Cosplay Pikachu

Cosplay Pikachu (Japanese: おきがえピカチュウ Clothes-changing Pikachu) is a variant female that is able to be dressed up into five different costumes corresponding to each of the five Contest conditions (ness, , ness, ness, and ness), and learn exclusive moves, which are linked to these costumes.
Without a costume, Cosplay Pikachu has the appearance of a female Pikachu with a black heart on the tip of its tail (fitting the heart-shaped notch all female Pikachu have on their tail).
==In the core series games==
In , after the first time the player takes part in a , an NPC will give the player Cosplay Pikachu because according to her it matches the player's costume; the Cosplay Pikachu she gives the player will be in the Pikachu Rock Star costume for male players or the Pikachu Pop Star costume for female players. When obtained, Cosplay Pikachu will have its Hidden Ability and its Contest condition in each category is equally elevated. Cosplay Pikachu cannot be .
Cosplay Pikachu can switch between costumes at any time by going to any Contest Hall in the Hoenn region and talking to the in the green room. This Pokémon Breeder can also remove the costume.
Upon removing a costume, Cosplay Pikachu will forget the special move associated with the previous costume. Upon putting on a new costume, Cosplay Pikachu will learn the special move associated with the new costume. When changing costume, if Cosplay Pikachu knows four moves but not the special move of its previous costume, the player will be prompted to replace a move with the new exclusive move in order for it to put on the costume. If Cosplay Pikachu's only known move is the special move and the costume is removed, then it will learn . Cosplay Pikachu can remain in a costume even if it forgets the associated special move.
Unlike other Pikachu, Cosplay Pikachu is in the , meaning it cannot breed. It also cannot evolve into and is unaffected by the Eviolite. Like any Pikachu, though, Cosplay Pikachu is affected by the Light Ball.
Cosplay Pikachu cannot be deposited in , nor can it be traded via Wonder Trade or Global Trade System.
===Gift Pokémon===
====Contest properties====
Male player character
Female player character
====Battle properties====
Male player character
Female player character
==In the spin-off games==
===Pokémon GO===
Pikachu Libre appears in , where it can only be caught during a potential reward encounter for Trainers that have at least reached rank 10 (Legend since Season 6) in the GO Battle League. 
Pikachu Pop Star and Pikachu Rock Star were both added in the game as part of Pokémon GO Fest 2021. They can be obtained from Special Research occurring during the event and are mutually exclusive to each other.
Pikachu, Ph. D. was added in the game on March 1st, 2024 as the reward for getting the platinum Showcase Star medal.
Those Cosplay Pikachu, like in the core series, are always female.
===Pokkén Tournament and Pokkén Tournament DX===
Pikachu Libre was first announced alongside the Wii U port of the game (standard Pikachu is also a character). Pikachu Libre was later released as an additional fighter on the original arcade version.
===Super Smash Bros. Ultimate===
Pikachu Libre is one of 's alternate costumes in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
File:Pikachu Libre SSBU.png|Pikachu Libre in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
File:025Pikachu Libre Dream.png|Alernate Fighter Spirit artwork of Pikachu Libre
==In animation==
===Pokémon the Series===
====Pokémon the Series: XY====
Five Pikachu wearing the Cosplay Pikachu outfits appeared in Lights! Camera! Pika!, under the ownership of Frank. Out of these, Pikachu Rock Star and Pikachu Libre were shown to be regular male Pikachu, while the others were female Pikachu with a black heart marking on their tails like in the games.
Frank was filming , with Pikachu Libre acting as the villain and the others as residents of Pikachu Land. Seeing Ash's Pikachu, he decided to give it the role of the movie's hero, "Super Pikachu". With and helping out, the movie was successfully filmed and completed.
Multiple Cosplay Pikachu also appeared in the extra scenes of the Poké TV program for XY101, called Performer News, in which they were seen performing in Pokémon Showcases.
====Pokémon movies====
One of each Cosplay Pikachu variant appeared in Hoopa and the Clash of Ages, amongst the multiple Pikachu summoned by as part of a prank against Ash and his Pikachu. After initially panicking due to their new surroundings, the entire Pikachu horde, including the Cosplay Pikachu, was calmed down by Ash's Pikachu and sent back to their original homes in an orderly fashion with the help of Hoopa's portals.
File:Pikachu Rock Star anime.png|Pikachu Rock Star
File:Pikachu Belle anime.png|Pikachu Belle
File:Pikachu Pop Star anime.png|Pikachu Pop Star
File:Pikachu PhD anime.png|Pikachu, Ph.D.
File:Pikachu Libre anime.png|Pikachu Libre
==In the manga==
===Pokémon Adventures===
========
In Salamence Evolves, Cosplay Pikachu were introduced to by Lisia. Lisia revealed that created the concept of Pokémon wearing costumes for s, and even made matching costumes for their s to wear. There are several Cosplay Pikachu, all but one of which are male; the only exception was Pikachu Pop Star. They reappeared in a flashback in Slowbro Has an Idea.
===Pokémon UNITE Manga - Come On Over to Aeos Island!===
In Pokémon UNITE Manga - Come On Over to Aeos Island!, during Zirco's Holowear, Zirco thinks of Pikachu Pop Star as he describes Pokémon Contests as having "pizzazz". Pikachu Pop Star is depicted with the heart shaped tail and black mark, indicating that it is female.
==In the TCG==
This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Cosplay Pikachu in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
===Pokémon Pins===
Pikachu Libre was released as a for the TCG.
===Merchandise===
====Pikachu Libre Special Pack====
The Pikachu Libre Special Pack (Japanese: マスクド・ピカチュウ スペシャルパック <セブン＆アイ・ポケモンセンター限定> Masked Pikachu Special Pack <Seven & I•Pokémon Center Limited>) was released alongside the and expansions on June 17, 2016 exclusively at Pokémon Centers and Seven & I owned store chains such as and . It features the Cosplay Pikachu variant Pikachu Libre as an exclusive promotional card and comes with 2 Fever-Burst Fighter booster packs and 2 Cruel Traitor booster packs.
Promotional card:
* ( 247)
Product image:
==Trivia==
* Cosplay Pikachu shares several similarities with 's Spiky-eared Pichu. Both are female-only variants of the evolutionary line who were introduced in remakes. They are both incapable of evolving, breeding, or being transferred to later games. They also both cannot be obtained as , though Shiny models do exist in the game code for them.
* As of Generation VIII, two of Cosplay Pikachu's special moves, and , are able to be learned by any Pikachu via TM.
* Despite no longer being present in the game data of the Generation VII games, a poster featuring Pikachu Pop Star can be seen on the wall in 's room in the .
* In most official books, these costumes are stated to have come from Kanto.
* Cosplay Pikachu's costumes are often not considered distinct forms of Pikachu:
** In , Cosplay Pikachu is registered as a single form, in its uncostumed appearance.
** In , Cosplay Pikachu is not registered as a form at all.
==In other languages==
Cosplay Pikachu
Pikachu Rock Star
Pikachu Belle
Pikachu Pop Star
Pikachu, Ph.D.
Pikachu Libre
==Related articles==
* 
* Pikachu Libre (Pokkén)
* Pokémon cosplay
* Images on the Bulbagarden Archives
Category:Pokémon characters
Category:Pokémon Adventures characters (Pokémon)
Category:Variant Pokémon
Category:Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire characters
Category:Pokémon Contests
Category:Female characters (Pokémon)
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