Ash's Pikachu: Difference between revisions

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==In the anime==

===History===

====Pre-series====

====[[Original series]]====

=====Kanto=====

[[File:Ash Pikachu EP001.png|thumb|left|220px|Pikachu's debut appearance]]

In ''[[EP002|Pokémon Emergency!]]'', Ash managed to get to the Viridian City [[Pokémon Center]] just in time with the help of [[Officer Jenny]], who scolded Ash for "mistreating" Pikachu. [[Nurse Joy]] agreed to heal Pikachu, and thanks to her, Pikachu managed to regain his health. At the end of the episode, Pikachu had regained enough of his strength to send {{TRT}} blasting off for the very first time.

[[File:EP014.png|thumb|left|220px|Pikachu battling against Lt. Surge's Raichu]]

Pikachu was separated from Ash in ''[[EP017|Island of the Giant Pokémon]]''—along with {{AP|Bulbasaur}}, {{AP|Charmander}}, and {{AP|Squirtle}}—after a group of {{p|Gyarados}} sent them flying with {{m|Dragon Rage}}. During the separation, Pikachu remained adamant that Ash was looking for them, despite Bulbasaur's belief they were abandoned. When Ash's Pokémon came across Team Rocket's Pokémon, who were also separated from their Trainers, the two groups of Pokémon joined forces to look for them. The next day, the group came across a group of giant Pokémon and ended up being chased by them straight to Ash, his friends, and Team Rocket, allowing them to reunite.

In ''[[EP033|The Flame Pokémon-athon!]]'', Pikachu entered the [[Big P Pokémon Race]] with Squirtle. The two were at a significant disadvantage due to Squirtle's short legs, and Pikachu's comparative weight, but in a way, this helped as they managed to escape an {{p|Electrode}} self-destructing. They made ground when they reached the water stage, putting them in the top four with Ash, {{an|Misty}}, and [[Dario]]. However, intervention from Team Rocket forced a battle, and the two were put out of the running by a {{m|Glare}} attack from {{TP|Jessie|Arbok}}.

In ''[[EP058|Riddle Me This]]'', Pikachu was Ash's last Pokémon used in his seventh Gym battle at the [[Cinnabar Gym]], where he faced off against [[Blaine]]'s {{p|Rhydon}}. Despite being immune to Electric moves, Rhydon was defeated when Pikachu aimed his Thunderbolt attack at the horn on Rhydon's head. Pikachu then faced [[Blaine's Magmar]], whose attacks eventually almost caused Pikachu to fall off the battlefield and into the lava below. Seeing that, Ash then decided to forfeit the match.

[[File:Ash Pikachu Poké Ball.png|thumb|220px|Pikachu's Poké Ball, with a lightning bolt mark, at Professor Oak's Laboratory]]

Ash used Pikachu many times during the [[Indigo Plateau Conference]]. In ''[[EP076|Fire and Ice]]'', Pikachu defeated [[Pete Pebbleman]]'s powerful {{p|Arcanine}}, but in ''[[EP077|The Fourth Round Rumble]]'', he was defeated by [[Jeanette Fisher]]'s {{p|Bellsprout}}. Pikachu then faced off against Happy, [[Ritchie]]'s {{p|Butterfree}}, in ''[[EP079|Friend and Foe Alike]]''. Despite being exhausted from battling Team Rocket earlier, he still wanted to fight. After defeating Happy, he faced off against [[Zippo]], Ritchie's {{p|Charmander}}, but due to being exhausted by all his battles, Pikachu was defeated.

In ''[[EP086|Pikachu Re-Volts]]'', [[Butch]] and [[Cassidy]] used a {{p|Drowzee}} to take over the minds of many Pokémon on [[Mandarin Island North]], including Pikachu. To rescue the Pokémon, Ash taunted Pikachu into using Thunderbolt on him, which also hit the machine that Drowzee was wired to, freeing all of the Pokémon from its control.

In ''[[EP099|The Mandarin Island Miss Match]]'', Ash used Pikachu in a battle against [[Lorelei]]{{tt|*|Referred to as Prima in the dub}} of the [[Elite Four]], where he faced her {{TP|Lorelei|Cloyster}}. Eventually, Pikachu lost.

In ''[[EP108|Pokémon Double Trouble]]'', Pikachu was used in Ash's Gym battle against [[Luana]], where he had to fight alongside {{AP|Charizard}}. Despite both Pokémon being eager to battle, they started getting angry at each other right before the battle, affecting their teamwork negatively. However, after seeing Charizard being repeatedly attacked by Luana's {{p|Alakazam}} and {{p|Marowak}}, Pikachu decided to help his partner, cementing their cooperation. Both of their opponents ultimately knocked each other out accidentally, thus earning Ash the {{badge|Jade Star}} and allowing him to enter the [[Orange League]].

In ''[[EP116|The Rivalry Revival]]'', Pikachu battled [[Gary's Eevee]] and was eventually defeated after Eevee used a powerful {{m|Skull Bash}}. Later on in the episode, Ash decided to take Pikachu, along with his other Pokémon, to [[Johto]] with him.

====''[[Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire]]''====

=====Hoenn=====

In ''[[AG003|There's no Place like Hoenn]]'', Ash used Pikachu in an unofficial battle against [[Norman]], since Ash only had one Pokémon at the time instead of the three required. In the end, Norman's {{p|Vigoroth}} defeated Pikachu with a series of {{m|Scratch}} attacks. After their match, Team Rocket tried to steal Pikachu and Vigoroth but accidentally stole [[May's Torchic]] instead. Later, Pikachu was used alongside Vigoroth to battle Team Rocket and blasted them off in addition to rescuing Torchic.

In ''[[AG189|Gathering the Gang of Four!]]'', in preparation for Ash's rematch against {{an|Brandon}} for his final Frontier Symbol, Pikachu reunited with Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charizard for training. Using Quick Attack to round up leaves created by Squirtle's {{m|Rapid Spin}} and Bulbasaur's {{m|Vine Whip}}, they were able to make a den to sleep in. Pikachu was later captured by Team Rocket but was rescued by Ash and the other Pokémon. They then combined their attacks to send Team Rocket blasting off. Afterwards, they met up with Brandon again, and he agreed to have a four-on-four rematch with Pikachu and the other Pokémon at the [[Battle Pyramid]].

[[File:Ash Pikachu contest.png|thumb|220px|Pikachu performing in a Pokémon Contest]]

In ''[[AG191|Once More With Reeling]]'', Ash used Pikachu in the [[Appeal|Performance Stage]] of the [[Terracotta Town]] [[Pokémon Contest]], an informal event not sanctioned by the [[Pokémon Activities Committee]]. He used Quick Attack and Thunderbolt at the same time to create electrical rings, then used Iron Tail to combine them and trigger a firework-like effect. This performance allowed Ash to proceed to the [[Contest Battle|Battle Stage]].

=====Unova=====

[[File:Ash Pikachu No Electric Powers.png|thumb|250px|left|Pikachu being incapable of using his Electric-type moves]]

In ''[[BW005|Triple Leaders, Team Threats!]]'', Ash used Pikachu in his second battle at the [[Striaton Gym]]. He faced [[Cress]] and his {{TP|Cress|Panpour}}, and despite having the type advantage, Pikachu was overwhelmed by their water-based strategies and eventually defeated without launching a single hit.

In ''[[BW013|Minccino—Neat and Tidy!]]'', Pikachu was used in a battle against {{an|Bianca}} and her {{TP|Bianca|Pignite}}. Eventually, Pikachu's Volt Tackle and Pignite's {{m|Flame Charge}} collided, knocking both Pokémon back. Ultimately, only Pikachu remained standing, giving Ash the win.

In ''[[XY098|Dream a Little Dream from Me!]]'', after the group viewed the [[Litleonids|Litleonid meteor shower]], Pikachu was pulled into [[Squishy]]'s dream by a {{p|Darkrai}}. In the dream, the group's Pokémon were either in their evolved or pre-evolved forms and could speak human language, while humans spoke like Pokémon. Freaked out by this, Pikachu fled and ran into Meowth, who had also been pulled into the dream. Pikachu and Meowth then encountered a talking Squishy. Suddenly, a flaming ghost appeared and attacked them. They managed to escape, after which Squishy revealed a glimpse of its true strength to Pikachu and Meowth, motivating them to help Squishy get to its home so it could gain this strength. On their way, they were attacked by the flaming ghost again and Pikachu decided to battle it. Pikachu's attacks, however, couldn't land, but he was soon aided by the group's Pokémon, and together, they managed to defeat the creature. In the end, Pikachu, Meowth, and Squishy were awakened by Clemont's invention.

[[File:Ash Pikachu Miette Slurpuff.png|thumb|250px|Pikachu dancing with Slurpuff]]

In ''[[XY106|A Meeting of Two Journeys!]]'', Pikachu was Ash's second Pokémon in another three-round battle against Sawyer, where he faced and defeated {{p|Honedge}}.

In ''[[SM142|A Full Battle Bounty!]]'', Ash chose to use Pikachu to battle Professor Kukui's {{p|Empoleon}} during Ash's {{wp|exhibition game|exhibition match}} against him. While the two Pokémon were equally matched, Pikachu was eventually caught in Empoleon's {{m|Whirlpool}}, causing him to get dizzy. To save Pikachu from being defeated, Ash withdrew him from the battle and sent out Melmetal to replace him.

====''[[Pokémon Journeys: The Series]]''====

At the start of [[JN132|the next episode]], Eternatus appeared above Wyndon Stadium and recharged Ash and Leon's Dynamax Bands, prompting Leon to temporarily recall Charizard and Gigantamax his Cinderace, with Ash doing the same with Pikachu. The two Pokémon's clash of G-Max Moves ended with both of them reverting to normal and Cinderace fainting, leaving Leon with just Charizard. During the subsequent battle between the two partner Pokémon, Pikachu took a severe hit from a {{m|Fire Blast}} and momentarily collapsed, experiencing a vision of all of Ash's Pokémon cheering for him. Backed by the mental support of his friends, Pikachu stood back up and executed one more furious exchange of blows with Charizard. While both Pokémon were completely exhausted following the clash, ultimately, Pikachu was able to stay standing as Charizard fell, ending Leon's winning streak, making Ash the winner of the tournament, and earning him the title of Monarch. Later, Pikachu joined Ash and the rest of his team for the awards ceremony.

[[File:Ash Epilogue.png|thumb|250px|Pikachu resuming his journey with Ash]]

In ''[[JN138|A Fated Face-Off!]]'', Pikachu reunited with Misty and later acted as the referee for the match between her and Ash.

As shown in a handful of episodes, the first being ''[[EP042|Showdown at Dark City]]'', Pikachu has a special fondness for ketchup, but he will eat and enjoy almost any other human or Pokémon food. In ''[[BW116|The Fires Of A Red-Hot Reunion]]'', Pikachu also displayed a fondness for orange juice. In ''[[SM104|That's Some Spicy Island Research!]]'', Pikachu was revealed to have a distaste for [[Poni Island]] radishes. A running joke in the anime also seems to be Pikachu using Thunderbolt at the beginning of each series to accidentally destroy a female companion's bike or unintentionally shock the companion herself. This has happened to {{an|Misty}}, {{an|May}}, {{an|Dawn}}, {{an|Iris}}, and {{an|Bonnie}}.

Pikachu, like his Trainer, is always happy to battle. He often tries his very best, but when he loses, he doesn't complain or feel bad about himself, especially when Ash reassures him. Ash and Pikachu are almost identical personality-wise, and thus are the perfect match for one another. Most others agree, except for [[Burgundy]], who in ''[[BW019|A Connoisseur's Revenge!]]'' said that Ash had a terrible relationship with all of his Pokémon, though this is more due to her inexperience in determining such relationships. Though rare, the two can still butt heads at times. When they first met, Pikachu would shock Ash with electricity out of vitriol. While being zapped by Pikachu still happens regularly for poor Ash, it's usually when he angers his buddy (such as when Ash rubs and pulls Pikachu's cheeks), or by accident (when Ash grabs Pikachu's tail by mistake).

The possibility of evolving into Raichu was first raised and discussed in the episode ''[[EP014|Electric Shock Showdown]]''. After suffering a crushing defeat by [[Lt. Surge's Raichu]], Nurse Joy presented Ash with a Thunder Stone. Ash allowed Pikachu to decide, but he refused, having decided to become stronger as he is, and defeated Raichu by using superior speed. In the Sinnoh region, Pikachu [[DP074|battled]] another Raichu belonging to a trainer named [[Sho]]. The two were not only even matches in power but, unlike before, also in speed; ultimately Raichu used {{m|Hyper Beam}} to secure victory, a move Pikachu could not learn. At a Pokémon Center, Ash revealed that he kept the Thunder Stone he acquired in Vermilion City in case Pikachu changed his mind about evolving. Once again, Pikachu chose not to evolve and defeated Sho's Raichu in a rematch with a combination of speed, power, and spinning techniques learned from {{an|Dawn}}. During this event, {{TRT}} stole the Thunder Stone, as they also wanted Pikachu to stay as he is.

However, at times, Pikachu has lived up to his species' frail and brittle strengths, particularly in Gym battles, where he was defeated with relative ease by his opponent; for example, he was overpowered very easily by Lt. Surge's Raichu, [[Sabrina's Kadabra]], [[Blaine's Magmar]], [[Bugsy]]'s {{p|Scyther}}, [[Whitney's Miltank]], [[Chuck]]'s {{p|Poliwrath}}, [[Roark's Rampardos]], [[Fantina's Drifblim]], [[Cress]]'s {{p|Panpour}}, and [[Viola]]'s {{p|Surskit}}, despite having type advantages against Scyther, Poliwrath, Drifblim, Panpour, and Surskit. He also drew against [[Winona]]'s {{p|Pelipper}} and [[Norman]]'s {{p|Vigoroth}}, and struggled against [[Crasher Wake]]'s {{p|Floatzel}}. Furthermore, he has lost twice to [[Trip's Serperior]], as a Snivy in ''[[BW001|In the Shadow of Zekrom!]]'' and a Servine in ''[[BW010|A Rival Battle for Club Champ!]]'', despite Trip being a starting Trainer and recently having obtained Serperior. In addition, Pikachu tends to noticeably struggle when an opponent hinders his mobility in some fashion, such as when the aforementioned Panpour stopped Volt Tackle with a {{m|Mud Sport}} that covered the battlefield, when [[Burgh]]'s {{p|Leavanny}} impared his speed and accuracy by immobilizing his tail with {{m|String Shot}}, when the icy battlefield of Viola's Surskit threw him off balance in the first battle, or when [[Wulfric]]'s {{p|Bergmite}} prevented him from using Quick Attack by numbing his legs with {{m|Icy Wind}}.

Pikachu is also the only one of Ash's Pokémon to accompany him to the [[Hoenn]], [[Unova]], [[Kalos]], and [[Alola]] regions, and was intended to be the only Pokémon to accompany him to [[Sinnoh]] before {{AP|Aipom}} was discovered to have stowed away on the ship Ash was taking. Up until the capture of [[Dawn's Pachirisu]], Pikachu was the only {{type|Electric}} Pokémon in the anime owned by a main character.

Even with his high level of electrical power, Pikachu has not stopped learning new attacks. Upon learning that [[Roxanne]], the Rustboro Gym Leader used Rock types, Ash had Pikachu begin learning Iron Tail in ''[[AG013|All Things Bright and Beautifly!]]''. After training hard, Pikachu finally perfected it in ''[[AG016|The Winner by a Nosepass]]'', where he used it to defeat Roxanne's {{p|Nosepass}} and earn Ash his first Hoenn Badge. In addition to giving Pikachu an advantage over Rock types, Iron Tail has allowed Pikachu to defeat many other powerful opponents. In ''[[AG150|May's Egg-Cellent Adventure]]'', during a battle with Team Rocket, Ash ordered Pikachu to do a Quick Attack. Much to the surprise of Ash and his friends, the Quick Attack morphed into an imperfect {{m|Volt Tackle}} which sent Team Rocket blasting off. Upon mastering the move in ''[[AG155|The Green Guardian]]'', it became one of Pikachu's most distinctive techniques, to the point of garnering [[Paul]]'s interest, up until ''[[BW020|Dancing With the Ducklett Trio!]]'', where Pikachu replaced it with Electro Ball. In ''[[SM076|A Battle Hand-Off!]]'', Pikachu learned {{m|Electroweb}} in place of Electro Ball, allowing him to not only trap opponents, but also use the move as a springboard to increase his mobility or as a shield to protect himself from damage. In addition to his repertoire of moves, Pikachu has used his Ability, {{a|Static}}, a few times in the anime, has an affinity for [[Z-Move]]s, and is capable of [[Gigantamax]]ing.

====Pikachu's imitations====

Pikachu has demonstrated a great talent for mimicking Pokémon, altering the look of his physical features to match another Pokémon's appearance. He will occasionally use this talent to specify what Pokémon or person he is talking about. These imitation skills were notably put to use during the [[Pokémon Dress-Up Contest]], where Pikachu was able to thrill the audience without the need for a costume or make-up.

File:Pikachu imitating Brock.png|{{an|Brock}} imitation from ''[[Snow Way Out!]]''

File:Pikachu imitating Squirtle.png|{{AP|Squirtle}} imitation from ''[[PK03|Kanga Games]]''

File:Pikachu imitating Bulbasaur.png|{{AP|Bulbasaur}} imitation from ''[[EP051|Bulbasaur's Mysterious Garden]]''

File:Pikachu as Ash.png|{{Ash}} imitation from ''[[EP110|The Stun Spore Detour]]''

File:Pikachu imitating Psyduck.png|{{TP|Misty|Psyduck}} imitation from ''[[PK06|Stantler's Little Helpers]]''

File:Pikachu imitating Lickitung.png|{{TP|Jessie|Lickitung}} imitation from ''[[PK06|Stantler's Little Helpers]]''

File:Pikachu imitating Charizard.png|{{AP|Charizard}} imitation from ''[[EP132|For Crying Out Loud]]''

File:Pikachu imitating Noctowl.png|{{AP|Noctowl}} imitation from ''[[EP203|The Screen Actor's Guilt]]''

! style="background:#{{electric color light}}; {{roundytr|5px}}" | As a Gigantamax Pikachu

|- style="background:#fff"

|}

| colspan="3" style="text-align:left" |'''Description:''' "Rocket Punch" was a move that Pikachu used while "boxing" {{OBP|Anthony|EP029}}'s {{p|Hitmonchan}} in ''[[EP029|The Punchy Pokémon]]''. Pikachu glowed red and shot off his boxing gloves, leaving behind a trail of smoke. Once the smoke disappears, Pikachu still has his boxing gloves on and flies towards Hitmonchan at high speed.

|- style="background:#FFF"

| ''[[EP117|Don't Touch That 'dile]]''

| {{m|Flamethrower}}, {{m|Razor Leaf}}, {{m|Water Gun}}, and {{m|Thunderbolt}}

| [[Misty's Politoed]] and [[Brock's Forretress]]

|- style="background:#FFF"

|- style="background:#FFF"

| rowspan="2" |[[File:Electric Solar Beam.png|150px]]

| [[Ash's Goodra]]

|- style="background:#FFF"

|- style="background:#FFF"

| rowspan="2" | [[File:Electric Flamethrower.png|150px]]

| ''[[JN136|This Could be the Start of Something Big!]]''

| {{m|Thunderbolt}}, {{m|Aura Sphere}}, {{m|Pyro Ball}}, {{m|Mud Shot}}, and {{m|Wood Hammer}}

|- style="background:#FFF"

|}

| style="{{roundy|20px}} border:2px solid #{{electric color dark}}; background:#{{electric color light}}" | [[File:JN001 illustration.png|x200px]]

|-

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===Core series===

{{main|Red's Pikachu (game)}}

====Event distributions====

|pokemon=Pikachu

|nick=ピカチュウ

|form=World Cap

|level=80

A [[Ash's Pikachu (M20)|seventh Cap Pikachu]], wearing the hat Ash wears in [[M20|the twentieth movie]], debuted in [[Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon]]. In Japan, it was distributed via [[QR Code]] on a special [[Pokémon Ga-Olé]] disc. In the Americas, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, it was distributed via a QR Code that was given to those who attended screenings of the 20th movie.

{| class="roundy" style="margin:auto; text-align:center; background:#FFF" width="250px"

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[[File:Ash party Masters.png|thumb|180px|Pikachu in [[Pokémon Masters EX]]]]

{{main|Ash (Masters)#Pikachu|Ash (Masters) → Pikachu}}

{{PairDex/h|Electric}}

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====[[Sega Pico]] games====

Pikachu appears in [[Pokémon: Catch the Numbers!]], [[Pokémon Advanced Generation: I've Begun Hiragana and Katakana!]], and [[Pokémon Advanced Generation: Pico for Everyone Pokémon Loud Battle!]].

{{-}}

[[File:Ash Pikachu JNM.png|thumb|200px|Pikachu in Pokémon Journeys: The Series]]

===Pokémon Journeys: The Series===

Ash's Pikachu appears as a main character in {{ma|Pokémon Journeys: The Series}}, playing the same role as he does in the anime.

{{anmov/f|Electric}}

==In the TCG==

{{cardlist/header|Ash's Pikachu|Lightning|char=yes}}

{{cardlist/entry|cardname=[[Pichu and Pikachu (CoroCoro promo)]]||type=Lightning|jpset=Unnumbered Promotional cards}}

{{cardlist/entry|cardname=[[Pikachu M LV.X (DPt-P Promo 43)|Pikachu]] {{SP|M}} [[Pikachu M LV.X (DPt-P Promo 43)|LV.X]]|type=Lightning|jpset=DPt-P Promotional cards|jpnum=043/DPt-P}}

{{cardlist/entry|cardname=[[Ash's Pikachu-GX (Ash vs Team Rocket Deck 5)|Ash's Pikachu]] {{GX}} |type=Lightning|jpset=Ash vs Team Rocket Deck Kit|jpnum=005/026}}

{{cardlist/footer|Lightning}}

====Ash vs Team Rocket Deck Kit====

{{main|Ash vs Team Rocket Deck Kit (TCG)}}

'''Product image:'''

* Pikachu was shown at various points in the anime, such as ''[[EP102|The Mystery Menace]]'' and ''[[BW087|Expedition to Onix Island!]]'', to be capable of surfing, a potential reference to the [[Surfing Pikachu]] initially featured in {{game|Yellow}}, which itself was inspired by the anime.

* Pikachu is the first Pokémon in the anime to have defeated its evolved form, as he defeated [[Lt. Surge]]'s {{TP|Lt. Surge|Raichu}} in ''[[EP014|Electric Shock Showdown]]''.

** Pikachu has done so more than any other Pokémon in the anime, having defeated a total of four Legendary Pokémon: the aforementioned Regice, {{si|Tobias}}'s {{p|Latios}} in ''[[DP189|The Semi-Final Frontier!]]'' (though the battle ended in a draw, as Pikachu knocked himself out in the process), [[Gladion's Silvally]] in ''[[SM138|Final Rivals!]]'', and {{DL|Guardian deities (anime)|Tapu Koko}} in ''[[SM144|From Z to Shining Z!]]''.

* Pikachu is the first Pokémon in the anime to have defeated a Mega Evolved Pokémon without Mega Evolving, as he defeated {{an|Korrina}}'s [[Mega Evolution|Mega]] {{TP|Korrina|Lucario}} in ''[[XY044|Showdown at the Shalour Gym!]]''.

<references/>

* {{Animespeciesevo1|Pichu|Pikachu}}

* {{cat|Episodes focusing on Pikachu}}

{{Animecharacters}}<br>

{{Ash and Pikachu characters}}<br>

{{Project Anime notice|no}}

[[Category:Oak's Pokémon|Pikachu]]

[[Category:Ash & Pikachu characters|Pikachu]]

[[Category:Male characters (Pokémon)|Pikachu]]

[[Category:Pokémon with anime move errors]]

[[Category:Pokémon Newspaper Strip characters]]

[[Category:Pokémon GO characters]]

[[de:Ashs Pikachu]]