Pokemon Champions Mega Raichu Y Build Guide

No Guard Zap Cannon is the build, not a gimmick

No Guard means Mega Raichu Y and the Pokemon targeting it both have guaranteed accuracy. That second half matters: Mega Raichu Y is fragile, so it cannot pretend that No Guard is purely upside. The reward is still worth building around because Zap Cannon becomes a 120-base-power Electric STAB move with guaranteed paralysis.

In practice, Zap Cannon does two jobs. First, it removes common Electric-weak targets such as Mega Charizard Y, Pelipper, Corviknight-style Steel/Flying picks, and many Water attackers. Second, it gives speed control into bulky targets that survive. If Milotic or another special wall lives the hit, paralysis can still let a teammate outspeed and clean up.

Recommended Mega Raichu Y moveset

The most stable moveset starts with Protect, Zap Cannon, and Steam Eruption. Protect is mandatory because Mega Raichu Y is easy to punish on the wrong turn. Zap Cannon is the main damage and control move. Steam Eruption is the coverage button that lets Raichu punish Ground-resistant pivots and threaten targets that do not care about Electric damage.

The fourth slot should match the team. Grass Knot is the best direct answer to Mega Swampert and other heavy Ground or Water targets. Encore punishes Protect, setup, and passive turns. Volt Switch gives pivot value when Raichu has already forced the opponent into a defensive response. Electroweb is weaker than Zap Cannon but can slow both opponents. Fake Out is usable, but Mega Raichu Y often has too many attacking and utility demands to guarantee that slot.

Why bulk investment beats max Special Attack

The common ladder spread often appears as simple Special Attack plus Speed investment. That is easy to use, but it misses the most important Mega Raichu Y lesson: 160 base Special Attack and 120-base-power moves already give it enough damage for many jobs. A full 0 Special Attack or very low Special Attack spread still gets meaningful KOs with Zap Cannon, especially against targets weak to Electric.

The real weakness is survival. Uninvested Mega Raichu Y can drop to attacks that should not be allowed to remove a Mega slot so easily, including strong priority and common physical hits. Bulk investment in HP and Defense lets Raichu survive moves such as Sucker Punch benchmarks, Close Combat-adjacent pressure after mitigation, and neutral hits that would otherwise remove it before it can fire a second Zap Cannon.

The guide image uses the same principle as many tournament EV spreads: invest enough Speed to clear the targets that matter, then move the remaining budget into bulk. Raichu does not need to win every speed tie. It needs to live one more turn, paralyze one more threat, and let the rest of the team profit.

Damage benchmarks: what 0 Special Attack still does

The offensive chart is the reason this guide recommends a bulk-first approach. Even at 0 Special Attack investment, Zap Cannon still overwhelms many of its intended targets. Mega Charizard Y does not want to take it. Staraptor-style Flying attackers do not want to take it. Pelipper and other rain enablers cannot casually absorb it. The move is simply too strong when it is both STAB and super effective.

Focus Blast-style Fighting coverage is not the point of this set, but Steam Eruption and Fighting-adjacent coverage logic both show why damage overflow matters. Some targets die regardless of extra investment. Others, such as Assault Vest or resist-berry users, survive regardless. When extra Special Attack does not change the number of hits needed, bulk is usually the better ranked ladder investment.

Grass Knot is the exception slot because it targets specific heavy Pokemon. Against Mega Swampert, Grass Knot can be the difference between forcing a rain team to respect Raichu and letting Swampert run the board. If your team already has strong Grass or Freeze-Dry-style pressure, Encore or Volt Switch may be more valuable.

Lightning Rod, Focus Sash Raichu, and counterplay

Mega Raichu Y has an awkward relationship with its own base form. Before Mega Evolution, regular Raichu can use Lightning Rod, which redirects Electric moves and can shut down opposing Raichu plans. That means Focus Sash Raichu can appear on teams as anti-Raichu tech rather than as a Mega sweeper. Players should not assume that every Raichu preview is Mega Raichu Y.

Ground types are the other obvious answer. Pure Electric typing is efficient defensively, but it creates an offensive blind spot. Mega Raichu Y does not have an Ice Beam-style move that automatically deletes Ground types. Steam Eruption and Grass Knot help, but the Raichu player still needs positioning, partner pressure, or a pivot plan when Garchomp, Mega Swampert, or other Ground pressure appears.

Opponents can also exploit No Guard itself. Hypnosis, high-power inaccurate attacks, and other normally risky options become more reliable into Raichu. The correct response is not to hide Raichu forever. It is to use Protect, board pressure, and speed control so the opponent cannot freely take advantage of the same ability.

Best partners for Mega Raichu Y

Mega Raichu Y works best with teammates that punish Ground types and convert paralysis into KOs. Alolan Ninetales style Ice pressure is useful because it threatens Ground Pokemon that block Electric damage. Rain cores can work because Steam Eruption pressure and Water partners make Ground types less comfortable, though the team must avoid becoming too passive into Grass answers.

Mid-speed attackers are especially strong partners. Pokemon such as Gholdengo-style Steel attackers, Archaludon, and bulky offense pieces appreciate Zap Cannon paralysis because they do not need Tailwind-level speed support after the opponent has been slowed. Screens are also valuable because Raichu often only needs one extra turn to swing a game.

The simplest rule is this: pair Mega Raichu Y with Pokemon that punish the targets it cannot hit cleanly. Do not double up on Electric attackers unless the rest of the team has a very clear Ground matchup. Two Electric Pokemon on the board can hand free turns to Garchomp and other Ground attackers.

Final verdict: should you build Mega Raichu Y?

Yes, Mega Raichu Y is worth building, but it should be treated as a speed-control attacker rather than a pure special sweeper. The best version is usually not max Special Attack. The best version is fast enough, bulky enough, and backed by partners that punish Ground types and Lightning Rod counterplay.

If your team needs an Electric Mega that can turn one accurate Zap Cannon into a won speed-control exchange, Mega Raichu Y is one of the most distinctive Regulation Set M-B options. If your team only wants raw damage, other Megas are easier to pilot. Build around No Guard Zap Cannon, protect the fragile bulk line, and Mega Raichu Y can do far more than its usage rank suggests.