catch Raichu in Pokémon LeafGreen?

You can’t find Raichu naturally in Pokémon LeafGreen. If you’re playing the game normally and not trading with others, the only way to get a Raichu is to catch a Pikachu and then evolve it using a Thunder Stone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can catch Pikachu before facing Brock! You can access Viridian Forest before reaching Pewter City Gym, giving you a chance to find Pikachu before your first gym battle. Just be aware that Pikachu is fairly rare – there’s only about a 5% chance of encountering one, so you might need to search for a while.

Pikachu is pretty rare to find in Viridian Forest. You only have about a 5% chance of encountering one, making it much less common than Pokémon like Caterpie and Weedle, which you’ll see most of the time.

Okay, so if you’re hunting for Pikachu in Pokémon LeafGreen, forget Viridian Forest! Seriously, the Power Plant is way better. I’ve had so much luck there. You’ve got about a 25% chance of running into one, which is huge compared to the 5% in the forest. The downside? You need to have Surf and it’s a bit later in the game before you can get in, but trust me, it’s worth it if you want that Pikachu fast!

To get Raichu in Pokémon LeafGreen, you need to catch a Pikachu first. Then, use a Thunder Stone on it – you can’t find a Raichu already out in the wild.

You can buy a Thunder Stone at the Celadon Department Store on the fourth floor for 2,100 PokeDollars. Alternatively, you might find one while exploring the Power Plant.

Don’t evolve Pikachu into Raichu right away! It’s best to wait until Pikachu learns the moves you want, especially Thunderbolt at level 26. Remember, once you use the Thunder Stone to evolve Pikachu, you can’t change it back.

Read More

2026-05-15 17:59