Raikou (Pokémon)

← #242: Blissey

Pokémon

#244: Entei →

Raikou ライコウ Raikou #243
Artwork from GSC
Type Electric ' Unknown Unknown Blue-Striped Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown	Category Thunder Pokémon
Ability Pressure Blue-Striped -----	Exp. at Lv. 100 1,250,000
Regional Pokédex numbers Kanto #— Johto #238 Hoenn #378 Sinnoh — Unova Not in any regional Pokédex
Regional Browser numbers Fiore R— Almia R— Oblivia
Height 6′03″ Imperial 1.9 m Metric 6′03″/1.9 m Red-Striped 0'0"/0.0 m Blue-Striped 0'0"/0.0 m
Weight 392.4 lbs. Imperial 178.0 kg Metric 392.4 lbs./178.0 kg Red-Striped 0.0 lbs./0.0 kg Blue-Striped 0.0 lbs./0.0 kg
Dex color Yellow	Catch rate 3 (0.4%)
Body style Blue-Striped	Footprint      Blue-Striped
Gender ratio Gender unknown Unknown <div class="statbar" style="float:left;background:#FF77DD; border-top-right-radius: 20px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 20px; -webkit-border-top-right-radius: 20px; -khtml-border-top-right-radius: 20px; -icab-border-top-right-radius: 20px; -o-border-top-right-radius: 20px; border-bottom-right-radius: 20px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 20px; -webkit-border-bottom-right-radius: 20px; -khtml-border-bottom-right-radius: 20px; -icab-border-bottom-right-radius: 20px; -o-border-bottom-right-radius: 20px; width: Expression error: Missing operand for -.%; height: 10px; border: 0.5px solid black; overflow: hidden; border-left-width:0px;">
Breeding Undiscovered group 81 cycles* (20655 minimum steps)
EV yield HP 0 Atk 0 Def 0 Sp.Atk 1 Sp.Def 0 Speed 2 Base Exp.: 216 Battle Exp.: 2161*
External links On Smogon Pokédex: Generation II Generation III Generation IV Generation V Generation VI Generation VII Generation VIII Generation IX Artwork on Bulbagarden Archives

Raikou (Japanese: ライコウ Raikou) is an Template:Type2 legendary Pokémon.

It is not known to evolve into or from any other Pokémon.

It is, along with Entei and Suicune, one of the legendary beasts created by Ho-Oh after the burning of the Brass Tower.

Biology

Physiology

Raikou is a yellow tiger-like creature with black stripes that resemble lightning bolts and a white under-side. Raikou has a skinny, light-blue tail with a star-shaped formation at the end. Raikou appears to have a purple cape that is supposedly made of thunderclouds. Most of Raikou's face is white with a light-blue "X" on its face and a gray crest on its forehead. Raikou has red eyes and long fangs in its upper jaws that make its appearance similar to the sabre-tooth cat.

Gender differences

Raikou is a genderless species.

Special abilities

Raikou has the ability to shoot bolts of lightning from the rain clouds on its back. Raikou can also attack using its fangs and has limited mental powers.

Behavior

Raikou is normally distrustful of humans due to the fact that humans have tried to capture the Legendary Beast of Thunder for many centuries, though it has shown some friendship with those that just wish to help it. Raikou tends to show up either when there is a thunderstorm or when other Electric-type Pokémon are in danger.

Habitat

As a member of the legendary beast trio, Raikou is constantly on the move and seems to lack any set place where they show up.

Diet

Main article: Pokémon food

In the anime

Raikou first appeared in Houndoom's Special Delivery. It was spotted by Togepi and a Houndoom before it disappeared.

One also appeared in the Pokémon Chronicles episode, The Legend of Thunder!.

The Mauville City Gym Leader Wattson owns many Raikou robots which he uses in his gym.

In the manga

Pokémon Special

Raikou was awakened by Yellow along with its two counterparts, and the three raced around Kanto and Johto looking for trainers to help them defeat the Mask of Ice to free Ho-Oh. Raikou eventually pairs up with Lt. Surge, and later Gold.

Anabel also owns a Raikou in the Battle Frontier saga. It has been confirmed that it is the same Raikou as the one that befriended Gold. Raikou is more powerful than other Electric-type Pokémon in the manga because billowing thunder clouds follow it everywhere, allowing it to perform powerful attacks more quickly than regular Electric Pokémon.

In the TCG

Main article: Raikou (TCG)

Other appearances

Super Smash Bros. Melee

When released from a Poké Ball, Raikou releases a powerful Spark attack that electrocutes any opponents that get caught in it. Raikou is the only legendary beast that does not return in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Game data

Pokédex entries

Game locations

In side games

Base stats

Type effectiveness

Learnset

Template:Learnset intro

By leveling up

|- style="text-align:center" | style="text-align:left" | electric | style="background:#FAC000" |  electric 

| style=" background:#FFF" | 4 | style=" background:#FFF" | 2 | style=" background:#FFF" | Raikou | style="display:none; background:#FFF" | {{{6}}} Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Movelist/note

By TM/HM

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By breeding

None.

By tutoring

Template:Tutor Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4

|- style="background:#FCD659" | colspan="13" | Bold indicates a move that gets STAB
Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only from an evolution of this Pokémon
A colored initial indicates that the move is not available to be tutored in this game,
while a colored background indicates that the move is available. |} |}

Special moves

Side game data

Template:Side game

Evolution

Template:Evobox/0

Sprites

Gen	Game
I	Red	Blue	Yellow		Red (Ja)	Green	Back
	This Pokémon did not appear during Generation I.
II	Gold	Silver	Crystal				Back
III	Ruby	Sapphire	Emerald		FireRed	LeafGreen	Back
IV	Diamond	Pearl	Platinum		HeartGold	SoulSilver	Back
V	Black	White	Black 2	White 2			Back

For other sprites and images, please see Raikou images on Bulbagarden Archives.

Trivia

• Raikou is the only Pokémon in the anime whose image on the anime Pokédex was of stylized art rather than Ken Sugimori's official artwork for it.
• In the 4Kids dub of the anime, Raikou's name is frequently mispronounced as rai-kuu, rather than rai-ko.
• Raikou's sprites in Pokémon Gold and Silver portrayed it as having an orange cape, lacked the four-point star on its face, and had no fangs. This was corrected in Pokémon Crystal.
• Raikou is also the only pre-Generation IV legendary Pokémon that Ash hasn't encountered in the anime. However, he did see one's tail and three mecha-Raikou inside Wattson's Gym.
• Raikou is also currently the only legendary Pokémon from Generation II to not appear in a feature movie (although a Ho-Oh featured in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew was Mew in disguise).
• In the anime, the four-pointed star on its face is blue, while in the games it is white for Pokémon Crystal, silver in Generation III, and light blue in Generation IV

Origin

Raikou's appearance resembles the tiger with its stripes and coat color. However due to its extremely long canine teeths, some suspect it is based on the extinct feline sabertooth tiger.

Name origin

The name in Japanese could be taken to mean 雷光, raikou, lightning. It could also be a combination of 雷 rai, thunder and 皇 kō, emperor. This Pokémon is also based on a demon of Japanese lore, the 雷獣 raijū.

In other languages

• German: Raikou
• French: Raikou
• Korean: 라이코 Raiko
• Chinese: 雷皇

Related articles

• Legendary beasts

External links

Notes

Legendary Pokémon

Generation I

Generation II

Generation III

Generation IV

Generation V

Generation VI

Generation VII

Generation VIII

Generation IX

See also: Mythical Pokémon

← #242: Blissey

Pokémon

#244: Entei →

This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon as a species.