Cosplay Pikachu

Cosplay Pikachu (Japanese: おきがえピカチュウ Clothes-changing Pikachu) is a variant female Pikachu that is able to be dressed up into five different costumes corresponding to each of the five Contest conditions (Coolness, Beauty, Cuteness, Cleverness, and Toughness), and learn exclusive moves, which are linked to these costumes.

Artwork featuring Cosplay Pikachu with Brendan and May in Contests from Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

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 Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, after the first time the player takes part in a Pokémon Contest Spectacular, 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 Shiny.

Cosplay Pikachu can switch between costumes at any time by going to any Contest Hall in the Hoenn region and talking to the Pokémon Breeder 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 (Cosplay Pikachu cannot put on the new costume unless it does). If Cosplay Pikachu's only known move is the special move and the costume is removed, then it will learn Thunder Shock. Cosplay Pikachu can remain in a costume even if it forgets the associated special move.

Unlike other Pikachu, Cosplay Pikachu is in the No Eggs Discovered Egg Group, meaning it cannot breed. It also cannot evolve into Raichu and is unaffected by the Eviolite. Like any Pikachu, though, Cosplay Pikachu is affected by the Light Ball.

Cosplay Pikachu cannot be deposited in Pokémon Bank, nor can it be traded via Wonder Trade or Global Trade System.

Gift Pokémon

Contest properties

Male player character

 
Type:
Electric Unknown
Held item:
None
Pikachu
Quick Attack
Cool
Appeal
3 ♥♥♥
 
Jam
0  
 
Electro Ball
Cool
Appeal
3 ♥♥♥
 
Jam
0  
 
Thunder Wave
Cool
Appeal
1
 
Jam
3 ♥♥♥
 
Meteor Mash
Cool
Appeal
3 ♥♥♥
 
Jam
0  
 

Female player character

 
Type:
Electric Unknown
Held item:
None
Pikachu
Quick Attack
Cool
Appeal
3 ♥♥♥
 
Jam
0  
 
Electro Ball
Cool
Appeal
3 ♥♥♥
 
Jam
0  
 
Thunder Wave
Cool
Appeal
1
 
Jam
3 ♥♥♥
 
Draining Kiss
Cute
Appeal
1
 
Jam
0  
 

Battle properties

Male player character

 
Type:
Electric Unknown
Ability:
Lightning Rod
Held item:
  None  
Pikachu Lv.20
Quick Attack
Normal Physical
Electro Ball
Electric Special
Thunder Wave
Electric Status
Meteor Mash
Steel Physical

Female player character

 
Type:
Electric Unknown
Ability:
Lightning Rod
Held item:
  None  
Pikachu Lv.20
Quick Attack
Normal Physical
Electro Ball
Electric Special
Thunder Wave
Electric Status
Draining Kiss
Fairy Special

In the spin-off games

Pokémon GO

Pikachu Libre appears in Pokémon GO, 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.

Pikachu Libre
 
Pikachu Rock Star
 
Pikachu Pop Star
 


Pokkén Tournament and Pokkén Tournament DX

 
Pikachu Libre in Pokkén Tournament
Main article: Pikachu Libre (Pokkén)

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 Pikachu's alternate costumes in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.


In the anime

 
Frank's Pikachu wearing the costumes

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 a Pikachu movie, 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 Ash and his friends helping out, the movie was successfully filmed and completed.

One of each Cosplay Pikachu variant appeared in Hoopa and the Clash of Ages, amongst the multiple Pikachu summoned by Hoopa 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.

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.

In the manga

 
A group of Cosplay Pikachu in Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon Adventures

Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire arc

In Salamence Evolves, Cosplay Pikachu were introduced to Chaz by Lisia. Lisia revealed that Ruby created the concept of Pokémon wearing costumes for Contests, and even made matching costumes for their Trainers 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 PS603.

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 "pizazz". 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.

Cosplay Pikachu
Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format.
Cards listed with a silver background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Card Type English
Expansion
Rarity # Japanese
Expansion
Rarity #
Cosplay Pikachu         XY-P Promotional cards   099/XY-P
Pikachu Libre   XY Trainer Kit: Pikachu Libre & Suicune   14/30 XY-P Promotional cards   247/XY-P
XY Trainer Kit: Pikachu Libre & Suicune   30/30      
 


Pokémon Pins

Pikachu Libre was released as a pin for the TCG.

 
Release Date August 17, 2016
Release Information Gamescon
Description Pin featuring Pikachu Libre

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 Fever-Burst Fighter and Cruel Traitor expansions on June 17, 2016 exclusively at Pokémon Centers and Seven & I owned store chains such as 7-Eleven and Ito-Yokado. 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:

Product image:

Pikachu Libre Special Pack
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Trivia

In other languages

Cosplay Pikachu

Language Title
  Japanese おきがえピカチュウ Okigae Pikachu
  French Pikachu Cosplayeur
  German Cosplay-Pikachu
  Italian Pikachu Cosplay
  Korean 옷갈아입기 피카츄 Otgalaipgi Pikachu
  Russian Косплей Пикачу Kosplei Pikachu
  Spanish Pikachu Coqueta

Pikachu Rock Star

Language Title
  Japanese ハードロック・ピカチュウ Hard Rock Pikachu
Chinese Cantonese 重搖滾比卡超 Chúhngyìuhgwán Pikachu
Mandarin 重搖滾皮卡丘 Zhòng-yáogǔn Píkǎqiū
  Finnish Rocktähti-Pikachu
  French Pikachu Rockeur
  German Rocker-Pikachu
  Italian Pikachu Rockstar
  Korean 하드록 피카츄 Hadeurok Pikachu
  Polish Pikachu Rock Star
  Brazilian Portuguese Pikachu Rock Star
  Russian Пикачу Рок-звезда Pikachu Rok-zvezda
  Spanish Pikachu Roquera
  Vietnamese Pikachu Ngôi Sao Nhạc Rock

Pikachu Belle

Language Title
  Japanese マダム・ピカチュウ Madame Pikachu
Chinese Cantonese 貴婦比卡超 Gwaifúh Pikachu
Mandarin 貴婦皮卡丘 Guìfù Píkǎqiū
  Finnish Kauno-Pikachu
  French Pikachu Lady
  German Damen-Pikachu
  Italian Pikachu Damigella
  Korean 마담 피카츄 Madam Pikachu
  Polish Pikachu Belle
  Brazilian Portuguese Pikachu Belle
  Russian Красавица Пикачу Krasavitsa Pikachu
  Spanish Pikachu Aristócrata
  Vietnamese Pikachu Quý Phái

Pikachu Pop Star

Language Title
  Japanese アイドル・ピカチュウ Idol Pikachu
Chinese Cantonese 偶像比卡超 Ngáuhjeuhng Pikachu
Mandarin 偶像皮卡丘 Ǒuxiàng Píkǎqiū
  Finnish Poptähti-Pikachu
  French Pikachu Star
  German Star-Pikachu
  Italian Pikachu Confetto
  Korean 아이돌 피카츄 Aidol Pikachu
  Polish Pikachu Pop Star
  Brazilian Portuguese Pikachu Pop Star
  Russian Поп-звезда Пикачу Pop-zvezda Pikachu
  Spanish Pikachu Superstar
  Vietnamese Pikachu Ngôi Sao Nhạc Pop

Pikachu, Ph.D.

Language Title
  Japanese ドクター・ピカチュウ Doctor Pikachu
Chinese Cantonese 博士比卡超 Boksih Pikachu
Mandarin 博士皮卡丘 Bóshì Píkǎqiū
  Finnish Tohtori Pikachu
  French Pikachu Docteur
  German Professoren-Pikachu
  Italian Pikachu Scienziata
  Korean 닥터 피카츄 Dakteo Pikachu
  Polish Pikachu, Ph.D.
  Brazilian Portuguese Pikachu, Ph.D.
  Russian Пикачу-доктор Pikachu-doktor
  Spanish Pikachu Erudita
  Vietnamese Pikachu Tiến Sĩ

Pikachu Libre

Language Title
  Japanese マスクド・ピカチュウ Masked Pikachu
Chinese Cantonese 幪面比卡超 Mùhngmihn Pikachu
Mandarin 蒙面皮卡丘 Méngmiàn Píkǎqiū
  Finnish Paini-Pikachu
  French Pikachu Catcheur
  German Wrestler-Pikachu
  Italian Pikachu Wrestler
  Korean 마스크드 피카츄 Maseukeudeu Pikachu
  Polish Pikachu Libre
  Brazilian Portuguese Pikachu Libre *
Pikachu Mascarada *
  Russian Пикачу Боец Pikachu Boets *
Пикачу-Боец Pikachu-Boets *
Борец-вольник Пикачу Borets-vol'nik Pikachu *
  Spanish Pikachu Enmascarada
  Turkish Güreşçi Pikachu
  Vietnamese Pikachu Siêu Quậy

See also

Bulbanews has an article related to this subject:


Pokémon forms and variants
Permanent: Shiny Pokémon (GO) • Alternately colored Pokémon (anime)
Gender differences‎Form differences (GO)
Brilliant PokémonAlpha Pokémon
Transformations: Mega EvolutionPrimal ReversionBond PhenomenonUltra Burst
Dynamax (Gigantamax) • EternamaxTerastal phenomenon
Groups: Totem PokémonNoble PokémonTitan Pokémon
Regional forms: AlolanGalarianHisuianPaldean
Analogous: Paradox PokémonEcologically similar Pokémon
Pikachu variants: Surfing PikachuFlying PikachuCosplay PikachuPikachu in a cap
Miscellaneous: Pokémon fusionsGiant PokémonSpiky-eared Pichu
Side series original: Shadow PokémonShadow Lugia
Spin-off original: Shadow PokémonPrimal DialgaToy Pokémon (Rusty Pokémon)
Shadow MewtwoPokéxelIllumina phenomenon
Anime original: Pink ButterfreeClone PokémonCrystal Onix
Mirage PokémonMeta GroudonGreen-crystal Deoxys
Manga original: Thu-Fi-ZerBlack FogBlack Tyranitar


  This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon as a species.