Pokemon Let’s Go: How to Evolve Pikachu

How to Evolve Pikachu in Pokemon Let’s Go

Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee and Pikachu are finally out, and each of the two adorable mascots are the star of their particular game. If you’re here, you’re looking for how to evolve Pikachu. It’s not as clear cut as it was in previous games.

This is partly because that instead of choosing a starter, in these games, you’ll be given either a souped Eevee or Pikachu depending on which game you choose. Similar to Yellow version, if you played that way back when.

These starters play by different rules than all of the other Pokemon in the game. So let’s break down how evolution works exactly.

Can You Evolve Your Starter Pikachu?

Your starter Pikachu, if that’s the version you choose, is very special. It has higher base stats, and it also has its own signature moves to help make it more worthy of a spot on your team.

The reason that Game Freak was so generous is because your starter Pikachu cannot evolve, like ever. Just like the Pikachu from the anime, it just does not want to evolve, despite it being the evolution Pokemon. We’re not sure if it loves ketchup though.

It’s cute, though! Enjoy the unique experience of playing with an Pikachu that does not evolve. This is probably the only game other than Yellow where you would ever not turn it into a Raichu eventually. Unless of course, if you’re a crazy Light Ball user.

How to Evolve Other Pikachus

Just because your starting one can’t evolve, doesn’t mean that the other Pikachu that you encounter can’t. As long as you possess a Thunder Stone, you can evolve your non-starter version into a Raichu.

Thunder Stones can be found in the Celadon City super shop.

To catch your own that you can actually evolve, go to the Viridian Forest. That still is the best place to find them. Keep in mind, even though they do indeed exist, they are quite rare, so don’t expect to run into one right away.

That does it for how to evolve Pikachu in Pokemon Let’s Go!  For more information on the two latest games, be sure to check out our guide wiki, which is continuing to grow with more tips & tricks as we play through it.

You can also check out our tips for five things you should know before you buy, and our guide for how to check IVs, useful for any hardcore player.