BEGINNERPokemon Legends: Z-A
How to Get Pikachu in Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Find Pikachu fast in Pokémon Legends: Z-A — where to hunt, how to capture aggressive spawns in Wild Zone 3, evolve via Thunder Stone or Pichu friendship.
By Esportz.fun Team
Archive · original publication date unavailable
9 min read
TL;DR
- Pikachu spawns reliably in Wild Zone 3's southeastern garden near the Roserade statue; three appear there day or night.
- It attacks on sight—stealth has low success; bring Ground-type moves like Earthquake or Bulldoze to stun it quickly.
- Alternative: evolve Pichu from Wild Zone 1 via max friendship at cafes if you prefer a safer route.
- Use Great Balls/Ultra Balls; Thunder Stone (₽3,000 at Stone Emporium) evolves Pikachu into Raichu.
What You Need to Know First
Before you stroll into Wild Zone 3 thinking you can cuddle Pikachu into a Poké Ball, get these basics sorted.
| Item | Effect | Where to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Zone 3 (southeastern garden) | Reliable Pikachu spawns (three) | Near the Roserade statue, accessible during Main Mission 5 - The City in the Shadow of Prism Tower when visiting Emma's agency |
| Ground-type move (Earthquake, Bulldoze) | Super effective vs Electric; ends fights fast | Teach from move tutors or use party members (e.g., Garchomp, Donphan) |
| Great Ball / Ultra Ball | Higher capture rate than Poké Ball | Any Poké Mart; stock before entering Wild Zone 3 |
| Thunder Stone | Evolves Pikachu into Raichu | Stone Emporium on Vernal Avenue (₽3,000); available after Main Mission 5/6 |
| Pichu | Alternative source of Pikachu via evolution | Wild Zone 1, western gate by the pond |
Must-know bullets:
- Main Mission 5 - The City in the Shadow of Prism Tower unlocks the Wild Zone 3 area needed. Don't skip it.
- Pikachu is aggressive and will attack on sight. Stealth capture attempts have low success.
- Three Pikachu spawn consistently near the Roserade statue, both day and night; weather doesn't gate them.
- The friendship checker is locked until you finish the "Troublesome Patrons" sidequest — you'll want that if using the Pichu route.
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow this in-order checklist. Think of it like a recipe, except one of the ingredients can electrocute you.
-
Get to Wild Zone 3
- Progress to Main Mission 5 - The City in the Shadow of Prism Tower and visit Emma's agency. The southeastern garden by the Roserade statue opens up then.
-
Prep your party and inventory
- Bring at least one Ground-type with Earthquake or Bulldoze. Ground hits are super effective against Electric.
- Stock Great Balls or Ultra Balls. Regular Poké Balls are disappointing here.
-
Approach strategy
- Stealth capture success rate is low. If you want to try: enter crouch/stealth mode and target a single Pikachu at a time.
- Recommended: trigger combat, land 1–2 Ground-type hits, then throw a Great Ball.
-
Battle-phase quick table
| Phase | Recommended Action | Typical Success Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Initial encounter | Attempt stealth capture | 30% |
| Combat phase | Use Ground-type moves (Earthquake/Bulldoze) | 85% |
| Weakened state | Throw Great Ball or better | 70% |
-
Alternative: Pichu friendship route
- Find Pichu in Wild Zone 1 near the western gate by the pond.
- Evolve via friendship: take Pichu to cafes in Lumiose City and interact. Friendship maxes out faster with regular cafe visits.
- Complete the "Troublesome Patrons" sidequest to unlock the friendship checker so you can track progress.
-
Evolve Pikachu into Raichu (if you want)
| Item | Cost | Where to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Thunder Stone | ₽3,000 | Stone Emporium, Vernal Avenue (northwest of Wild Zone 1, west of Hotel Z) |
- Open your bag, go to the "other items" section, select the Thunder Stone and use it on Pikachu. Evolution happens immediately.
-
Watch out for Alpha Pikachu
- Alpha Pikachu can spawn in the same southeastern garden. It's bigger, has higher stats, is more aggressive, and is harder to capture—consider Ultra Balls or better.
- Alpha variants can also be shiny. If you're into trophy hunting, bring patience and high-quality Poké Balls.
-
Moveset and team use
- Pikachu learns Thunderbolt, Thunder Wave, Quick Attack, and Double Team. It's a solid special attacker with utility.
- Use Thunder Wave for support and Quick Attack to finish weakened foes. For raw power, Thunderbolt is your go-to.
Final note: the spawn consistency in Wild Zone 3 means you won't need to chase weather windows or time cycles. Three spawns and predictable behavior (aside from aggression) make this a low-drama hunt compared to some RNG nightmares.
Pro Tips
- If stealth keeps failing, bait a single Pikachu away from the group, KO or catch it, then handle the others one-on-one—less chaos than trying to dance with three electrified squirrels.
- Bring a Pokémon with paralysis support like Thunder Wave only after you've landed Ground hits—paralysis can prolong the capture window but can also let Pikachu spam damage if uncontrolled.
- Alpha Pikachu rewards are worth the hassle: higher IVs and better competitive stats. Use Dusk Balls only if you're hunting at night and have extras.
- Use the friendship method if you want a guaranteed Pikachu without risk of fainting during capture runs—cafes stack friendship faster than random wandering.
- If you plan to evolve to Raichu, buy the Thunder Stone ahead of time (₽3,000) rather than scrounging post-capture; saves a back-and-forth trip to Vernal Avenue.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Attempting stealth on all three Pikachu at once — they either gang up or you fail multiple stealth checks; isolate targets.
- Relying on regular Poké Balls — capture rates are painful; bring Great Balls or Ultra Balls.
- Skipping the "Troublesome Patrons" sidequest if you want the friendship route—can't check friendship progress without it.
- Using non-Ground moves to speed things up — Electric resists or neutral damage drags fights and risks capture failure.
