What Level Does Pikachu Evolve At?
Pikachu is considered to be the mascot of the whole Pokémon franchise. The small, yellow Electric-type Pokémon is quite possibly the most famous creature from the whole franchise and not many people around the world can say that they’ve never heard of Pikachu. As with most Pokémon, Pikachu can evolve and in this article, you are going to get your full guide on how and when to evolve your Pikachu in video games. But firstly let’s answer what level does Pikachu evolve at?
Pikachu does not evolve at any specific level. Namely, in order to evolve a Pikachu, you need a Thunder Stone; there is no other way. Since Evolutionary Stones aren’t really tied to a Pokémon’s level, this means that you can evolve your Pikachu at any time, i.e., at any level, as soon as you obtain a Thunder Stone.
In today’s article, we are going to tell you everything you need to know about evolving Pikachu in the Pokémon video games. You’re going to find out when you can evolve him and what you need to do (or have) to evolve that Pokémon. This is going to be a thorough guide so prepare yourselves for all the information you’ll ever need.
What level does Pikachu evolve at?
As far as the Pokémon games are concerned, Pikachu generally has a standard evolution process that is present in all the main video games and has not changed over the course of eight generations. Now, the issue here are the spin-off games and the side games, which don’t use the same evolution mechanism as the main games.
In the main games, Pikachu does not have a level at which it evolves into Raichu. Namely, it requires an evolutionary stone, the Thunder Stone, and evolutionary stones can be used at any level. Now, let us see some in-game specifics.
What level does Pikachu evolve at in the main games (FireRed, Let’s Go Eevee, LeafGreen, Sun, etc.)?
As is the case with all the main games, Pikachu evolves in them using the Thunder Stone. There is no level, so if you find someone online stating that Pikachu evolves at a specific level, be aware that it is a piece of fake information. You can level up your Pikachu to the maximum and it still won’t evolve unless you give it a Thunder Stone. These are the locations of the Thunder Stone in all the main generation games:
| Games | Finite methods | Repeatable methods |
|---|---|---|
| Red Green Blue Yellow | Celadon Department Store | |
| Gold Silver Crystal | Sea Cottage (from Bill’s grandfather) | Route 38 (gift from Lass Dana)C, Mystery Gift |
| Ruby Sapphire Emerald | New Mauville | Route 124 (trade for Yellow Shard with Treasure Hunter) |
| FireRed LeafGreen | Power Plant (×2) | Celadon Department Store |
| XD | Gateon Port | |
| Diamond Pearl Platinum | Solaceon RuinsPt, Sunyshore City | The Underground |
| HeartGold SoulSilver | Sea Cottage (from Bill’s grandfather) | Route 38 (gift from Lass Dana), Bug-Catching Contest first prize (post-National Pokédex), Pokéathlon Dome (2500 Pts.)WeThSa |
| Black White | Chargestone Cave, Shopping Mall Nine | Dust clouds, Black CityB/White ForestW (Ken) |
| Black 2 White 2 | Nimbasa City, Chargestone Cave | Battle Subway/Pokémon World Tournament (3 BP), Join Avenue (Antique Shop), Black City (Store 1), Dust clouds (Chargestone Cave, Mistralton Cave, Clay Tunnel, Twist Mountain, Underground Ruins, Victory Road, Wellspring Cave, Seaside Cave, Giant Chasm), Hidden Grottoes (Routes 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 18, 22, 23; Floccesy Ranch; Giant Chasm; Abundant Shrine; Lostlorn Forest; Pinwheel Forest), Pokémon Dream Radar (regular areas after catching Thundurus) |
| X Y | Routes 10 and 11 | Secret Super Training (Follow Those Fleeing Goals!, The Battle for the Best: Version X!X, and The Battle for the Best: Version Y!Y), Route 18 (from Psychic Inver), Spiky Rock 2 (in battles; using Hyper Voice or Rock Slide) |
| OmegaRuby AlphaSapphire | New Mauville | Route 124 (trade for Yellow Shard with Treasure Hunter), Mauville City (Inverse Battle Stop), Secret Super Training (Follow Those Fleeing Goals!, The Battle for the Best!), Route 117 (rematch with Triathlete Dylan), Route 118 (rematch with Guitarist Dalton), Secret Base (“Pick up stones” with Secret Pal) |
| Sun Moon | Route 8 | Konikoni City, Poké Pelago (Isle Aphun – Brilliant-Stone Hunting, Interesting-Item Hunting) |
| UltraSun UltraMoon | Route 9, Paniola Ranch, Ultra Plant (×6) | Konikoni City, Poké Pelago (Isle Aphun – Brilliant-Stone Hunting, Interesting-Item Hunting) |
| Pikachu Eevee | Route 10, Power Plant | Celadon Department Store |
| Sword Shield | North Lake Miloch | Lake of Outrage, Bridge Field (Digging Duo) |
What level does Pikachu evolve at in Pokémon Quest?
As we’ve said, there are several spin-off and side games that don’t actually use the same evolution mechanics as the main games, which means that Pikachu does not evolve via the Thunder Stone but by leveling up. Now, these games aren’t really canon and they have been made to enjoy the world of Pokémon from a different point of view, but the data from these games cannot really be used as canon material.
Pokémon Quest is one such game and in it, Pikachu evolved by leveling up. If you want your Pikachu to evolve into Raichu, you’ll have to raise it up to level 22.
What level does Pikachu evolve at in Pixelmon and Brick Bronze?
Like in the main games, Pikachu evolves into Raichu by using the Thunder Stone.
What level does Pikachu evolve at in Pokémon Go?
As all players know, Pokémon Go doesn’t use a level system for its evolutions, but rather a Candy-based system with possible combinations with some items or achievements. Pikachu does not require an evolutionary stone in the game and if you want to evolve it, you’ll have to collect a total of 50 Pikachu Candy and then evolve your Pikachu into Raichu.
How do you evolve Pikachu?
As we’ve explained – there is only one way to evolve Pikachu in the main games and most other games as well. Pikachu does not evolve by leveling up or via some other statistical value, it evolves exclusively via the Thunder Stone. So, in order to evolve your Pikachu, you first have to have a Pikachu on your roster. Then, you need to obtain a Thunder Stone and use it on your Pikachu. This can be done on any level, as there are no level-based limitations when evolutionary stones are concerned.
Can Pikachu evolve without a Thunder Stone?
The answer to this one is quite simple. Namely, as far as the main games, most other games, and the anime series are concerned, there is absolutely no way for you to evolve Pikachu into Raichu without a Thunder Stone. Some side games that use a different evolutionary mechanism allow you to evolve your Pikachu by leveling up, but they are not canon.