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Artwork from HG/SS
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Height
6'03" Imperial
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1.9 m Metric
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6'03"/1.9 m Red-Striped
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0'0"/0.0 m Blue-Striped
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0'0"/0.0 m
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Weight
392.4 lbs. Imperial
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178.0 kg Metric
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392.4 lbs./178.0 kg Red-Striped
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0.0 lbs./0.0 kg Blue-Striped
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0.0 lbs./0.0 kg
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EV yield
HP 0
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Atk 0
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Def 0
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Sp.Atk 1
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Sp.Def 0
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Speed 2
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Base Exp.: 216
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Battle Exp.: 2161*
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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.
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 animeIn the manga
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 TCGOther appearancesGame dataTrivia
- 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.
- 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 versions, Raikou is incorrectly depicted with short fangs and no cross as well as an orange cloud. This was fixed in Pokémon Crystal version.
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 (and incorrectly) referred to as a "saber-toothed tiger". 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 languagesRelated articlesExternal linksNotes