Chikorita is a small, pale green Pokémon with a darker necklace of buds. It has a large head in proportion to the rest of its body with large red eyes that appear to have no pupils. It has four short legs with a single nailed toe on each and a small tail. Its most distinguishing feature is the large leaf on the top of its head, which is usually longer than the rest of its body. Aside from the soothing aroma that wafts from its leaf, Chikorita uses its leaf to determine the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air.
Chikorita can be found in grasslands throughout the Johto region. However, due to its status as a starter Pokémon, a wild Chikorita is hard to come by and it is generally found under the ownership of Trainers. Chikorita tends to be docile in nature due to its domestication from birth.
Ash captured a Chikorita in The Chikorita Rescue. It had such high affections for Ash that sometimes came to a few faults, such as refusing to be switched out for Pikachu. Ash's Chikorita evolved in Current Events.
Silver also owns a Chikorita, as seen in The Search for the Legend. It behaves much in the same way to him as Pikachu does to Ash, including traveling on his shoulder.
In Pokémon Adventures, Chikorita is the last of the three starter Pokémon to get a Trainer (in a similar fashion to Treecko never getting his rightful Trainer until Emerald steals him as a Sceptile, much later than the other two starters had) he debuted in Murkrow Row. He escapes from Professor Elm and follows Crystal until she decides to accept him to her team, where hehad to pass a test. Crystal's Chikorita wears a star pendant, formerly owned by Smoochum, who accepted Chikorita when her Trainer did. He later evolves into a Bayleef to protect Crys from a Larvitar, then into Meganium during a fight with Lugia along with the other two Johto starters. Crys nicknamed him Megaree*/Mega*.
Black owned Bayleef as a Chikorita. It was his starter Pokémon when he began his journey in Johto. However, he stole the Chikorita from Professor Elm's lab instead of having Elm give it to him. It evolved into a Bayleef prior to meeting up with Gold again. During an encounter with Lapras, Black released the Bayleef after it failed to defeat Lapras and Gold took Bayleef in.
In the Pocket Monsters HeartGold & SoulSilver Go! Go! Pokéathlon manga
Takashi owns a Chikorita in Pocket Monsters HeartGold & SoulSilver Go! Go! Pokéathlon.
In the Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure manga
Tsubaki owns a Chikorita in Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure. It had a battled with Jō's Totodile and lost. Chikorita evolved into a Bayleef and then Meganium when Tsubaki met up with Jō in Team Rocket's headquarters in Mahogany Town.
When released from a Poké Ball, Chikorita unleashes a Razor Leaf that hits any opponent in its path.
Chikorita is also a Pokéfloat. It is one of the smallest and floats around Psyduck.
Trophy information
"Chikorita was one of the first three Pokémon available in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. A Grass-type Pokémon, it emits a delightful fragrance from the leaves on its head and loves to spend its time leisurely sunbathing. When called into battle, it uses its Razor Leaf move to strike at opponents' weak points."
Chikorita returns to do the same as it did in Melee, unleashing Razor Leaf on release from a Poké Ball. It swings its leaf around violently until the green blades fly directly in front of it for a few seconds.
Trophy information
"A Leaf Pokémon. It loves sunbathing and can use the leaf on its head to check the temperature and humidity around it. Chikorita releases a sweet aroma from its leaf to becalm opponents into a slumber. It can also learn moves to help recover all Pokémon allies. Chikorita evolves into Bayleef by leveling up."
In battle, Chikorita waves its leaf around to keep the foe at bay. However, a sweet fragrance also wafts from the leaf, becalming the battling Pokémon and creating a cozy, friendly atmosphere all around.
It waves its leaf around to keep foes at bay. However, a sweet fragrance also wafts from the leaf, creating a friendly atmosphere that becalms the battlers.
In battle, Chikorita waves its leaf around to keep the foe at bay. However, a sweet fragrance also wafts from the leaf, becalming the battling Pokémon and creating a cozy, friendly atmosphere all around.
Chikorita with its original yellow body on Nintendo's flyer for Gold and Silver from September 1999
The Chikorita family is the only evolution family of a starter Pokémon to not have their names changed for the English release.
In the anime, Chikorita has had the most Trainers of the Johto starter Pokémon. It has been trained by Ash, Casey, Vincent, Silver, and Lyra. However, Ash is the only one who is confirmed to not have received Chikorita as a starter Pokémon.
Chikorita is the only starter Pokémon that cannot be used in the Pokémon Jump minigame.
In both early artwork and the in-game sprites of Pokémon Gold and Silver, Chikorita's body is yellow. This was later changed to light green in later artwork and the Pokémon Crystal sprites.
The green Pokémon mini was modeled after Chikorita.
A prototype of Chikorita called Happa resembles a Chikorita without legs.
Origin
Chikorita has similarities to sauropods. Its shape and appearance also alludes to that of a pear, or a Belgian endive, a type of chicory.
Name origin
Chikorita is a combination of chicory (a flowering plant) and ita (the feminine form of the Spanish suffix for something small or young).