Where To Find Pikachu In Every Main Series Pokémon Game

The Pokémon franchise mascot has been present in every single game in the main series, making it possible for players to always add one to the team.

The Electric Mouse Pokémon, Pikachu, has been the franchise’s mascot for decades. This little creature is the face of the Pokémon brand, instantly recognizable by fans and non-fans alike. As the most recognizable Pokémon, it should come as no surprise that Pikachu is present in every single main series Pokémon game in one way or another.

RELATED: Where To Find Charmander In Every Main Series Pokémon Game

Some fans classify Pikachu as a starter Pokémon because it can be picked up at the very start of several games, and in some cases is an actual starter itself, but it’s often much easier to acquire than most starters. Just as Ash’s Pikachu accompanies him throughout each new season of the anime, Pokémon players looking to travel with a Pikachu need only go looking.

CBR VIDEO OF THE DAY

Updated on December 2, 2022, by Michael Colwander: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are now out, which means fans are eager to see if their favorite Pokémon made the cut. So is Pikachu in Scarlet and Violet?

Generation I

Viridian Forest, Power Plant (RB), As A Starter (Yellow)

In the very first Pokémon games, Red and Blue, trainers can pick up a Pikachu almost immediately after acquiring their starter. Viridian Forest is one of the earliest areas of the game, and Pikachu can be encountered here in the tall grass, though at only a 5% encounter rate.

Trainers willing to wait a little longer can venture to the Power Plant, located on Route 10, for a 25% chance of encountering one at a much higher level. Pokémon Yellow instead just gives the player a Pikachu right off the bat, allowing them to start their journey with the franchise mascot at their side.

Generation II

Route 2 (GSC), Celadon Game Corner (Crystal)

Pokémon Gold and Silver introduced a new region, one where Pikachu was nowhere to be found initially. In order to find a Pikachu in these games, players have to complete the main story and journey to Kanto. Players will find that Viridian Forest has been replaced with Route 2, a similar area with a slightly different layout. Pikachu can be found here, though again with only a 5% encounter rate.

RELATED: Where To Find Bulbasaur In Every Main Series Pokémon Game

Pokémon Crystal slightly changed this rate, making Pikachu not present at night. However, it added an extra place to get a Pikachu in the Celadon Game Corner, where a level 25 Pikachu can be purchased for 2,222 coins.

Generation III

Hoenn Safari Zone (RSE), Viridian Forest, Power Plant (FRLG)

Generation III introduced the now long-running Pokémon tradition of remaking older games with upgraded graphics and systems. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen were faithful remakes of the Generation I games, down to the presence of Pikachu in Viridian Forest and again at the Power Plant. Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald also include Pikachu, this time in the Hoenn Safari Zone.

Pikachu can be found in Area One and Area Two of the Safari Zone, the one where the player enters the zone and the one immediately to the west of there. Like its first appearance, Pikachu has a meager 5% encounter rate in the Safari Zone.

Generation IV

Trophy Garden (DPP), Viridian Forst, Vermillion City (HGSS)

Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum introduced the Trophy Garden, which can be found on Route 212 behind the Pokémon Mansion after acquiring the National Pokédex. Pikachu can be found at any time of day with a 10% encounter rate. In Diamond and Pearl, the Pikachu found will be level 18, while in Platinum they can be level 22 or 24.

The Kanto region found in HeartGold and SoulSilver features the return of Viridian Forest and a low-encoutner rate Pikachu. There is one other fun way to get a Pikachu in these games, however. When visiting Saffron City, the Vermillion City gym leader Lt. Surge will visit and offer to trade his Pikachu for one owned by the player. The Pikachu he offers will come from a different language region than the players, being English if the game is non-English, or French if the game is English.

Generation V

Dream World, Transfer From Generation IV (BW & B2W2)

The games set in Unova introduced an entirely new Pokédex with no existing Pokémon, making it the most difficult generation to get a Pikachu. The now-defunct Dream World service allowed players to connect to the internet, find Pokémon otherwise not present in Black or White, and transfer them over to the games.

RELATED: Where To Find Squirtle In Every Main Series Pokémon Game

Since this service is no longer online, Generation V is currently the only set of games in the entire franchise where it’s impossible to acquire a Pikachu during the normal course of play. The only option is to transfer them through the Generation IV games.

Generation VI

Santaluna Forest, Route 3 (XY), Hoenn Safari Zone, Pokémon Contest Spectacular (ORAS)

The Generation VI games started to really look back on Pokémon history, as they give the player a Kanto starter very early on in the story. Similarly, it is very easy to acquire a Pikachu early on. Pikachu can be found with a 6% encounter rate in Santaluna Forest, located between Route 2 and Route 3. Pikachu can be found again just a little further on once the player reaches Route 3, though this time it has just a 5% encounter rate.

The remakes from Generation VI, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire feature the return of the Hoenn Safari Zone, but this time Pikachu can only be found in Area One. Finally, a special Cosplay Pikachu is given to the player after they first participate in a Pokémon Contest Spectacular. This Pikachu can swap between five different outfits, one for each of the contest categories.

Generation VII

Route 1 (SUMO & USUM), Mantine Surf (USUM), As A Starter (LGP), Viridian Forest (LGPE)

Pokémon Sun and Moon once again made it very easy to pick up a Pikachu early on. Pichu can be found in the two fields of grass nearest to Iki Town on Route 1 and in the Shopping District of Hau’oli City. If the battle goes long enough, they will call more Pichu, Happiny, or Pikachu to aid them. Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon removed Pichu from the Shopping District but added it to the two patches of grass east of the player’s house on Route 1.

In the sequels, players who achieve high scores on all four of the Mantine Surf courses are rewarded with a Level 40 Pikachu with the move Surf, an otherwise impossible move for it to learn. Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu has players start with a Pikachu just like in Pokémon Yellow, and more can be found in Viridian Forest. Let’s Go, Eevee players have to settle for catching one in Viridian Forest.

Generation VIII

Rolling Fields, Route 4, Stony Wilderness, Max Raid Battles, Data From LGPE, DLC Locations (SWSH), Trophy Garden (BDSP), Nature’s Pantry, Golden Lowlands, Space-Time Distortions (PLA)

Pokémon Sword and Shield feature lots of different locations to pick up a Pikachu. They can be found in the west half of the Rolling Fields when there is an active Thunderstorm, in the grass of Route 4 (at a 5% rate in Sword and a 1% rate in Shield), and in the Stony Wilderness area of the Wild Area when it is raining or storming. Pikachu Max Raid Battles can be found in the Giant’s Cap, Giant’s Mirror, Hammerlock Hills, Lake of Outrage, and Motostoke Riverbank areas. Finally, players with Let’s Go, Pikachu data on their Switch will be given a Gigantamax-capable Pikachu at the Meetup Spot in the south of the Wild Area.

RELATED: The Best Feature In Every Pokémon Generation

The Expansion Pass added even more Pikachu locations, including the Forest of Focus, the Fields of Honor, and the Soothing Wetlands, plus Max Raid Battles in Challenge Beach, the Fields of Honor, and the Forest of Focus. Like in the original games, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl feature Pikachu in the Trophy Garden. Finally, Pokémon Legends: Arceus has wild Pikachu in Nature’s Pantry and the Golden Lowlands, while Pikachu can appear in Space-time distortions in the Bonechill Wastes or Heart’s Crag.

Generation IX

West Province, East Province, South Province, Limited-Time Mystery Gift (SV)

This won’t come as a shock to anyone, but Pikachu is indeed in Scarlet and Violet. There was no need to worry about whether or not Pikachu was going to make the roster cut – it just wouldn’t be a Pokémon game without Pikachu. Players can receive a special Tera Pikachu as Mystery Gift, but they have until February 23, 2023, to do so.

Pikachu is a fairly rare spawn out in the wild, but can be found in Area Three of West Province, Area One of East Province, and Areas Two and Four of the South Province. Pichus can be found around these locations as well, which can be evolved into Pikachu instead. Pikachu also has a two-star and three-star Tera Raid Battle that will be available periodically.

NEXT: 10 Pokémon Plot Holes That Aren’t Actually Plot Holes