Pikachu (ピカチュウ Pikachuu) is an Electric-type Pokémon, which was introduced in Generation I. Pikachu is renowned for being the most well-known and recognizable Pokémon. Over the years, Pikachu has become so popular that it serves as the Pokémon franchise mascot. It is the Version Mascot and Starter Pokémon for the game Pokémon Yellow and its remake, Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!. It is also well known from the anime, where Ash Ketchum, the protagonist, owns a Pikachu. It evolves from Pichu when leveled up with high friendship and evolves into Raichu when exposed to a Thunder Stone. When in Alola, it evolves into Alolan Raichu. It also has a Gigantamax form, and can be found in Cramorant's Gorging Form.

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Biology

Physiology

Pikachu are small, chubby, and cute mouse-like Pokémon. They are almost completely covered by yellow fur. They have long yellow ears that are tipped with black. A Pikachu's back has two brown stripes, and its large tail is notable for being shaped like a lightning bolt. On its cheeks are two circle-shaped red pouches used for storing electricity. They turn yellow and spark with electricity when it's about to use an Electric attack, such as Thunderbolt. It has also been known to generate small surges of electrical energy in anger or for protection, like in the anime.

A female Pikachu looks almost exactly the same as a male, with the exception of her tail, which is rounded at the end and has an inward dent, giving it the appearance of a heart. However, in earlier anime episodes, and in the games prior to Generation IV, female and male Pikachu look identical.

As Gigantamax Pikachu, it becomes larger and chubbier (similar to its Generation 1 design). Its tail becomes longer and stores all of the electricity it generates, causing it to glow a bright yellow and enabling it to become as powerful as a lightning strike. Its power is equal to that a power plant; however, it is difficult to use it in peoples' homes since Pikachu can only remain in its Gigantamax form for a short time.

When several of these Pokémon gather, their electricity can cause lightning storms.

A Shiny Pikachu is orange.

In "A Plethora of Pikachu!", according to Pikala, the fur from Pikachu in the Kanto region sparkles in sunlight, while the Pikachu from Alola fur is silky smooth and shines in sunlight.

Behavior

Pikachu are usually friendly creatures that love to be cuddled. They love having their tails rubbed, especially at the base; they also like being stroked. However, if threatened or angered, this Pokémon can be quite aggressive. If someone pulls or steps on its tail, it is most likely it will bite or shock anyone in the area, including the one who pulled its tail.

However in the anime and in the wild of the Kanto region they live in big groups deep in forests and are wary of humans.

In Kanto according to Ash in PJ035, Pikachu also greet one another by shocking them and sometimes they'll gather up in big groups to search for Thunderstones so they can evolve.

The Pikachu that live in the Pikachu Valley in Alola in the anime, greet each other by sniffing one another and rubbing their tails together. Also, they can start duels with one another by sending electric signals and the winner is decided when the opponent's tail is bitten.

Special abilities

Pikachu's special ability is Static, which can cause paralysis in battle if hit by a physical move. In Pokémon Black and White's Dream World, the Trainer receives a Pikachu with the Lightning Rod ability.

Pikachu are capable of learning Volt Tackle, a powerful Electric-type physical move exclusive to the Pikachu family of Pokémon.

Partner Pikachu is also capable to learning special moves: Zippy Zap, Floaty Fall, Splishy Splash, and the Partner Power, Pika Papow.

Z-Moves

Pikachu is one of the few Pokémon in Sun and Moon which have a special Z-Move dedicated to them.

The Z-Move Catastropika is Pikachu's signature move. The move is activated by the Z-Crystal, Pikanium Z. Its base is Volt Tackle. Catastropika can be learned only by a Pikachu with Volt Tackle, and becomes unusable if Volt Tackle is forgotten or if the Pikachu evolves into Raichu.

The Z-Move 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt is Ash Pikachu's signature move. The move is activated by the Z-Crystal, Pikashunium Z. Its base is Thunderbolt.

Pikachu, being an Electric-type, is capable of using the Z-Crystal, Electrium Z, to use the Z Move Gigavolt Havoc.

Gigantamax

Pikachu is one of the few Pokémon in Sword and Shield that can Gigantamax by having a special member from it species or, with The Isle of Armor Expansion Pass, using Max Soup on a Pikachu.

Gigantamax Pikachu is the only known Pokémon capable of using the G-Max Move, G-Max Volt Crash.

Evolution

Pikachu evolves into a Raichu by using a Thunder Stone. It evolves from Pichu when its happiness is maxed with the trainer in game. It will evolve into Alolan Raichu if using a Thunder Stone in the Alola region.

Game info

Game locations





Pokédex entries

Red and Blue When several of these Pokémon gather, their electricity could build and cause lightning storms.

Yellow It keeps its tail raised to monitor its surroundings. If you yank its tail, it will try to bite you.

Gold This intelligent Pokémon roasts hard berries with electricity to make them tender enough to eat.

Silver It raises its tail to check its surroundings. The tail is sometimes struck by lightning in this pose.

Crystal When it is angered, it immediately discharges the energy stored in the pouches in its cheeks.

Ruby Whenever Pikachu comes across something new, it blasts it with a jolt of electricity. If you come across a blackened berry, it's evidence that this Pokémon mistook the intensity of its charge.

Sapphire This Pokémon has electricity-storing pouches on its cheeks. These appear to become electrically charged during the night while Pikachu sleeps. It occasionally discharges electricity when it is dozy after waking up.

FireRed It has small electric sacs on both its cheeks. If threatened, it looses electric charges from the sacs.

LeafGreen When several of these Pokémon gather, their electricity could build and cause lightning storms.

Emerald It stores electricity in the electric sacs on its cheeks. When it releases pent-up energy in a burst, the electric power is equal to a lightning bolt.

Diamond It lives in forests with others. It stores electricity in the pouches on its cheeks.

Pearl If it looses crackling power from the electrical pouches on its cheeks, it is being wary.

Platinum Pikachu can differentiate between the electricity from the shock of a weakened companion as well as a healthy one.

HeartGold This intelligent Pokémon roasts hard berries with electricity to make them tender enough to eat.

SoulSilver It raises its tail to check its surroundings. The tail is sometimes struck by lightning in this pose.

Black It occasionally uses an electric shock to recharge a fellow Pikachu that is in a weakened state.

White It occasionally uses an electric shock to recharge a fellow Pikachu that is in a weakened state.

Black 2 It occasionally uses an electric shock to recharge a fellow Pikachu that is in a weakened state.

White 2 It occasionally uses an electric shock to recharge a fellow Pikachu that is in a weakened state.

X It raises its tail to check its surroundings. The tail is sometimes struck by lightning in this pose.

Y It has small electric sacs on both its cheeks. If threatened, it looses electric charges from the sacs.

Omega Ruby Whenever Pikachu comes across something new, it blasts it with a jolt of electricity. If you come across a blackened berry, it's evidence that this Pokémon mistook the intensity of its charge.

Alpha Sapphire This Pokémon has electricity-storing pouches on its cheeks. These appear to become electrically charged during the night while Pikachu sleeps. It occasionally discharges electricity when it is dozy after waking up.

Sun A plan was recently announced to gather many Pikachu and make an electric power plant.

Moon It's in its nature to store electricity. It feels stressed now and then if it's unable to fully discharge the electricity.

Ultra Sun Its nature is to store up electricity. Forests where nests of Pikachu live are dangerous, since the trees are so often struck by lightning.

Ultra Moon While sleeping, it generates electricity in the sacs in its cheeks. If it’s not getting enough sleep, it will be able to use only weak electricity.

Let's Go Pikachu This forest-dwelling Pokémon stores electricity in its cheeks, so you'll feel a tingly shock if you touch it.

Let's Go Eevee This forest-dwelling Pokémon stores electricity in its cheeks, so you'll feel a tingly shock if you touch it.

Sword Pikachu that can generate powerful electricity have cheek sacs that are extra soft and super stretchy.

Gigantamax : Its Gigantamax power expanded, forming its supersized body and towering tail.

Shield When Pikachu meet, they’ll touch their tails together and exchange electricity through them as a form of greeting.

Gigantamax: When it smashes its opponents with its bolt-shaped tail, it delivers a surge of electricity equivalent to a lightning strike.

Stats

Pikachu's Stats HP 35 Attack 55 Defense 40 Sp. Atk 50 Sp. Def 50 Speed 90 Total 320 Pikachu's Stats HP 35 Attack 55 Defense 30 Sp. Atk 50 Sp. Def 40 Speed 90 Total 300 Pikachu's Stats HP 45 Attack 80 Defense 50 Sp. Atk 75 Sp. Def 60 Speed 120 Total 430

Learnset

Leveling

TM/HM

By TR





Breeding

To see the Egg Moves that Pikachu can learn, refer to Pichu.





Tutoring

Sprites

Pikachu's Red & Blue sprite Pikachu's Yellow sprite Pikachu's Green sprite Pikachu's back sprite Pikachu's Gold sprite Pikachu's Silver sprite Pikachu's Crystal sprite Pikachu's back sprite Pikachu's Gold shiny sprite Pikachu's Silver shiny sprite Pikachu's back shiny sprite Pikachu's Ruby & Sapphire sprite Pikachu's FireRed & LeafGreen sprite Pikachu's Emerald sprite Pikachu's back sprite Pikachu's Ruby & Sapphire shiny sprite Pikachu's FireRed & LeafGreen shiny sprite Pikachu's Emerald shiny sprite Pikachu's back shiny sprite Pikachu's Diamond & Pearl sprite ♂ Pikachu's Diamond & Pearl sprite ♀ Pikachu's Platinum sprite ♂ Pikachu's Platinum sprite ♀ Pikachu's HeartGold & SoulSilver sprite ♂ Pikachu's HeartGold & SoulSilver sprite ♀ Pikachu's back shiny sprite ♂ Pikachu's back shiny sprite ♀ Pikachu's Diamond & Pearl shiny sprite ♂ Pikachu's Diamond & Pearl shiny sprite ♀ Pikachu's Platinum shiny sprite ♂ Pikachu's Platinum shiny sprite ♀ Pikachu's HeartGold & SoulSilver shiny sprite ♂ Pikachu's HeartGold & SoulSilver shiny sprite ♀ Pikachu's back shiny sprite ♂ Pikachu's back shiny sprite ♂ Pikachu's Black & White / Black 2 & White 2 sprite Pikachu's Black & White / Black 2 & White 2 sprite ♀ Pikachu's back sprite Pikachu's X & Y / Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire sprite ♂ Pikachu's X & Y / Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire sprite ♀ Pikachu's GO sprite Pikachu's back sprite Pikachu's X & Y / Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire shiny sprite ♂ Pikachu's X & Y / Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire shiny sprite ♀ Pikachu's back shiny sprite Pikachu's Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee sprite Pikachu's Sword & Shield sprite ♂ Pikachu's Sword & Shield sprite ♀ Pikachu's Sword & Shield shiny sprite ♂ Pikachu's Sword & Shield shiny sprite ♀ Gigantamax Pikachu Shiny Gigantamax Pikachu





Side Game Data

Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia No. Pokémon Group Field Move Poké Assist R-002 Pikachu Electric Recharge 3 Recharge Capture Points* On Sight** 645 No reaction. Browser Entry It attacks by blasting electricity from its body. * - This is the amount of points required to capture the Pokémon (excluding boss Pokémon).

** - This is the reaction of the Pokémon when players approach it.





Super Smash Bros.

Pikachu has also appeared in all Super Smash Bros. Series games, with most of its main appearance is mostly males. Pikachu is a very agile and mobile playable character. In Super Smash Bros., Pikachu was considered the strongest playable character. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Pikachu's Skull Bash move was introduced, and its Quick Attack ability was upgraded so that it did a small amount of damage to opponents. Pikachu has also once again appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a playable character, with its exclusive attack Volt Tackle as its Final Smash. If you look at the hat Pikachu and you look at the shiny above and the hat, you would notice it's the Shiny Pikachu with Red's Japanese hat.

Each of Pikachu's alternate forms in Brawl and SSB4 can be seen as a tribute to different Pokémon games; The blue goggles come from Pokémon Colosseum and the red hat comes from the Kanto region games while the green headband comes from Pokémon Emerald. In the fourth title, one alternate form is that of Calem. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate gives Pikachu its two female alternates, one is based on Moon, and another is the Libre cosplay which is known appearing in Pokken Tournament (DX).

Along with Mario, Link, and Kirby, Pikachu is a mascot for the Super Smash Bros. series.

Appearances

Anime

Ash's Pikachu

Ash's Gigantamax Pikachu

A female Piakchu in the anime.

A Shiny Pikachu in the anime.

Richie's Pikachu: Sparky

Pikachutwo

Puka (Surfing Pikachu)

Cosplay Pikachu in the anime. 1 of 8 Add photo

Pikachu is considered as the main Pokémon in the anime as it is the starter of Ash. Ash received Pikachu in "Pokémon - I Choose You!". Then, Ash's rival, Ritchie, owned a Pikachu named Sparky.

In "The Climb to Be the Very Best!", it was revealed that Ash's Pikachu can Gigantamax.

Manga

Main articles: Pika and Chuchu

In the Pokémon Adventures Manga, Red owns a Pikachu named "Pika" and Yellow also owns a Pikachu named "Chuchu".

Trivia

Pikachu and Eevee are the only Starter Pokémon in the canon RPG games that deviates from the usual Grass Fire Water

Pikachu is the only Pokémon to have appeared in every episode, special, and movie in the series in some shape or form.

Though Pikachu isn't in the Unova Pokédex, an image of it can be found in a building in Castelia City before the National Pokédex is obtained, as well as on a billboard above the Castelia City Pokémon Center. There are also several Pikachu shaped hedges in Striaton City. Also, there is a giant Pikachu float next to the Nimbasa City Gym.

In the game Pokémon Battle Revolution, Pikachu can use the HMs Surf and Fly.

Starting from Pokémon X and Y, Ikue Ōtani provides the voice of Pikachu in the place of a cry.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, there are three variations of Pikachu. One has a headband similar to Brendan's hat, one has a hat similar to Ash's hat and another has goggles. The goggles variant is a reference to Pichu having an alt with goggles.

Pikachu has appeared on more merchandise than any other Pokémon, including the limited edition N64, Game Boy Color, DS and 3DS consoles.

In the 2011 Guinness World Records Book: Gamers Edition, Pikachu placed 20th in the "Top 50 VideoGame Characters of All Time."

Pikachu is the Japanese mascot for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

It is the first Pokémon in Pokédex order to have a baby form.

Pikachu and Meowth have inverse Pokédex numbers, 25 and 52. Coincidently, they are based on a cat and a rodent. Even more coincidently, Ash's Pikachu and Team Rocket's Meowth are rivals, like the popular cartoon, Tom and Jerry. (Ash and co. usually thwarting Team Rocket's various crazy schemes.)

Having a Pikachu hold a Light Ball will double its Special Attack and Attack stats, making its stats higher than its evolution, Raichu. Raichu also cannot hold a Light Ball unless it evolves from a Pikachu that is holding one

stats, making its stats higher than its evolution, Raichu. Raichu also cannot hold a Light Ball unless it evolves from a Pikachu that is holding one Though not the first Pokémon created, Pikachu was the first Electric

Pikachu is one of Veronica Taylor's favourite Pokémon.

A protein is named after Pikachu, the name of the protein is "pikachurin".

Pikachu is one of the 16 Pokémon to be made into a puppet in Japan.

A 2002 Carl's Jr toy features Pikachu playing the saxophone.

There are two Pikachu-centric spin off games, Hey You, Pikachu! (N64) and Detective Pikachu (3DS).

Pikachu was originally set to have a third evolution named Goruchu but, the idea was however scrapped.

Pokémon Black and White and their sequels are the only games you cannot find Pikachu in the wild. Instead, you have to transfer one over from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl or Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.

Pikachu was the only Pokémon until Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! to have its cry from the anime in the main RPG games. This was then reused for Eevee in the Let's Go games and onwards.

Special forms of Pikachu, such as Pikachu's wearing hats, cannot evolve into Raichu

The Partner Pikachu in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! is shiny locked. This means that your partner cannot be a Shiny Pokémon.

When the Pokémon franchise was localized in the USA, Nintendo wanted to redesign every known Pokémon back then, including Pikachu, to be more appealing to American children. Therefore, Pikachu was initially redesigned into a tiger with huge breasts. Fortunately, this idea had been scrapped.

Origin

Pokémon designer Atsuko Nishida said that Pikachu was originally based on a squirrel. The stripes on the back and the lightning bolt tail were added as details in the appearance, and the black ear tips are the remnant of the original daifuku-based design.

Etymology

The name "Pikachu" is a portmanteau of the Japanese words "pikapika", an mimetic word for electric sparkling, and "chū", which is the Japanese onomatopoeia for a mouse's squeak.

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