Starter pokemon and evilutions

PIKACHU

{| border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 200px"

Physiology
A Pikachu is a short, chubby, ground-dwelling rodent notable for its Electric abilities. Pikachu have short, yellow fur with brown stripes on the back, black-tipped ears, along with an unusually shaped tail, resembling a lightning bolt. Besides its evolution and pre-evolution, it may be related to Plusle,  Minun , and  Pachirisu , due tonotable physical similarities.

Pikachu are known to have acute senses of hearing, thanks to their large ears. Most domestic Pikachu are able to understand and interpret human speech at levels far surpassing those of any pet dog.

In  Pika and Goliath! , when Ash's Pikachu  was injured, it was shown to have a heart rate of 156.

Gender differences
A female Pikachu has a small "dent" at the end of its tail that resembles a heart.

Special abilities
Exclusive to Pikachu is the ability to release electric discharges of varying intensity, at will, through electric sacs in its cheeks. This electric energy can be manipulated into a variety of techniques which are mostly used in battle, but which can be used to roast berries as well.

As Pikachu build up energy in their electricity glands, it often needs to discharge, as to not result in a short, or worse, which can lead to physical Paralysis, or in severe cases, death. Pikachu release the built-up energy through their tail, which acts as a grounding rod, to safely remove unneeded energy. A sure sign to tell if a location is inhabited by Pikachu is to look for patches of burnt grass, which is the result of the discharge. Through an inability to release a buildup of electricity, a Pikachu may develop a rare condition similar to the human flu. This illness is most often caused by strong nearby electro-magnetic forces, which severely impact the electric glands. If a Pikachu is introduced to a magnet, it will be attracted towards its cheeks, and display other common attributes of magnetism.

Pikachu and its evolution family, Pichu and Raichu, are the only known Pokémon that can learn Volt Tackle. In a few rare cases, Pikachu can learn to manipulate Water and, with the help of a surfboard, perform the move Surf. Other rare cases show that Pikachu can also learn, with the use of balloons, to perform the move Fly.

Behavior
In the wild, Pikachu often travel in packs, and are rarely territorial. However, when threatened, a group can generate an intense electrical offensive, and the electro-magnetic forces exerted by the resulting field can even produce a short lived, localized thunderstorm. Pikachu can be harmful pests, eating and sometimes destroying telephone poles, wires, and other electronic equipment.

Despite this, it is a popular pet, and relatively easy to maintain, with little exercise necessary for its well being. However, it is important to discharge the electricity in its cheeks periodically.

As many know, pulling on a Pikachu's tail will result in a severe shock to the offender. Another defense of Pikachu's is the use of its nasty Bite which has been known to leave quite a mark.

Habitat
Forest PokémonThey are found mostly in forests, but possibly because of their attraction to their electricity or simply because they are not afraid of people, Pikachu commonly show up in civilized areas. They may even enter houses, presumably attracted by the electrical output generated by the dwellers' appliances. Pikachu are native only to the Kanto region, although they have been introduced to many other regions.

Diet

 * Main article: Pokémon food 

Living in wooded areas, Pikachu often are found foraging for berries. Instead of climbing trees, they use small electrical shocks to release the berries from the tree, roasting them at the same time.

As pets, they can be fed a variety of processed food. Alternatively, like most Pokémon, Pikachu are tolerant to most "human" foods, and sometimes enjoy them more than the more nutritional food designed for their biology. An example of this is the fact that Ash's Pikachu has been known to have a fondness of ketchup, probably due to to the fact that Ash's last name, Ketchum, sounds like a mix of catch 'em of "gotta catch 'em all" and ketchup.

In the anime
Pikachu in the anime===Major appearances===

Ash's Pikachu
Ash Ketchum has a Pikachu that he obtained from Professor Oak in '' Pokémon - I Choose You! '', the first episode of the Pokémon anime series. It has appeared in every non-special episode and every Pokémon movie since.

Ash was given the opportunity to release Pikachu in  Pikachu's Goodbye , though Pikachu chose to stay with him. This episode also featured many other wild Pikachu.

A Pikachu named Sugar belonging to the owners of a restaurant went missing prior to '' Cooking up a Sweet Story! '', and Ash's Pikachu had to fill in for it so that its owner would have the confidence to win a cooking competition. At the end of the episode, the Pikachu returns, however, it has evolved into a Raichu.

Ritchie's Pikachu
Ritchie also has a Pikachu nicknamed Sparky, who debuted in  A Friend In Deed . Sparky, unlike most Pikachu, has a tuft of fur on the top of its head.

Ashachu
Ash gets turned into a Pikachu in  Hocus Pokémon  by a Pokémon magician named Lily. He reverts to his human form at the beginning of the next episode.

Other
At least 20 other Pikachu appeared in '' Pokémon Emergency! '' to help Ash's Pikachu defeat Team Rocket 's Jessie, James , and Meowth to send them blasting off for the first time.

Another Pikachu nicknamed  Puka  was owned by a man named Victor on Seafoam Island in  The Pi-Kahuna . This blue-eyed Pikachu had the ability to sense tidal waves approaching.

A Pikachu has also been owned by Luana 's son, Travis. Luana mistook Ash for Travis when she saw Pikachu on Ash's shoulder.

In  Lights, Camerupt, Action , Elijah used a Pikachu in one of his movies. This Pikachu helped Plusle and Minun on their mission to rescue Princess Kirlia from the evil Exploud.

In  Mewtwo Strikes Back , Mewtwo clones Ash's Pikachu. This Pikachu can be told apart from Ash's due to spikes on the black marks at the tips of its ears. It is also comparatively more aggressive than Ash's Pikachu and slurs its speech, defects possibly caused by Ash tampering with Mewtwo's cloning machine during the cloning process.

A Pikachu also had a part in '' Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters out of the Gate! ''. He was kidnapped by a Skarmory and Team Go-Getters set out to rescue him as their first mission. Pikachu provided them with some items in the battle.

Minor appearances
Aside from Ash's Pikachu, Pokémon of this species, wild and Trainers' alike, are rarely seen in the anime. This is most likely due to the fact that Ash's Pikachu is seen in every episode.

James used a Pikachu in the Pokémon League Entrance Exam in  The Ultimate Test , but it was defeated by the instructor's Graveler. James, after interfering with a battle Ash was having with the instructor, later tried to steal this Pikachu, only for that Pikachu to zap James instead, as instructed by its instructor.

A Pikachu belonging to an unnamed Aura Guardian appeared in a flashback in '' The Keystone Pops! ''.

In the manga
Electric Tale of Pikachu prominently features a Pikachu.

A Pikachu is one of the main characters in Magical Pokémon Journey.

A more mouse-like Pikachu that communicates through pantomime is one of Isamu Akai 's Pokémon in Pocket Monsters.

Satoshi has a Pikachu as one of the members of his team in Pokémon Zensho. It later evolves into a Raichu.

Shū 's first Pokémon was a Pikachu he found abandoned in the forest in Pokémon Get da ze! .

Ash's Pikachu was the main character in the short-lived Pokémon Newspaper Strip.

A story called "Akari and Pikachu's Birthday" is featured in the final volume of How I Became a Pokémon Card.

In Golden Boys, Gold was in possession of a Pikachu, which ended up being Eusine 's.

A Pikachu makes a cameo in Pokémon Battle Frontier during one of the battles. Also, a photo album owned by Anabel has a Pikachu on the cover.

Pokémon Adventures
Pikachu in Pokémon AdventuresPikachu debuted in its own round in the Red, Green & Blue chapter, '' Wanted: Pikachu! ''. Here, a Pikachu was stealing all the crops in a town. The townsfolk kept chasing it around, but end up getting shocked by it. Red arrives and captures it, ending the chaos.

In the ninth volume, Yellow is seen to have a new addition to her team: a Pikachu she had found injured in the Viridian Forest and nursed back to health. When Pika is left behind by Red on his trip to Mt. Silver, Pika joins Yellow and Chuchu on their trip to Johto.

Pika and Chuchu share a loving relationship, one that is so strong that even Jasmine noticed, prompting her to hand Yellow a slip with the Pokémon Daycare's address on it. In Volume 13, after Yellow and Wilton are brought to the Daycare after being shipwrecked, Yellow finds that Pika and Chuchu now have an egg shortly after they were "put together." The egg eventually hatches into Gold 's Pichu.

Wild Pikachu also appeared in the R/S and D/P sagas.

Pokédex entries

 * }
 * }