Mega Raichu X and Mega Raichu Y look like they should follow the Mega Charizard playbook — two stones, two typings, pick your poison. They don’t. Pull up either form’s type chart in-game and you get the same answer twice: pure Electric [1][3]. The split that actually matters is buried in the stat screen instead — Mega Raichu X trades Speed for Attack and bulk, Mega Raichu Y trades everything for a 160 Special Attack stat and an ability that never misses. Both arrived together in Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Mega Dimension DLC, both come from the exact same battle, and which one you should actually train depends entirely on whether you’re clearing the DLC’s story or building for Pokemon Champions’ ranked ladder.
Quick Verdict: Which Stone Fits Your Situation
| Your situation | Build this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Clearing the Mega Dimension story campaign | Mega Raichu X | 95 Def / 95 SpD and 135 Attack survive extended fights better than Y’s glass-cannon spread [7] |
| Pokemon Champions doubles (VGC) | Mega Raichu X | Fake Out priority plus Electric Surge’s team-wide terrain support wins more in a 2v2 format than a solo sweeper [6] |
| Pokemon Champions or Showdown singles ladder | Mega Raichu Y | 160 Sp. Atk and 130 Speed let it deal damage and move first before it gets pressured [6] |
| New to Mega Evolution / first DLC run | Either — you get both stones from one fight | There’s no version-exclusive cost to trying X first, since a single battle awards both Raichunite X and Y [4][5] |
| Team already carries a Ground-type answer to priority attackers | Mega Raichu Y | Its 60 HP / 55 Def weakness to priority moves is easier to patch if your team already covers that hole [6] |
What Mega Raichu X and Y Actually Are
Both forms debuted in Mega Dimension, the DLC expansion for Legends: Z-A, alongside 19 other new standard Mega Evolutions [2][5] — including new Megas for Greninja, Delphox, and Chesnaught [8]. The DLC went on sale October 16, 2025, the same day as the base game, but Pokemon.com’s own announcement says the story content built around it — Hyperspace Lumiose, and the Raichu quest inside it — arrived “soon after,” not on day one [9]. Guides walking players through the Raichu encounter started appearing in mid-December 2025 [10], matching the December 10, 2025 date widely reported as when the content actually went live. Bought the DLC in October and couldn’t find the quest? That’s why — you were early.
One correction worth making up front: Mega Raichu X and Y are not “Z Mega Evolutions,” even though three other Mega Dimension additions are. Absol, Garchomp, and Lucario got the Z treatment — faster moves, faster Mega Power drain. Raichu’s two forms run the standard Mega Evolution ruleset instead [2]. Easy mix-up since it’s the same DLC drop, but it changes how you should manage your Mega Power meter.
Visually: Mega Raichu Y is darker orange with jagged lightning-bolt spikes off its head; Mega Raichu X is lighter-colored with two lightning-bolt-shaped tails [8] — the fastest tell if you’ve forgotten which stone you’re holding mid-battle.
Base Stats: The Real Split Isn’t Typing, It’s Role
Both forms share the same 585 base stat total and the same 60 HP — confirmed identically across Bulbapedia and Serebii’s stat pages [1][3] — but everything else pulls in opposite directions:
| Stat | Mega Raichu X | Mega Raichu Y |
|---|---|---|
| HP | 60 | 60 |
| Attack | 135 | 100 |
| Defense | 95 | 55 |
| Sp. Attack | 90 | 160 |
| Sp. Defense | 95 | 80 |
| Speed | 110 | 130 |
| Total | 585 | 585 |
The gap that decides everything is Defense and Sp. Defense: X sits at 95/95, Y sits at 55/80. Both share the same fragile 60 HP, but X’s extra bulk means a hit that dents X often outright kills Y. That’s the actual trade-off buyers are making — not a typing choice, a fragility choice.
Electric Surge vs. No Guard: What the Abilities Actually Do
Mega Raichu X runs Electric Surge, which sets Electric Terrain the instant it Mega Evolves — boosting the power of Electric-type moves used by grounded Pokemon on the field (itself included) and preventing any grounded Pokemon from falling asleep for as long as the terrain holds. Because Raichu itself is grounded, X buffs its own attacks the moment it transforms, on top of whatever it does for teammates in a doubles format [1][6].
Mega Raichu Y runs No Guard, and this is the ability worth reading twice before you build around it. No Guard removes accuracy and evasion checks entirely — not just for Y’s own attacks, but for every move used against it too [1]. That’s why Y can fire off Zap Cannon (a 50% accuracy move in a vacuum) and Focus Blast (70% accuracy) and land both every time [6][7]. It’s also why Y’s list of hard counters is longer than X’s: an opponent’s 90-accuracy move that would normally have a one-in-ten chance to whiff now lands guaranteed, and against a Pokemon sitting on 60 HP / 55 Defense, that math runs against you as often as it runs for you.
How to Get Raichunite X and Raichunite Y
Neither stone is tied to the main story — both come from one optional side encounter [4]. One walkthrough numbers the prerequisites as Side Mission #2 (trade a Pikachu) and Side Mission #108 (trade a Raichu) [5]; another describes the same gate as a single Raichu-for-Alolan-Raichu trade outside the Quasartico Inc. building [4]. The mission numbers differ slightly between guides, but the shape agrees: hand over Pikachu-line evolutions in a prerequisite side quest before the encounter unlocks.
- Clear the prerequisite trade quest(s) involving Pikachu and Raichu [4][5]
- A new quest, “The Dauntless Raichu Duo,” spawns near the Lumiose Museum and Rouge Pokemon Center in north Lumiose City — accessed through a wormhole in the north shopping district [4][5]
- Enter the Hyperspace Distortion. You’ll fight both Mega Raichu X and Mega Raichu Y at once in what plays out as a double battle, but you can only bring one Pokemon of your own [4]
- Both opposing Raichu sit around level 115; Nintendo Everything recommends being level 100 or higher before attempting it [5]
- Bring a Ground-type attacker with Earthquake — Ground hits Electric super-effectively, and both Raichu forms are still frail even Mega Evolved. Skip Gyarados specifically: its Water/Flying typing is 4x weak to Electric, which turns this into a coin-flip fight instead of a clean win [5]
- Win, and you receive both Raichunite X and Raichunite Y from the same encounter — there’s no need to replay it for the second stone [4][5]
Best Builds for Each Form
Mega Raichu X’s headline move is Volt Tackle, leaning on its 135 Attack, but the recoil is a real problem at 60 HP — Game8’s story-mode set pairs it with Drain Punch to claw back the lost health [7]. The Champions-doubles alternative swaps in Rising Voltage (boosted by X’s own Electric Terrain, no recoil), backed by Fake Out for priority and Volt Switch to pivot out before X gets picked off [6].
Mega Raichu Y’s kit exists to abuse No Guard. Zap Cannon and Focus Blast are normally too unreliable to run as a main attack — 50% and 70% accuracy — but on Y they’re guaranteed hits, and Zap Cannon adds a 100% paralysis chance on top [6][7]. Thunderbolt fills in as the safer STAB for when you don’t need the paralysis. The catch: No Guard cuts both ways, so anything the opponent throws at Y’s thin defenses lands too.
Skip Y if your team has no answer to priority moves — a single Bullet Punch, Sucker Punch, or Aqua Jet can end its 60 HP / 55 Defense core before Zap Cannon or Focus Blast fires; Nintendo Everything flags Choice Scarf Garchomp specifically as a guaranteed KO on Y [6]. Play X if you want a Mega that survives being hit at all — 95/95 bulk absorbs what Y can’t, and Electric Surge keeps paying off every turn, not just the turn it attacks.
Which One Should You Actually Build?
| Player type | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| New player | Don’t optimize yet — grab both stones from the single Mega Dimension battle, then default to X while you’re still learning Legends Z-A’s real-time combat. Its bulk forgives more mistakes. |
| Casual player | Build X and stop there for single-player content. Y’s payoff is almost entirely competitive — you won’t see its accuracy tricks matter much against the DLC’s own encounters. |
| Hardcore / competitive optimizer | Build both, but for different formats: X with Fake Out and Volt Switch for Pokemon Champions doubles, Y with Zap Cannon and Focus Blast for the singles ladder. They are not interchangeable builds wearing different stones. |
| Completionist | Both stones drop from the same fight, so there’s nothing to complete here beyond the one battle — spend the saved effort on the DLC’s other 19 new Mega Evolutions instead. |
How Raichu’s Dual Mega Fits the Bigger Picture
Raichu joins a short list: Charizard and Mewtwo are the only other Pokemon with two separately-obtainable Mega Evolutions gated behind different stones. Our Charizard X vs. Y breakdown is worth reading alongside this one — Charizard’s split also changes typing (Fire/Dragon vs. Fire/Flying), the pattern Raichu breaks. For a single-Mega comparison, our Venusaur nature and mega win-rate guide covers the same story-vs-competitive usage divide driving the Raichu decision here. And for the rest of the DLC’s roster, our full list of every confirmed Mega in Legends Z-A tracks all 19 new standard Megas plus the three Z Mega Evolutions.
FAQ
Do I have to choose only one Raichunite?
No. Both Raichunite X and Raichunite Y drop from the same battle [4][5], so you’re not picking a stone and living with it — you’re choosing which one to hold in any given fight. There’s no reason to agonize over “the right one” when you own both after a single win.
Is Mega Raichu X or Y better for the story mode?
X, and it’s not close. Its 95/95 defenses survive DLC encounters that would one-shot Y’s 55 Defense, and 135 Attack still closes out fights fast — Game8’s campaign-focused testing lands on the same call [7]. Y’s accuracy tricks matter far more against specific competitive threats than the DLC’s own battles.
Which is better in Pokemon Champions — X or Y?
It depends on the format. X’s Fake Out and terrain support are built for a 2v2 doubles field; Y’s raw Special Attack and Speed are built to win a 1v1 singles race before the opponent gets a turn. Nintendo Everything puts it plainly: X dominates doubles, Y excels in singles [6].
Does No Guard mean Mega Raichu Y never misses?
Only half of it. No Guard guarantees every move Y uses lands — that’s the appeal — but it also guarantees every move used against Y lands. On a Pokemon with 60 HP and 55 Defense, handing the opponent a free accuracy boost is a real cost. Build around it deliberately.
Are Mega Raichu X and Y Z Mega Evolutions like Absol or Garchomp?
No. All five launched in the same DLC, which is probably the source of the mix-up, but only Absol, Garchomp, and Lucario got the Z Mega Evolution treatment [2]. Raichu’s two forms run the standard ruleset, so don’t manage their Mega Power expecting Z-variant drain rates.
Verified Against Current Data
Stats, abilities, and acquisition steps in this guide reflect Mega Dimension as documented since its story content went live in December 2025, cross-checked across Bulbapedia and Serebii for the stat lines. Acquisition mission numbers differ slightly between the two guides cited above — the overall quest structure agrees, but confirm the exact side-mission numbers in-game if a future patch renumbers them.
Sources
- Bulbapedia — Raichu (Pokémon)
- Bulbapedia — Mega Dimension
- Serebii.net — Pokemon Legends: Z-A New Mega Evolutions
- Insider Gaming — How to Get Mega Raichu X & Mega Raichu Y in Pokemon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension
- Nintendo Everything — How to get Mega Raichu X and Y in Pokemon Legends: Z-A
- Nintendo Everything — Mega Raichu X and Y are going to be strong in Pokemon Champions
- Game8 — Mega Raichu X or Y, Pokemon Legends: Z-A
- GameRant — Pokemon Legends: Z-A DLC Officially Reveals Mega Raichu X and Y
- Pokemon.com — Pokemon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension Is Coming Soon
- Nintendo Life — Pokemon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension: All New DLC Mega Evolutions
I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.