The great designs, relatively high stats, and the iconic Thunderbolt keep them as mainstays in teams throughout every game in the franchise. The Johto remakes have a particularly great lineup of Electric-types to pick from. And to make things a little easier on you, we’ve curated some of the best ones to add to your team (plus details on where to get each one!)
5. Jolteon
Suggested Moves:
Thunderbolt Thunder Wave Double Team Substitute
Jolteon is a pretty decent Electric-type that you can catch early during your trip through Johto. Unfortunately, that’s all it really is – decent. Lackluster base stats and a shallow movepool majorly hurt Jolteon in the second half of the game. We can still build it to be a strong member of the team though, through crafty use of some TMs. Thunderbolt is Jolteon’s only strong STAB move, so pick that up from the Goldenrod Game Corner as soon as you can. Thunder Wave is the other Electric-type move in the toolkit, and is essential to cushion Jolteon’s abysmal HP and defense stats. The rest of Jolteon’s moveset should be based around keeping it alive, too, with Double Team and Substitute taking top priority in the TM roundup. You can find them in the Celadon and Goldenrod Game Corners respectively. How to catch: After visiting the Ecruteak City Pokémon Center for the first time, head to Bill’s house in West Goldenrod. Talk to Bill and he’ll give you an Eevee. Win 1st place in the Bug Catching Contest and use the Thunderstone prize on Eevee to evolve it into Jolteon.
4. Raichu
Suggested Moves:
Thunderbolt Thunder Wave Double Team Light Screen
Raichu is another iconic Electric-type with less-than-ideal stats. But it makes up for that with a much better move pool, learning both Thunderbolt and Light Screen by levelup as a Pikachu. As for the rest of the moveset, it’s the same story as Jolteon – Thunder Wave and Double Team will keep Raichu alive as it dishes out STAB Thunderbolts. Light Screen will make evasion tactics much stronger, buffing Raichu’s special defense to keep it alive, rather than solely relying on Double Team shenanigans. With 6 Double Teams setup, Raichu will carve through any Water or Flying team you put in front of it. How to catch: Catch a Pichu in Ilex Forest, and increase its happiness by using it in battle. When its happiness is high enough, it’ll evolve into Pikachu. Train Pikachu until it learns Light Screen at level 42, then evolve it to Raichu by using a Thunderstone.
3. Zapdos
Suggested Moves:
Thunderbolt Aerial Ace Fly Ancient Power
I love Zapdos. But I can’t put it any higher on this list. Appearing at the Power Plant, Zapdos isn’t available until after the first trip to the Pokémon League – and that’s just too long for me to wait. If you’re willing to wait for the legendary bird, Aerial Ace and Thunderbolt will be its best STAB moves, both learned by TM. Zapdos’ huge speed stat combined with never-miss STAB damage is a force to be reckoned with. And covering up its weakness to Ice with Ancient Power goes one step further to making it unstoppable. How to catch: Zapdos is available as a special encounter on Route 10, just outside the Power Plant. Make sure to restore the power plant first to make Zapdos appear.
2. Ampharos
Suggested Moves:
Discharge Power Gem Signal Beam Thunder Wave
This is probably the most popular Johto party member after the starters. And let me say that Ampharos is a staple for a reason. It has solid stats, a wide move pool, and it’s available before the first gym. Although its prevolutions are fairly weak, they do hold their own in the early game. And they evolve fast enough for you to have Ampharos pretty quickly! For moves, Ampharos should be decked out with Discharge for STAB, and Thunder Wave for inflicting paralysis. Just make sure to add Power Gem and Signal Beam for some coverage, too. This moveset will give Ampharos the tools to comfortably fight against any member of the Pokémon League, including Champion Lance. How to catch: Catch a Mareep on Route 32, 42, or 43, then evolve it to Flaaffy at Level 15. Flaaffy will evolve again at Level 30, giving you your Ampharos in time for Gym 6.
1. Raikou
Suggested Moves:
Discharge/Thunder Thunder Wave Calm Mind Extrasensory
Raikou is arguably the best Electric-type in HeartGold & SoulSilver. Its stats give it a natural talent for fast special-type attacks, with a high special defense stat as well. Discharge makes for a great STAB move, and you can add Thunder if you’re really feeling like gambling on its 70% accuracy. Thunder Wave is also a nice addition, but Raikou’s high speed makes paralyzing the opponent optional, rather than vital. Raikou also has a surprisingly large amount of Psychic moves. Calm Mind is a good one, turning Raikou into an unstoppable sweeper – and you can find this TM in the Battle Frontier market. Extrasensory could also take Raikou’s final move slot, to give it some nice coverage against Koga, Janine, and Red’s Venusaur. How to catch: After you’ve visited the Ecruteak Burned Tower during the story, the legendary beasts will be released. You’ll find Raikou on the map screen of the PokeGear, moving between routes in Johto every time you move between areas. Stock up on Ultra Balls and bring a Pokémon with Mean Look if you value your time. While monitoring the Pokegear, continually move over the border between a random Route and the area next to it until Raikou moves to the area you’re on. Activate a repel while your lead Pokémon is below Level 40, but above the level of the wild Pokémon in the area – this will guarantee that you’ll encounter Raikou in the grass. Once the encounter starts, you’ll have one turn before Raikou flees – which means you can make one move or throw one ball. If you have a Pokémon with Mean Look, use this to trap Raikou. If you don’t, buckle up for a long journey as you repeat these steps until you finally capture your electric legendary.
