Raikou (Pokémon)

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Pokémon
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Raikou
ライコウ Raikou
#243
243Raikou.png
Artwork from Crystal
Type
Electric '
Category
Thunder Pokémon
Ability
Pressure
Exp. at Lv. 100
1,250,000
Regional Pokédex numbers
Johto
#238
Hoenn
#378
Regional Browser numbers
Height
0'0"
Imperial
0.0 m
Metric
Weight
0.0 lbs.
Imperial
0.0 kg
Metric
Dex color
Unknown
Catch rate
3 (0.4%)
Body style
BodyUnknown.png BodyUnknown.png
Blue-Striped
Footprint
 F243.png   F487O.png
Blue-Striped
Gender ratio
Gender unknown
Breeding
No eggs group 1 cycles
(255 minimum steps)
EV yield
HP
0
Atk
0
Def
0
Sp.Atk
0
Sp.Def
0
Speed
0
Base Exp.: 216 Battle Exp.: 2161*
{{Links/{{{generation}}}|pokefordex=raikou|ndex=243|name=Raikou }}

Raikou (Japanese: ライコウ Raikou, German, French: Raikou, Korean: 라이코 Raiko) is a Legendary Electric-type Pokémon. First appearing in the Generation II Games, it is--along with Entei and Suicune--one of the Legendary Beasts created by Ho-oh after the burning of Ecruteak Tower.

Raikou comes with the Ability Pressure, which causes the foe to use two PP instead of one each time it uses a move.

Raikou does not evolve, and no Pokémon evolves into it.

Pokédex entries

Pokémon Gold
The rain clouds it carries let it fire thunderbolts at will. They say that it desended with lightning.
Pokémon Silver
A Pokémon that races across the land while barking a cry that sounds like crashing thunder.
Pokémon Crystal
This rough Pokémon stores energy in its body, then sweeps across the land, shooting off electricity.
Pokémon Emerald
Raikou embodies the speed of lightning. Its roars send shock waves shuddering through the air and ground as if lightning bolts were crashing down.

Nsider's Pokemon Forum Group called The Legendary Researchers believe though man made towers for Ho-oh and Lugia, one was destroyed accidentally by the uncontrolled powers of Lugia, and they fled, and Lugia descended to the darkness of the Whirl Islands. So it was that when humans returned to the site and looked for Ho-oh and Lugia, they did not return, and the humans were greatly saddened. So they made sacred this site, and eventually Ho-oh returned, searching for noble humans to create peace between man and Pokemon. Under the burned tower were discovered three beasts, the reincarnations of the thunder, the volcano, the north winds, symbols of the destructive forces of nature. Ho-oh had saved these beasts from the destruction, and given them elemental powers greater than they had ever known so that they could help Ho-oh in maintaining peace between humans and Pokemon, and now they leapt forth to roam the earth.

And it is said that whenever a volcano emerges from the ground, a thundercloud gathers, or a cold wind blows out of the north, another of these beasts is born, but these cannot match the power and grandeur of the first three beasts, who sleep under the burned tower and awake only when Ho-oh needs their help.

Evidence from Episode: For Ho-oh the Bells Toll and Pokedex descriptions. Also based off facts.

Name origin

Raikou's appearance resembles the ancient creature known as the sabretooth tiger. The name in Japanese could be taken to mean 雷光, lightning. This Pokémon is also based on a demon of Japanese lore, the 雷獣 raijū.

Base stats

Stat Range
At Lv. 50 At Lv. 100
90
150 - 197 290 - 384
85
81 - 150 157 - 295
75
72 - 139 139 - 273
115
108 - 183 211 - 361
100
94 - 167 184 - 328
115
108 - 183 211 - 361
Total:
580
Other Pokémon with this total
  • Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and (if applicable) a hindering nature.
  • Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and (if applicable) a helpful nature.


Type effectiveness

Under normal battle conditions in Generation V, this Pokémon is:
Damaged
normally by:
Normal
Fighting
Flying ½×
Poison
Ground
Rock
Bug
Ghost
Steel ½×
Fire ×
Water ×
Grass ×
Electric ×
Psychic ×
Ice ×
Dragon ×
Dark ×
None
Weak to:
Normal
Fighting
Flying ½×
Poison
Ground
Rock
Bug
Ghost
Steel ½×
Fire ×
Water ×
Grass ×
Electric ×
Psychic ×
Ice ×
Dragon ×
Dark ×
None
Immune to:
Normal
Fighting
Flying ½×
Poison
Ground
Rock
Bug
Ghost
Steel ½×
Fire ×
Water ×
Grass ×
Electric ×
Psychic ×
Ice ×
Dragon ×
Dark ×
None
Resistant to:
Normal
Fighting
Flying ½×
Poison
Ground
Rock
Bug
Ghost
Steel ½×
Fire ×
Water ×
Grass ×
Electric ×
Psychic ×
Ice ×
Dragon ×
Dark ×
None

In the anime

Raikou first appeared in the three-part Pokémon Chronicles episode.

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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.