Pikachu

Pikachu (ピカチュウ Pikachu) is an -type Mouse Pokémon and the evolved form of Pichu. It can evolve into a Raichu by use of a Thunder Stone. It can evolve from Pichu via Happiness. Pikachu is famous for being the most well-known and recognizable Pokémon in Generations 1-4. Over the years, Pikachu has become so popular that it serves as the Pokémon franchise mascot. In 1998, it became a Version Mascot for the game Pokémon Yellow. In the series, Ash's Pikachu had extremely strong powers, which is the reason Team Rocket are after it.

Appearance
Pikachu is a small, chubby rodent-like Pokémon, covered almost completely by yellow fur. It has long yellow ears that are tipped with black. A Pikachu's back has two brown stripes, and its large tail is notable for being shaped like a lightning bolt. On its cheeks are two circle-shaped red pouches used for storing electricity, which turn yellow when its about to use an attack such as Thunderbolt.

A female Pikachu looks almost exactly the same as a male with the exception of her tail. A female Pikachu's tail is rounded at the end and has an inward dent, giving it the appearance of a heart.

Pikachu's store most of there electricity within the red areas of there cheeks, you can see small surges of electric energy whenever a Pikachu gets protective, angry, etc.

Special Abilities
Pikachu's special ability is Static, which can cause paralysis in battle if hit by a physical move. In Pokemon Black and White Dream World, You get Pikachu with the ability Lightningrod.

In the anime
Pikachu in the Anime series is most notable for being under the ownership of Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum. Ash's Pikachu has appeared in every episode since the beginning of the series. Ash received this Pikachu from Professor Oak in the episode Pokémon - I Choose You!.

In the anime, Pikachu other than Ash's have also made appearances. One of which is Ritchie's Pikachu "Sparky", which unlike most Pikachu, has a tuft of long fur on its forehead. Although Sparky, unlike Ash's Pikachu, is indifferent about being inside its Poké Ball, it is almost always shown outside, similar to Ash's Pikachu.

In the episode The Pi-Kahuna, there was a Pikachu named "Puka" owned by a surfer named Victor. This Pikachu appeared to be much older than Ash's, looking slightly weathered. It was an unusual Pikachu, having blue eyes, and being able to sense the waves in the ocean.

One of the more popular events involving another Pikachu was when Ash was transformed into a Pikachu near the end of the episode Hocus Pokémon by a magician named Lily. At the beginning of the next episode Ash was transformed back into a human, but this concept has been the basis of several possibilities and stories among fans.

Also Pikachu has been shown to be very powerful as Pikachu defeats a Regice and had a Draw with Tobias' Latios, one can only think what strength he would have if he were to evolve into a Raichu.

Pikachu has been seriously ill when Team Rocket used a strong magnetic machine on Pikachu while Ash was traveling to Hoenn on ship. When Ash reached Hoenn, Pikachu's eyes had turned red, Pikachu had electrocuted Ash, and ran into the wild, using Thunderbolt continuously. Ash and Prof. Birch went off to search for it. But soon after a treatment, it went back to normal.

These are the list of moves that Ash's Pikachu in the Anime have learned before:

Tackle, Thunderbolt, Thunder, Quick Attack, Iron Tail, Volt Tackle, and Agility

Game Starter Pokémon at the beginning of the game, and later became the Pokémon icon.

Game Info
Pikachu is the main character in the game PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure

Generation I
Main article: Pikachu/Learnset Generation I

Generation II
Main article: Pikachu/Learnset Generation II

Generation III
Main article: Pikachu/Learnset Generation III

Generation IV
Main article: Pikachu/Learnset Generation IV

Super Smash Bros.
Pikachu has also appeared in all three Super Smash Bros. Series games. Pikachu is a very agile and mobile playable character. In Super Smash Bros., Pikachu was considered the strongest playable character. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Pikachu's Skull Bash move was introduced, and its Quick Attack ability was upgraded so that it did a small amount of damage to opponents. Pikachu has also once again appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a playable character, with its exclusive attack Volt Tackle as its Final Smash. If you look at the hat Pikachu and you look at the shiny above and the hat, you would notice it's the shiny pikachu with Red's japanese hat.

Each of Pikachu's alternate forms in Brawl can be seen as a tribute to different Pokemon games; Blue goggles= Pokemon Colleseum, Red hat= Pokemon Red/Blue/Green/FireRed/LeafGreen, Green headband= Pokemon Emerald.

Along with Mario, Link, and Kirby, Pikachu is a mascot for the Super Smash Bros. series.

Name
The name "Pikachu" is a portmanteau of the Japanese words "pikapika", an onomatopoeia for electric sparkling, and "chū", which is the Japanese onomatopoeia for a mouse's squeak. It may also be based on the pika, a mouse-like animal more closely related to rabbits but it's behavior (or more noticibally it's eating habits) resemble that of hamsters.

Origin
Though not the first Pokémon created, Pikachu was the first "-type" Pokémon created, conceived after the type was suggested to Sugimori and designed around the concept of electricity and the common symbol for lightning.

Related Articles

 * Ash's Pikachu
 * Sparky
 * Ashachu
 * Puka (The Surfing Pikachu)

Known Trainers With a Pikachu

 * Ash Ketchum
 * Ritchie
 * Victor
 * Red
 * Yellow (manga)

Trivia

 * In the Pokémon manga Pokémon Adventures, Red's third pokemon in his team is a Pikachu nicknamed "Pika".
 * Pikachu is the only starter in the canon RPG games that deviates from the usual fire, water, and grass-type Pokemon.
 * Pikachu is the only Pokémon to have appeared in every episode, special, and movie in the series in some shape or form.
 * In the Pokemon Manga Pokemon Adventures, Yellow has a Pikachu nicknamed Chuchu.
 * Though Pikachu isn't in the Unova Dex, he can be found in a building within Castelia City in the Unova region before the National Dex is obtained as well as on a billboard above the Castelia City Pokemon Center.. There are also several Pikachu shaped hedges in Striaton City. Also, there is a giant Pikachu float next to the Nimbasa City Gym.
 * Many consider Pikachu the mascot of Pokemon.
 * Pikachu has been in pretty much every Pokemon Video Game so far.
 * In the anime, Pikachu is a very rare Pokemon to see in Unova, unlike in other regions, where they are fairly common.