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Ash's Pikachu (Japanese: サトシのピカチュウ Satoshi's Pikachu) is the signature Pokémon of the Pokémon anime, and the first Pokémon that Ash obtained on his journey as a Pokémon Trainer, given to him by Professor Oak. Pikachu usually travels outside his Poké Ball.

In the anime

History

As a wild Pichu

Pre-series

Pichu with his adoptive family

As shown in Enter Pikachu!, Pikachu was once a lonely wild Pichu who lived in the woods in the outskirts of Pallet Town. After falling off a cliff, he was saved by a mother Kangaskhan, who, after realizing Pichu had nowhere to go, placed Pichu in her pouch and took him into her care. Eventually, Pichu and the child Kangaskhan grew bigger, and carrying them both became a burden to the mother. Realizing this, Pichu left his adoptive mother's pouch in the middle of the night while Kangaskhan's pack was asleep. Turning back to say goodbye to his family, his feelings of gratitude caused him to evolve into Pikachu. After taking a moment to realize what had just happened to him, Pikachu finished his goodbyes and left for parts unknown.

At some point after his departure, Pikachu was caught and eventually came under the possession of Professor Oak.



Kanto

Pikachu's debut appearance

In the first episode of the Pokémon anime, Pokémon - I Choose You!, Ash woke up late the day he was supposed to go to Professor Oak's Laboratory to obtain his first Pokémon. When he arrived at the lab, the three available starter Pokémon, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, had already been taken by other Trainers who had arrived on time. Seeing Ash's disappointment, Professor Oak gave him Pikachu, who, at first, did not care at all for his new Trainer, constantly zapping him and anyone else nearby. He refused to go into his Poké Ball, and when Ash failed to catch a Pidgey, he laughed at him. However, by the end of the episode, Ash gained Pikachu's trust by protecting him from an attack by a flock of angry Spearow. Seeing this act of selflessness, Pikachu defended Ash from the Spearow as well, and the two of them became inseparable friends, a moment that was capitalized on by catching a glimpse of an unknown Pokémon flying by. Ash then rushed to Viridian City to get Pikachu hospitalized quickly, as he had been badly injured during the fight.

Pikachu and Ash meeting for the first time

In Pokémon Emergency!, Ash managed to get to the Viridian City Pokémon Center just in time with the help of Officer Jenny, who scolded Ash for "mistreating" Pikachu. Nurse Joy agreed to heal Pikachu, and thanks to her, Pikachu managed to regain his health. At the end of the episode, Pikachu had regained enough of his strength to send Team Rocket blasting off for the very first time.

Pikachu participated in Ash's first Gym battle with Brock in Showdown in Pewter City. He faced Onix, but his Electric-type attacks were ineffective. When Onix started binding Pikachu, Ash saw no other option than to forfeit the match. Ash and Pikachu later trained with Flint to increase the strength of Pikachu's Electric-type moves. Ash then challenged Brock to a rematch, where Pikachu managed to defeat Brock's Geodude with his training. Pikachu then faced Onix again, but despite their training, he was still unable to defeat it. As Ash was about to forfeit again, Pikachu's Thunderbolt managed to turn on the Gym's sprinkler system, severely harming Onix. As Ash was about to let Pikachu finish Onix off, he was stopped by Brock's siblings and he decided to forfeit again. Despite this, Brock still gave him the Boulder Badge.

Ash rushing Pikachu to the Pokémon Center

Pikachu's next major battle was in Ash's Vermilion Gym battle against Lt. Surge's Raichu in Electric Shock Showdown. Lt. Surge laughed at Ash for attempting to defeat his Raichu with its pre-evolved form, angering Ash and Pikachu. Indeed, Raichu turned out to be more powerful than Pikachu, and a combination of attacks from it resulted in so much damage to Pikachu that he had to be hospitalized. Later, Ash offered to let Pikachu evolve into a Raichu with a Thunder Stone that Nurse Joy had given him. However, Pikachu refused, wanting to defeat Raichu on his own terms. During the subsequent rematch with Lt. Surge, Pikachu once again faced Raichu. Using moves like Agility and Quick Attack, which Raichu didn't know, Pikachu managed to gain the upper hand, dodge Raichu's attacks, and ultimately defeat it, thus earning Ash the Thunder Badge.

In Abra and the Psychic Showdown, Pikachu was sent out to battle Sabrina's Abra during Ash's Saffron Gym battle. It proved to be a tough foe, using Teleport to avoid Pikachu's attacks. Abra then suddenly evolved into Kadabra, making it much stronger. Eventually, Kadabra used Psychic to control Pikachu's body and repeatedly smash him into the ceiling. Unwilling to see his friend suffer, Ash forfeited the match. In Ash's subsequent rematch with Sabrina in Haunter versus Kadabra, Pikachu fought Kadabra again, since Haunter didn't show up and his other Pokémon were too terrified. Eventually, Haunter appeared and made Sabrina and Kadabra laugh, leaving them incapacitated. As a result, Ash was declared the winner by Sabrina's father, which earned him the Marsh Badge.

In The Flame Pokémon-athon!, Pikachu entered the Big P Pokémon Race with Squirtle. The two were at a significant disadvantage due to Squirtle's short legs, and Pikachu's comparative weight, but in a way, this helped as they managed to escape an Electrode self-destructing. They made ground when they reached the water stage, putting them in the top four with Ash, Misty, and Dario. However, intervention from Team Rocket forced a battle, and the two were put out of the running by a Glare attack from Arbok.

In Pikachu's Goodbye, Ash and his friends ran into a group of wild Pikachu, which was a very rare encounter. Pikachu tried to make friends with the other Pikachu but received a lukewarm response. After saving a baby Pikachu from falling down a waterfall, Ash's Pikachu was accepted by the group. Ash was overjoyed by this at first but soon began to feel sad, because he thought that Pikachu would be better off with the rest of his kind. After stopping Team Rocket from poaching his Pikachu and the wild Pikachu, Ash decided it was best to leave Pikachu behind with the others. However, Pikachu refused to leave Ash and quickly ran to catch up with him, followed by the wild Pikachu, who supported Ash and Pikachu being together.

In Princess vs. Princess, Pikachu was borrowed by Misty, so she could use him in the Queen of the Princess Festival, the main event in the annual Princess Festival. During the competition, he was seen defeating a Fearow. In the finals, Pikachu was Misty's first Pokémon used against Jessie. Pikachu easily managed to defeat Arbok, Weezing and Meowth in succession with a single Thunder Shock. Pikachu then faced Jessie's Lickitung. He tried attacking with Thunderbolt but was then licked by Lickitung and defeated.

In Riddle Me This, Pikachu was Ash's last Pokémon used in his seventh Gym battle at the Cinnabar Gym, where he faced off against Blaine's Rhydon. Despite being immune to Electric moves, Rhydon was defeated when Pikachu aimed his Thunderbolt attack at the horn on Rhydon's head. Pikachu then faced Blaine's Magmar, whose attacks eventually almost caused Pikachu to fall off the battlefield and into the lava below. Seeing that, Ash then decided to forfeit the match.

Pikachu's Poké Ball, with a lightning bolt mark, at Professor Oak's Laboratory

In The Battle of the Badge, Ash had Pikachu attack Team Rocket and their Pokémon after they sent out Arbok and Weezing to attack during their Gym battle. Using Thunderbolt, Pikachu hit all of the opposing Pokémon at once, causing Machamp, Rhydon and Kingler to run away in fear, and defeating Arbok and Weezing. After Team Rocket got blasted off, Ash got his eighth Gym Badge, the Earth Badge.

Ash used Pikachu many times during the Indigo Plateau Conference. In Fire and Ice, Pikachu defeated Pete Pebbleman's powerful Arcanine, but in The Fourth Round Rumble, he was defeated by Jeanette Fisher's Bellsprout. Pikachu then faced off against Happy, Ritchie's Butterfree, in Friend and Foe Alike. Despite being exhausted from battling Team Rocket earlier, he still wanted to fight. After defeating Happy, he faced off against Zippo, Ritchie's Charmander, but due to being exhausted by all his battles, Pikachu was defeated.

In Pallet Party Panic, Ash decided to take Pikachu, along with some of his other Pokémon, to the Orange Archipelago with him.

Orange Archipelago

In Pikachu Re-Volts, Butch and Cassidy used a Drowzee to take over the minds of many Pokémon on Mandarin Island North, including Pikachu. To rescue the Pokémon, Ash taunted Pikachu into using Thunderbolt on him, which also hit the machine that Drowzee was wired to, freeing all of the Pokémon from its control.

In Navel Maneuvers, Ash called Pikachu to help mold a block of ice into a sled, as part of his competition against Danny. He later rode in the sled along with his Bulbasaur and Squirtle in a race against Danny and his team. In the end, Ash managed to win the coveted Sea Ruby Badge.

In The Mandarin Island Miss Match, Ash used Pikachu in a battle against Lorelei* of the Elite Four, where he faced her Cloyster. Eventually, Pikachu lost.

In Misty Meets Her Match, Pikachu participated in the first part of Ash's battle with Rudy, using his Thunderbolt to blast targets. He then faced off against Rudy's Electabuzz, which kept shrugging off Pikachu's attacks. He was eventually defeated by a powerful Thunder Punch.

Pikachu offering Meowth an apple

In the following episode, Team Rocket had a plan to capture Pikachu that involved tying him up with Meowth. This succeeded at first, but Meowth and Pikachu got separated from Jessie and James. Being lost on the island, the two Pokémon had to work together to defeat powerful Pokémon and get to safety. In the end, Ash, Misty and Tracey managed to find the duo first and separated them from each other.

In Pokémon Double Trouble, Pikachu was used in Ash's Gym battle against Luana, where he had to fight alongside Charizard. Despite both Pokémon being eager to battle, they started getting angry at each other right before the battle, affecting their teamwork negatively. However, after seeing Charizard being repeatedly attacked by Luana's Alakazam and Marowak, Pikachu decided to help his partner, cementing their cooperation. Both of their opponents ultimately knocked each other out accidentally, thus earning Ash the Jade Star Badge and allowing him to enter the Orange League.

In Hello, Pummelo!, Pikachu was Ash's first Pokémon used in his battle against Drake, where he faced off against Drake's Ditto. Despite Ditto being able to copy Pikachu's attacks, it wasn't in good shape as Pikachu was. After continuously exchanging attacks, Pikachu managed to defeat it. Pikachu was then recalled when Drake sent out his Onix. Later, Pikachu faced off against Drake's powerful Dragonite, who had already defeated three of Ash's Pokémon. After an exchange of attacks, Pikachu defeated Dragonite, earning Ash the Winner's Trophy and a spot in the Orange League Hall of Fame.

In The Rivalry Revival, Pikachu battled Gary's Eevee and was eventually defeated after Eevee used a powerful Skull Bash. Later on in the episode, Ash decided to take Pikachu, along with his other Pokémon, to Johto with him.

Johto

In The Double Trouble Header, Ash used Pikachu in his second battle against Casey, where he faced her Chikorita. Despite Casey having only recently obtained Chikorita, it quickly gained the upper hand. Just then, the battle was interrupted by Team Rocket, who tried to steal their Pokémon. Their plan failed, however, when Pikachu and Chikorita were reunited with their Trainers and teamed up to defeat Team Rocket.

In Fighting Flyer with Fire, Pikachu was used in Ash's Violet Gym battle against Falkner, where he battled and defeated Falkner's Hoothoot and Dodrio. Pikachu then briefly faced Falkner's Pidgeot, but since he was already tired from his previous matches, he was quickly defeated by a Whirlwind.

In Gettin' The Bugs Out, Ash used Pikachu as his third Pokémon in his Azalea Gym battle, where he went up against Bugsy's Metapod and defeated it. He then went up against Bugsy's last, and most powerful Pokémon, Scyther. Despite having the type advantage, Pikachu's Thunderbolt attacks constantly missed because of Scyther's Double Team. The real Scyther then appeared behind Pikachu and hit him with a series of Fury Cutter, knocking him out.

In A Goldenrod Opportunity, Pikachu faced off against Whitney's powerful Miltank, who had already easily defeated Ash's Cyndaquil and Totodile using Rollout. Ash had Pikachu use Thunderbolt on Miltank since she got wet by Totodile's earlier Water Gun. However, due to Miltank spinning at great speed, she had already dried up, making Thunderbolt useless. Afterwards, Pikachu was defeated by two Rollout attacks, causing Ash to lose the battle. In the following episode, Pikachu battled Miltank again in Ash's rematch. Due to Ash's strategy with Cyndaquil and Totodile, Miltank lost her balance. This allowed Pikachu to throw Miltank in the air by hiding in one of the ditches and then finish her off with a Thunderbolt, earning Ash the Plain Badge.

In The Bug Stops Here, Pikachu and Ash entered the Bug-Catching Contest. The two encountered a Weedle, but before Pikachu could attack it, Casey's Chikorita intervened, and Casey caught the Hairy Bug Pokémon. Later, Ash and Pikachu chased after a Scyther, but accidentally disturbed a swarm of Beedrill in the process. Pikachu managed to shock one of the Beedrill with Thunderbolt, giving Ash the chance to catch it. With this capture, Ash managed to win the contest, winning him a Sun Stone.

Pikachu befriended a group of Pichu in The Apple Corp!. At first, they framed Pikachu for eating some apples, but when the Pichu were attacked by a Fearow, Pikachu warded it off with Thunderbolt. Later, Pikachu was kidnapped by Team Rocket after they sucked away its electricity. However, the Pichu eventually managed to restore Pikachu's electricity, and together, they blasted Team Rocket off.

In From Ghost to Ghost, Pikachu was used in Ash's Gym battle against Morty. He faced off against Morty's Gastly but was defeated by a single Night Shade.

In Machoke, Machoke Man!, Ash chose Pikachu as his first Pokémon in his Gym battle against Chuck. Pikachu battled Chuck's Poliwrath, but his Thunderbolt and Quick Attack did not defeat it. Afterwards, it hit Pikachu with a series of powerful Double Slap attacks, knocking him out.

In Nerves of Steelix!, Ash sent out Pikachu to battle Jasmine's Magnemite. Both Pokémon proved to be equal in speed, but finally, Ash decided to let Pikachu take a Thunder Wave from Magnemite so it could get hit by a Thunderbolt, causing a lot of damage. Pikachu then finished it off with a Quick Attack, crashing it into a wall. Next, Pikachu faced off against Jasmine's strongest Pokémon, Steelix. Due to his previous battle against Magnemite, Pikachu was tired and subsequently defeated by a powerful Iron Tail.

In As Cold as Pryce, Pikachu was seen aiding Cyndaquil in reviving Pryce's Piloswine. In the following episode, Pikachu was sent out to battle Piloswine, who had already defeated Cyndaquil. Though the battle was well-fought, Pikachu wound up receiving more damage. Despite this, he refused to give up and was about to attack again when Pryce forfeited, giving Ash the win and earning him the Glacier Badge.

In Fangs for Nothin', Ash chose Pikachu as his first Pokémon in his Gym battle against Clair, pitting him against her Kingdra. Since Ash was unaware of Kingdra's secondary type, Pikachu's Electric attacks and physical moves didn't affect the Dragon Pokémon, forcing him to follow Misty and Brock's advice and recall Pikachu. Their battle was later stopped due to Team Rocket's theft of the Dragon Fang. In the following episode, Pikachu helped stop the rampage of a Dragonite that belonged to the old Blackthorn Gym Leader.

In the next episode, Pikachu was used in Ash's rematch against Clair, where he faced her Gyarados. Despite Pikachu having the double type-advantage, Gyarados proved to be powerful and initially gained the upper hand. Eventually, Pikachu got close enough to defeat the Atrocious Pokémon with a powerful Thunderbolt. Clair then sent out her Dragonair to battle Pikachu. It managed to dodge Pikachu's attacks and knock him out with a point-blank Hyper Beam.

Pikachu was used many times during the Silver Conference. In A Claim to Flame!, he defeated Salvador's Furret. In Tie One On!, this good showing was followed by Jackson's Azumarill, but Pikachu was then defeated by Jackson's Shiny Magneton. In Playing with Fire!, Pikachu was Ash's first Pokémon used in his battle against Harrison, defeating his Kecleon before being defeated in turn by Harrison's Sneasel.

After saying farewell to Misty and Brock in Gotta Catch Ya Later!, Ash decided to only take Pikachu with him to Hoenn, and left Pallet Town with him at the end of the episode. In the following episode, while getting ready to depart for Hoenn by ship, Ash and Pikachu were attacked by Team Rocket, who used an electromagnet to stick Pikachu to it and drain his electricity. Eventually, thanks to some wild Pokémon and Officer Jenny, Pikachu was saved. The next day, Ash tried to wake Pikachu up, but he soon noticed that he was suffering from a severe illness caused by the electromagnet.

Hoenn

In Get the Show on the Road!, Pikachu was treated by Professor Birch, who strapped him to a machine to drain out the overload electricity he received. However, the machine exploded when the electricity levels became too high. Pikachu then ran off, with Ash and Professor Birch chasing after him. Eventually, Ash found Pikachu, but in his confused state, Pikachu attacked him and fled off a cliff. Ash jumped after him and caught him before grabbing onto a branch. Pikachu tried resisting, but Ash was able to get through to him and calm him down. When Ash and Pikachu were pulled up to safety, Team Rocket arrived and captured Pikachu. However, their mecha accidentally cured Pikachu of his illness, and he was able to blast them off, destroying May's bike in the process.

In There's no Place like Hoenn, Ash used Pikachu in an unofficial battle against Norman, since Ash only had one Pokémon at the time instead of the three required. In the end, Norman's Vigoroth defeated Pikachu with a series of Scratch attacks. After their match, Team Rocket tried to steal Pikachu and Vigoroth but accidentally stole May's Torchic instead. Later, Pikachu was used alongside Vigoroth to battle Team Rocket and blasted them off in addition to rescuing Torchic.

In All Things Bright and Beautifly!, Ash began teaching Pikachu Iron Tail in preparation for his Rustboro Gym battle, a Rock-type Gym, and got help from a Coordinator named Chaz and his Sentret. Despite their effort and training, Pikachu was still unable to fully master Iron Tail.

In The Winner by a Nosepass, Pikachu was Ash's last Pokémon used in his Gym battle against Roxanne, where he went up against her Geodude and eventually defeated it. Pikachu then faced Roxanne's Nosepass, who took advantage of his difficulties in mastering Iron Tail. Despite this, Pikachu defeated Nosepass and mastered Iron Tail in the process, as well as earning Ash the Stone Badge.

In Watt's with Wattson?, after entering the Mauville Gym, Ash and his friends encountered a robot Raikou. Thinking it would attack, Ash ordered Pikachu to attack the robot with Iron Tail, causing an explosion. This destroyed the robot but also overcharged Pikachu with electricity, unbeknownst to the rest. Later, Pikachu was Ash's first Pokémon used in his Gym battle against Wattson. Due to being overcharged, Pikachu defeated Wattson's Magnemite, Voltorb, and Magneton with one attack each, earning Ash the Dynamo Badge.

In Going, Going, Yawn, Ash used Pikachu as his third Pokémon in his Lavaridge Gym battle. He was sent out against Flannery's Slugma after it burned Treecko and put Corphish to sleep. During the battle, he finally broke Magcargo's Reflect that was affecting previous battles. Then, Pikachu defeated Slugma and proceeded to battle Flannery's last Pokémon, Torkoal. Despite Pikachu's efforts, Torkoal used Overheat to defeat him.

In Balance of Power, Ash used Pikachu as his first Pokémon in his official Petalburg Gym battle against Norman, and he went up against Slakoth but was recalled after Slakoth's Blizzard temporary disabled him. Later, Pikachu faced off against Norman's Vigoroth. Through strategy, Ash had Pikachu let himself get hit by Vigoroth, which activated Pikachu's Static Ability and paralyzed Vigoroth. This allowed Pikachu to defeat Vigoroth, but he fainted right afterwards due to extensive fatigue from the battle, thus ending it in a draw.

In Sky High Gym Battle!, Pikachu was Ash's second Pokémon in his Fortree Gym battle against Winona. Pikachu battled Winona's Pelipper, and despite having a major type advantage, Pelipper proved to be a formidable opponent. As a result, Ash decided Pikachu should fight at close range and told him to use Quick Attack to get closer before using Thunder on Pelipper. With both Pokémon being hit by powerful attacks, Pikachu and Pelipper both fainted.

In A Scare to Remember!, Pikachu developed amnesia after an attack by Team Rocket and their machine. Team Rocket took advantage of this and tricked Pikachu into joining them. He was then ordered to attack the group. Trying to get Pikachu back, Ash jumped on their balloon. Team Rocket ordered Pikachu to hit Ash with Thunderbolt, but this caused them to get blasted off while Ash and Pikachu fell in a river. As Ash protected him, Pikachu managed to regain his memory and got rid of Team Rocket once again.

In Gaining Groudon, Ash and the group got on a submarine owned by Team Magma, where they met Team Magma's leader Maxie. An explosion triggered by Kyogre caused the Blue Orb to fly off Maxie's desk. Pikachu managed to catch the orb before Team Magma could regain it, but the orb then melted into Pikachu's body, greatly increasing his power but also making him lose control over himself. In the next episode, Pikachu awakened Groudon and aided it in its battle with Kyogre. Due to everyone's teamwork, Groudon was able to defeat Kyogre, causing the Blue Orb to emerge from Pikachu's body. Pikachu was then saved by Kyogre and later bade it and Groudon farewell.

In Solid as a Solrock, Ash used Pikachu and Swellow in the Double Battle against Tate and Liza with their respective Solrock and Lunatone. Eventually, the battle was interrupted by Team Rocket, who destroyed the Gym using their machine. Following Team Rocket's defeat, they agreed to resume their battle outdoors. With Solrock and Lunatone gaining the upper hand, Ash thought about how to negate their dual attacks and then had Pikachu use Thunder on the clouds. Lightning struck Pikachu and Swellow, which the two managed to endure, thus creating a "Thunder Armor". Using this technique, Pikachu and Swellow managed to pierce through Solrock's Solar Beam and Lunatone's Light Screen, and defeated them with Iron Tail and Aerial Ace, earning Ash the Mind Badge.

In Vanity Affair, Ash used Pikachu against Hoenn Elite Four member Drake and his Shelgon. However, Pikachu quickly lost, which dealt a serious blow to the massive ego Ash had developed at the time.

In The Great Eight Fate!, Ash chose Pikachu and Snorunt as his first two Pokémon in a Double Battle in the first round of his Sootopolis Gym battle. They went up against Juan's Sealeo and Seaking. Eventually, Snorunt was knocked out by Seaking's Hyper Beam, and Ash sent out Corphish. Soon after, Pikachu defeated Seaking and rode on Corphish's back as it headed towards Sealeo and defeated it, thus ending the first round of the Gym battle in Ash's favor. Both Pokémon were then recalled. In the next episode, Pikachu was used as Ash's last Pokémon in the second round of the battle, going up against Juan's last and strongest Pokémon, his Milotic. Eventually, Milotic tried hitting Pikachu with Iron Tail in an ambush, but he dodged it, climbed onto Milotic's body, and flipped the Tender Pokémon into the water. While underwater, Pikachu used Thunder, knocking out Milotic, winning Ash the battle, and earning him the Rain Badge.

In Less is Morrison, Ash used Pikachu in a battle against his new rival Morrison, and he faced off against Morrison's Beldum. At first, Pikachu had the upper hand as the only move Beldum knew was Take Down, but Beldum eventually managed to land some hits. Soon, Pikachu used Iron Tail to counter another Take Down, causing a big explosion that knocked both Pokémon out.

Pikachu was used many times by Ash in the Ever Grande Conference. In Saved by the Beldum, he defeated Gilbert's Hitmonlee after a hard-fought battle. In Shocks and Bonds, Pikachu initially went up against Katie's Golduck. However, Katie immediately switched to her Dugtrio, who had a type advantage over Pikachu, and the Mole Pokémon defeated him easily. In Choose It or Lose It!, Pikachu went up against Morrison's Steelix and was knocked out as well. In At the End of the Fray, Pikachu defeated Tyson's Metagross before being defeated himself by Tyson's Meowth despite all of his efforts. His defeat caused Ash to end up in the Top 8 of the Ever Grande Conference.

Kanto Battle Frontier

In The Scheme Team, Ash used Pikachu in his battle against Elite Four Agatha and her Gengar at the Viridian Gym. Eventually, when Pikachu was about to finish Gengar off with Thunder, Gengar used Hypnosis, putting him to sleep, then defeated him with Dream Eater. Afterwards, he helped defeat Team Rocket along with Agatha's Golbat. Later on, Ash decided to enter the Kanto Battle Frontier along with Pikachu and his other Pokémon. He was later reunited with Misty when he and Ash returned to Pallet Town.

In May's Egg-Cellent Adventure, while battling Team Rocket's mecha, he used Quick Attack, which morphed into Volt Tackle, easily destroying the mecha and blasting Team Rocket off. Despite this, Pikachu couldn't master the move. After lots of training, Pikachu was finally able to master Volt Tackle in The Green Guardian, using the move to blast Team Rocket off, and saving a wild Celebi.

In Queen of the Serpentine!, while going to the Battle Pike, Pikachu was captured by Team Rocket using their fake Battle Pike until he was rescued by Lucy and her Seviper from the real Battle Pike. Later, Ash used Pikachu as his second and last Pokémon in his Battle Pike challenge against Lucy and her Milotic. When Pikachu suffered major damage, Ash had him use Thunderbolt on himself. This allowed him to use a supercharged Volt Tackle and defeat Milotic, earning him the Luck Symbol.

In Talking a Good Game!, Pikachu was the third Pokémon to battle Anabel. He went up against her Alakazam, who had already defeated Ash's previous two Pokémon. Pikachu eventually managed to defeat Alakazam. He went up against Metagross next but was defeated, losing Ash the battle. In the next episode, Pikachu was used in Ash's rematch against Anabel, this time facing her Espeon. Though Espeon had great speed and power, Pikachu used Thunderbolt to disable the ceiling lights, temporarily blinding Espeon. Once the lights turned on again, Pikachu was able to overwhelm and defeat Espeon, earning Ash the Ability Symbol.

In Gathering the Gang of Four!, in preparation for Ash's rematch against Brandon for his final Frontier Symbol, Pikachu reunited with Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charizard for training. Using Quick Attack to round up leaves created by Squirtle's Rapid Spin and Bulbasaur's Vine Whip, they were able to make a den to sleep in. Pikachu was later captured by Team Rocket but was rescued by Ash and the other Pokémon. They then combined their attacks to send Team Rocket blasting off. Afterwards, they met up with Brandon again, and he agreed to have a four-on-four rematch with Pikachu and the other Pokémon at the Battle Pyramid.

Pikachu was the fourth and final Pokémon used in Ash's Battle Pyramid challenge against Pyramid King Brandon in Pace - The Final Frontier!, going up against Brandon's Regice. Pikachu initially had trouble dealing with Regice's combination of Ice-type attacks, ice-based strategies, and Rest; and he was almost declared unable to battle. However, Pikachu overcame Regice's strategies and ultimately knocked the Iceberg Pokémon out. This gave Ash the win, earning him his last Symbol, the Brave Symbol.

Pikachu performing in a Pokémon Contest

In Once More With Reeling, Ash used Pikachu in the Performance Stage of the Terracotta Town Pokémon Contest, an informal event not sanctioned by the Pokémon Activities Committee. He used Quick Attack and Thunderbolt at the same time to create electrical rings, then used Iron Tail to combine them and trigger a firework-like effect. This performance allowed Ash to proceed to the Battle Stage.

In Home is Where the Start Is!, Ash used Pikachu in a friendly battle against Gary, who used his powerful Electivire, a Pokémon from the Sinnoh region. After a hard-fought battle, Pikachu was eventually defeated. Later, Pikachu went with Ash to Sinnoh, and he was meant to be the only Pokémon to go with him, as he left his other Pokémon at Professor Oak's laboratory. However, Aipom sneaked aboard their ship, and Ash eventually allowed her to accompany them to Sinnoh.

In Following a Maiden's Voyage!, Pikachu was temporarily separated from Ash due to yet another plot by Team Rocket. Eventually, in Two Degrees of Separation!, Dawn found Pikachu and tried to catch him, but failed since he already had a Trainer. She also protected him from Team Rocket and managed to blast Team Rocket off alongside him. Pikachu was eventually reunited with Ash in When Pokémon Worlds Collide!. Later, he was used as Ash's final Pokémon in a battle against Ash's new rival Paul and his Elekid. The heated battle proved to be a surprisingly even match, as both Pokémon were eventually left so exhausted that they collapsed, resulting in the battle being declared a tie.

In Dawn of a New Era!, Ash used Pikachu to battle Nando's Budew. Despite Budew evolving into Roselia, Pikachu was still able to defeat it.

In A Gruff Act to Follow, Ash used Pikachu as his second Pokémon in his first Sinnoh Gym battle against Roark and his Cranidos while Paul observed from the sidelines. Initially, Pikachu was overwhelmed by Cranidos's attacks and speed. When Paul got up to leave, believing Ash had already lost, Pikachu suddenly showed his strength by letting off a powerful Electric attack in the air, causing Paul to stay. Both Pokémon were eventually seriously injured, forcing Ash to recall Pikachu. He later sent Pikachu out to battle Roark's Onix, but Pikachu was overwhelmed by Onix's Screech and blasted away, knocking him out and losing Ash the battle.

In O'er the Rampardos We Watched!, Pikachu was Ash's first Pokémon used in his rematch against Roark, where he faced Roark's Onix again and defeated it this time. Pikachu was recalled when Roark sent out his Geodude, only to be sent out to battle Roark's Rampardos. Despite the activation of Pikachu's Static Ability during the battle, Rampardos was able to hit him hard with Zen Headbutt, knocking him out.

In All Dressed Up With Somewhere To Go!, Ash entered Pikachu in the Pokémon Dress-Up Contest. Pikachu was able to imitate several Pokémon and, as a result, advanced to the finals. However, he ended up losing to Brock's Croagunk.

In Tag! We're It...!, Pikachu was used in the first round of the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition, where he battled alongside Paul's Chimchar. Pikachu and Chimchar faced a Rhydon and a Magmar, and their teamwork allowed both of their opponents to be knocked out, allowing Ash and Paul to proceed to the next round of the tournament.

In The Keystone Pops!, Ash and Pikachu tried stopping a wild Spiritomb, which had gone on a rampage after the group accidentally destroyed the Hallowed Tower, freeing Spiritomb from the Odd Keystone. Eventually, Pikachu managed to defeat Spiritomb with Volt Tackle and Thunderbolt after a hard-fought battle and the group managed to seal Spiritomb in the Keystone again.

In Lost Leader Strategy!, Pikachu encountered Paul's Electabuzz again at Reggie's home, where the two started fighting, but the Pokémon got separated by Maylene's Lucario. Later, Pikachu was Ash's last Pokémon used in a battle against Reggie. Pikachu faced off against Reggie's Staraptor and ultimately won.

In Pika and Goliath!, an arrogant Electric-type Trainer named Sho asked Ash to trade Pikachu to him, as he already had a Pichu and Raichu and wanted to have the full evolutionary line in his team. Ash refused, so Sho challenged him to a battle against Raichu. Unlike Lt. Surge's Raichu, this particular Raichu was fast in addition to knowing powerful attacks. The battle soon ended with Pikachu's defeat. During his recovery, Pikachu began to reconsider his earlier decision to not evolve. When Ash went to check on Pikachu, he found both Pikachu and his Thunder Stone missing, causing him to think Pikachu may have decided to evolve into Raichu. However, he soon found Pikachu training in the forest, trying to get stronger without evolving. After some hard training, Ash and Pikachu re-challenged Sho and Raichu and ultimately won after a test of strength for Pikachu.

In A Crasher Course in Power!, Pikachu and Buizel got into a fight after Buizel got accidentally hit by Pikachu's Thunderbolt while training. Later, Pikachu was the first Pokémon used in Ash's Pastoria Gym battle. He went up against Crasher Wake's Gyarados and eventually won but was recalled after Crasher Wake sent out Quagsire. Later, after Buizel was recalled, Pikachu went up against Floatzel, which almost defeated him and even left a part of his back frozen. Pikachu was then recalled after Buizel wanted to fight again. As they passed each other, they exchanged high-fives, and Buizel broke the ice on Pikachu's back with Water Gun.

Pikachu in the Hearthome Collection

In Arriving in Style!, Pikachu was used in the Hearthome Collection, a fashion show for Stylists and their Pokémon whose winner would get the chance to work on a photoshoot for the Poké Chic magazine. At first, Pikachu was shy to go on stage wearing the outfit Ash had designed for him, but after hearing some encouraging words from Ash, he overcame his shyness and went onstage to perform. He used his Thunderbolt attack to light up the hall, captivating the judges' attention. Hermione commented that, although Ash didn't quite get it what it means to be a Pokémon Stylist, he was at least making an effort to show off his Pokémon, instead of focusing solely on the clothing aspect. For this reason, Pikachu was among the three finalists, along with Dawn's Buneary and Cocoa's Mismagius. When the results were announced, it was revealed that Ash and Pikachu had ended up in third place, receiving the Unique Award for their original costumes and performance.

In Playing The Leveling Field!, Pikachu was used in an unofficial battle against the Hearthome City Gym Leader Fantina. Pikachu faced her Drifloon, who had already defeated Buizel and put Chimchar to sleep. Eventually, Drifloon evolved into Drifblim and put Pikachu to sleep with Hypnosis. With two of his Pokémon sleeping, Ash decided to forfeit the match.

In Barry's Busting Out All Over!, Ash used Pikachu as his final Pokémon in a three-on-three battle against Barry, where he faced Barry's Empoleon. Despite some initial difficulty, Pikachu was able to defeat Empoleon after hearing Ash's words of encouragement.

In Shield with a Twist!, Pikachu was Ash's third Pokémon in his Hearthome Gym battle. He went up against Fantina's Drifblim. Eventually, like their last battle, Drifblim hit Pikachu with Hypnosis, putting him to sleep, and finished him off with Ominous Wind.

In To Thine Own Pokémon Be True!, Pikachu was Ash's partner in a Pokémon Ping Pong Tournament. In the first round they faced Wilkinson and his Farfetch'd. Despite putting up a good match, Ash and Pikachu got eliminated.

Static activated

In Evolving Strategies!, Pikachu was Ash's fifth Pokémon used in his Full Battle against Paul. First, he went up against Magmortar. During the battle, Pikachu received multiple serious burns, and though he finally struck Magmortar with an Iron Tail, he had to be recalled. Later, he went up against Paul's very powerful Ursaring. His Static Ability activated and paralyzed Ursaring, but this, in turn, activated Ursaring's Guts Ability, greatly increasing Ursaring's Attack and allowing it to defeat him.

In Historical Mystery Tour!, Pikachu was used in a battle against Barry's Heracross, but the battle ended prematurely when Barry saw a Xatu flying and decided to follow it. In the following episode, Pikachu was used in the Festival Battle Challenge, a tournament marking the end of the Twinleaf Festival, whose winner gets the opportunity to battle Palmer. Pikachu faced off against Barry's Empoleon in the final round and managed to win, earning Ash a battle against the Frontier Brain.

In A Marathon Rivalry!, Ash used Pikachu in the Hurdle Dash event of a Pokéathlon held in Camellia Town. Pikachu and Daniel's Snorlax quickly managed to take the lead, and after racing neck-to-neck with Snorlax, Snorlax's large belly passed the finish line first, giving Daniel the win.

In Flint Sparks the Fire!, Pikachu was used in a battle against Flint. He faced Flint's Infernape, who had already defeated Ash's Buizel and his Infernape. After a hard-fought match in which both Pokémon took several hits, Pikachu was ultimately defeated, giving Flint the win.

In The Eighth Wonder of the Sinnoh World!, Pikachu battled Volkner's Electivire and ultimately defeated it despite the activation of Electivire's Motor Drive Ability. He was then recalled before going up against Volkern's Luxray, but he was eventually knocked out by Luxray's Shock Wave.

During the Lily of the Valley Conference, Ash used Pikachu as his first Pokémon in his battle against Paul in Familiarity Breeds Strategy!. He was used against Paul's Aggron but was eventually recalled in place of Infernape. Later, Pikachu was used again, this time facing Paul's Froslass and defeating it before being recalled once again. During the continuation of their battle, Ash sent Pikachu out to battle Paul's Electivire, who soon knocked him out.

In The Semi-Final Frontier!, Pikachu was the last Pokémon chosen by Ash to battle Tobias in the semifinals of the Lily of the Valley Conference. Despite Ash losing five of his Pokémon, Pikachu tried his best to defeat Tobias's Latios. In the end, however, both he and Latios fainted. Since Pikachu was Ash's last Pokémon, Tobias was crowned the winner of their battle, placing Ash in the Top 4 of the Lily of the Valley Conference.

In Memories are Made of Bliss!, Pikachu helped search for Piplup when he ran away. Upon finding Piplup, both Pokémon broke down in tears since they had to say goodbye to each other soon. Team Rocket appeared, but Pikachu and Piplup managed to blast them off with a Volt Tackle and Hydro Pump combination. Later, Pikachu said goodbye to Dawn and Piplup before he, Ash, and Brock boarded a ship headed for Kanto. Upon arriving in Kanto, Pikachu and Ash bade farewell to Brock as well and the two continued towards Pallet Town.

Unova

Ash decided to bring Pikachu to Unova with him, just as he did in Hoenn. In In The Shadow of Zekrom!, upon arriving in Unova, Pikachu had an encounter with Zekrom, which, unbeknownst to Ash, caused him to lose his ability to use Electric moves. Ash finally noticed this during his battle against Trip and his Snivy, when Pikachu and Volt Tackle. Despite Ash realizing Pikachu can use other moves like Quick Attack and Iron Tail, Snivy defeated the exhausted Pikachu with Leaf Tornado. In the next episode, Pikachu recovered his Electric moves.

In Triple Leaders, Team Threats!, Ash used Pikachu in his second battle at the Striaton Gym. He faced Cress and his Panpour, and despite having the type advantage, Pikachu was overwhelmed by their water-based strategies and eventually defeated.

In A Rival Battle for Club Champ!, he battled Trip's Tranquill, who had already taken out Ash's Oshawott and Tepig. After defeating Tranquill, he then battled Snivy again, who by that point had evolved into Servine. As Pikachu tried to use Volt Tackle, Servine managed to strike him with Cut in mid-sprint, knocking him out.

In Minccino—Neat and Tidy!, Pikachu was used in a battle against Bianca and her Pignite. Eventually, Pikachu's Volt Tackle and Pignite's Flame Charge collided, knocking both Pokémon back. Ultimately, only Pikachu remained standing, giving Ash the win.

In Dancing With the Ducklett Trio!, a trio of trouble-making Ducklett stole Ash's hat and Sandile's sunglasses. During the incident, Pikachu learned Electro Ball and blasted the Ducklett off with his new move. Later on, he battled Sandile and ultimately used Electro Ball to deflect its Stone Edge back at it, defeating it and blasting it off.

In Battling For The Love of Bug-Types!, Ash used Pikachu as his last Pokémon in his Castelia Gym battle. He went up against Burgh's Leavanny, who initially had the upper hand with its Leaf Storm and String Shot attacks. However, he turned both attacks against Leavanny and ultimately defeated it with an Iron Tail-Electro Ball combination, earning Ash the Insect Badge.

In Club Battle Finale: A Hero's Outcome!, Ash used Pikachu in the final round of the Club Battle, where they went up against Iris and Excadrill. Though it was a hard-fought battle, Pikachu was ultimately unable to dodge Excadrill's Focus Blast, which knocked him out, making Iris the winner of the tournament.

In Dazzling the Nimbasa Gym!, Pikachu was used as the final Pokémon in Ash's Gym battle against Elesa after his two other Pokémon were defeated. He went up against Elesa's powerful Emolga and quickly defeated it. Pikachu then faced Elesa's Tynamo, which proved to be a tough opponent despite her not looking very strong. Eventually, Pikachu gained the upper hand and defeated Tynamo, thus winning Ash the Bolt Badge.

In Ash Versus the Champion!, Pikachu was used in a battle against Alder, where he faced his Bouffalant. Pikachu hit Bouffalant with all of his attacks, but it absorbed the hits with its afro. Alder, however, didn't give any orders, causing Bouffalant to get angry. It was then revealed that Alder had been sleeping throughout the battle. After he was woken up, Alder ordered Bouffalant to use Head Charge, but Bouffalant, still angry at him, used the attack on him instead. The battle was then called off.

In An Amazing Aerial Battle!, Ash used Pikachu against Skyla's Unfezant in his Mistralton Gym battle. After defeating Unfezant, Pikachu fought Skyla's last Pokémon, Swanna. Despite having a type advantage, Pikachu's Electric moves proved to be useless when Swanna used Aqua Ring to protect itself against them. Pikachu was ultimately defeated by a powerful combination of Hurricane and Brave Bird.

In Climbing the Tower of Success!, Ash and Pikachu entered the Wishing Bell Festival. They managed to reach the final round, where they had to climb Mistralton Tower while protecting the flame of their Litwick candle. Despite Pikachu doing his best to protect the candle from a group of Pidove's attacks, Stephan's Litwick candle, which turned out to have been a real Litwick all along, blew out Ash's, causing Ash to end up in second place.

In Rocking the Virbank Gym! Part 2, Ash chose Pikachu as his final Pokémon in his Gym battle with Roxie. He faced Roxie's strongest Pokémon, Garbodor, who had already defeated Ash's Pignite and Palpitoad. Eventually, all of the physical contact Pikachu made with Garbodor activated its Static Ability, paralyzing Garbodor. This allowed him to defeat Garbodor, earning Ash his eighth and final Unova Badge, the Toxic Badge, thus allowing him to enter the Unova League.

In Goodbye, Junior Cup - Hello Adventure!, Pikachu was used in one final battle against Dawn before she headed to Johto. He faced her Quilava, who turned out to be evenly matched against him. Finally, Pikachu and Quilava collided with Quick Attack and Flame Wheel, respectively, knocking both Pokémon back. The battle was then called off by Cynthia.

In Meloetta and the Undersea Temple!, Ash and Pikachu battled Giovanni and his Persian while trying to protect Meloetta, but Persian immediately defeated Pikachu with Power Gem. Giovanni then captured Meloetta and took it, along with the imprisoned Ash and Pikachu, to the Abyssal Ruins. In the next episode, Pikachu managed to break Team Rocket's force-field prison open by striking it repeatedly with Iron Tail, freeing both Ash and himself. Later, during the battle against the mind-controlled Therian Forme Forces of Nature, Pikachu protected Iris and her Dragonite from Thundurus's Thunder. This gave Pikachu a tremendous power boost; when he used Electro Ball, it inflicted exceptionally massive damage on the Abyssal Ruins, sending Team Rocket flying and freeing Meloetta.

In Curtain Up, Unova League!, Ash used Pikachu in the preliminary round of the Vertress Conference, where he went up against Trip's Serperior. The battle properly began in the next episode. Serperior initially had the upper hand and was almost able to constrict Pikachu into unconsciousness. Pikachu, however, didn't give in and defeated it with an Electro Ball-Iron Tail combination, giving Ash his first win against Trip.

In Cameron's Secret Weapon!, Pikachu went up against Cameron's Pokémon, defeating Samurott and Swanna before being recalled. Later, Ash sent Pikachu out to battle Cameron's newly-evolved Lucario, which had just defeated Snivy, leaving him as Ash's last Pokémon. Despite the large amount of damage both Pokémon had taken, they still managed to continue battling. At the end of the fight, Lucario's Aura Sphere overpowered Pikachu's Electro Ball and him Pikachu out, thus eliminating Ash from the Vertress Conference and placing him in Top 8.

In Team Plasma's Pokémon Power Plot, Pikachu battled wild Pokémon controlled by Colress to free them and stop Team Plasma. Impressed by Pikachu's power, Colress managed to gain control of Pikachu by attaching a receiver to his head, and he ordered him to attack Ash and the group. As Colress was increasing the power of the EM waves responsible for the mind control, Ash begged Pikachu to fight it off. During Pikachu's strenuous attempts to do so, the receiver overloaded and got destroyed, freeing Pikachu from Team Plasma's control.

In Team Plasma and the Awakening Ceremony!, Pikachu and Ash's other Pokémon fought Team Plasma's Pokémon to prevent them from awakening Reshiram. Colress, however, activated his improved mind-control machine and managed to hit Pikachu with the machine's laser, controlling him again. This time, however, Ash's voice didn't get through to Pikachu's control, and he was knocked unconscious by Pikachu's Thunderbolt. N then offered to give Team Plasma the Light Stone in exchange for them freeing Pikachu from their control, and they agreed.

In the next episode, Pikachu tried to destroy Colress's machine to free Reshiram and all of the other Pokémon from Ghetsis's control. However, he was ultimately hit by the laser, which put him under control once again. To everyone's surprise, Pikachu managed to resist the machine's influence, using his electricity to fight off Ghetsis's control and used Thunderbolt on Reshiram to help it escape from Ghetsis's control as well. Despite Colress increasing the machine's power, Pikachu kept resisting, and together with Reshiram, they destroyed the machine with Electro Ball and Fusion Flare, freeing all of the Pokémon from Team Plasma's control and defeating the villainous team.

Decolore Islands

Pikachu reuniting with Bulbasaur

In Cilan and the Case of the Purrloin Witness!, Pikachu participated in the Marine Cup Tournament. He managed to beat other Trainers and make it to the finals. He then battled Teaque's Galvantula and was able to knock it out with Iron Tail, winning the tournament for Ash.

In Best Wishes Until We Meet Again!, Pikachu and Axew were captured by Team Rocket while Ash, Iris, and Cilan were trapped inside the ship's cargo space. He was eventually freed from the net and, with the help of Axew, Charizard, and Pansage, Pikachu blasted Team Rocket off. Later, Pikachu said farewell to Axew, Iris, and Cilan as he, Ash, and Alexa continued to Pallet Town.

Pikachu was reunited with Bulbasaur and the entire Unova team at Professor Oak's Laboratory in The Dream Continues!. He joined the others in a group attack on Team Rocket with his Thunderbolt to send them blasting off. Pikachu then continued to travel with Ash when he set off for the Kalos region.

In Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!, Ash and Pikachu arrived at Kalos by plane along with Alexa. After being thrown out of the Lumiose Gym for not having enough Badges, Ash was saved by Clemont while Pikachu was saved by Bonnie. Bonnie was excited to be holding Pikachu, leading to him shocking her because she was holding him too tightly. After becoming acquainted with their rescuers, Ash challenged Clemont to a battle, which Clemont reluctantly agreed to. In the battle, Pikachu faced Clemont's Bunnelby. Despite Clemont admitting that he only recently caught Bunnelby, he proved to be quite a challenge for Pikachu. However, the battle was interrupted by Team Rocket, who once again attempted to steal Pikachu. Ash attempted to stop them, but Jessie had her Wobbuffet reflect Pikachu's attacks with Mirror Coat. Pikachu was saved by a Froakie, who shielded him with its body at the cost of being injured. With Bunnelby and Froakie's help, Pikachu blasted the trio off. Froakie soon collapsed from its injuries, so Ash, Pikachu, and their new friends went to Professor Sycamore to heal Froakie.

In Lumiose City Pursuit!, Ash and Pikachu managed to get Froakie to Professor Sycamore. Later, when Professor Sycamore's Garchomp went crazy from one of Team Rocket's devices, Pikachu and Ash pursued her to get the device off and free her. After chasing her to the top of Prism Tower, Pikachu removed the device from Garchomp's neck with Iron Tail. However, due to the fight damaging the tower, the ground Pikachu was standing on broke off, causing him to fall off. Ash immediately leaped in to save his friend, to the shock of many, including Serena. They were both saved by a Mega Blaziken, who intercepted them in the air and put the two safely back onto the ground.

In A Blustery Santalune Gym Battle!, Pikachu was the first Pokémon Ash used during his Santalune Gym battle with Viola, sending him out to face her Surskit, who knocked him out. After he was healed at the Pokémon Center, he trained with Fletchling for their rematch, using Alexa's Noivern's Gust to help them withstand Vivillon's Gust, which beat Fletchling in the first battle.

In the next episode, they were finally able to withstand Noivern's Gust. Later, using one of Clemont's inventions, they practiced avoiding Surskit's Sticky Web. After it broke, they used Froakie and its Frubbles instead to practice. The next day, Pikachu was Ash's first Pokémon for his rematch against Viola, where he again went up against her Surskit and finally defeated it. Ash recalled Pikachu and substituted him for Fletchling. He was later called out again to battle Vivillon, who had beaten Fletchling. During the battle, Pikachu was nearly put to sleep by Vivillon's Sleep Powder, but Ash had Pikachu use Electro Ball on himself to keep himself awake. Then, Pikachu defeated the Scale Pokémon, earning Ash the Bug Badge.

In A Conspiracy to Conquer!, after overhearing one of Team Rocket's conversations, Madame X and her Malamar captured Pikachu. After Clemont attempted to use his "Automatic Pikachu Retrieving Device" to find Pikachu, it was revealed that Malamar had hypnotized Pikachu, making him one of Madame X's subordinates. While searching for Pikachu, Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena were also hypnotized by Malamar. Once Ash and Meowth finally found Pikachu, Team Rocket, and Madame X, Madame X forced Pikachu to attack Ash. Ash got through to Pikachu, who started fighting Malamar's control. Afterwards, the Automatic Pikachu Retrieving Device burst in and rammed into Malamar, causing it to lose its control over everyone. After Malamar revealed its plans through Meowth, Pikachu attempted to attack it, but Malamar managed to escape.

In Climbing the Walls!, Ash used Pikachu as his third and final Pokémon in his Cyllage Gym battle against Grant. It went up against his Tyrunt and ultimately defeated it, earning Ash the Cliff Badge.

In The Bonds of Evolution!, Pikachu was used in Ash's battle against Diantha, where he faced her Gardevoir. Gardevoir managed to dodge all of Pikachu's attacks and hit him hard with a Shadow Ball. The battle was then interrupted by Team Rocket.

In Mega Revelations!, Pikachu battled Korrina's Lucario but was defeated by it. Later, he battled Lucario in its Mega Evolved form. However, during the battle, Lucario lost control of its Mega Evolution and went berserk, forcing Ash to protect Pikachu. In response, Gurkinn sent out his own Lucario to block the attack. Lucario then lost consciousness and the battle was called off.

In Battling Into the Hall of Fame!, Pikachu was used in a Team Battle alongside with Serena's Fennekin and Clemont's Chespin against Tierno's Squirtle, Shauna's Bulbasaur, and Trevor's Charmander. Pikachu and the others initially had a hard time due to their opponents' great teamwork, but they eventually overcame this obstacle and defeated all three of their opponents, giving Ash, Serena and Clemont the win and the spot on the Hall of Fame.

In Showdown at the Shalour Gym!, Pikachu was the last Pokémon Ash used during his Shalour Gym battle with Korrina, sending him out to face Korrina's Mega Lucario. Pikachu was ultimately able to defeat Lucario with Thunderbolt, thus earning Ash the Rumble Badge.

In A Slippery Encounter!, Pikachu helped out a Goomy after they were captured by Team Rocket. The two escaped after Goomy used the slime on its body to allow them to slip through the bars. However, their escape was noticed by Team Rocket, who gave chase. When Pikachu and Goomy were about to be hit by Jessie's Pumpkaboo's Shadow Ball, Ash arrived with Fletchinder to protect them. The ensuing battle eventually ended when Ash had Pikachu blast Team Rocket off. Later, Pikachu informed Ash that Goomy wanted to go with them, allowing him to catch it.

In Good Friends, Great Training!, Pikachu and Sliggoo were used in a Double Battle against Tierno's Wartortle and Raichu. Before the battle could start, however, he was grabbed by a mecha created by Team Rocket, but Sliggoo was able to save Pikachu. After the mecha took Sliggoo, Wartortle, and Raichu, Pikachu split up with Ash and Serena to look for them. After Sliggoo evolved into Goodra to save Ash and Pikachu, and the crisis was resolved, they restarted their battle with Tierno and ultimately won.

In The Moment of Lumiose Truth!, Ash used Pikachu as his first Pokémon in his Lumiose Gym battle against Clemont. He went up against his Bunnelby and ultimately defeated it. Ash then recalled Pikachu, but he later sent him out to battle Clemont's last Pokémon, Luxray. Ultimately, the Gleam Eyes Pokémon managed to defeat Pikachu.

In Rivals: Today and Tomorrow!, Ash used Pikachu as his first Pokémon in his three-round battle against Sawyer. He went up against Bagon, and despite the type disadvantage, Pikachu knocked the Rock Head Pokémon out.

In A Frenzied Factory Fiasco!, Pikachu and the others visited the Poké Ball Factory. There, they were tricked by Team Rocket, who separated the group from their Poké Balls, with only Pikachu managing to escape. During a battle, Pikachu avoided being recalled into his Poké Ball and hid in one of the vent shafts. He then tried to free Ash and his friends with Iron Tail, but when that failed and Team Rocket discovered him, Pikachu attempted to get the briefcase that held the group's Poké Balls. Meowth then chased Pikachu, being the only one small enough to squeeze through the factory equipment and ventilation shafts that Pikachu escaped through, and continuously attempted to recall Pikachu into his Poké Ball. In the end, Team Rocket attempted to escape with all of the Poké Balls they stole, though by that point, Pikachu freed Ash and they pursued them. Pikachu managed to stop their van with his Thunderbolt, and Meowth challenged Pikachu to a one-on-one battle, which he accepted. Pikachu managed to defeat his foe despite the Scratch Cat Pokémon attempting to use Pikachu's Poké Ball on him. After Team Rocket got blasted off again, the group was invited by the grateful factory staff to a genuine tour of the factory.

In Tag Team Battle Inspiration!, Pikachu was used in a Tag Battle against Serena's Eevee and Shauna's Ivysaur with Tierno's Blastoise as his partner. When Serena called off the battle, Ash and Tierno decided to battle each other and Pikachu faced Blastoise, but the outcome of the battle was left unknown.

In All Eyes on the Future!, Pikachu wasn't chosen for Ash's Double Battle with Olympia, but he did help Ash keep track of when the Future Sight from Olympia's two Meowstic would strike, by using his tail as a makeshift timer. This eventually allowed Frogadier and Talonflame to turn the attack against them and ultimately win the battle.

In Dream a Little Dream from Me!, after the group viewed the Litleonid meteor shower, Pikachu was pulled into Squishy's dream by a Darkrai. In the dream, the group's Pokémon were either in their evolved or pre-evolved forms and could speak human language, while humans spoke like Pokémon. Freaked out by this, Pikachu fled and ran into Meowth, who had also been pulled into the dream. Pikachu and Meowth then encountered a talking Squishy. Suddenly, a flaming ghost appeared and attacked them. They managed to escape, after which Squishy revealed a glimpse of its true strength to Pikachu and Meowth, motivating them to help Squishy get to its home so it could gain this strength. On their way, they were attacked by the flaming ghost again and Pikachu decided to battle it. Pikachu's attacks, however, couldn't land, but he was soon aided by the group's Pokémon, and together, they managed to defeat the creature. In the end, Pikachu, Meowth, and Squishy were awakened by Clemont's invention.

In Party Dancecapades!, Pikachu partnered up with Miette's Slurpuff in a dance party hosted by Monsieur Pierre. Later, Pikachu was used in a Tag Battle along with Serena's Eevee, where he faced James's Inkay and Miette's Slurpuff. Eventually, they were trapped after landing in Slurpuff's Cotton Spore, which left them vulnerable to Inkay's Psybeam. With Eevee badly injured, Pikachu tried to battle alone, without much success. However, Eevee evolved into Sylveon and defeated both Inkay and Slurpuff with Fairy Wind, giving Ash and Serena the win.

In A Meeting of Two Journeys!, Pikachu was Ash's second Pokémon in another three-round battle against Sawyer, where he faced and defeated Honedge.

In Battling at Full Volume!, Pikachu was borrowed by Serena, who disguised herself as Ash, who was unwell from last night's training, to battle Jimmy, a Guitarist who wanted to challenge Ash and his Pikachu with his own Pikachu, nicknamed Spike. Serena's disguise as Ash works, and the battle was going fine until it was interrupted by Team Rocket, who intended to capture Pikachu and Spike. Fortunately, thanks to the medicine that Clemont and Bonnie had just bought, Ash managed to recover in time to stop Team Rocket and rescue his Pikachu and Spike with the help of Greninja. Eventually, both Pikachu and Spike sent Team Rocket blasting off with their respective Thunderbolts.

In Seeing the Forest for the Trees!, Pikachu was very worried after Ash left into the Winding Woods alone, following his loss to Wulfric, and spent most of the episode trying to find Ash. Eventually, Team Rocket tried to catch Pikachu, but when the despondent Pikachu tried to fend them off, they were underwhelmed by his power. After Ash returned at the end of the episode, an overjoyed Pikachu was able to quickly send Team Rocket blasting off.

In the next episode, he participated in Ash's rematch against Wulfric and battled his Bergmite. After defeating it, Pikachu faced off against Wulfric's Avalugg. Despite Pikachu's attempt to strategy, he was ultimately knocked out.

In Analysis Versus Passion!, Ash chose Pikachu as his third Pokémon in his battle against Sawyer during the semifinals of the Lumiose Conference. He was sent out against Sawyer's powerful Clawitzer, which he eventually defeated. Pikachu then faced Sawyer's next Pokémon, his Aegislash. Initially, Pikachu was overwhelmed by Aegislash's alternating use of Sacred Sword and King's Shield, but Ash deduced Aegislash's weaknesses and had Pikachu use them against it, leading to the Royal Sword Pokémon's defeat. Ash then recalled Pikachu, but later used him again to face off against Sawyer's Sceptile, who eventually knocked him out with Frenzy Plant.

In Finals Not for the Faint-Hearted!, Pikachu was used as Ash's first Pokémon in his battle against Alain during the Lumiose Conference finals. He went up against Alain's Tyranitar and defeated it. Pikachu was then recalled but later used again to battle and defeat Alain's Metagross. Afterwards, Pikachu battled Alain's strongest Pokémon, Charizard. However, Pikachu was too exhausted to outmaneuver Charizard by that point, thus he was overpowered and knocked out.

In A Towering Takeover!, Pikachu and Ash went with Alain to go look for Mairin, but once they found her, they were obstructed by the giant roots. They were then ambushed by Celosia before her Drapion's Confuse Ray hit them and knocked Ash unconscious. Pikachu attempted to protect his Trainer but eventually fell to Confuse Ray's effects as well and passed out. Pikachu, along with Ash and his other Pokémon, was then taken captive by Lysandre on the top of Prism Tower. In the following episode, Pikachu watched when Ash and Greninja were hit by Team Flare's miniature version of the Mega Evolution energy weapon in an attempt to control them. However, Pikachu's voice got through to Ash, which enabled him and Greninja to freed themselves using Bond Phenomenon. Pikachu and the others were then freed, after which they teamed up with Alain's Charizard and Malva's Mega Houndoom to battle and defeat Lysandre's Pyroar and Shiny Mega Gyarados in The Right Hero for the Right Job! and Rocking Kalos Defenses!.

Afterwards, Pikachu helped Serena's Braixen, Steven's Metagross and Professor Sycamore's Garchomp fight the Giant Rock. He and the other Pokémon were eventually subdued by the creature's roots, but they were freed by a combined attack from the Pokémon of all the Gym Leaders of Kalos and Diantha. After coming up with a strategy, in Forming a More Perfect Union!, everyone combined their powers to fend off the Giant Rock's roots, allowing Ash and Alain to reach its center and save Chespie, bringing the creature down. After the resurrection of the Giant Rock, which was now controlled by Lysandre, Pikachu, Greninja, and Alain's Charizard managed to destroy its control device, allowing Squishy and Z2 to destroy the Giant Rock.

In The First Day of the Rest of Your Life!, Ash used Pikachu in a battle against Serena and her Braixen. Both Pokémon took substantial hits before the battle was called off by Ash. In Till We Compete Again!, Pikachu bade farewell to Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and their Pokémon, since he and Ash had to return to Kanto. During this, Dedenne ran off since he didn't want the group to split apart. Using his electricity, Pikachu and the group was able to find Dedenne and calm it down. After Serena departed, Pikachu participated in one final battle between Ash and Clemont, in which he faced Clemont's Bunnelby, just like their first battle, but the outcome was left unknown. Ash and Pikachu then separated from Clemont and Bonnie and returned to Pallet Town.

Pikachu joined Ash, Delia, and Mimey on a vacation to the Alola region in Alola to New Adventure!. On their way to the Pokémon School on Melemele Island, Pikachu and Ash followed a wild Grubbin into a forest, where the two noticed a Trainer riding a Charizard. They followed him and arrived at the Pokémon School, where they met some of the school's students as well as Professor Kukui and Professor Oak's cousin, Samson Oak. Ash later used Pikachu to battle a trio of Team Skull Grunts, who were harassing Kiawe, and their trio of Zubat, Salandit, and Yungoos. After a while, Kiawe had his Turtonator use the Z-Move Inferno Overdrive, which knocked Team Skull's Pokémon out in one shot. That evening, Pikachu and Ash followed Tapu Koko, the guardian deity of Melemele Island, who handed Ash a Z-Ring and an Electrium Z. Pikachu later remained in Alola with Ash when he decided to study at the Pokémon School.

In the next episode, Ash's classmates held a surprise welcome party for him, where he and Pikachu participated in several challenges. During their lunch break, Tapu Koko appeared again and stole Ash's hat, prompting Ash and his classmates to follow it. Arriving in a forest, Tapu Koko challenged Ash to a battle, which he accepted. Tapu Koko eventually tapped Ash's Z-Ring, activating it and allowing Pikachu to perform Gigavolt Havoc, which destroyed a large part of the area but also caused Ash's Electrium Z to shatter. Afterwards, Tapu Koko flew off again.

In To Top a Totem!, Pikachu was used in Ash's first island challenge trial in Verdant Cavern. Alongside Rowlet, he first fought a Yungoos and Gumshoos. Afterwards, they faced a Totem Gumshoos. Despite its extreme strength, Pikachu outwitted Gumshoos with pure strategy and finished it off with Thunderbolt. This win earned Ash a Normalium Z.

Pikachu was used as Ash's final Pokémon in his battle against Hala during the Melemele Island grand trial in Trial and Tribulation!. He faced Hala's Hariyama, and despite sustaining several hits, Pikachu performed Breakneck Blitz, which knocked Hariyama out. Having cleared the Melemele Island grand trial, Ash was rewarded a new Electrium Z.

In A Guardian Rematch!, Ash and Pikachu trained for a rematch against Tapu Koko. The next day, the two were greeted by Tapu Koko again and were challenged to another battle. Unlike their last battle, Pikachu managed to get a few hits on the guardian deity and performed Gigavolt Havoc again; this time, it was powerful enough to send Tapu Koko flying. However, Pikachu was blasted off a cliff, prompting Ash to jump after him. The two were saved in time by Tapu Koko, who flew off afterwards.

In The Ol' Raise and Switch!, Professor Kukui tasked everyone with switching their partner Pokémon with somebody else. As a result, Pikachu was given to Lillie, whilst Snowy went to Ash. Because of her fear of Pokémon, Lillie decided to have a battle with Hobbes and his Oricorio to help conquer her fear. Despite her lack of battle experience, Lillie was able to defeat Oricorio and touch Pikachu. Ash then proposed a battle against Lillie and Pikachu, to show them how strong he and Snowy had gotten together.

In When Regions Collide!, Ash used Pikachu in his battle against Misty, where he battled her Gyarados. At one point, Misty revealed her Key Stone and Mega Evolved her Gyarados. Despite this, Ash and Pikachu performed Gigavolt Havoc, which defeated Gyarados and gave Ash the win.

During Ash and his classmates' travels in Ultra Deep Sea to rescue Lusamine in 10,000,000 Reasons to Fight!, Pikachu fought Lusamine, who had been fused with a Nihilego. Ash's Electrium Z mysteriously turned into a Pikashunium Z, allowing the two to perform 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt for the first time. The Z-Move defeated Nihilego, allowing Lillie and Gladion to pull Lusamine free from its hold.

In A Battle Hand-Off!, Ash used Pikachu in his trial battle at the Thrifty Megamart, where he battled Team Rocket and Mimikyu. Pikachu was left vulnerable to Mimikyu's Z-Move, Let's Snuggle Forever, but he protected himself with his newly learned Electroweb. Using his new move, Pikachu was able to trap Mimikyu, which allowed him and Ash to perform a Z-Move of their own. Ash's Electrium Z then turned into a Pikashunium Z again, allowing Pikachu to use 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt once more and defeat Mimikyu. This allowed Ash to qualify for Nanu's grand trial.

In Battling the Beast Within!, Ash and Pikachu encountered Tapu Koko again and had another rematch against it. Just then, a Shiny Tapu Koko from another dimension unleashed its own attack, creating a rift that transported Ash and Pikachu to the dimension's Ultra Ruin. They soon encountered a wild Guzzlord, which started chasing after the duo. However, they were saved by Dia and Zeraora. After learning about Guzzlord and the Ultra Ruin, Ash challenged Dia to a battle to prove his ability to help Dia. Pikachu faced off against Zeraora, but was overwhelmed by Zeraora's fast moves and quickly defeated.

Later, at Dia's base, Pikachu and Ash trained and convinced Dia and Zeraora to join them. Pikachu and Zeraora engaged in another battle, which attracted the attention of Guzzlord. After the Ultra Beast's arrival, the group lured it to the Ultra Wormhole that it emerged from in the past. After trapping Guzzlord with Electroweb, Pikachu and Zeraora attacked the immobilized Ultra Beast in an attempt to send it back through the Ultra Wormhole but failed. However, after the Shiny Tapu Koko intervened, Ash and Dia were able to activate their Z-Rings and have Pikachu and Zeraora perform a double Gigavolt Havoc to successfully push Guzzlord into the wormhole. Afterwards, Pikachu and Zeraora had one more battle to create another dimensional rift, which took Pikachu and Ash back home.

In A Grand Debut!, Ash used Pikachu in his Poni Island grand trial against Hapu, where he went up against her Mudsdale. Despite the type disadvantage and Mudsdale's Stamina Ability, Pikachu was able to overcome the obstacles when Musdale was splashed with seawater, allowing Pikachu to knock the Draft Horse Pokémon out with Gigavolt Havoc. Afterwards, Hapu offered Ash a choice of type-specific Z-Crystals; Pikachu opted for a Steelium Z, which Hapu awarded to Ash for his victory.

In The Dealer of Destruction!, Pikachu battled Team Skull's leader Guzma and his Golisopod. Despite the type advantage, Pikachu was quickly overwhelmed by Golisopod, as he was unable to penetrate the Hard Scale Pokémon's armor even when using his Z-Move Corkscrew Crash. The match ended prematurely when Golisopod returned to its Poké Ball due to its Emergency Exit Ability.

In Battle Royal 151!, Ash used Pikachu in the Battle Royal preliminary round of the Manalo Conference, where he was able to defeat various Trainers' Pokémon and allow Ash to proceed to the next round. In The Wisdom Not to Run!, Ash used Pikachu in his Manalo Conference semifinals battle against Guzma, where he went up against Golisopod after Torracat was defeated. The two Pokémon were evenly matched, but eventually, Pikachu defeated Golisopod, allowing Ash to advance to the finals.

In Final Rivals!, Ash used Pikachu to finish off Gladion's Silvally, who had been worn down by Melmetal, in the Manalo Conference finals. He then went up against what seemed to be Gladion's Lycanroc, but turned out to be Zoroark in disguise. In the next episode, the two Pokémon clashed and proved to be equal in strength. When Gladion had Zoroark use Never-Ending Nightmare, Ash countered with Pikachu's Breakneck Blitz. Both Z-Moves succeeded in hitting their targets, knocking both Pokémon out.

In A Full Battle Bounty!, Ash chose to use Pikachu to battle Professor Kukui's Empoleon during Ash's exhibition match against him. While the two Pokémon were equally matched, Pikachu was eventually caught in Empoleon's Whirlpool, causing him to get dizzy. To save Pikachu from being defeated, Ash withdrew him from the battle and sent out Melmetal to replace him.

In From Z to Shining Z!, Ash sent Pikachu back into the battle as his final Pokémon to face Tapu Koko, who had taken the place of Kukui's sixth Pokémon in the match. When both Pokémon were evenly matched, Tapu Koko and its fellow deities restored Ash and Kukui's Z-Power, giving them a chance to use another Z-Move, since they already used up their Z-Moves for the match. Tapu Koko then handed Kukui a Tapunium Z, and it and Kukui started performing Guardian of Alola. During this, Ash's Electrium Z once again transformed into a Pikashunium Z, allowing Pikachu to counter with 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt. The two Z-Moves clashed, with Pikachu's attack eventually overpowering Tapu Koko's, defeating it and making Ash the winner of the exhibition match.

In Serving Up the Flute Cup!, Ash used Pikachu as his second Pokémon in his battle against Hodge in the Battle Frontier Flute Cup finals, where he faced Hodge's Mightyena. Pikachu was fairly evenly matched against his opponent, but eventually, he was able to defeat Mightyena, ending the battle and giving the victory to Ash.

In The Climb to Be the Very Best!, Ash used Pikachu to battle a Gigantamax Drednaw that was rampaging outside Wyndon Stadium. His attacks were ineffective, forcing Ash and Pikachu to run, but unexpectedly, they stumbled upon glowing cracks on the ground, from which Dynamax energy poured out and caused Pikachu to Gigantamax too. Initially, Pikachu had trouble moving around in his new, giant form, but soon got used to it. Following advice from Leon, Ash told Pikachu to use G-Max Volt Crash, defeating Drednaw and causing it to revert to normal. Afterwards, Pikachu returned to normal as well. Later, Ash used Pikachu in a battle against Leon and his Charizard. With the help of the Dynamax Band that Ash received from Leon, Pikachu was able to Gigantamax again. Despite this, however, Pikachu was defeated by Charizard's G-Max Wildfire.

In Destination: Coronation!, Ash used Pikachu in his battle against Visquez so he could increase his World Coronation Series ranking. Pikachu first went up against Visquez's Raichu, but started to get overwhelmed. As such, Ash chose to withdraw Pikachu and send out Gengar in his place. Ash later sent Pikachu back out to face Visquez's Electrode, which had just defeated Gengar. Despite Electrode initially having the upper hand, Pikachu was eventually able to defeat it. However, upon receiving the knockout blow, Electrode's Aftermath activated, but Pikachu used Electroweb just in the knick of time to protect himself, leading to only Electrode fainting. As such, Ash won the battle, leading to his World Coronation Series ranking shooting up to 3,763. Pikachu has since been used commonly in Ash's World Coronation series battles.

In JN030, Pikachu got jealous when Ash began training frequently with Riolu instead of him. When Delia came to visit the Cerise Laboratory, Pikachu slept with her for the night and later decided to follow Delia to Pallet Town. Mimey followed along in an effort to stop him. During their journey, Pikachu defended Mimey from a group of Spearow. After arriving in Pallet Town, Pikachu changed his mind and wanted to go back to Ash, but he was surprised to see that his Trainer was already in Pallet Town.

In JN039, Pikachu was used in Ash's rematch against Bea where he went up against her Hitmontop. After slowing down Hitmontop’s movements, Pikachu was able to defeat him. Next, he went up against Grapploct, but got defeated soon after.

Personality and characteristics

After Ash gained Pikachu's loyalty in Pokémon - I Choose You!, Pikachu became extremely loyal to Ash and has maintained this loyalty, and while he is not always immediately trusting of strangers, he is generally friendly to humans and Pokémon alike. He acted as a guardian and big brother to Misty's Togepi, and has been seen meditating and even breaking up fights among other Pokémon, such as in Pikachu's Vacation. In Mewtwo Strikes Back, Pikachu, Meowth, and Meowth's clone were the only Pokémon not to participate in the giant battle; Pikachu stood motionless as his clone repeatedly slapped his face. Contrary to his distrusting nature, Pikachu took a liking to Misty very early in the series, and he has retained this liking of Misty throughout the series, such as when he was very happy to see her in The Scheme Team and Alola, Kanto!.

Pikachu and his love of ketchup

During the Hoenn saga, Pikachu temporarily developed amnesia and sided with Team Rocket for a while. On several occasions, Pikachu has developed an "electric flu" causing him to become overcharged and extremely powerful. During these instances, Pikachu will sometimes accidentally let off electric outbursts which can be set off on anyone, including Ash. In all of these cases, Pikachu did not mean harm upon anyone.

As shown in a handful of episodes, the first being Showdown at Dark City, Pikachu has a special fondness for ketchup, but he will eat and enjoy almost any other human or Pokémon food. In The Fires Of A Red-Hot Reunion, Pikachu also displayed a fondness for orange juice. In That's Some Spicy Island Research!, Pikachu was revealed to have a distaste for Poni Island radishes. A running joke in the anime also seems to be Pikachu using Thunderbolt at the beginning of each series to accidentally destroy a female companion's bike or unintentionally shock the companion herself. This has happened to Misty, May, Dawn, Iris, and Bonnie.

Pikachu, like his Trainer, is always happy to battle. He often tries his very best, but when he loses, he doesn't complain or feel bad about himself, especially when Ash reassures him. Ash and Pikachu are almost identical personality-wise, and thus are the perfect match for one another. Most others agree, except for Burgundy, who in A Connoisseur's Revenge! said that Ash had a terrible relationship with all of his Pokémon, though this is more due to her inexperience in determining such relationships. Though rare, the two can still butt heads at times. When they first met, Pikachu would shock Ash with electricity out of vitriol. While being zapped by Pikachu still happens regularly for poor Ash, it's usually when he angers his buddy (such as when Ash rubs and pulls Pikachu's cheeks), or by accident (when Ash grabs Pikachu's tail by mistake).

Pikachu does not like having his cheeks rubbed

In general, Pikachu as a species are not particularly powerful, but Ash's Pikachu is a notable anomaly, overcoming odds in battle numerous times. In Ash Catches a Pokémon, Meowth remarked that Pikachu's power "exceeds its evolutionary level". In Showdown in Pewter City, he defeated Brock's Onix with an Electric-type attack that triggered the sprinkler system causing Onix to be drenched in water, one of its weaknesses. Ash's Pikachu has also triumphed over some very powerful Pokémon that had previously defeated several of Ash's other Pokémon, such as Drake's Dragonite, Tyson's Metagross, and Korrina's Mega Lucario. He was also the second Pokémon in the anime to defeat a Legendary Pokémon in battle, defeating Brandon's Regice to win the Brave Symbol in Pace - The Final Frontier!. He later fought Tobias's Latios to a draw in the semifinals of the Lily of the Valley Conference, and defeated Gladion's Silvally and the recurring Tapu Koko commanded by Professor Kukui in separate battles at Manalo Stadium. He has helped Ash win countless battles and Gym and League matches.

The possibility of evolving into Raichu was first raised and discussed in the episode Electric Shock Showdown. After suffering a crushing defeat by Lt. Surge's Raichu, Nurse Joy presented Ash with a Thunder Stone. Ash allowed Pikachu to decide, but he refused, having decided to become stronger as he is, and defeated Raichu by using superior speed. In the Sinnoh region, Pikachu battled another Raichu belonging to a trainer named Sho. The two were not only even matches in power but, unlike before, also in speed; ultimately Raichu used Hyper Beam to secure victory, a move Pikachu could not learn. At a Pokémon Center, Ash revealed that he kept the Thunder Stone he acquired in Vermilion City in case Pikachu changed his mind about evolving. Once again, Pikachu chose not to evolve and defeated Sho's Raichu in a rematch with a combination of speed, power, and spinning techniques learned from Dawn. During this event, Team Rocket stole the Thunder Stone, as they also wanted Pikachu to stay as he is.

However, at times, Pikachu has lived up to his species' frail and brittle strengths, particularly in Gym battles, where he was defeated with relative ease by his opponent; for example, he was overpowered very easily by Lt. Surge's Raichu, Sabrina's Kadabra, Blaine's Magmar, Bugsy's Scyther, Whitney's Miltank, Chuck's Poliwrath, Roark's Rampardos, Fantina's Drifblim, Cress's Panpour, and Viola's Surskit, despite having type advantages against Scyther, Poliwrath, Drifblim, Panpour, and Surskit. He also drew against Winona's Pelipper and Norman's Vigoroth, and struggled against Crasher Wake's Floatzel. Furthermore, he has lost twice to Trip's Serperior, as a Snivy in In the Shadow of Zekrom! and a Servine in A Rival Battle for Club Champ!, despite Trip being a starting Trainer and recently having obtained Serperior. In addition, Pikachu tends to noticeably struggle when an opponent hinders his mobility in some fashion, such as when the aforementioned Panpour stopped Volt Tackle with a Mud Sport that covered the battlefield, when Burgh's Leavanny impared his speed and accuracy by immobilizing his tail with String Shot, when the icy battlefield of Viola's Surskit threw him off balance in the first battle, or when Wulfric's Bergmite prevented him from using Quick Attack by numbing his legs with Icy Wind.

Pikachu walking along with Dawn's Piplup

Pikachu is also the only one of Ash's Pokémon to accompany him to the Hoenn, Unova, Kalos, and Alola regions, and was intended to be the only Pokémon to accompany him to Sinnoh before Aipom was discovered to have stowed away on the ship Ash was taking. Up until the capture of Dawn's Pachirisu, Pikachu was the only Electric-type Pokémon in the anime owned by a main character.

Following their first encounter with him in Pokémon Emergency!, the Team Rocket trio made it their life's mission to capture Pikachu for their boss. Sometimes, they succeed with nets, cages, capsules or one of their mechas, but most of the time their plans always failed by Ash and his friends or something else involved. Whenever Pikachu gets released from their trap and reunites with Ash, he sends Team Rocket blasting off with his Electric attacks. Most of the time, in this case, his Thunderbolt. Sometimes, Pikachu sends them away even when he didn't get stolen. On other occasions, he battles them with Ash.

Even with his high level of electrical power, Pikachu has not stopped learning new attacks. Upon learning that Roxanne, the Rustboro Gym Leader used Rock types, Ash had Pikachu begin learning Iron Tail in All Things Bright and Beautifly!. After training hard, Pikachu finally perfected it in The Winner by a Nosepass, where he used it to defeat Roxanne's Nosepass and earn Ash his first Hoenn Badge. In addition to giving Pikachu an advantage over Rock types, Iron Tail has allowed Pikachu to defeat many other powerful opponents. In May's Egg-Cellent Adventure, during a battle with Team Rocket, Ash ordered Pikachu to do a Quick Attack. Much to the surprise of Ash and his friends, the Quick Attack morphed into an imperfect Volt Tackle which sent Team Rocket blasting off. Upon mastering the move in The Green Guardian, it became one of Pikachu's most distinctive techniques, to the point of garnering Paul's interest, up until Dancing With the Ducklett Trio!, where Pikachu replaced it with Electro Ball. In A Battle Hand-Off!, Pikachu learned Electroweb in place of Electro Ball, allowing him to not only trap opponents, but also use the move as a springboard to increase his mobility or as a shield to protect himself from damage. In addition to his repertoire of moves, Pikachu has used his Ability, Static, a few times in the anime, has an affinity for Z-Moves, and is capable of Gigantamaxing.

Pikachu's imitations

Pikachu has demonstrated a great talent for mimicking Pokémon, altering the look of his physical features to match another Pokémon's appearance. He will occasionally use this talent to specify what Pokémon or person he is talking about. These imitation skills were notably put to use during the Pokémon Dress-Up Contest, where Pikachu was able to thrill the audience without the need for a costume or make-up.

Pikachu's language

Some of Pikachu's speech is consistent enough that it seems that some phrases mean something. (In Stealing The Conversation!, Team Rocket refers to this language as "PikaSpeak," but this most likely isn't official.) For instance, Pikachu always uses "Pikapi" when referring to Ash (notice that it sounds somewhat similar to "Satoshi"). Other speech includes:

Pi-Kachu: Pochama (Piplup)

(Piplup) Pikachu-Pi: Kasumi (Misty)

(Misty) Pika-Chu: Takeshi (Brock), Kibago (Axew)

(Brock), (Axew) Pikaka: Hikari (Dawn)

(Dawn) PiPiPi: Togepy (Togepi)

(Togepi) PikakaPika: Fushigidane (Bulbasaur)

(Bulbasaur) PikaPika: Zenigame (Squirtle), Mukuhawk (Staraptor), Goukazaru (Infernape) Gamagaru (Palpitoad) or Marilli (Azumarill)

(Squirtle), (Staraptor), (Infernape) (Palpitoad) or (Azumarill) PiPi-kachu: Rocket-dan (Team Rocket)

(Team Rocket) Pi-Pikachu: Get da ze! (He says this after Ash wins a Badge, catches a new Pokémon or anything similar.) Pikachu may not be the only one to use this phrase, as other Pokémon do this as well. For example, when Iris caught Emolga, Axew said Ax-Axew (Ki-Kibago in the Japanese). This also happened when Iris caught Gible in BWS02.

(He says this after Ash wins a Badge, catches a new Pokémon or anything similar.) Pika-Pikachu: When referring to or introducing himself.

Chaa: Anything he says happily or excitedly, or when yawning.

Pika!: "Matte!", or saying "Wait!"

Pi-kaPika: "Sayōnara," or saying "Good-bye."

Moves used

Moves improvised

Voice actors

Artwork

In the games

In the core series

In the main series, Red's Pikachu is noticeably based on Ash's Pikachu: not only does Red receive it from Professor Oak after his rival, Oak's grandson, takes the last starter Pokémon in Pokémon Yellow, but it follows Red around rather than being kept in a Poké Ball. In Generation II and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Pikachu is the highest-leveled member of Red's team when he is encountered at Mt. Silver, and the highest leveled Pokémon owned by a Trainer in the entire series excluding battle arenas. His moves, notably in HeartGold and SoulSilver, are the four moves most used by Ash's Pikachu at the time of the games' release. The Pikachu in the Super Smash Bros. series may be based on Ash's Pikachu.

Event distributions

Diamond & Pearl Ash's Pikachu

A Japanese event distributed an in-game representation of Ash's Pikachu via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and at participating Japanese McDonald's locations which was held from July 15 through August 10, 2010. This Pikachu was distributed at participating American Toys 'R' Us locations from January 30 to February 13, 2011, and Canadian Toys 'R' Us locations from February 9 to February 20, 2011. This Pikachu's moveset was based on that of Ash's Pikachu during Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl.

Pokémon Center Best Wishes Ash's Pikachu

From August 10 to September 6, 2013, Japanese Pokémon Centers distributed an in-game representation of Ash's Pikachu with its moveset based on the one known by Pikachu during Pokémon the Series: Black & White. The distribution was split into four one-week periods; each week, players could receive one of four Best Wishes-themed Pokémon at random. The other three Pokémon distributed alongside Ash's Pikachu were Iris's Axew, Cilan's Pansage, and Professor Oak's Rotom.

7-Eleven Ash's Pikachu

From July 18 to 31, 2015, Japanese 7-Elevens distributed an in-game representation of Ash's Pikachu with its moveset based on the one known by Pikachu during Pokémon the Series: XY. It, along with Serena's Pancham, were distributed as prizes in 7-Eleven's "Pokémon DS Rally". Once participants bring their Japanese-region Nintendo 3DS to one of the stores' 7Spots, and got their 3DS "stamped" through the Nintendo Zone feature, they can redeem the stamp for a serial code that would give the player one of the two anime Pokémon.

Pokémon Center Ash's Pikachu

Ash's Pikachu were distributed via the Nintendo Network at Pokémon Centers and Pokémon Stores across Japan from August 24 to 30, 2015.

Pikachu in a cap

Event artwork

Main article: Pikachu in a cap

These cap-wearing Pikachu are event-exclusive Pokémon that debuted in Pokémon Sun and Moon and were distributed in celebration of the Pokémon anime's 20th movie, I Choose You!, and by extension, the anime's 20th anniversary. Like Ash's Pikachu, these Pikachu are always male and cannot evolve. They also have access to the exclusive Z-Crystal, Pikashunium Z, and its Z-Move, 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt.

A seventh Cap Pikachu, wearing the hat Ash wears in the twentieth movie, debuted in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. In Japan, it was distributed via QR Code on a special Pokémon Ga-Olé disc. In the Americas, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, it was distributed via a QR Code that was given to those who attended screenings of the 20th movie.

Pikachu in a cap is not present in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, despite being based on a Generation I Pokémon, but has Pokédex entries in Pokémon Sword and Shield, and can be imported to the games via Pokémon HOME. An eighth Cap Pikachu, World Cap Pikachu, has since been added in Version 1.2.0 of Sword and Shield. This Pikachu wears Ash's hat from Pokémon Journeys: The Series, and currently has not been officially revealed.

In the spin-off games

Pikachu appears in Pokémon Advanced Generation: Pokémon Number Battle!, Intellectual Training Drill Pokémon Diamond & Pearl: Letter and Number Intelligence Game, Pokémon Diamond & Pearl: Search for Pokémon! Adventure in the Maze!, and Pokémon Best Wishes: Intelligence Training Pokémon Big Sports Meet!.

Arcade games

Pikachu appears in Pokémon: Crayon Kids, Pokémon: Battle Nine, Pokémon Medal World, Pokémon Tug of War Tournament: Absolutely Get Medal!, and Pokémon: Wobbuffet Fell Down!.

Battle Nine stats

Pikachu appears in Pokémon Ga-Olé as one of Ash's Pokémon. It appears as an opponent during the Grand Rush set 4.









As an opponent





In Pokémon GO, Pikachu wearing Ash's hat was obtainable in the wild during the game's first-anniversary celebration from July 6–21, 2017. Any Pichu whose Eggs were obtained during this time would also be wearing this hat upon hatching. The Ash hat Pikachu was later again obtainable using the GO Snapshot feature from April 1–2, 2019, during which the player could spawn up to five of these Event Pokémon per day with the possibility it being Shiny.

Unlike in the core series, this special form is obtainable in both genders and can be evolved, with the cap being retained upon evolution.

Pikachu appears alongside Ash in Pokémon Masters Arena.

Pikachu was one of Ash's three Pokémon in Pokémon Puzzle League.

Prior to the proper introduction of Pikachu in a cap, Ash's Pikachu was featured in several Pokémon Tretta pucks, based on its appearance in Pokémon the Series: XY. When the player used these pucks, Pikachu would appear in-game wearing Ash's Kalos hat. This Pikachu variant was featured in the following:





The same Pikachu also appeared as a summonable Pokémon in two pucks based on Ash's Greninja; Ash-Greninja (Z2-06) and Ash-Greninja (Ultimate Z Challenge).

Pikachu appears in Pokémon Zany Cards, as a card in Special Seven mode. The card can be played at any time but cannot be played as the final card from the player's hand.

Pikachu appears in Pokémon: Catch the Numbers!, Pokémon Advanced Generation: I've Begun Hiragana and Katakana!, and Pokémon Advanced Generation: Pico for Everyone Pokémon Loud Battle!.





In the manga

In the Ash & Pikachu manga

Pikachu in Ash & Pikachu

Ash's Pikachu is a starring character in Ash & Pikachu, which is based on the Johto and Hoenn seasons of the Pokémon anime. Like in the anime, Pikachu and Ash share a strong friendship.

Moves used

In the Daisuki ♥ Pocket Monsters manga

Pikachu appears in Daisuki ♥ Pocket Monsters.

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

Pikachu in The Electric Tale of Pikachu

Ash's Pikachu is a starring character in the manga series The Electric Tale of Pikachu, which is loosely based on the Pokémon anime. Pikachu was Ash's first Pokémon. However, Ash did not receive Pikachu from Professor Oak - instead, he finds Pikachu under the floorboards of his home, chewing on wires to eat the electricity.

In the Magical Pokémon Journey manga

Pikachu in Magical Pokémon Journey

Ash's Pikachu, along with Ash, Misty and Brock, makes a cameo appearance in the bonus chapters at the end of every volume of the Magical Pokémon Journey manga series. In the bonus chapters, Ash and friends have mistakenly wandered into the Magical Pokémon Journey world and are trying to return to the world of the anime, encountering many unusual situations along the way, including encounters of aspects of the Magical Pokémon Journey canon which are different in anime canon.

Ash's Pikachu shows a video to Pikachu of him bouncing a Poké Ball on his head in One Hundred Fifty-One.

In the Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl manga

Pikachu in Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl

Ash's Pikachu appears as a main character in the Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl manga, which is based on Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl of the anime.

Moves used

Using Thunderbolt Move First Used In Quick Attack PDP03 Thunderbolt PDP04 Volt Tackle PDP07 Iron Tail PDP12 A † shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves.

In the movie adaptations

Pikachu in the movie 10 manga adaptation

As Ash and Pikachu have appeared in every Pokémon movie to date, Pikachu is a main character in every movie manga adaptation.

Moves used

Manga versions

Ani-Manga versions

Using Thunderbolt Move First Used In Thunderbolt Giratina and the Sky Warrior A † shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves.

In the Pocket Monsters manga

Pikachu in Pocket Monsters

Ash's Pikachu appears as a main character in Pocket Monsters, playing the same role as he does in the anime.

Moves used

Using Thunderbolt Move First Used In Electroweb JNM01 Thunderbolt JNM01 A † shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves.

In the TCG

Ash's Pikachu is featured in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The following is a list of related cards.

Merchandise

Movie Commemoration Special Pack 2009

The last item of DPt era merchandise could only be bought at cinemas screening Arceus and the Jewel of Life, released on July 18, 2009. The Movie Commemoration Special Pack 2009 (Japanese: 映画公開記念 スペシャルパック2009) was made available at the same time as the movie premiere and came with two Holofoil DPt-P Promotional cards, one Advent of Arceus booster pack, and two Movie Commemoration Random Packs.

Promotional cards:

Product images:

Movie Commemoration Special Pack 2009 The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins





Ash vs Team Rocket Deck Kit

The Ash vs Team Rocket Deck Kit (Japanese: 30枚デッキ対戦セット「サトシVSロケット団」) is a Japanese-exclusive Deck Kit released alongside the Facing a New Trial subset, on April 21, 2017. The deck features Pokémon from Pokémon the Series: Sun & Moon of the Pokémon anime, including Ash's Pikachu and Jessie's Mimikyu as Pokémon-GX. The Deck Kit also includes a player's guide, damage and Status Condition markers, 2 GX markers, a coin, a playmat, and a How to Play instruction manual.

Product image:

Ash vs Team Rocket Deck Kit The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins





Ho-Oh-GX Special Jumbo Card Pack

The Ho-Oh-GX Special Jumbo Card Pack (Japanese: スペシャルジャンボカードパック「ホウオウGX」) was made available on July 1, 2017 in the buildup to the Japanese release of I Choose You! in cinemas. It comes packaged with a Jumbo print of Ho-Oh-GX, an Ash's Pikachu promotional card, and 3 packs each from the To Have Seen the Battle Rainbow and Darkness that Consumes Light expansions.

Promotional cards:

Product image:

Ho-Oh-GX Special Jumbo Card Pack The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins





I Choose You! accessories

To promote the release of I Choose You! in cinemas, new card files and sleeves were made available to purchase from July 15, 2017.

Sleeves: Running concurrent with the Pikachu in a cap distributions, each of these sleeves feature Ash's Pikachu wearing one of Ash's hats from different periods in his adventures. All have muted colors and are presented like postcards complete with mock franking marks. Each pack contains 64 sleeves, and all variants were exclusive to Pokémon Centers.

Original Cap Pikachu Sleeves (Japanese: デッキシールド ぼうしをかぶったピカチュウ オリジナル Card Shield: Hat-wearing Pikachu: Original) Hoenn Cap Pikachu Sleeves (Japanese: デッキシールド ぼうしをかぶったピカチュウ ホウエン Card Shield: Hat-wearing Pikachu: Hoenn) Sinnoh Cap Pikachu Sleeves (Japanese: デッキシールド ぼうしをかぶったピカチュウ シンオウ Card Shield: Hat-wearing Pikachu: Sinnoh) Unova Cap Pikachu Sleeves (Japanese: デッキシールド ぼうしをかぶったピカチュウ イッシュ Card Shield: Hat-wearing Pikachu: Isshu) Kalos Cap Pikachu Sleeves (Japanese: デッキシールド ぼうしをかぶったピカチュウ カロス Card Shield: Hat-wearing Pikachu: Kalos) Alola Cap Pikachu Sleeves (Japanese: デッキシールド ぼうしをかぶったピカチュウ アローラ Card Shield: Hat-wearing Pikachu: Alola)

Sleeve images:

Original Cap Pikachu Sleeves Hoenn Cap Pikachu Sleeves Sinnoh Cap Pikachu Sleeves The Sneak-Peek Tins Unova Cap Pikachu Sleeves Kalos Cap Pikachu Sleeves Alola Cap Pikachu Sleeves The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins





Ash's Pikachu M20 promo

On November 4 and 5, 2017, several players who attended Pokémon, o filme: Eu escolho você! on movie theaters received a special Pikachu promotional card with the twentieth movie logo.

Promotional cards:

Product images:

Pikachu promotional card The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins The Sneak-Peek Tins





Trivia

Pikachu disguised as a female

Related articles

References



