#0025 · Kanto · Generation 1

Pikachu

Mouse Pokémon · Electric-type

Pikachu is a Electric-type Pokémon, the Mouse Pokémon, number 25 (#0025) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 1 and comes from the Kanto region. It is 0.4 m tall and weighs 6 kg.

Pikachu is the Mouse Pokémon, a small yellow Electric type that stores electricity in the red pouches on its cheeks. It is the face of the whole franchise and Ash Ketchum's partner in the anime.

How to pronounce Pikachu

Pikachu is pronounced PEE-kuh-choo. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Pikachu said out loud:

In Japanese it is ピカチュウ.

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Pikachu is a short, round rodent with yellow fur, two brown stripes on its back, black-tipped ears and a lightning-bolt tail. A female's tail ends in a notch shaped like the top of a heart. The cheek pouches charge while it sleeps, so a sleepy Pikachu may spark after waking, and one short of sleep can only manage weak shocks. It is 0.4 m tall and weighs 6 kg.

Behaviour

Pikachu is curious, playful and clever, and nests in groups. Two Pikachu greet by touching tails and swapping electricity, and one will revive a weakened friend with a shock. When many gather, their combined charge can cause thunderstorms. It lifts its tail to scan the area around it and bites anyone who yanks it.

Habitat

Forests, according to the Pokédex habitat list and its entries. In Scarlet and Violet it lives in Paldea's forests and across Kitakami.

Diet

Mostly berries and other fruit. The Pokédex says it roasts hard berries tender with a jolt of electricity, and sometimes overdoes it and scorches them.

Powers

Pikachu fires Thunderbolt and Thunder Shock and darts in with Quick Attack. Static can paralyse anything that touches it, and Lightning Rod is hidden. Only the Pikachu family learns Volt Tackle, and only Pikachu can use the Light Ball, which doubles its attacking stats. With base Speed 90 but low health and defences, it is a fast, fragile attacker.

Name origin

Pikachu combines the Japanese pikapika (a sparkling flash) and chūchū (a mouse's squeak). The Japanese name is the same: Pikachu (ピカチュウ).

Design inspiration

Atsuko Nishida designed Pikachu. Her first version looked like a daifuku, a round rice-cake dessert, with ears, and the black ear tips survive from it. Satoshi Tajiri decided it should be a mouse, and when asked to make it cuter Nishida added cheek pouches borrowed from squirrels, which stash food in theirs.

Evolution notes

Pichu evolves into Pikachu through friendship, and Pikachu becomes Raichu with a Thunder Stone, or Alolan Raichu if the stone is used in Alola. Cosplay, cap-wearing, Partner and Gigantamax-capable Pikachu cannot evolve.

In the games

Pikachu is the partner in Let's Go, Pikachu!, and it became the star of Pokémon Yellow, where it follows you around and refuses to evolve. It first appeared in Red and Green (Red and Blue outside Japan), and Zach uses one in Legends: Z-A. It can be caught wild in Scarlet and Violet and Legends: Z-A.

In the anime

Ash's Pikachu debuted in the first episode, 'Pokémon - I Choose You!', and has been the star ever since, always riding outside its Poké Ball. It appeared in every Pokémon film up to the end of Ash's run.

Fun facts

• Pikachu was meant to evolve twice: a third stage called Gorochu, with horns and fangs, was cut from Red and Green for game balance.
• In 2008 Japanese scientists named a protein in the eye 'pikachurin' for its lightning-fast electrical signalling.
• A Pikachu balloon has flown in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 2001, in four designs.
• On 11 December 2023, Google revealed that, of all Pokémon, Pikachu had drawn the most searches in the search engine's 25-year history.
• Nishida says the brown stripes on its back mean nothing at all; she added them to fill empty space.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Pikachu (Pokémon) · Serebii: Pikachu (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 35
• Attack: 55
• Defense: 40
• Sp. Atk: 50
• Sp. Def: 50
• Speed: 90

Pikachu’s base stat total is 320. Its highest stat is Speed.

Type matchups

What is Pikachu weak to?

Pikachu takes extra damage from Ground (2×) moves.

It resists Electric (½×), Flying (½×), Steel (½×).

Evolution

What does Pikachu evolve from?

Pikachu evolves from Pichu (Friendship).

How does Pikachu evolve?

Pikachu evolves into Raichu (Thunder Stone; Alolan Raichu: Thunder Stone, in Alola).

The whole family: Pichu, Pikachu, Raichu.

Forms

• Gigantamax Pikachu (Gigantamax): Electric-type, base stat total 320 (HP 35, Attack 55, Defense 40, Sp. Atk 50, Sp. Def 50, Speed 90). Abilities: Static, Lightning Rod (hidden).
• Partner Pikachu (Forme): Electric-type, base stat total 430 (HP 45, Attack 80, Defense 50, Sp. Atk 75, Sp. Def 60, Speed 120). Abilities: Static, Lightning Rod (hidden).

Cosmetic forms with the same stats: Pikachu Rock Star, Pikachu Belle, Pikachu Pop Star, Pikachu Ph.D., Pikachu Libre, Cosplay Pikachu, Original Cap Pikachu, Hoenn Cap Pikachu, Sinnoh Cap Pikachu, Unova Cap Pikachu, Kalos Cap Pikachu, Alola Cap Pikachu, Partner Cap Pikachu, World Cap Pikachu.

Abilities

• Static: Has a 30% chance of paralyzing attacking Pokémon on contact.
• Lightning Rod (hidden ability): Redirects single-target Electric moves to this Pokémon where possible. Absorbs Electric moves, raising Special Attack one stage.

Moves

Moves Pikachu learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (47)

Pikachu can learn 47 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Take Down, Charm, Fake Tears, Agility, Protect, Thief, Disarming Voice, Trailblaze, Charge Beam, Facade, Swift, Draining Kiss, Fling, Endure, Volt Switch, Rain Dance, Dig, Brick Break, Body Slam, Thunder Punch, Sleep Talk, Electro Ball, Reflect, Light Screen, Grass Knot, Thunder Wave, Rest, Eerie Impulse, Substitute, Encore, Surf, Thunderbolt, Play Rough, Helping Hand, Reversal, Electric Terrain, Nasty Plot, Wild Charge, Thunder, Tera Blast, Charge, Knock Off, Focus Punch, Endeavor, Electroweb, Alluring Voice, Upper Hand.

Egg moves (7), which Pichu can hatch knowing:Charge, Disarming Voice, Fake Out, Flail, Present, Tickle, Wish.

Breeding & training

• Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
• Egg groups: Field, Fairy.
• Egg cycles: 10 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 1,280).
• Catch rate: 190 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 2 Speed effort values.
• Base experience yield: 112.

Pokédex entries

Possesses cheek sacs in which it stores electricity. This clever forest-dweller roasts tough berries with an electric shock before consuming them. (Legends: Arceus)

When Pikachu meet, they'll touch their tails together and exchange electricity through them as a form of greeting. (Shield)

Pikachu that can generate powerful electricity have cheek sacs that are extra soft and super stretchy. (Sword)

This forest-dwelling Pokémon stores electricity in its cheeks, so you'll feel a tingly shock if you touch it. (Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!)

While sleeping, it generates electricity in the sacs in its cheeks. If it's not getting enough sleep, it will be able to use only weak electricity. (Ultra Moon)

Its nature is to store up electricity. Forests where nests of Pikachu live are dangerous, since the trees are so often struck by lightning. (Ultra Sun)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Lightest Electric type in Gen 1: 6 kg, shared with 1 other.
• Lowest base stat total among Electric types in Gen 1: 320.
• Taller than 11% of all Pokémon (0.4 m).
• Heavier than 18% of all Pokémon (6 kg).
• Base stat total 320, ranked #772 of 1,025.
• One of 69 Electric-type Pokémon (counting dual types).
• One of 88 yellow Pokémon.
• Number 25 of 151 Pokémon introduced in Generation 1 (Kanto).
• Part of an evolution family of 3 Pokémon.
• Can learn 64 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 190: about 24.8% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Has 16 alternate forms.
• Appears in 21 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Pikachu (Pokémon), Serebii: Pikachu (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (PEE-kuh-choo): it follows an English dictionary.

Last checked: 19 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Electric-type Pokémon · Pikachu vs Raichu · Pikachu vs Eevee · Pikachu vs Jolteon · Pikachu vs Zekrom · Pikachu vs Charizard · Pikachu vs Pichu · Kanto region guide · Static ability · Lightning Rod ability · Compare Pikachu · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

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Gen 1 Electric-type Pokémon · Gen 1 Pokémon list · Yellow Pokémon list · Field egg group · Fairy egg group · Pokémon that start with P · What does the Thunder Stone evolve? · Mouse and Rodent Pokémon

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