Pichu is a small, ground-dwelling rodent Pokémon with pale yellow fur. Its eartips, collar, and tail are black and angular. Pichu's pink cheek pouches can store small amounts of electricity, and its tiny nose looks like a dot. Pichu is classified as a quadruped, but it can walk easily on its hind legs.
Pichu is a social Pokémon known for its playful and mischievous demeanor. It is usually found in groups and often touch tails with other Pichu as a show of courage, creating a shower of sparks that can make them cry. It is inept at storing electricity, and may discharge if amused, startled, or subjected to shock. However, it cannot discharge without being shocked itself. Charging up is more easily done on days of dryness or with thunderclouds. The crackling of static electricity generated by Pichu is audible. It can zap an adult human, but will surprise itself if it does. Pichu primarily lives in the forest, though it has also been depicted to thrive in urban areas.
Pichu has an alternate form called Spiky-eared Pichu that appeared in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, as well as the anime and the manga. This form is female-only and has three spikes on the tip of its ear, but otherwise looks the same as any other Pichu.
Major appearances
The Pichu Brothers are a pair of Pichu who have appeared several times in the anime, including in Pikachu & Pichu, Camp Pikachu, several episodes of Pokémon Chronicles, and Pichu Bros. in Party Panic. Their design is similar to that of Ash's Pikachu and Sparky, in that one has a scruff of fur while the other does not.
A Pichu with a spiked ear, known as Spiky-eared Pichu, appeared in Arceus and the Jewel of Life. She helped Pikachu and Piplup find the keys for the jail cell that held Ash, Dawn, Brock, and Damos. The Spiky-eared Pichu made a few further appearances during the Diamond & Pearl series.
Ukulele Pichu appeared in the Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs anime special, and was captured by Ben in the concluding part.
Ash's Pikachu appeared as a Pichu in flashback of his past in SS001.
Other
Multiple Pichu made its main series debut in The Apple Corp, where they were stealing apples from Charmaine's apple orchard. In the end, Charmaine decided to keep all of them so they could help around the orchard.
A Pichu appeared in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate!. Pichu's big brother Pikachu was lost and he was so worried, the Baby Electric Mouse went out to find him. Pichu came across Team Meanies, but they played a horrible trick on Pichu when asked to join them. Pichu found Team Go-Getters, who gladly let him come along with them. Pichu was eventually kidnapped by the Skarmory that had kidnapped Pikachu.
Two Pichu appeared in Pikachu's Island Adventure, where they, along with six Wynaut and a Buizel, were forced off their island by Meowth and his cronies, who claimed the island for themselves. As a result, Pikachu and his friends agreed to help them reclaim the island.
A Pichu appeared in Pika and Goliath!, under the ownership of Sho, who sought to have possession of one Pokémon each from the Pikachu evolutionary line. Arrogant like its Trainer, it would watch both of Sho's battles with Ash while using a Raichu.
A Pichu appeared in The Brockster Is In! with several other baby Pokémon. It was badly poisoned by a Tentacruel, but was healed by a Softboiled from Brock's Chansey.
A Pichu appeared in A Jolting Switcheroo!, under the ownership of Lena, although it was cared for by Lyn. Lyn's bag was accidentally taken by Bonnie, who had a similar bag with her Dedenne inside; they eventually got their bags and Pokémon back.
Minor appearances
A Pichu appeared on a girl's shoulder briefly in Celebi: The Voice of the Forest. They were seen in a window during Ash's battle at the beginning of the movie.
A Pichu appeared in Lights, Camerupt, Action! as an actor in one of Elijah's movies.
A Pichu appeared in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew as one of Mew's transformations.
A Coordinator's Pichu appeared in May, We Harley Drew'd Ya!, where it was used in the Appeals Round of the Kanto Grand Festival.
Three Pichu appeared in Hungry For the Good Life! as some of the Pokémon being cared for by Mr. Backlot.
A Pichu appeared in Meloetta's Moonlight Serenade as one of the Pokémon watching Meloetta's concert.
Two Pichu appeared in Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin!. They were among the Pokémon residing in a forest.
A Pichu appeared in To Find a Fairy Flower!.
A Pichu appeared in Pikachu and the Pokémon Music Squad.
A Trainer's Pichu appeared in Alola to New Adventure!.
Three Trainers' Pichu appeared in A Shocking Grocery Run!.
Two Pichu appeared in The Sun, the Scare, the Secret Lair!, when Mallow went to study them as part of a class assignment.
A Trainer's Pichu appeared in Crystal-Clear Sleuthing!.
A student's Pichu appeared in A Guardian Rematch!.
A student's Pichu appeared in So Long, Sophocles!.
A Pichu appeared in I Choose You!, where it was playfully chasing a Chikorita.
Three Trainers' Pichu appeared in Balloons, Brionne, and Belligerence!.
A Pichu appeared in a fantasy in Now You See Them, Now You Don't!.
A Trainer's Pichu appeared in Getting a Jump on the Competition!.
A Trainer's Pichu appeared in the banned episode SM064.
Six Trainers' Pichu appeared in A Young Royal Flame Ignites!.
Multiple Trainers' Pichu appeared in The Power of Us.
A Trainer's Pichu appeared in All They Want to Do is Dance Dance!.
A Trainer's Pichu appeared in I Choose Paradise!, where it was among the Pokémon seen at the Pokémon Paradise Resort.
Multiple Pichu appeared in Securing the Future!, with one being wild and the rest under the ownership of different Trainers. They joined the rest of Alola in showering Necrozma with light so it could return to its true form.
A Trainer's Pichu appeared in Turning the Other Mask!.
Two Trainers' Pichu appeared in Heart of Fire! Heart of Stone!.
Two Trainers' Pichu appeared in The Dealer of Destruction!.
A Trainer's Pichu appeared in A High-Speed Awakening!.
Three Trainers' Pichu appeared in League Offenders and Defenders!.
A Trainer's Pichu appeared in The Road to The Semifinals!.
A Trainer's Pichu appeared in The Final Four!, where it was seen near Team Rocket's food truck.
A Trainer's Pichu appeared in Z-Move Showdown!.
Two Trainers' Pichu appeared in Exhibition Unmasked!.
A Trainer's Pichu appeared in SS004.
Pokédex entries
Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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EP179
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Pichu
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Ash's Pokédex
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Pichu, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon. A pre-evolved form of Pikachu. Despite their size, Pichu release bursts of electricity that can shock even humans. However, Pichu are unskilled at controlling their electricity, and sometimes release it by accident when surprised, or when laughing, and shock themselves.
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Episode
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Pokémon
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Source
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Entry
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XY016
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Pichu
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Serena's Pokédex
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Pichu, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon. The electric sacs on Pichu's cheeks are small. If it tries to store more electricity than they can hold, Pichu will shock itself.
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In the Magical Pokémon Journey manga
In Magical Pokémon Journey, it is revealed in The Accidental Treasure that Pikachu and Clefairy had already met as baby Pokémon, Pichu and Cleffa.
Also, in The Miraculous Color of the Sky ~Best Friends~, Sandy and her Raichu are reincarnated as a little girl and a Pichu.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
- Main article: Pibu
- Main article: Spiky-eared Pichu
Pichu made a cameo in Teddiursa's Picnic in a fantasy of Professor Elm's explanation about Pokémon Eggs to Gold.
Gold, in his desperation, protected an Egg containing the offspring of Red's Pika and Yellow's Chuchu from the Masked Man. Soon thereafter, Gold's own talent as the "hatcher" allowed a powerful Pichu to hatch, with which he was able to defeat the villain and free Celebi from the GS Ball using Raikou's massive electrical power. He also returned with his parents to help destroy Guile Hideout's giant Kyogre monster with a Volt Tackle.
Multiple Pichu appeared in Suffering Psyduck.
A Trainer's Pichu appeared in Deprogramming Porygon-Z.
A Pichu appeared in Out-Odding Oddish, under the ownership of a Pokéathlon participant.
In All About Arceus IX, a Spiky-eared Pichu accompanied Pibu on gathering herbs for Celebi to cure Giovanni's disease. After she and Pibu met up with Gold, Gold saw her and teased him about finding a date.
In Pangoro Poses a Problem, multiple Pichu were among the Electric-type Pokémon that charges the Prism Tower during a blackout.
A Trainer's Pichu appeared in The Decision and the Tournament of Six.
A Pichu appeared in The Final Match and a Surprising Finale! under the ownership of Hau. It battled in the Iki Town festival tournament and lost against Gladion's Porygon.
In the Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga
Gold receives an Egg from the Day-Care Couple in A Huge Mysterious Tree!!. It hatches into Pichu in The New Pokémon Is Hatched!!, becoming one of Gold's party members.
In the Pokémon Gotta Catch 'Em All manga
- Main article: Pichu Brothers
The Pichu Brothers appeared in GDZ61.
In the Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition ~ Ranse's Color Picture Scroll ~ manga
Multiple Pichu appeared in The Yellow Scroll: Hanbei vs Kanbei.
In the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga
- Main article: Pichu Brothers
The Pichu Brothers appeared in Pichu and Pichu's Big Fight.
A Pichu appeared in Clefairy's Dream Comes True.
A Pichu appeared in The Exam Showdown!!.