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Pokémon Unite Pikachu Guide: Best Build, Items, Movesets, and Gameplay Tips

Pika Pika

The fan-favorite prolific electric mouse has come to MOBA in a new game for Android and iOS Pokémon Unite. Pikachu, the little spark of happiness and pain takes on the role of an attacker allowing him to deal a ton of damage but making him very, very squishy. He’s traditionally played with a supporter or a defender since his weak endurance makes him very vulnerable in 1v1 or 1v2 situations especially if he’s going against All-Rounders. In this guide, we will take a closer look at the best battle items, and abilities, including the tips and tricks to make your way to victory with Pikachu in Pokémon Unite.

Since Pikachu is extremely vulnerable in a 1v1 situation, he needs a defender or a supporter with him at all times, especially during the early game. Pikachu synergizes particularly well with Blastoise and Snorlax because of their ability to absorb massive amounts of damage while Pikachu safely attacks his opponents from a distance. Blissey and Wigglytuff are excellent supporters that synergize really well with Pikachu though it’s recommended that allies choose defenders instead of supporters. Without further delay, let’s get into the cost, moves, build, and gameplay of the electric glass cannon.

In-game Cost

Pikachu unites license can be purchased from the in-game shop called the Unite Battle Committee. The shop consists of all the characters available from which players can view general info, stats, and abilities of the Pokémon before purchasing them. Pikachu comes with a reasonable cost of 6000 Aeos Coins or 345 Aeos Gems any of which can be used to purchase the electric furball.

Pokémon Unite Pikachu Guide
Pokémon Unite Pikachu

Ability Analysis

Pikachu has a diverse set of abilities that involve some hard CC right from the beginning. He’s a ranged Pokémon who deals insane amounts of damage if played with defenders or supporters though he’s relatively weaker on his own. Let’s take a look at his ability set. In this Pikachu guide, we are going to see in-depth how the abilities work in Pokémon Unite and how you can master him in no time.

Basic Attack

basic attack pikachu

Becomes a boosted attack with every third attack, dealing increased damage. This attack also paralyzes opposing Pokémon for a short time when it hits.

Passive – Static

static pikachu

Paralyzes all opponents near the Pokémon for a short time when the Pokémon receives damage. This ability goes on cooldown after it’s triggered.

Ability 1 – Thunder Shock

thunder shock pikachu

Releases electricity, dealing damage to opposing Pokémon in the area of effect. Also paralyzes opposing Pokémon for a short time.

Ability choices at level 4

Ability 1 evolves into one of the two abilities at level 4.

Electro BallThunder
 Hurls an electric orb, dealing damage to opposing Pokémon in the area of effect and leaving them paralyzed for a short time. This move’s damage increases the lower the opposing Pokémon’s remaining HP is.    Drops wicked thunderbolts, dealing damage to opposing Pokémon in the area of effect.  
Upgrade: Increases damage dealt by this move.Upgrade: Increases the number of attacks for this move.

Ability 2 – Electroweb

electroweb pikachu

Attacks and captures opposing Pokémon with an electric net, leaving them unable to move.

Ability choices at level 6

Ability 2 evolves into one of the two abilities at level 6.

Volt TackleThunderbolt
Pikachu electrifies himself and charges ahead throwing opposing Pokémon.    Attacks with a strong electric blast, dealing damage to opposing Pokémon in the area of effect and leaving them unable to act.  
Upgrade: Reduces this move’s cooldown.Upgrade: Increases damage dealt by this move.

Unite Ability – Thunderstorm

unite move pikachu

Attacks the opposing team’s Pokémon near the user with tremendous bolts of lightning.

Best items for Pikachu in Pokémon Unite

Best Held items for Pikachu

ItemWhy it’s useful
Wise GlassesThis item adds a bonus of 5% per level of the item allowing Pikachu to deal massive amounts of damage at the highest level of the item.
Special Attack SpecsWhen the Pokémon scores a goal, the special attack damage is increased by 12 points. The item itself adds a bonus of 8 points.
Shell BellEvery time Pikachu hits an opponent with a move, it recovers 75 HP. The more the special attack, the higher the HP it recovers. It goes very well with this build and particularly Pikachu since he’s a very squishy champion. This item gives him more durability when going 1v1 and because the other items on the build are special attack boosts, Shell Bell will enable him to have increased healing with every move.

This build is solely a high damage build but players looking for additional defense or scaling can go for one of the following builds:

  • Buddy Barrier, Choice Specs, Wise glasses
  • Buddy Barrier, Choice Specs, Score Shield
  • Shell bell, Energy Amplifier, Wise Glasses

Best Battle items for Pikachu

  • Eject: One of the best items for Pikachu, this item works well with both chasing and kiting and it goes especially well with his role since it gives him the chance to dash forward and secure the kills.
  •  Potion: Potion is good for Pikachu because it gives a bit more sustainability in the lane but it’s not great. For a player looking to dive, this item is perfect but still, it’s not recommended.
  • X Attack: The least favorable items for Pikachu, it gives him an attack boost which is useful in some cases like looking to take a last hit but it doesn’t always help.

Pokémon Unite Pikachu Gameplay Tips

Pikachu is a ranged Pokémon and comes with a CC-based kit stunning and rooting enemies at will and a very powerful Unite Move which is guaranteed to turn the tide of the game when timed right. According to their gameplay, we can break it down into two phases. Our Pokémon Unite Pikachu guide includes the perfect game plan for the early and late game.

Early Game

Pikachu is relatively weak during the early stages of the game since his first ability Thunder Shock does not deal as much damage. However, once he hits level 3, he unlocks his second ability Electroweb giving him and his teammates a chance to dive in for the skill since his second ability is a hard CC ability. Pikachu cannot dive in during the early stages since he’s very squishy and vulnerable and needs to stay behind his defender or supporter.

early game pikachu Pokémon Unite Pikachu Guide
Pikachu in the battlefield

His long-range, however, let him attack safely from a distance giving him the upper hand despite being a weak early game Pokémon. Pikachu heavily relies on farming in the early game in order to level up faster. Once he hits level 4, he gets the option to unlock one of the two abilities: Electro Ball or Thunder. Electro Ball is a target ability that cannot be dodged while Thunder is an AOE ability that rains down thunder in a targeted zone dealing damage to all enemies within the area.

Late Game

Pikachu becomes an absolute beast during the late game dealing massive amounts of damage after upgrading his second ability with either Volt Tackle or Thunderbolt. Just like the upgrades on his first ability, the options on his second abilities also involve a target ability and an AOE ability. Volt Tackle targets a single opponent in which Pikachu dashes to the enemy Pokémon and after a few seconds of constantly dealing damaging, throws them back. Thunderbolt, however, stuns enemies in a designated area allowing Pikachu and his allies a chance to secure a kill.

late gmae pikachu Pokémon Unite Pikachu Guide
Pikachu gameplay in Pokémon Unite

Positioning of Pikachu

Pikachu is primarily played in the bottom lane alongside a defender or a supporter but he can also be played mid as a jungler. Being a very squishy Pokémon, he relies on his allies to protect him during the early game however, mid to late game is when Pikachu truly begins to show his spark. He can rotate to other areas of the map once he hits level 6 to help his teammates dominate the lane.

Tips and tricks

This Pikachu guide will also discuss some tips and tricks for playing the prolific electric mouse in Pokémon Unite.

  • Electro Ball is useful when going 1v1 or 2v2 against opponents. However, if the players are getting ganked by the enemy jungler frequently, it is recommended to go for Thunder which deals damage to multiple enemies at the same time contrary to Electro Ball which only targets one opponent at a time.
  • If the first ability unlocked is Electro ball, then it’s better to unlock Thunderbolt as his second ability since the combo of CC and hard damage lets Pikachu mercilessly take down his opponents.
  • If the first ability unlocked is Thunder, then it’s better to go for Volt Tackle. While Thunder is constantly dealing damage to opponents, Pikachu can dive in with Volt Tackle dealing massive damage and allowing an easy kill.
  • The combo of Thunder, Volt Tackle and Unite Move is an absolute game-changer allowing Pikachu and his allies some guaranteed kills.
Pokemon that Pikachu counters Pokemon that counter Pikachu
GardevoirCharizard
Alolan NinetalesGarchomp
GreninjaCinderace
AbsolVenusaur
LucarioTalonflame

Pikachu blends well and synergizes with Pokemons such as Blastoise, Snorlax, Wigglytuff, and Blissey.

PokémonSynergy Benefits
BlastoiseAn excellent defender for Pikachu due to his high damaging abilities and hard CC.
SnorlaxSnorlax is incredibly tanky taking in massive amounts of damage along with his ability to proc a shield for his allies making him an excellent companion for Pikachu.
WigglytuffWigglytuff has tons of hard CC including charm and slows which allows Pikachu to score some easy kills making her one of the best supporters in the game for Pikachu though she is relatively squishier than other Pokémon who go well with Pikachu.
BlisseyAnother excellent option for Pikachu is Blissey due to her mild tank nature and her ability to boost, heal and remove all CC effects from her allies.

Final Thoughts

Pikachu is an excellent ranged Pokémon who makes a very valuable pick for the team since his kit has the ability to turn the tides of the game. He is an offensive all-star that can stun and damage his opponents from a long range while dealing massive area damage. In the hands of a skilled player, Pikachu can solo carry his team despite being a squishy Pokémon due to his high utility kit. His versatility makes him a Pokémon that players can get creative with. It will certainly be exciting to see the different kinds of strategies and builds players will use with Pikachu.

That’s all for today’s Pokémon Unite Pikachu Guide. Do you prefer to use Pikachu in any other way? Let us know in the comment section below!

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