Pikachu: Difference between revisions

'''Pikachu''' is one of the first 151 [[Pokémon]] species. It first appears in the [[Generation I]] titles [[Pocket Monsters Red Version and Pocket Monsters Green Version|''Pocket Monsters Red Version'' and ''Pocket Monsters Green Version'']], released as [[Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version|''Pokémon Red Version'' and ''Pokémon Blue Version'']] outside of [[Asia]]. Pikachu is an [[Electric]]-[[Type (Pokémon)|type]] Pokémon. It is the [[first partner Pokémon]] used by trainers who start their [[Pokémon journey|journey]] in the [[Kanto]] region in ''[[Pokémon Yellow Version: Special Pikachu Edition]]'' and [[Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!|''Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!'' and ''Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!'']]. Since [[Generation II]], it is the [[Evolution|evolved form]] of [[Pichu]].

Pikachu is a small Pokémon whose morphology is based on a rodent. Although its name and category refer to a mouse, according to its designer, its cheeks are based on those of a squirrel. Its body is yellow with two brown stripes on its back and at the base of its tail. The tips of its ears are black, and it has a large red circle on each of its cheeks. It has a tail shaped like a lightning bolt if it's male and a heart-shaped one if it's female.

Pikachu's primary habitat is the forest, far from human settlements, where it can find berries, which it roasts with its electricity. Therefore, if you find a scorched berry lying on the ground, it is very likely Pikachu's work. It likes to live in groups, where it always keeps its tail up to keep watch. In this position, it can easily be struck by lightning, and if it feels threatened or disturbed, it will release all its stored electricity. The energy released by several individuals together is capable of generating thunderstorms. {{-|left}}

In an interview<ref>[http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/fukayomi/ichiran/20180501-OYT8T50139.html Original interview (in Japanese)].<br>[http://www.siliconera.com/2018/05/03/pikachu-originally-second-evolution-called-gorochu-large-fangs-two-horns/ English translation of the interview]<br>[http://web.archive.org/web/20181028035632/https://www.pokemon.com/es/noticias-pokemon/charla-con-los-creadores-de-pikachu/ ''Talk with the creators of Pikachu'' (interview in Spanish)].</ref> on May 2, 2018, it is revealed that Pikachu It was initially conceived as a [[wikipedia:en:Daifuku|daifuku]]. [[Atsuko Nishida]], a graphic designer who has participated in the design of some characters in other franchises, was commissioned to design an "adorable" Pokémon, an Electric type with two evolutions. She designed it directly in a pixel art program and started by thinking of an elongated daifuku. To try to make it more adorable, she added squirrel-like cheeks (she wanted one as a pet), since squirrels usually hide food in their cheeks, and a lightning-shaped tail for its Electric type. The Game Boy games didn't have color schemes, but with the [[wikipedia:Super Game Boy|Super Game Boy]] in mind, they decided to use the color yellow to represent its Electric type.

They don't remember why the "-chu" ending in the name, but it had no relation to mice when they came up with the name. However, others on the team were guided by the idea that it was a mouse due to its name, and its final design ended up being that of a mouse.

[[Kōji Nishino]], in charge of game design, liked Pikachu so much that he wanted few players to encounter it, hence its appearance rate in the games was very low, although this did make more people want it.

It was initially going to have two evolutions: Pikachu, [[Raichu]] and ''Gorochu'', but the latter evolution was discarded to maintain gameplay balance compared to other Pokémon.