Lt. Surge's Raichu

Lt. Surge's Raichu マチスのライチュウ Matisse's Raichu

Lt. Surge's Raichu

Debuts in Electric Shock Showdown Caught at Unknown Evolves in Prior to Electric Shock Showdown Gender Unknown* Ability Static* Current location With Lt. Surge

→ This Pokémon spent an unknown number of episodes as Pikachu.

Voice actor Japanese English As Pikachu N/A As Raichu Urara Takano

Lt. Surge's Raichu (Japanese: マチスのライチュウ Matisse's Raichu) is Lt. Surge's main Pokémon in the anime and games.

In the anime

Main series

Raichu's battle against Ash's Pikachu

Raichu appeared in Electric Shock Showdown, where it was responsible for brutally defeating many opponents, as the Pokémon Center started to get crowded. This happened before Ash entered the Vermilion Gym. Later during Ash's arrival, Lt. Surge sent it out to him and his friends. Lt. Surge laughed at Ash for not making Pikachu evolve, thinking that evolved Pokémon are always better. This infuriated Ash and made Pikachu, also infuriated, want to battle Raichu.

In the battle, both sides started off with Thunder Shock, but Raichu's turned out to be more powerful, which weakened Pikachu drastically. Raichu then easily hit Pikachu with a combination of Mega Punch and Mega Kick before defeating him with a Thunderbolt. 

Raichu and Lt. Surge

Ash returned to the Gym for a rematch after Pikachu was healed. He ignored Lt. Surge's advice on evolving Pikachu into a Raichu. In the rematch, Raichu was able to hit Pikachu with Body Slam but Pikachu was able to use two new attacks, Agility and Quick Attack, which were both learned before the rematch, before being finished off. As Raichu evolved too fast, it never learned any speedy attacks. Pikachu took advantage of this by using his speedy attacks to confuse Raichu. Lt. Surge decided to cancel them by having Raichu use Thunderbolt on the field. However, Pikachu dodged it by using his tail. When Raichu was about to use Thunderbolt again, it ran out of electricity which gave Pikachu the upper hand. Pikachu finished Raichu off with his tail attack before Raichu made full contact with Take Down. As Ash eventually defeated Lt. Surge in a rematch, it proved to him that evolved Pokémon are not always better.

Raichu reappeared in a flashback in the Japanese version of Pikachu's Goodbye, when Ash was recalling the fun times he had with Pikachu; and in another flashback in Bad to the Bone, where Raichu was defeated in a Gym battle by Otoshi's Marowak. Both Raichu and Lt. Surge reappeared in flashbacks in Pika and Goliath! and Destination: Coronation!.

Personality and characteristics

Raichu's attitude towards Ash's Pikachu almost completely mirrors Lt. Surge's attitude toward Ash. When they first meet Raichu, it doesn't have a high opinion of Pikachu. However, after being defeated, Raichu grows to respect him.

Moves used

Using Thunder Shock Using Thunderbolt	Move First Used In Thunder Shock Electric Shock Showdown Mega Punch Electric Shock Showdown Mega Kick Electric Shock Showdown Body Slam Electric Shock Showdown Thunderbolt Electric Shock Showdown Take Down Electric Shock Showdown
A † shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves.

Pokémon Origins

Raichu in Pokémon Origins

In File 2: Cubone, Raichu was used by Lt. Surge in his Gym battle against Red. However, it was defeated off-screen.

GOTCHA!

Lt. Surge's Raichu briefly appeared in GOTCHA!.

In the games

Raichu appears as Lt. Surge's Pokémon in all games he appears in. In Pokémon Yellow, it is his only Pokémon, much as in the anime. In other games it is not his only Pokémon, but it is always present. Lt. Surge's Pikachu that he has in the games is also shown below, since Surge said in the anime that he obtained his Raichu as a Pikachu.

In the core series

Pokémon Red and Blue		Pokémon Yellow	Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal
Type: Electric Unknown Pikachu Lv.18 ThunderShock Electric   --       Growl Normal   --       Thunder Wave Electric   --       Quick Attack Normal   --	Type: Electric Unknown Raichu Lv.24 ThunderShock Electric   --       Growl Normal   --       Thunderbolt Electric   --       Struggle Normal   --	Type: Electric Unknown Raichu Lv.28 Thunderbolt Electric   --       Mega Punch Normal   --       Mega Kick Normal   --       Growl Normal   --	Type: Electric Unknown Held item: None Raichu♂ Lv.44 Thunderbolt Electric   --       Thunder Electric   --       Thunder Wave Electric   --       Quick Attack Normal   --
		Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen		Gym battle	Fighting Dojo rematch
Type: Electric Unknown Ability: Static Held item: None Pikachu♂ Lv.18 Shock Wave Electric   --       Thunder Wave Electric   --       Quick Attack Normal   --       Double Team Normal   --	Type: Electric Unknown Ability: Static Held item: None Raichu♂ Lv.24 Shock Wave Electric   --       Thunder Wave Electric   --       Quick Attack Normal   --       Double Team Normal   --	Type: Electric Unknown Ability: Static Held item: None Raichu♂ Lv.51 Thunder Wave Electric Status   --       Shock Wave Electric Special   --       Quick Attack Normal Physical   --       Double Team Normal Status   --	Type: Electric Unknown Ability: Static Held item: None Raichu♂ Lv.60 Thunderbolt Electric Special   --       Grass Knot Grass Special   --       Quick Attack Normal Physical   --       Thunder Wave Electric Status   --
Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 Pokémon World Tournament		Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
Kanto Leaders Tournament	Type Expert/World Leaders Tournament	Gym battle	Rematch
Type: Electric Unknown Ability: Static Held item: Electric Gem Raichu♂/♀ Lv.50 Thunderbolt Electric Special   --       Focus Blast Fighting Special   --       Signal Beam Bug Special   --       Thunder Wave Electric Status   --	Type: Electric Unknown Ability: Static Held item: Life Orb Raichu♂/♀ Lv.50 Volt Tackle Electric Physical   --       Fake Out Normal Physical   --       Focus Punch Fighting Physical   --       Thunder Wave Electric Status   --	Type: Electric Unknown Mega Stone: None Raichu♂ Lv.26 Thunderbolt Electric Special   --       Quick Attack Normal Physical   --       Double Kick Fighting Physical   --       Curse Unknown Status   --	Type: Electric Unknown Mega Stone: None Raichu♂ Lv.57 Thunder Punch Electric Physical   --       Iron Tail Steel Physical   --       Brick Break Fighting Physical   --       Quick Attack Normal Physical   --

Traded to the player

HeartGold and SoulSilver
Location Player's Pokémon Traded Pokémon English nickname Japanese nickname Item Ability Nature English OT Japanese OT ID IVs Saffron City Pikachu Pikachu♀ (foreign)* Volty VOLTY Yellow Shard Static Jolly Surge♂ マチス Matisse 33038 20/25/18/25/13/31

Pokémon Stadium series

Pokémon Stadium
Round 1		Round 2
Type: Electric Unknown Raichu Lv.50-100 Thunder Electric   --       Surf Water   --       Body Slam Normal   --       Thunder Wave Electric   --	Type: Electric Unknown Pikachu Lv.50-100 Seismic Toss Fighting   --       Agility Psychic   --       Double Team Normal   --       Surf Water   --	Type: Electric Unknown Raichu Lv.50-100 Thunderbolt Electric   --       Surf Water   --       Body Slam Normal   --       Thunder Wave Electric   --
Pokémon Stadium 2
Round 1	Round 2
Type: Electric Unknown Held item: MiracleBerry Raichu♂ Lv.50-100 Thunderbolt Electric   --       Thunder Wave Electric   --       Seismic Toss Fighting   --       Surf Water   --	Type: Electric Unknown Held item: Focus Band Raichu♂ Lv.50-100 Surf Water   --       Reversal Fighting   --       Thunderbolt Electric   --       Thunder Wave Electric   --

In the side series

Pokémon Masters EX

Main article: Lt. Surge (Masters) → Raichu

Lt. Surge forms a sync pair with Raichu in Pokémon Masters EX.

Dex	Trainer		NDex	Pokémon		Type	Weakness	Role	EX role	Base potential	Availability
#004		Lt. Surge	#0026		Raichu♂	Electric	Ground			★★★★☆☆EX	Battle Points

Pokémon Puzzle League

Raichu is one of Lt. Surge's three Pokémon in Pokémon Puzzle League.

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Raichu in Pokémon Adventures

Red, Green & Blue arc

Lt. Surge's Raichu debuted in Go for the Golbat during Surge's battle with Red.

Gold, Silver & Crystal arc

In Raising Raichu, Raichu was used to battle the Masked Man. Later, when Surge encountered the frozen Red Gyarados at the Lake of Rage, he used Raichu to power up his submarine's underwater laser. However, as the thawed Gyarados wasn't willing to fight him, but instead trying to break another block of ice at the bottom of the lake, Surge ended up using the laser on the ice block, which turned out to contain some of the gears of Gold and Silver, who had previously fought the Masked Man at the lake.

Raichu was also briefly seen in Hello, Lickitung, where Surge used his sharp tail as a warning for Morty to not to struggle against him, as well as in Yikes, It's Yanma!, where he was seen standing alongside Surge during the introduction of the Kanto and Johto Gym Leaders.

Raichu in Pokémon Journeys: The Series

Raichu in Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure

Pokémon Journeys: The Series

Raichu appeared in a fantasy in Destination: Coronation!.

Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure

Lt. Surge's Raichu only appeared as a silhouette in JBA5 along with its Trainer and the other Kanto Gym Leaders as one of the obstacles Jō must face.

In the TCG

Lt. Surge's Raichu has been depicted in in the TCG. The following is a list of cards involving either his Pikachu or Raichu.

Lt. Surge's Pikachu Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Lt. Surge's Pikachu		Gym Heroes		81/132	Kuchiba City Gym
Lt. Surge's Pikachu		Gym Challenge		84/132	Leaders' Stadium
Lt. Surge's Raichu
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Lt. Surge's Raichu		Gym Heroes		28/132	Kuchiba City Gym
Lt. Surge's Raichu		Gym Challenge		11/132	Challenge from the Darkness
Lt. Surge's Raichu					Pokémon VS		053/141

• Raichu also appears in the card Secret Mission (Gym Heroes 118).

Artwork

Artwork from the Kuchiba City Gym Theme Deck	Raichu and Lt. Surge

Merchandise

Kuchiba City Gym Deck

The second wave of decks leading up to the release of Leaders' Stadium were released on July 25, 1998. The first deck focuses on Gym Leader Lt. Surge and his predominantly Lightning-type Pokémon, and is named Kuchiba City Gym (Japanese: クチバシティジム マチス). The deck includes 60 main cards, four expansion cards, a coin, a rulebook, and Pokémon Gym Guide.

Product images:

Kuchiba City Gym	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins
The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins
The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins
The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins
The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins

Trivia

• All of Lt. Surge's Pikachu and Raichu from Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2 have the exclusive move Surf.
  • Raichu has an illegal move combination in Pokémon Stadium 2: Surf can only be obtained as a special move as a Pikachu from Pokémon Stadium, while Reversal can only be obtained by breeding.
• Lt. Surge’s Raichu knowing Mega Punch and Mega Kick in Pokémon Yellow is a direct reference to the moveset it uses in the anime episode Electric Shock Showdown.

Related articles

For more information on this Pokémon's species, see Pikachu and Raichu.

Lt. Surge's Pokémon
On hand:	Raichu
Adventures only:	Electabuzz	Magnemite	Magneton	Voltorb	Electrode	Zapdos
	Raikou
Pocket Monsters only:	Kingler	Poliwhirl	Horsea	Seel

This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.