DP074

Template:EpisodePrevNext

Pika and Goliath! (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. It first aired in Japan on April 3, 2008, alongside Crossing Paths as a one-hour special and in the United States on August 30, 2008.

Ash and his friends meet Sho, 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.

Debuts

Pokémon debuts

Characters

Humans

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

Pokémon

• Pikachu (Ash's)
• Meowth (Team Rocket)
• Wobbuffet (Jessie's)
• Piplup (Dawn's)
• Raichu (Sho's)
• Pichu (Sho'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 a 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. It is also implied that they plan on selling it.
• To My Best Friend and Pokémon Symphonic Medley were both used as background music.
• The dub title is a reference to David and Goliath.
• This is the first time since Luxray Vision! that a character kept their Japanese name. Sho (this episode), Marble and Matthew (Luxray Vision!) are in this case. However, the little line over the O in Shō was removed, but both were pronounced the same.

Errors

Dub edits

Template:Epstub Template:EpisodePrevNext

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