How to Beat Pikachu

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If you are looking for the best ways to defeat Pikachu in Pokemon Go, you've come to the right place! This guide will teach you how to successfully win battles against Pikachu by exploiting its Type weakness(es). In addition, it is equally as important to choose the optimal Pokemon and Movesets to take advantage of those weaknesses. This will allow you to to deal maximum damage during battle and defeat Pikachu quickly and easily.
How to Beat Pikachu
To defeat Pikachu in Pokemon Go you must take advantage of its Type Weakness(es). Being an Electric Type, Pikachu is vulnerable against Ground Type Moves. This guide lists the best Pokemon and best Movesets you should use in order to defeat Pikachu as effectively and as efficiently as possible.
Before we get into the details of this guide, please see below. The following is a simple step by step guide/checklist on how to defeat Pikachu. If you would like more information surrounding terminology, specific Pokemon, Movesets, DPS, etc. feel free to check out the rest of this guide.
5 Simple Tips to Defeat Pikachu
Tip #1. CP (Combat Power) Advantage
Choose Pokemon with equal or higher CP than that of the Pikachu you are battling. If your CP advantage is high enough, the next steps will not be as important in battle. Pikachu can have up to a maximum of 787 CP.
Tip #2. Use Move Types Pikachu is Weak Against
Taking advantage of the Type Weakness(es) of Pikachu will allow you to deal more damage during battle. Pikachu is weak against the following Types:
		Ground
	Damage Increase	1.25
Tip #3. Use Pokemon & Moves of the Same Type for Additional Damage
For example, Bulbasaur using a Grass Move, Charmander using a Fire Move or Squirtle using a Water Move will deal 25% more damage simply because the Pokemon is the same Type as the Move it is using. You can find out more about damage mechanics at the end of this page.
Tip #4. Choose the Best Type(s) of Pokemon
Dealing additional damage, while taking reduced damage is important in defeating Pikachu. Avoid using Types of Pokemon Pikachu Moves are Super Effective against, instead try to use Types of Pokemon of which Pikachu Moves are Not Very Effective against.
	Move		X	Pikachu Moves are Super Effective Against
	Quick Attack
	Thunder Shock
	Discharge
	Thunder
	Thunderbolt
	Move		✓	Pikachu Moves Not Very Effective Against
	Quick Attack
	Thunder Shock
	Discharge
	Thunder
	Thunderbolt
Tip #5. Use High DPS Movesets for Max Damage
Taking advantage of the Type Weakness(es) of Pikachu and the STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) of your own Pokemon will allow you to deal a great amount of damage during battle. Pikachu will go down quickly if the optimal Pokemon & Movesets are used. You can learn more about high damage Movesets at the end of this guide: Section IV. Best Pokemon & Movesets to use against Pikachu in battle.
Thank you for reading. If you would like further or more detailed information on how to defeat Pikachu please continue reading the rest of this guide. If you have questions, comments, or tips of your own, feel free to leave a message in the comment section at the end of this guide!
I. Pikachu Type Weaknesses
To defeat Pikachu you must first learn its Type weaknesses. Using specific Types of Moves that Pikachu is weak against will result in those Moves dealing Super Effective damage (25% damage bonus).
Pikachu is an Electric Type Pokemon, which means it is weak against the following Move Type(s) and will be vulnerable to the following damage multipliers:
		Ground
		1.25
II. Utilizing Benefit of Super Effective Moves
Next we must identify Moves of the above Types. This is important as Moves that are Super Effective deal 25% additional damage. If a Pokemon has a double weakness, the Move will deal 56% additional damage.
In order to defeat Pikachu you will want to choose a Pokemon with Move Types Pikachu is vulnerable against. The moves of these types are shown below:
	Move Name	Fast/ Charge	Type	Power	Sec.	Energy	DPS
	Bone Club	Charge	Ground	25	1.60	-25	15.63
	Bulldoze	Charge	Ground	35	3.40	-25	10.29
	Dig	Charge	Ground	70	5.80	-33	12.07
	Drill Run	Charge	Ground	50	3.40	-33	14.71
	Earthquake	Charge	Ground	100	4.20	-100	23.81
	Mud Bomb	Charge	Ground	30	2.60	-25	11.54
	Mud Shot	Fast	Ground	6	0.55	7	10.91
	Mud Slap	Fast	Ground	15	1.35	9	11.11
III. Pokemon Weakness(es) vs. Pikachu
Before we go any further, please take a minute to consider the following. Most of this guide is focused on dealing high amounts of damage in a short period of time, in order to beat Pikachu as quickly as possible. However, it is important to note that defensive Type weaknesses play an important role in Pokemon Go battles as well.
First off, Pikachu can deal a great amount of damage using Thunder Shock and Thunder. This is especially true if you are using Pokemon that are weak against these Move Type(s). The damage per second and ranking of this moveset is shown below.
			High DPS Moveset for Pikachu:
			Move:		Thunder Shock	Thunder
			Move Type:		Electric	Electric
			Category:		Fast	Charge
			DPS:		8.3	23.3
			Rank (DPS):		#75	#40
			DPS (w/ STAB):		10.4	29.1
			Rank (w/ STAB):		#59	#14
	Pikachu is capable of using the following Moves:
	Pikachu Fast Moves:				Pikachu Charge Moves:
		Quick Attack	Thunder Shock			Discharge	Thunder	Thunderbolt
	Type:				Type:
	Power:	10	5		Power:	35	100	55
	Sec:	1.33 sec	0.6 sec		Sec:	2.5 sec	4.3 sec	2.7 sec
	Energy:	7	7		Energy:	-33	-100	-50
	DPS:	7.5	8.3		DPS:	14.0	23.3	20.4
	STAB:	7.5	10.4		STAB:	17.5	29.1	25.5
While Thunder Shock and Thunder is a strong Moveset, most of Pikachu's Moves will deal additional damage if used against certain Types of Pokemon as they will take increased damage from Pikachu. Depending on the particular Moveset of the Pikachu you are battling against, you will want to try and avoid using Pokemon of the following Types.
	Move		X	Pikachu Moves are Super Effective Against
	Quick Attack
	Thunder Shock
	Discharge
	Thunder
	Thunderbolt
On the other hand, there are certain Types of Pokemon in Pokemon Go, that will take less damage from the Moves of Pikachu. Therefore, to survive longer during Gym battles you will want to try and use Pokemon of the below Types when battling against Pikachu.
	Move		✓	Pikachu Moves are Not Very Effective Against
	Quick Attack
	Thunder Shock
	Discharge
	Thunder
	Thunderbolt
It is important to note that this is not the only factor in choosing the optimal Pokemon to defeat Pikachu. If you have a Pokemon with much higher CP and a high damage Moveset vs. Pikachu you will obviously want to use that Pokemon. You will be able to win the battle quickly before your opponent has even had a chance to deal much damage. However, if you are using a Pokemon with average CP and an average moveset, choosing the right Type of Pokemon becomes much more important.
IV. Benefits of Type Weakness & STAB Damage
Getting back to the offensive side of battling, the next step is to identify which Pokemon have the capability of using Super Effective Moves against Pikachu. Furthermore, we must identify Pokemon that are the same Type as the Moves they are using. This will result in an added 25% additional damage bonus, commonly referred to as STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus).
If you are new to Pokemon Go or to the damage mechanics in general, be sure to review the chart below before making your way to Section V. (Best Pokemon Movesets vs. Pikachu). It explains how Pokemon Go DB determines the best damage Moveset/Pokemon to beat Pikachu.
The following chart explains the terms used in this guide:
Battle Mechanics Terminology (Quick Reference Guide)
DPS		DPS stands for Damage per Second. The DPS of each Move is calculated by taking the Power of a Move and dividing it by the time (seconds) it takes to actually perform the move (also known as a cooldown).
STAB		STAB stands for Same Type Attack Bonus. When a Pokemon uses a Move that is the same Type as itself that Move will deal additional bonus damage. For example, if a Electric Type Pokemon uses a Electric Type Move it will deal 25% more damage.
Best Fast Move		The Best Fast Move is calculated by taking the highest DPS Fast Move a Pokemon is capable of using. This includes the 25% STAB bonus. Generally every Pokemon in Pokemon Go will have one of two possible Fast Moves.
Best Charge Move		The Best Charge Move is calculated by taking the highest DPS Charge Move a Pokemon is capable of using. This includes the 25% STAB bonus. Generally every Pokemon in Pokemon Go will have one of three possible Charge Moves.
Best Fast Move DPS vs. Pikachu		Best Fast Move DPS vs. Pikachu is calculated by taking the Best Fast Move DPS w/ STAB and multiplying that DPS by 1.25 if Pikachu has a single weakness to that Type or multiplying that DPS by 1.56 if Pikachu has a double weakness to that Type.
Best Charge Move DPS vs. Pikachu		Best Charge Move DPS vs. Pikachu is calculated by taking the Best Charge Move DPS w/ STAB and multiplying that DPS by 1.25 if Pikachu has a single weakness to that Type or multiplying that DPS by 1.56 if Pikachu has a double weakness to that Type.
Average DPS		Average DPS is simply the average of the Best Fast Move DPS vs. Pikachu and the Best Charge Move DPS vs. Pikachu. The chart is then sorted by highest Average DPS to lowest.
V. Best Pokemon & Movesets to use against Pikachu in battle.
The following chart lists the top Pokemon/Moveset against Pikachu. The list is sorted by highest Average Damage per Second to lowest. Type Effectiveness and STAB play a big role in increasing the damage that is done to Pikachu. If you follow every step in this guide, you will have a much easier time defeating Pikachu. Good Luck!
Best Pokemon Movesets vs. Pikachu
Pic	Name	Best Fast Move	Best Charge Move	Fast Move Type	Charge Move Type	Best Fast Move DPS vs. Pikachu	Best Charge Move DPS vs. Pikachu	Average DPS
	Dugtrio	Mud Slap	Earthquake	Ground	Ground	17.4	37.2	27.3
	Golem	Mud Slap	Earthquake	Ground	Ground	17.4	37.2	27.3
	Marowak	Mud Slap	Earthquake	Ground	Ground	17.4	37.2	27.3
	Rhydon	Mud Slap	Earthquake	Ground	Ground	17.4	37.2	27.3
	Sandslash	Mud Shot	Earthquake	Ground	Ground	17.0	37.2	27.1
	Nidoqueen	Poison Jab	Earthquake	Poison	Ground	14.3	37.2	25.7
	Nidoking	Poison Jab	Earthquake	Poison	Ground	14.3	37.2	25.7
	Graveler	Mud Slap	Stone Edge	Ground	Rock	17.4	32.3	24.8
	Mankey	Scratch	Cross Chop	Normal	Fighting	12.0	37.5	24.8
	Jigglypuff	Pound	Body Slam	Normal	Normal	16.2	32.1	24.1
	Primeape	Low Kick	Cross Chop	Fighting	Fighting	10.4	37.5	24.0
	Machop	Low Kick	Cross Chop	Fighting	Fighting	10.4	37.5	24.0
	Machoke	Low Kick	Cross Chop	Fighting	Fighting	10.4	37.5	24.0
	Meowth	Scratch	Body Slam	Normal	Normal	15.0	32.1	23.5
	Machamp	Karate Chop	Cross Chop	Fighting	Fighting	9.4	37.5	23.4
	Pidgeot	Wing Attack	Hurricane	Flying	Flying	15.0	31.3	23.1
	Wigglytuff	Pound	Hyper Beam	Normal	Normal	16.2	30.0	23.1
	Chansey	Pound	Hyper Beam	Normal	Normal	16.2	30.0	23.1
	Dewgong	Frost Breath	Blizzard	Ice	Ice	13.9	32.1	23.0
	Cloyster	Frost Breath	Blizzard	Ice	Ice	13.9	32.1	23.0
	Lapras	Frost Breath	Blizzard	Ice	Ice	13.9	32.1	23.0
	Articuno	Frost Breath	Blizzard	Ice	Ice	13.9	32.1	23.0
	Kabutops	Mud Shot	Stone Edge	Ground	Rock	13.6	32.3	22.9
	Rattata	Tackle	Body Slam	Normal	Normal	13.6	32.1	22.8
	Eevee	Tackle	Body Slam	Normal	Normal	13.6	32.1	22.8
	Charizard	Wing Attack	Fire Blast	Flying	Fire	15.0	30.5	22.7
	Arcanine	Fire Fang	Fire Blast	Fire	Fire	14.9	30.5	22.7
	Psyduck	Water Gun	Cross Chop	Water	Fighting	15.0	30.0	22.5
	Exeggutor	Zen Headbutt	Solar Beam	Psychic	Grass	14.3	30.6	22.4
	Ivysaur	Vine Whip	Power Whip	Grass	Grass	13.5	31.3	22.4
	Bellsprout	Vine Whip	Power Whip	Grass	Grass	13.5	31.3	22.4
	Tangela	Vine Whip	Power Whip	Grass	Grass	13.5	31.3	22.4
	Wartortle	Water Gun	Hydro Pump	Water	Water	15.0	29.6	22.3
	Blastoise	Water Gun	Hydro Pump	Water	Water	15.0	29.6	22.3
	Golduck	Water Gun	Hydro Pump	Water	Water	15.0	29.6	22.3
	Seadra	Water Gun	Hydro Pump	Water	Water	15.0	29.6	22.3
	Starmie	Water Gun	Hydro Pump	Water	Water	15.0	29.6	22.3
	Vaporeon	Water Gun	Hydro Pump	Water	Water	15.0	29.6	22.3
	Omastar	Water Gun	Hydro Pump	Water	Water	15.0	29.6	22.3
	Parasect	Bug Bite	Solar Beam	Bug	Grass	13.9	30.6	22.3
	Weepinbell	Razor Leaf	Power Whip	Grass	Grass	12.9	31.3	22.1
	Venusaur	Vine Whip	Solar Beam	Grass	Grass	13.5	30.6	22.0
	Tentacruel	Poison Jab	Hydro Pump	Poison	Water	14.3	29.6	21.9
	Kangaskhan	Mud Slap	Earthquake	Ground	Ground	13.9	29.8	21.8
	Vileplume	Razor Leaf	Solar Beam	Grass	Grass	12.9	30.6	21.8
	Victreebel	Razor Leaf	Solar Beam	Grass	Grass	12.9	30.6	21.8
	Snorlax	Zen Headbutt	Body Slam	Psychic	Normal	11.4	32.1	21.7
	Tauros	Tackle	Earthquake	Normal	Ground	13.6	29.8	21.7
	Onix	Rock Throw	Stone Edge	Rock	Rock	11.0	32.3	21.6
	Poliwrath	Mud Shot	Hydro Pump	Ground	Water	13.6	29.6	21.6
	Ninetales	Ember	Fire Blast	Fire	Fire	11.9	30.5	21.2
	Ponyta	Ember	Fire Blast	Fire	Fire	11.9	30.5	21.2
	Rapidash	Ember	Fire Blast	Fire	Fire	11.9	30.5	21.2
	Magmar	Ember	Fire Blast	Fire	Fire	11.9	30.5	21.2
	Flareon	Ember	Fire Blast	Fire	Fire	11.9	30.5	21.2
	Moltres	Ember	Fire Blast	Fire	Fire	11.9	30.5	21.2
	Dragonite	Dragon Breath	Dragon Claw	Dragon	Dragon	15.0	27.3	21.2
	Raticate	Bite	Hyper Beam	Dark	Normal	12.0	30.0	21.0
	Cubone	Mud Slap	Bone Club	Ground	Ground	17.4	24.4	20.9
	Gyarados	Bite	Hydro Pump	Dark	Water	12.0	29.6	20.8
	Raichu	Spark	Thunder	Electric	Electric	12.5	29.1	20.8
	Lickitung	Zen Headbutt	Hyper Beam	Psychic	Normal	11.4	30.0	20.7
	Muk	Poison Jab	Gunk Shot	Poison	Poison	14.3	27.1	20.7
	Haunter	Shadow Claw	Sludge Bomb	Ghost	Poison	14.5	26.4	20.5
	Gengar	Shadow Claw	Sludge Bomb	Ghost	Poison	14.5	26.4	20.5
	Beedrill	Poison Jab	Sludge Bomb	Poison	Poison	14.3	26.4	20.4
	Nidorino	Poison Jab	Sludge Bomb	Poison	Poison	14.3	26.4	20.4
	Grimer	Poison Jab	Sludge Bomb	Poison	Poison	14.3	26.4	20.4
	Ekans	Poison Sting	Gunk Shot	Poison	Poison	12.9	27.1	20.0
	Alakazam	Psycho Cut	Psychic	Psychic	Psychic	15.4	24.6	20.0
	Mewtwo	Psycho Cut	Psychic	Psychic	Psychic	15.4	24.6	20.0