33 Electrifying Pikachu Facts That Will Leave You Shocked

Pikachu, from the immensely popular Pokémon series, is regarded as one of the most famous pop culture icons from Japan.

If you are a fan of the Pokémon television show that aired back in 1997, you will surely be familiar with Pikachu, and the chances are that Pikachu was your favorite Pokémon! Well, Pikachu is a fictional creature appearing in the Pokémon franchise that was created by the Pokémon company in Japan.

Pikachu is a yellow-looking mouse-like Pokémon who is known for his rather electrifying capabilities in battle. Ikue Ōtani, a famous Japanese actress and singer, voiced the character in a a number of games and anime productions.

Pikachu is also seen in movies, such as 'Pokémon Detective Pikachu', where the famous actor Ryan Reynolds voiced him and was played in CGI. This movie was a live-action animated production.

Pikachu is the Pokémon anime's protagonist's first Pokémon and is widely popular due to his appearance alongside Ash Ketchum. Pikachu is symbolic of a valuable animal-human friendship in most pop culture stories, but did you know that according to the story, the Pokémon did not like Ash initially?

But when Ash saves him from a group of Sparrow Pokémon, Pikachu finally starts growing fond of him.

Ash Ketchum first got his Starter Pokémon when he was 10 years old in Pallet Town. This was shown in the very first episode of the anime series.

Are you intrigued enough? Then keep reading this article to find more electrifying and interesting Pikachu facts about his origin, inception, concept, his appearances in several games, his powers, likes, dislikes and a lot more!

Pikachu Concept And Design

Pikachu is one of the most loved Japanese anime characters of all time. It is a renowned Pokémon species due to its striking yellow appearance and cute nature. Pikachu is also the loyal companion of Ash Ketchum, the anime series main character, and has been a major character throughout the entire franchise of Pokémon.

Pikachu has become the mascot of various Japanese pop culture references in recent years. In fact, Pikachu is a major mascot for Nintendo. Let us discover some facts about the inception of this fan-favorite anime.

Pikachu is a character in the computer game Pokémon series that was developed by game freak, and Nintendo published it in Japan in 1996. Apart from Pikachu, several other Pokémon species are also incuded, as well as certain human characters.

The human characters are Pokémon trainers, which are the players who train these pokemon to interact in the game's world. Ken Sugimori finalized the design of Pikachu, which went on to become the most loved game character of all time!

The design concept of Pikachu was always centered around electricity which is why you see Pikachu to be yellow, and their tails are lightning bolt shaped. Pikachus' pointy and black-tipped ears and red cheeks are all proof of its electric capabilities.

Initially, the design was a very round and pudgy, but a few years later, it evolved to having a slimmer waist and a more prominent neck and face, along with a straighter back. Ken Sugimori ensured the design to be consistent throughout the anime. However, during Pokémon Sword and Shield, Pikachu was made to appear a little more fat.

The name Pikachu was not the first choice. The original mascot of the Pokémon franchise was going to be Clefairy.

Hard to imagine, right? But the name Pikachu was chosen as the original Pokémon mascot due to its popularity. Pika is a Japanese word for the noise of electricity crackling, and Chu is a Japanese word to describe the mouse's sound.

This is how the name Pikachu came into being. You would also see this anime character say the words pika pika a couple of times in the show too!

Ken Sugimori and Atsuko Nishida created the design for this character for The Pokémon Company, which is a Japanese corporation. In the Pokémon red and blue, and Pokémon red and green games of 1996, Pikachu first made its debut.

It was then that Pikachu started being captured by human Pokémon players. They could also be trained to fight other Pokémon.

Ash's Pikachu is his only electric type of Pokémon. Pokémon can evolve, and an evolved form of Pikachu is Raichu, which has orange-colored fur in contrast to Pikachu's yellow fur.

A thunderstone is used by Pikachu to evolve into a Raichu. Raichu can hold more electricity in its cheeks. Appearance-wise, Pikachu is 1 foot 4 inches (40 cm) tall and weighs 14 pounds (6 kilograms).

Several alternate forms of this Pokémon are possible, although the Pickachu Pokémon species does not go through a mega evolution. The only exception is Raichu which can get Alolan form.

Pikachu is also one of the several Pokémon who manages to show gender dimorphism. By this, we mean there are both male and female Pickachu. The female form have a heart-shaped tail.

A baby pokemon called Pichu evolves into a fully grown Pikachu. This process of growing up from a baby to an adult Pikachu happens quickly if it loves its trainer.

Pikachu was also the first electric type of Pokémon species that was created, and this really shouldn't surprise you because Pikachu is the first electric type in Pokédex. Pikachu's cheeks have two red pouches that give it electric power. The red cheeks are a key characteristic of Pikachu.

In the anime, Ash's Pikachu gets given several other names like sparky (quite apt as it is based on his electric nature!), but these names weren't official. Pikachu was what the Pokémon species was always officially called.

Pikachu Appearances: Video Games, Anime, Movies, And Other Media

The popular mascot of the Pokémon franchise has always been one of the most significant characters of the famous Pokémon anime series. Due to his popularity, Pikachu has become a major mascot for any Japanese pop culture event and is the mascot for Nintendo too.

Pikachu has hence made several appearances on merchandise like T-shirts, posters, stationary, and mugs, along with some exciting video games. Here's a look at some of Pikachu's appearances in the media.

In the famous anime series 'Pokémon', Pikachu is Ash's first Pokémon. Modelling this, if you have ever played the popular game 'Pokémon Yellow', a player's first Pokémon is also Pikachu. In the Pokémon games, three starter Pokémon appear at the start of the game for the player, they are Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander. Pikachu, however, was not among them.

Pikachu also appears in the 'Super Smash Bros' series. The 'Super Smash Bros' series is a crossover fighting game produced by Nintendo, featuring characters from many Nintendo franchises. The game series was created by Masahiro Sakurai.

In the original Pokémon story which first made the Pikachu character famous, Ash hopes to become a Pokémon Master before he receives his Starter Pokémon. He does not know what his started Pokémon would be, it could be a Pikachu, or a Bulbasaur, a Squirtle, a Charmander or even another type of Pokémon.

Throughout the anime, Ash's Pikachu appeared along with other wild trained Pikachu that were wild or trained by other trainers.

Pikachu also made an appearance in 'Pokémon Live', which was a musical show that was inspired by anime. Jennifer Risser portrayed Pikachu, but the voice-over was by Ikue Ōtani.

Pikachu started in the 2019 movie 'Pokémon Detective Pikachu'. His voice-over for the movie was done by Ryan Renolds.

Powers Of Pikachu

As we know already, Ash's first Pokémon was Pikachu and, might we say, his favorite as well. Why not? Pikachu had some very unique powers to aid his trainer in defeating his enemies. Let's look at some of his powerful and useful abilities below.

Pikachu has the ability to paralyze his enemies if they touch him or any part of his body. He paralyzes his enemies using the static electricity which is always running through his body.

A Pikachu has an excellent hidden ability that enables it to divert any electric attack sent at it into a boost for it's own powers. This means that no harm will be done to Pikachu as he draws all the electric energy towards himself.

Skull bash is another powerful attack Pikachu uses. He does this by launching himself for a attack enemies' heads.

Thunder is another popular attack that Pikachu uses if he spots any thunder around. He can literally fire a ball of thunder onto his opponents. This power is especially used when Pikachu climbs any wall.

Pikachu is always ready to take the lead in case his partner Ash is not there. He is Ash's most dependable partner and a very powerful Pokémon.

Communication is another fascinating aspect of any Pikachu's powers. In the anime series, Pikachus were shown to live in forests and communicate using friendly gestures such as tail shaking and squeaks.

Pikachu communicates by saying syllables of its own name. Ikue Ohtani has done the voicing of this character in the same way.

The Alolan Pikachu have an even more fun way to greet each other. They sniff and rub their tails together to greet! In fact, electricity, which is a Pikachu's greatest strength, can also be used to communicate with other Pikachus and other electric Pokémon species.

Occasionally for the same purpose, the Pikachu also raises its tail to observe its surroundings, and in doing so, it is sometimes struck by lightning. This way, if a Pikachu is traveling in a group with other Pikachu, they can even cause a lightning storm!

With all the electric powers flowing through and used by a Pikachu, it should not come as a surprise that a Pikachu definitely needs charging with electricity! It does so when it sleeps in the night, although any kind of stress which may lead to its lack of sleep can affect Pikachu's charging.

Due to charging, electric discharges are emitted at varying intensities. The glands in Pikachu build up the electric energy required, and this energy is discharged at varying intensities.

Pikachu also releases this energy through its cute tail that acts as a medium to ground the electricity.

The tail is also useful if a Pikachu wants to recharge its fellow Pikachu through electric shocks. Pikachu's signature volt tackle move also helps in electrifying itself.

In the video games 'Pearl' and 'Pokémon Diamond', a female Pikachu was introduced. The distinct feature to distinguish the male and female Pikachu was the heart-shaped tail in the girls.

The females tails also had specific indents and notches, which were absent in the case of a male Pikachu. The female Pokémon also attacks the enemy through electricity coming out from its body. This gender difference was a first of its kind in the Pokémon universe, and the viewers loved the tail-based identification of the female Pikachu.

Likes And Dislikes Of Pikachu

Pikachu is Ash's cutest and most trustworthy Pokémon. Ash is definitely very fond of him, and you can clearly their strong bond in the way that Pikachu always sits on his head or shoulder.

Pikachu also happens to stay outside his poke ball, ready to attack any time, but what are Pikachu's likes and dislikes. What is Pikachu fond of? Let's see below.

On Multiple occasions throughout the anime, it is evident that tomato ketchup is Pikachu's favorite food to have. In fact, on Reditt website, you can find an ample amount of funny memes and threads to support the tomato ketchup obsession of Pikachu!

Pikachu also loves science and technology! Although it goes without saying that he obviously fails to understand most of it!

As cute as Pikachu is, he is quite naive when it comes to understanding love. In the Pokémon series he is oblivious to the trainer Dawn's Buneary Pokémon who is often flirting with him.

Pikachu strongly dislikes staying in his poke ball and loves riding on Ash's shoulder or Ash's head. Pikachu also hates it the most if someone tries to pull his tail.

Pikachu is smart, friendly, and curious and loves to battle, just like his trainer Ash. Pikachu is strong-willed and determined and never gives up in the face of any adversity.

Pikachu is also a responsible Pokémon as he looks after younger Pokémon, specifically Misty's Togepi, who is often taken out from any dangerous situations.

Pikachu is a little stubborn, but when it comes to battle, he will always obey Ash's command and will seldom leave his side.

Pikachu showcases strong rivalry with many other trainers Pokémon but there are a few exceptions like Tierno's Raichu. A Raichu is a Pikachu's evolved version.

Pikachu's rivalry is evident in the Sun and Moon series, where Pikachu is keen on defeating Alolan Raichu during the pancake race. Another example of Pikachu's rivalry is when Pikachu gets defeated and even injured by Lt. Surge's Raichu.

Sho's Raichu also managed to overpower Pikachu's strengths, such as the Volt Tackle and Iron tail. In these fascinating battles, Pikachu and Ash usually used several unconventional techniques to win against the odds.

Despite the odds, Pikachu is often shown to maintain his resolve by not evolving to win, a trait shared by another one of Pikachu's best friends, Dawn's Piplup, who also refuses to evolve.

FAQs

What does Pikachu hate?

Pikachu hates it if someone pulls his tail, or if he has to stay in his poke ball for a long time.

What is Pikachu's favorite food?

Pikachu's favorite food to eat is ketchup.

What are Pikachu's powers?

Pikachu has electric powers. Any contact with Pikachu can lead to a powerful electric strike.

What is Pikachu's favorite fruit?

Pikachu shows a strong affinity to apples.

Was Ash's Pikachu a female?

Ash's Pikachu is confirmed to be a male.

Does Pikachu fly?

Yes, Pikachu can fly.

What is a black Pikachu?

A black Pikachu is a Pikachu with a black tip.