The Pikachu-family of Pokémon, also known as Electric Rodents are an iconic set of Pokémon, each Generation featuring the debut of a Pikachu family, with the first two being Pikachu and its evolution Raichu. Every member is an Electric-type rodent. All have cheek pouches and resemble one another in some way. Also, it must be remembered that the term Pikachu-family is not an official term; it is a fan-made term, similar to the term Eeveelution.
Traits
All members of the Pikachu-family have electricity pouches on their cheeks, so obviously are all electric type. The colours vary, with Pikachu, Plusle, and Dedenne having red cheeks; Raichu, Pachirisu, Emolga and Togedemaru having yellow cheeks; Pichu having pink cheeks; and Minun having blue cheeks.
The members are always based on a type of rodent or lagomorph. Pichu is a chinchilla rat (debatable), Pikachu is based on a mountain viscacha or a pika, Raichu is a springhare (debatable); Plusle and Minun are rabbits (debatable); Pachirisu is a earth squirrel, Emolga is based on a flying squirrel, Dedenne is a Woodland jumping mouse and Togedemaru is a ryukyu spiny rat (debatable).
All members aside from Plusle and Minun keep their Japanese name as their English name.
Members
- Pikachu (Generation I)
- Raichu (Generation I)
- Pichu (Generation II)
- Plusle (Generation III)
- Minun (Generation III)
- Pachirisu (Generation IV)
- Emolga (Generation V)
- Dedenne (Generation VI)
- Togedemaru (Generation VII)
- Alolan Raichu (Generation VII)
Trivia
- All generations (so far) announced at least one Pikachu-Family Pokémon.
- Generation II is the only generation to introduce a new member that was not an entirely new line species: in this case, Pichu.
- However, the Pokemon Marill introduced in this generation shares multiple features with the other members of this family, lacking only the Electric-type characteristic.
- Generation III is the only generation to introduce two new similar members: in this case, Plusle and Minun.
- Generation V is the only generation to repeat a species to its introduced member albeit in a different race: in this case, Emolga being a squirrel like Pachirisu.
- Generation VII is the only generation to introduce an alternate form of one Pokémon belonged to a prior generation, in this case Alolan Raichu.
- Generation II is the only generation to introduce a new member that was not an entirely new line species: in this case, Pichu.
- Ever since Generation IV in the anime, a companion/friend of Ash has a Pikachu-Family Pokémon. Dawn has a Pachirisu, Iris has an Emolga, Clemont has a Dedenne and Sophocles has a Togedemaru.
- Despite visual similarities and being deliberately based on Pikachu, Mimikyu is not a Pikachu-Family Pokémon.
- Also, so far, there are no Alola Forms for Pikachu and Pichu as well for Plusle, Minun, Pachirisu, Emolga, Dedenne and Togedemaru, this makes Raichu the only member of the Pikachu Family to have an Alola Form (Mimikyu doesn't count for obvious reasons, but also it could have an Alola Form).
Gallery
