Pikachu

Pikachu (Japanese: ピカチュウ Pikachu) is an Electric-type Pokémon introduced in Generation I.
It evolves from Pichu when leveled up with high friendship and evolves into Raichu when exposed to a Thunder Stone.
In Alola, Pikachu evolves into Alolan Raichu when exposed to a Thunder Stone.
Pikachu has sixteen other forms that fall into four groups: Cosplay Pikachu, Pikachu in a cap, the partner Pikachu, and Gigantamax Pikachu. Ordinary Pikachu can Gigantamax into Gigantamax Pikachu if it has the Gigantamax Factor. Additionally, many other Pikachu variants have appeared in various media.
Cosplay Pikachu, Pikachu in a cap, the partner Pikachu, and Pikachu with the Gigantamax Factor cannot evolve. The starter Pikachu from Pokémon Yellow will refuse to evolve into Raichu unless it is traded and evolved on another save file.
Pikachu is popularly known as the mascot of the Pokémon franchise and one of Nintendo's major mascots. It is also the game mascot and starter Pokémon of Pokémon Yellow and Let's Go, Pikachu!, is the starter Pokémon of Pokémon Rumble Blast and Pokémon Rumble World, and has made numerous appearances on the boxes of spin-off titles.
== Biology ==
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. Therefore Pikachu is a faculative biped.
In the anime, it has been shown that wild Pikachu live in groups in forested areas. Pikachu communicate amongst themselves using squeaks and tail-shaking as friendly gestures. The anime has also shown that 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. In the manga, 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.
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. In the anime, 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 recharge fellow Pikachu with electric shocks. Pikachu and its evolutionary relatives are related to Pachirisu.
Pikachu and its evolutionary relatives are the only known Pokémon capable of learning the move Volt Tackle. Pikachu is also the only known Pokémon capable of using the Z-Move Catastropika, and the only known Pokémon capable of using the Light Ball item.
=== Forms ===
Pikachu has sixteen additional forms that fall into four groups: Cosplay Pikachu, Pikachu in a cap, the partner Pikachu, and Gigantamax Pikachu. Additionally, many other Pikachu variants have appeared in various media.
==== Cosplay Pikachu ====
Cosplay Pikachu 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.
; Pikachu in a cap
Pikachu in a cap is always male and has eight variants, each wearing one of Ash's hats from the anime. Pikachu in a cap is the only known Pokémon capable of using the Z-Move 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt. Pikachu in a Cap cannot use Catastropika or Gigantamax.
; Partner Pikachu
The partner Pikachu is the Pokémon the player starts with in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!. This Pikachu can be either gender and has access to moves that normal Pikachu do not along with having higher base stats compared to a normal Pikachu. 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
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. Gigantamax Pikachu is the only known Pokémon capable of using the G-Max Move G-Max Volt Crash.
=== Evolution ===
Pikachu evolves from Pichu and evolves into Raichu.
In Alola, it evolves into Alolan Raichu.
Cosplay Pikachu, Pikachu in a cap, Partner Pikachu, and Pikachu with the Gigantamax Factor cannot evolve.
(For specifics on this Pokémon's evolution in the games, refer to Game data→Evolution data.)
== Origin and Name ==
=== 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 colouration 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).
== In Culture ==
As the mascot of the franchise, Pikachu has made multiple appearances in various promotional events and merchandise. In 1998, then Topeka, Kansas Mayor Joan Wagnon renamed the town "ToPikachu" for a day, and the renaming was repeated in 2018 by Mayor Michelle De La Isla with the release of the Pokémon Let's Go games. A "got milk?" advertisement featured Pikachu on April 25, 2000. A Pikachu balloon has been featured in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 2001. The original balloon was flown for the last time publicly at the Pokémon: Tenth Anniversary "Party of the Decade" on August 8, 2006, in Bryant Park in New York City, and a new Pikachu balloon that chases a Poké Ball and has light-up cheeks debuted at the 2006 parade. In the 2014 parade, a new Pikachu balloon was wearing a green scarf and holding a smaller Pikachu snowman. As of 2021, the latest balloon is that of a Pikachu and Eevee together in a sled.
Pikachu and ten other Pokémon were chosen as Japan's mascots in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In August 2017, The Pokémon Company had partnered with Snap Inc. to bring Pikachu to the social media app, Snapchat. In December 2020, a 15-minute long ASMR video of Pikachu by The Pokémon Company was released. ANA Boeing 747-400 (JA8962) planes have been covered with images of Pokémon including Pikachu since 1998. In 2021, the first Pokémon Jet (Boeing 747-400D) featuring entirely Pikachu debuted.
=== Critical reception ===
Pikachu has been well-received by reviewers; it was ranked as the "second best person of the year" by Time in 1999, who called it "the most beloved animated character since Hello Kitty". The magazine noted Pikachu as the "public face of a phenomenon that has spread from Nintendo's fastest selling video game to a trading-card empire", citing the franchise's profits for the year as "the reason for the ranking", behind singer Ricky Martin but ahead of author J.K. Rowling.
Pikachu has ranked 20th to 4th place in anime, cartoon character, and video game character polls since 2000. In 2003, Forbes ranked Pikachu as the "eighth top-earning fictional character of the year" with an income of $825 million. In 2004, the character dropped two spots to tenth on the list, taking in $825 million for a second straight year. The character has been regarded as the Japanese answer to Mickey Mouse and as being part of a movement of "cute capitalism". Manga artist Hiro Mashima referred to Pikachu as "the greatest mascot character of all time!" when talking about adding these types of characters to series.
Zack Zwiezen of Kotaku praised the simplicity of Pikachu's design, describing it as "possibly one of the most iconic characters on the planet". Dale Bishir of IGN described Pikachu as the most important Pokémon that impacted the franchise's history, and further stated that "Its irresistible cuteness, merchandising power, army of clones in every generation... if your mom calls every Pokémon 'Pikachu', then you know in your heart that it is the most important Pokémon of all time." In 2019, Mitsuhiro Arita said that Pikachu and Charizard were "fan favourites" in Pokémon's design on the trading cards. Lauren Rouse of Kotaku listed Pikachu as the best animal companions that are the real MVPs of video games, stating that "Pikachu symbolises one of the best animal-human friendships in pop culture history and it makes a damn good Pokémon to have in your roster." Time Magazine named Pikachu as one of the twelve most influential video game characters of all time, lauding its appearance as the "most recognizable and beloved sidekick in pop culture."
Conversely, Pikachu was ranked first in AskMen's top 10 of the most irritating 1990s cartoon characters. Similarly, in a poll conducted by IGN, it was voted as the 48th best Pokémon, with the staff commenting "despite being the most recognized Pokémon in the world... Pikachu ranks surprisingly low on our top 100". Kotaku writer Patricia Hernandez criticized Pikachu's over-representation in Pokémon-related media, saying: "it's hard not to be barraged by Pikachu's constant presence if you're a Pokémon fan, and it sucks."
In 2008, a ligand believed to provide better visual acuity was discovered by the Osaka Bioscience Institute Foundation and named "Pikachurin", in reference to the nimbleness of Pikachu. The name was inspired due to Pikachu's "lightning-fast moves and shocking electric effects". In 2021, the Chilean independent politician Giovanna Grandón famously went to many protests during the 2019–2021 Chilean protests dressed in an inflatable Pikachu suit. She went on to be elected as a member of the Constitutional Convention of 2021-2022, and is known as Aunt Pikachu (Tía Pikachú). In July 2021 during the Group of Seven climate summit, a group of protestors dressed as Pikachus demonstrated on Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth, while in November 2021, a group of activists dressed up as Pikachu to protest Japan's refusal to reduce coal consumption at COP26.
In 2016, the Pikachu, also known as the Pokemonument, a fiberglass sculpture depicting Pikachu by an unknown artist, was installed in Lower Garden District, a New Orleans neighborhood. The 5-foot (1.5 m) statue of the Japanese icon was erected as an apparent tribute to Pokémon Go on July 31, 2016, in a decommissioned fountain along Terpsichore Street. and was a fiberglass sculpture coated to look like bronze. Within a few days, the sculpture was vandalized by someone with a baseball bat, but repaired. Some two weeks after its placement, the "Pokemonument" was removed, and an online statement from the artist said that the artwork would be auctioned to benefit restoration of the park's fountains.
People have named their pets after Pikachu. Sarah Natochenny, the second voice actress who portrayed Ash Ketchum for the anime's English dub, named her cat Pikachu.
== Zing-Data ==
TBA
== Trivia ==
* Pikachu was designed by Atsuko Nishida.
** Gigantamax Pikachu was designed by James Turner.
* 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.
* 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 Pokémon: 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 Pokémon 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 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.
* Pikachu appears in Pokémon Battle Chess. It doesn't behave like any traditional piece in chess but behaves like a gold general in shogi.
* Pikachu has been depicted to have a white belly similar to its evolved form Raichu in the Pocket Monsters Carddass Trading Cards as seen here.
== Gallery ==
Category:Creatures
Category:Yellow Creatures
Category:Pokemon Species
Category:Electric Element
Category:Pika Species
Category:Popular Creatures
Category:Rodents
Category:Pokemon
Category:Mascots
Category:Creatures debuted in the 1990s