How to get Pikachu in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Including how to get a special Tera Flying-type Pikachu.
Pikachu is of course back in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and there's a few ways to add one to your Paldean Pokédex.
We've detailed how to get Pikachu in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet below, including how to get a special Flying Pikachu.
If you'd like to learn more about your Paldea adventure, visit our Pokémon Scarlet and Violet walkthrough.
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How to get Pikachu in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
It's good and bad news for Pikachu fans, as the electric mouse is available from pretty early on in the game, but you'll need some luck to spot one in the wild.
You can get a Pikachu in a few different areas of Paldea, including near the northwest side of the crater, and around Artazon. The earliest you can get a Pikachu, is by searching northwest of Los Platos, on your way to the academy.
While getting the ability to climb will get you to the Pikachu location easier, you can actually jump across a gap to the southwest of Los Platos to get around the cliffs and climb up to near the river in the northwestern corner, where Pikachu spawn.
Search close to the trees in this area to try and spot a wild Pikachu, but keep in mind that they are a rare spawn. If it's just one Pikachu you're after, then you might want to try catching a Pichu instead, then evolving it into Pikachu.
Pichu are found all around Los Platos, and although they're also marked as rare in the Pokédex, we managed to spot one on both occasions we went searching. Pichu are also found near trees, so narrow your search there.
Pichu requires you to raise your friendship level with it, however. So give it a Soothe Bell, use it in battles, feed it items that raise friendship, and it will eventually evolve into Pikachu when it levels up with a high enough friendship.
If you want Raichu as well, you'll have to use a Thunder Stone on a Pikachu.
Shiny Pikachu hunters should instead wait until they get to the northwestern region of Paldea, as there's a larger area of land that Pikachu can spawn there. This raises your chances of coming across one in the wild.
How to get a special Flying Pikachu in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
While you normally have to beat the Normal Gym leader to unlock changing a Pokémon's Tera Type, you can actually get a Tera Flying Pikachu by claiming a Mystery Gift before 28th February 2023.
We've explained exactly how to do this is our Mystery Gift page, but in summary, you need to progress with the First Day of School quest and go to a Pokémon Center to unlock the Poké Portal, which is now available in the menu. Select it, then 'Mystery Gift', then 'Get via Internet'.
You now have a Tera Flying-type Pikachu! This counts as the Pikachu entry for your Pokédex. So if you just want Pikachu to complete your dex, this is the best way to do so at launch.
Remember, you can only get a Tera Flying Pikachu in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet as a Mystery Gift before 28th February 2023. After this, there's no way to get a Tera Flying-type Pikachu through regular gameplay.
For more help in Paldea, we've got a walkthrough, including help with the Starfall Street, Victory Road, and Path of Legends stories.