Ash's Pikachu: Difference between revisions

In ''[[EP103|Misty Meets Her Match]]'', Pikachu participated in the first part of Ash's battle with [[Rudy]], using his Thunderbolt to blast targets. He then faced off against Rudy's {{p|Electabuzz}}, which kept shrugging off Pikachu's attacks. He was eventually defeated by a powerful {{m|Thunder Punch}}.

In [[EP104|the following episode]], Team Rocket had a plan to capture Pikachu that involved tying him up with Meowth. This succeeded at first, but Meowth and Pikachu got separated from Jessie and [[James]]. Being lost on the island, the two Pokémon had to work together to defeat powerful Pokémon and get to safety. In the end, Ash, Misty and {{Tracey}} managed to find the duo first and separated them from each other.

In [[XY006|the next episode]], they were finally able to withstand Noivern's Gust. Later, using one of Clemont's inventions, they practiced avoiding Surskit's {{m|Sticky Web}}. After it broke, they used Froakie and its Frubbles instead to practice. The next day, Pikachu was Ash's first Pokémon for his rematch against Viola, where he again went up against her Surskit and finally defeated it. Ash recalled Pikachu and substituted him for Fletchling. He was later called out again to battle Vivillon, who had beaten Fletchling. During the battle, Pikachu was nearly put to sleep by Vivillon's {{m|Sleep Powder}}, but Ash had Pikachu use Electro Ball on himself to keep himself awake. Then, Pikachu defeated the Scale Pokémon, earning Ash the {{badge|Bug}}.

In ''[[XY019|A Conspiracy to Conquer!]]'', after overhearing one of Team Rocket's conversations, [[Officer Jenny|Madame X]] and her {{an|Malamar}} captured Pikachu. After Clemont attempted to use his "Automatic Pikachu Retrieving Device" to find Pikachu, it was revealed that Malamar had hypnotized Pikachu, making him one of Madame X's subordinates. While searching for Pikachu, Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena were also hypnotized by Malamar. Once Ash and Meowth finally found Pikachu, Team Rocket, and Madame X, Madame X forced Pikachu to attack Ash. Ash got through to Pikachu, who started fighting Malamar's control. Afterwards, the Automatic Pikachu Retrieving Device burst in and rammed into Malamar, causing it to lose its control over everyone. After Malamar revealed its plans through Meowth, Pikachu attempted to attack it, but Malamar managed to escape.

In [[SM002|the next episode]], Ash's classmates held a surprise welcome party for him, where he and Pikachu participated in several challenges. During their lunch break, Tapu Koko appeared again and stole Ash's hat, prompting Ash and his classmates to follow it. Arriving in a forest, Tapu Koko challenged Ash to a battle, which he accepted. Tapu Koko eventually tapped Ash's Z-Ring, activating it and allowing Pikachu to perform {{m|Gigavolt Havoc}}, which destroyed a large part of the area but also caused Ash's Electrium Z to shatter. Afterwards, Tapu Koko flew off again.

In ''[[SM009|To Top a Totem!]]'', Pikachu was used in Ash's first [[island challenge]] trial in [[Verdant Cavern]]. Alongside {{AP|Rowlet}}, he first fought a Yungoos and {{p|Gumshoos}}. Afterwards, they faced a {{pkmn2|Totem}} Gumshoos. Despite its extreme strength, Pikachu outwitted Gumshoos with pure strategy and finished it off with Thunderbolt. This win earned Ash a [[Normalium Z]].

[[SM101|Later]], at Dia's base, Pikachu and Ash trained and convinced Dia and Zeraora to join them. Pikachu and Zeraora engaged in another battle, which attracted the attention of Guzzlord. After the {{an|Ultra Beasts|Ultra Beast}}'s arrival, the group lured it to the [[Ultra Wormhole]] that it emerged from in the past. After trapping Guzzlord with Electroweb, Pikachu and Zeraora attacked the immobilized Ultra Beast in an attempt to send it back through the Ultra Wormhole but failed. However, after the Shiny Tapu Koko intervened, Ash and Dia were able to activate their Z-Rings and have Pikachu and Zeraora perform a double Gigavolt Havoc to successfully push Guzzlord into the wormhole. Afterwards, Pikachu and Zeraora had one more battle to create another dimensional rift, which took Pikachu and Ash back home.

In ''[[SM109|A Grand Debut!]]'', Ash used Pikachu in his [[Poni Island]] grand trial against [[Hapu]], where he went up against her {{p|Mudsdale}}. Despite the type disadvantage and Mudsdale's {{a|Stamina}} Ability, Pikachu was able to overcome the obstacles when Musdale was splashed with seawater, allowing Pikachu to knock the Draft Horse Pokémon out with Gigavolt Havoc. Afterwards, Hapu offered Ash a choice of type-specific Z-Crystals; Pikachu opted for a [[Steelium Z]], which Hapu awarded to Ash for his victory.

{{bulbanews|Personality & Development: Ash's Pikachu}}

After Ash gained Pikachu's loyalty in ''[[EP001|Pokémon - I Choose You!]]'', Pikachu became extremely loyal to Ash and has maintained this loyalty, and while he is not always immediately trusting of strangers, he is generally friendly to humans and Pokémon alike. He acted as a guardian and big brother to [[Misty's Togepi]], and has been seen meditating and even breaking up fights among other Pokémon, such as in ''[[PK01|Pikachu's Vacation]]''. In ''[[M01|Mewtwo Strikes Back]]'', Pikachu, {{MTR}}, and Meowth's clone were the only Pokémon not to participate in the giant battle; Pikachu stood motionless as his [[Pikachutwo|clone]] repeatedly slapped his face. Contrary to his distrusting nature, Pikachu took a liking to Misty very early in the series, and he has retained this liking of Misty throughout the series, such as when he was very happy to see her in ''[[AG132|The Scheme Team]]'' and ''[[SM042|Alola, Kanto!]]''.

During the Hoenn saga, Pikachu [[AG089|temporarily developed amnesia]] and sided with {{TRT}} for a while. On several occasions, Pikachu has developed an "electric flu" causing him to become overcharged and extremely powerful. During these instances, Pikachu will sometimes accidentally let off electric outbursts which can be set off on anyone, including Ash. In all of these cases, Pikachu did not mean harm upon anyone.

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 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 it smacked the stone away with his tail, choosing to become stronger as it is, and defeated Raichu using its superior speed. In the Sinnoh region, Pikachu [[DP074|battled]] a Raichu belonging to a trainer named [[Sho]]. The two were evenly matched until 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 and spinning techniques learned from {{an|Dawn}}. In the interim, {{TRT}} stole the Thunder Stone, as they also liked Pikachu to stay as he is. After those events, Ash respects Pikachu's wishes to stay the way he is, shown in ''[[BW069|Climbing the Tower of Success!]]'' when he prevented his evolution when a Thunder Stone that was accidentally thrown to him during a contest they were entering. When Bonnie and Ash's classmates ask if he was gonna evolve, shown in ''[[XY031|The Cave of Trials!]]'' and ''[[SM065|Turning Heads and Training Hard!]]'', Ash simply answer them that Pikachu doesn't really want to evolve and they made their choice.

However, at times, {{p|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 a type advantage with 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 struggle when his mobility is hindered, such as when the aforementioned Panpour weakened Volt Tackle with {{m|Mud Sport}}, when the icy battlefield of Viola's Surskit threw him off balance in the first battle, or when his legs were numbed by [[Wulfric]]'s {{p|Bergmite}} and its {{m|Icy Wind}}, preventing him from using Quick Attack.

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. Pikachu has formed many strong friendships with members from his team and the Pokémon that belong to his Trainers friends, although Ash will always be his number one best friend.