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Pikachu (Pokémon)

Overview

Pikachu's gender differences in the anime

Pikachu is a short, chubby rodent Pokémon. It is covered in yellow fur with two horizontal brown stripes on its back. It has a small mouth, long, pointed ears with black tips, and brown eyes. Each cheek is a red circle that contains a pouch for electricity storage. It has short forearms with five fingers on each paw, and its feet each have three toes. At the base of its lightning bolt-shaped tail is a patch of brown fur. A female will have a V-shaped notch at the end of its tail, which looks like the top of a heart. It is classified as a quadruped, but it has been known to stand and walk on its hind legs.

The anime has shown that wild Pikachu live in groups in forested areas. Pikachu communicate amongst themselves using squeaks and tail-shaking as friendly gestures. In the anime, Alolan Pikachu are known to greet each other by sniffing one another and rubbing their tails together. Electricity can be used to receive and send messages with each other, as well as other Electric Pokémon species. It raises its tail to check its surroundings and is occasionally struck by lightning in this position. When groups grow, they can inadvertently cause lightning storms. Pikachu forage for Berries, which it roasts with electricity to make them tender enough to eat. A sure sign that Pikachu inhabits a location is patches of burnt grass. It has been observed eating and sometimes destroying telephone poles, wires, and other electronic equipment. By occasion, it can get unintentionally swallowed by Cramorant. While startled, it looks for ways to escape from the latter.

In the mouth of Cramorant

Pikachu charges itself while sleeping overnight, though stress and a lack of sleep can affect this. It is able to release electric discharges of varying intensity. Pikachu has been known to build up energy in its glands, which it will need to discharge to avoid complications. It is also able to release energy through its tail, which acts as a grounding rod, as well as recharging fellow Pikachu with electric shocks. Pikachu and its evolutionary relatives are related to Pachirisu.

Pikachu has three alternate forms: the first one, Cosplay Pikachu, appeared exclusively in Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. It is always female, has a black heart-shaped spot at the end of its tail, and can be dressed in any of five outfits corresponding to the five Contest conditions. The second form is Pikachu in a cap, which debuted as an event-exclusive Pokémon in Generation VII. It is always male and has eight variants, each wearing one of Ash's hats from the anime. In addition to these two forms, many other Pikachu variants have appeared in various media. The last, the partner Pikachu, is the Pokémon the player starts with in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!. This Pikachu can be either gender, has higher base stats, and has access to moves that normal Pikachu do not.

As Gigantamax Pikachu, it becomes larger and chubbier. Its tail becomes longer and becomes capable of storing all of the electricity it generates, causing it to glow a bright yellow and enabling it to become as powerful as a lightning strike. Three red clouds float around the tail. Its power is equal to that of a power plant; however, it is difficult to use it in peoples' homes since Pikachu can only remain in its Gigantamax form for a short time.

Pikachu and its variants have several signature moves:

• Pikachu and its evolutionary relatives are the only known Pokémon capable of learning the move Volt Tackle.
• Pikachu is the only known Pokémon capable of using the Z-Move Catastropika.
• Pikachu in a cap is the only known Pokémon capable of using the Z-Move 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt.
• The partner Pikachu is the only known Pokémon capable of learning the moves Zippy Zap, Floaty Fall, and Splishy Splash, as well as the partner power Pika Papow.
• Gigantamax Pikachu is the only known Pokémon capable of using the G-Max Move G-Max Volt Crash.

Pikachu is also the only known Pokémon capable of using the Light Ball item.

Concept and development

Pikachu was designed by Atsuko Nishida, a core designer at Game Freak. It was originally designed to resemble daifuku, a round and doughy Japanese confection. During the design process, game designer Kōji Nishino instructed Nishida to make Pikachu "cuter", and so Nishida added cheek pouches for storing electricity. Pikachu was also given yellow fur and a lightning bolt-shaped tail to represent its Electric typing. Its stripes were added to fill the empty space on Pikachu's back, as it would always be visible when used in battle. Game Freak CEO Satoshi Tajiri then based Pikachu's finalized design on that of a mouse.

Pikachu originally had a short, stout design during the initial release of Pokémon Red and Green, but its design was altered for the anime and subsequent entries of the games, becoming slightly taller and skinnier. According to Ken Sugimori, Pikachu's design was altered to make animating its actions easier. Its Gigantamax form is a reference to its original rotund appearance. Gigantamax Pikachu was designed by James Turner.

Pikachu also originally had a second-stage evolution named "Gorochu" (Japanese: ゴロチュウ Gorochū), which would have had two horns and fangs. Sugimori stated that while there was nothing wrong with its appearance, it was nonetheless omitted from Pokémon Red and Green, as the staff found that the game balance was better without it, and the limited game space meant that some Pokémon originally designed to evolve twice were changed to evolve only once.

Trivia

$1 coin from Niue featuring Pikachu

Pikachu in Pokémon Stadium

Pikachu in Pokémon Battle Chess

• The nation of Niue released a one-dollar coin with its coat of arms on one side and Pikachu on the other to promote the Pokémon franchise.
• Pikachu and its evolved form both share their category with Rattata, Raticate, Sandshrew, Sandslash, Pawmi, and Pawmo. They are all known as the Mouse Pokémon, though Rattata and Raticate were originally called the Rat Pokémon prior to Generation III.
• Veronica Taylor has said Pikachu is her favorite Pokémon. Sarah Natochenny has as well, shared with Mew.
• In 2008, Japanese researchers discovered a new protein that helps carry electrical impulses from the eyes to the brain and named it pikachurin. According to them, it was so named for sharing Pikachu's "lightning-fast moves and shocking electric effects".
• Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has included three Pikachu balloons. "Flying Pikachu" was the first, flown from 2001 to 2005, and was used in a morning rush hour test of wind conditions in Times Square after an accident involving an M&M's balloon in the 2005 parade. It was last used in the August 2006 Party of the Decade in New York City's Bryant Park. The second balloon debuted in the 2006 parade, features glowing cheeks, and chases a Poké Ball balloon. The third, introduced in the 2014 parade, wears a green scarf and holds a small, Pikachu-shaped snowman.
• Pikachu is the only core series starter Pokémon with a pre-evolved form, though Pokémon Yellow predates Pichu and Pichu is unobtainable in Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!.
• According to A Sneak Peek at Pokémon, Pikachu can deliver a constant current of 1000 amperes.
• Pikachu has the most event-exclusive moves available to it.
  • Additionally, Pikachu is the only Pokemon with two exclusive Z-Moves.
• When starting a new game in Pokémon Yellow, Pikachu's front sprite appears with a slightly different color palette (the palette index number 0x10) than usual when it is introduced by Professor Oak. This is the same red/yellow palette used for Mew, Mewtwo, and Jynx (except the Virtual Console Jynx), as well as the battle sprites of all Pokémon Trainers.
  • Due to the color palette used at the start of Pokémon Yellow, Pikachu has red cheeks (in the Game Boy Color) or pink cheeks (in the Super Game Boy). However, in this game's normal gameplay, Pikachu has dark orange cheeks instead.
• In the Japanese Pokémon Stadium, Pikachu is the only usable Pokémon that is not fully evolved.
• In Pokémon Yellow and from Generation VI to Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Pikachu uses its cry from the anime (voiced by Ikue Ohtani). Before Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, it was the only Pokémon to do so in core series games.
  • Its battle cry differs from status or Pokédex screens.
  • The starter Pikachu in Yellow has unique voice clips in Pokémon Stadium and Stadium 2.
  • In Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, it uses an updated version of its original cry, like other Pokémon.
• Pikachu is the only core series starter Pokémon that does not have a 7:1 gender ratio.
• Pokémon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2 are the only core series games in which Pikachu cannot be obtained without transporting or through an event.
• Pikachu was the focus of a Pokémon Center collection in June 2014.
• Pikachu is the only not fully evolved Pokémon whose base stats increased in Generation VI as well as the only Pokémon to receive more than one stat increase: Defense and Special Defense.
• Pikachu is the only Pokémon that can be caught in all three pinball titles: Pokémon Pinball, Pokémon Pinball mini, and Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire.
• Pikachu is the 25th Pokémon in both the National Pokédex and Alola Pokédex in Pokémon Sun and Moon.
• Pikachu appears in Pokémon Battle Chess. It doesn't behave like any traditional piece in chess but behaves like a gold general in shogi.

Origin

Pikachu's designer, Atsuko Nishida, revealed in an interview that this Pokémon was originally a daifuku-like creature with ears sticking out. Its black ear tips are remnants of this original concept.

Nishida named the Pokémon Pikachu "without giving it much thought", and while it wasn't originally intended to be based on a mouse, Game Freak CEO Satoshi Tajiri made the decision to base it on such. During the process of making Pikachu "cuter", as per the instructions of game designer Kōji Nishino, Nishida added cheek pouches for it to store electricity in. These were inspired by squirrels, which store food in their cheeks. Pikachu's yellow coloration and lightning bolt-shaped tail were given to express Pikachu's electrical attributes and make its type easier to recognise and understand. According to Nishida, Pikachu's stripes aren't based on anything in particular, and were added to fill the empty space on Pikachu's back, as it is always visible during battle.

Pikachu's Gigantamax form is a reference to its earlier, more rotund design from Generations I and II.

Name origin

Pikachu is a combination of ピカピカ pikapika (onomatopoeia for sparkle) and チューチュー chūchū (the sound of a mouse squeaking).