DP074

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(Japanese: ピカチュウ！ライチュウ！進化への道!! Pikachu! Raichu! The Path to Evolution!!) is the 74th episode of Diamond & Pearl. If first aired in Japan on April 3, 2008, alongside DP073 as a one-hour special.

Ash and his friends meet Shō, a boy who has a Pichu and a Raichu. He mistakes Ash's Pikachu for a wild Pokémon.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Synopsis

Major events

• Pikachu reaffirms its decision not to evolve.
• Team Rocket steals Ash's Thunderstone.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

Characters

Humans

• Ash Ketchum
• Brock
• Dawn
• Jessie
• James
• Paul
• Shō
• Nurse Joy
• Lt. Surge (flashback)

Pokémon

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Piplup (Dawn's)
• Raichu (Shō's)
• Pichu (Shō's)
• Raichu (Lt. Surge's) (flashback)

Trivia

• This episode follows much of the premise of Electric Shock Showdown by having Ash's Pikachu be defeated by Raichu and choose whether to evolve or not via the Thunderstone. Clips from the episode are shown at the end.
• It is shown that Ash still had the Thunderstone that the Nurse Joy from Vermilion City had given him. During the episode, Jessie, James, and Meowth grabbed the stone, and currently have it with them.
• To My Best Friend and Pokémon Symphonic Medley were both used as background music.

Errors

Dub edits

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This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime.