The Pikachu-family of Pokémon, also known as Electric Rodents or Pikaclones 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 and Morpeko 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)
- Morpeko (Generation VIII)
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.
- 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 manner; in this case, Emolga is a flying squirrel while Pachirisu is a squirrel.
- In addition, Emolga was the first Pikaclone to be a dual type. In this case, it is an Electric/ type.
- 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 VI and VIII introduces the smallest rodents, namely Dedenne and Morpeko respectively.
- Pikachu is the only Pikaclone who is part of an evolutionary line.
- Although it doesn't evolve, Morpeko is the only Pikaclone that can change forms.
- 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, as it is not Electric type.
- Every Pikaclone has a Japanese name.
- Every dual-type Pikaclone has an immunity. Emolga, is a type, Dedenne is a Fairy type, Togedemaru is a Steel type, and Morpeko is a Dark type, making them immune to Ground, Dragon, Poison, and Psychic-types, respectively.