Raikou (Pokémon)
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Raikou (Japanese: ライコウ Raikou) is an Template:Type2 legendary Pokémon.
It is not known to evolve into or from any other Pokémon.
It is, along with Entei and Suicune, one of the legendary beasts created by Ho-Oh after the burning of the Brass Tower. Of the three legendary beasts, Raikou is said to represent the lightning strike which ignited the burning Brass Tower.
Biology
Physiology
Raikou is a yellow tiger-like creature with black stripes that resemble lightning bolts and a white under-side. Raikou has a skinny, light-blue tail with a star-shaped formation at the end. Raikou appears to have a purple cape that is supposedly made of thunderclouds. Most of Raikou's face is white with a light-blue "X" on its face and a gray crest on its forehead. Raikou has red eyes and long fangs in its upper jaws that make its appearance similar to the sabre-tooth cat.
Gender differences
Raikou is a genderless species.
Special abilities
Raikou has the ability to shoot bolts of lightning from the rain clouds on its back. Raikou can also attack using its fangs and has limited psychic powers. Raikou has also shown an ability to create storm clouds from its cape, allowing it to fly, however this has only been seen in the Pokémon Adventures manga, whilst attacking Falkner.
Behavior
Raikou is normally distrustful of humans due to the fact that humans have tried to capture the Legendary Beast of Thunder for many centuries, though it has shown some friendship with those that just wish to help it. Raikou tends to show up either when there is a thunderstorm or when other Electric-type Pokémon are in danger.
Habitat
As a member of the legendary beast trio, Raikou is constantly on the move and seems to lack any set place where they show up.
Diet
- Main article: Pokémon food
Being an Electric Type Pokémon, Raikou tends to feed on electricity at most Powerplants and Storm clouds.
In the anime
Major appearances
Raikou (Legend of Thunder)
Raikou appeared in the Pokémon Chronicles episode, The Legend of Thunder! where members of Team Rocket hunt down and attempt to catch Raikou.
Other
Raikou will make its first movie appearance alongside Celebi, and the other members of its trio in the thirteenth Pokémon movie, Ruler of Illusions: Zoroark. It is currently unknown what bearing its role will have on the plot.
Minor appearances
Raikou first appeared in Houndoom's Special Delivery. It was spotted by Togepi and a Houndoom before it disappeared.
The Mauville City Gym Leader Wattson owns many Raikou robots which he uses in his Gym.
Raikou made a small cameo at the opening of Arceus and the Jewel of Life.
Raikou also had a minor appearance in Dawn's Piplup's dream in Three Sides to Every Story!.
Pokédex entries
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In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
Raikou was awakened by Yellow along with its two counterparts, and the three raced around Kanto and Johto looking for Trainers to help them defeat the Masked Man to free Ho-Oh and repay the debt of the latter saving its life. Nearing the end of the chapter, Raikou eventually pairs up with Lt. Surge after encountering and escaping Falkner, and later Gold. Once Ho-Oh is freed and Pryce, the true identity of the Masked Man, is defeated, it once again roams the lands of Johto with Suicune and Entei.
Anabel also owns a Raikou in the Battle Frontier saga. It has been confirmed that it is the same Raikou as the one that befriended Gold, having caught it sometime before the Emerald arc in Johto. Raikou is more powerful than any other Electric-type Pokémon in the manga because billowing thunder clouds follow it everywhere carried on its back, allowing it to perform powerful attacks, such as Thunder, more quickly and efficiently than regular Electric Pokémon. Strangely, despite clearly possessing sentient intelligence like its fellow beasts, it obeyed Anabel's commands to battle Emerald without question while she was under psychic control of Guile Hideout. After he is defeated and the Battle Frontier is saved, Raikou is seen interacting with Gold and Crystal, and has not appeared since.
In the TCG
- Main article: Raikou (TCG)
Other appearances
Super Smash Bros. Melee
When released from a Poké Ball, Raikou releases a powerful Spark attack that electrocutes any opponents that get caught in it. Raikou is the only legendary beast that does not return in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Game data
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation II. | ||||||||||||||
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Game locations
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation II. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In side games
Game | Location |
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Pokémon Trozei! | Random Agent Cards Mr. Who's Den |
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Red/Blue Rescue Team |
Lightning Field (30F) |
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time/Darkness |
Concealed Ruins (B20F)* |
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky |
Southeastern Islands (B12F-B24F; appears on random floor after accepting challenge letter) |
Pokémon Ranger | Fiore Temple |
Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs |
Radio Base Talga's House |
In events
Games | Event | Language | Location | Level | Distribution period |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
M13 | 13th Movie Premiere | Japan | 2010 | 30 | Never |
Held items
Game | Held Item(s) | ||
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Events* | Micle Berry (100%) |
Stats
Base stats
Stat | Range | ||
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At Lv. 50 | At Lv. 100 | ||
HP: 90
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150 - 197 | 290 - 384 | |
85
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81 - 150 | 157 - 295 | |
75
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72 - 139 | 139 - 273 | |
115
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108 - 183 | 211 - 361 | |
100
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94 - 167 | 184 - 328 | |
115
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108 - 183 | 211 - 361 | |
Total: 580
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Other Pokémon with this total | ||
Pokéathlon stats
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Type effectiveness
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Learnset
By leveling up
|- style="text-align:center" | style="text-align:left" | electric | style="background:#FAC000" | electric
| style=" background:#FFF" | 4 | style=" background:#FFF" | 2 | style=" background:#FFF" | Raikou | style="display:none; background:#FFF" | {{{6}}} Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Movelist/note
By TM/HM
Template:Movelisttm Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Movelist/note
By tutoring
Template:Tutor Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4
|- style="background:#FCD659"
| colspan="13" | Bold indicates a move that gets STAB
Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only from an evolution of this Pokémon
A colored initial indicates that the move is not available to be tutored in this game,
while a colored background indicates that the move is available.
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By events
Template:Movelistspecial Template:Mlentry4special Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Movelist/note
Special moves
Shadow moves | <span style="color:#{{{2}}};">Level 40+ | Purified moves | ||
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Shadow Rush | File:Box colo 243.png | Rain Dance | Water | |
-- | Leer | Normal | ||
-- | Quick Attack | Normal | ||
-- | Thunder | Electric | ||
Side game data
Pokémon Pinball
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Pokémon Pinball RS
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Pokémon Trozei!
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Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team
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Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness, and Explorers of Sky
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Pokémon Ranger
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Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs
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Evolution
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Sprites
Gen | Game | ||||||
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I | Red | Blue | Yellow | Red (Ja) | Green | Back | |
This Pokémon did not appear during Generation I. | |||||||
II | Gold | Silver | Crystal | Back | |||
III | Ruby | Sapphire | Emerald | FireRed | LeafGreen | Back | |
IV | Diamond | Pearl | Platinum | HeartGold | SoulSilver | Back | |
V | Black | White | Black 2 | White 2 | Back | ||
Trivia
- Raikou is the only Pokémon in the anime whose image on the anime Pokédex was of stylized art rather than Ken Sugimori's official artwork for it.
- In the 4Kids dub of the anime, Raikou's name is frequently mispronounced as rai-kuu, rather than rai-ko.
- Raikou is also the only legendary Pokémon that Ash hasn't encountered in the anime.
- However, he did see three mecha-Raikou inside Mauville Gym.
- Raikou is the only member of its trio not to be weak to another member of its trio. Entei is weak against Suicune and Suicune is weak against Raikou, but Raikou is not weak to either of them.
- In Pokémon Gold and Silver's sprite, Raikou did not have his "mask" on, but after Gold and Silver, this was corrected.
Origin
Raikou is based on the 雷獣 raijū, a thunder demon of Japanese lore. In regards to physical build, it most closely represents Smilodon fatalis, a well-known but extinct species of wildcat often referred to as a saber-toothed tiger. Its color and pattern scheme seems to resemble a Tiger's or a Thylacine's. Raikou is particularly based on the Thunder and Lightning gods of most cultures surrounding the world. The flowing purple mane on its back is likely meant to invoke the image of a cumulonimbus cloud, the cloud type most often associated with thunderstorms.
Name origin
The name in Japanese could be taken to mean 雷光, raikou, lightning. It could also be a combination of 雷 rai, thunder and 皇 kō, emperor. Its name may also come from 雷公 raikō ("thunder duke"), identical to the name of the Taoist deity Lei Gong.
In other languages
- German: Raikou
- French: Raikou
- Korean: 라이코 Raiko
- Chinese (Taiwan and Hong Kong): 雷公 Léi Gōng - From its Japanese name. Literally "Thunder duke". Shares its name with the ancient Chinese god of thunder, Lei Gong.
Related articles
External links
Notes
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This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon as a species. |