Raichu is a bipedal, rodent-like Pokémon. Raichu is covered in dark orange fur with a white belly. Its bifurcated ears are brown on the outside, yellow on the insides, and end in a distinctive curl. There is a circular yellow marking on each cheek where its electric sacs are, and it has a triangular, dark brown nose. Its arms and feet have patches of brown fur at the end, and the soles of its long feet are tan with a circular orange pad in the center. On its back are two horizontal brown stripes. Its long, thin tail has a lightning bolt-shaped end. This lightning bolt is chipped on females. Raichu exudes a weak electrical charge from all its body and glows slightly in the dark.

Raichu's tail is used to gather electricity from the atmosphere, or it can be planted in the ground to search for electricity. It also protects Raichu from its own high voltage power. Raichu can store over 100,000 volts of electricity, enough to knock out a Copperajah. If Raichu's sacs are fully charged, its ears will stand straight up and its muscles become stimulated. However, it will become aggressive if it has stored too much electricity and stress. To keep from reaching this state, it discharges electricity through its tail into the ground. This leads to scorched patches near its nest. Being the result of evolution via Evolution stone, Raichu is rarely found in the wild, though they can be found in forests and woodlands. The main reason Raichu is rarely seen in the wild is because people prefer the look it had as Pikachu. As revealed in the anime, Raichu are not capable of learning speed attacks upon evolving and can only learn them when they're still Pikachu.

Raichu and its pre-evolved forms are the only known Pokémon capable of learning the move Volt Tackle.

Forms

Raichu has a regional form: Alolan Raichu.

In Alola, Raichu has lighter coloring and more rounded features. Its eyes are blue with yellow half-circles along the bottom. It has large yellow ears with an inner spiral toward the base and brown on the inside. These ears are thicker and less pointed than a standard Raichu's ear. In addition to its white belly, Alolan Raichu has white markings on its paws with bright yellow lines between its digits. The stripes on its back have also turned white, and there is a small, white circular marking on each heel. The lightning bolt-shaped tip of its tail has rounded edges. By collecting its psychic power in its tail, it is able to ride it like a surfboard and float in the air. While its cheek sacs are still used to store electricity, rubbing them releases a sweet aroma while also getting a light shock. This is also thought to be connected to its Psychic abilities.

Alolan Raichu's origins were initially a mystery at the time. The people of Alola suggested it ate too many sweet and fluffy pancakes, especially those made with a secret Alolan recipe. However, researchers believe the change is related to Alolan Raichu's diet in general. It is also believed the weather and climate of the Alola region played a role in the transformation. Alolan Raichu is capable of unleashing star-shaped thunderbolts. It is also known by the name hodad.

Alolan Raichu is the only known Pokémon capable of using the Z-Move Stoked Sparksurfer. It is also the only known Pokémon that can have Surge Surfer as an Ability.

Evolution

Raichu evolves from and is the final form of .

In Alola, Raichu has a regional form that evolves from Pikachu and is the final form of Pichu in the Alola region.

(Source: Bulbapedia)