Raikou (Pokémon)

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Raikou ライコウ Raikou #243
Artwork from GSC
Type Electric ' Unknown Unknown Blue-Striped Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown	Category Thunder Pokémon
Ability Pressure Blue-Striped -----	Exp. at Lv. 100 1,250,000
Regional Pokédex numbers Kanto #— Johto #238 Hoenn #378 Sinnoh — Unova Not in any regional Pokédex
Regional Browser numbers Fiore R— Almia R— Oblivia
Height 6′03″ Imperial 1.9 m Metric 6′03″/1.9 m Red-Striped 0'0"/0.0 m Blue-Striped 0'0"/0.0 m
Weight 392.4 lbs. Imperial 178.0 kg Metric 392.4 lbs./178.0 kg Red-Striped 0.0 lbs./0.0 kg Blue-Striped 0.0 lbs./0.0 kg
Dex color Yellow	Catch rate 3 (0.4%)
Body style Blue-Striped	Footprint      Blue-Striped
Gender ratio Gender unknown Unknown Gender unknown
Breeding Undiscovered group 1 cycles* (255 minimum steps)
EV yield HP 0 Atk 0 Def 0 Sp.Atk 0 Sp.Def 0 Speed 0 Base Exp.: 216 Battle Exp.: 2161*
External links On Smogon Pokédex: Generation II Generation III Generation IV Generation V Generation VI Generation VII Generation VIII Generation IX Artwork on Bulbagarden Archives

Raikou (Japanese: ライコウ Raikou) is a legendary Template:Type2 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 tiger.

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 partial mental powers.

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. Raikou tends to show up either when there is a thunderstorm or when other Electric-type Pokémon are in danger.

Habitat

File:Grassland.gif

Grassland Pokémon

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

In the anime

File:Raikouappears.jpg

Raikou appears

Raikou first appeared in Houndoom's Special Delivery. It was spotted by Togepi and a Houndoom before it disappeared.

One also appeared in the Pokémon Chronicles episode, The Legend of Thunder!.

The Mauville City Gym Leader Wattson owns many Raikou robots which he uses in his gym.

In the manga

Pokémon Special

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 Mask of Ice to free Ho-Oh. Raikou eventually pairs up with Lt. Surge, and later Gold.

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. Raikou is more powerful than other Electric-type Pokémon in the manga because billowing thunder clouds follow it everywhere, allowing it to perform powerful attacks more quickly than regular Electric Pokémon.

In the TCG

Main article: Raikou (TCG)

Other appearances

Super Smash Bros. Melee

When released from a Poké Ball, Raikou releases a powerful Spark attack that electrocutes any opponents that get caught in it. Raikou is the only legendary beast that does not return in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Game data

Pokédex entries

This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation II.
Generation I Red {{{redbluedex}}} Blue Yellow {{{yellowdex}}} Stadium {{{stadiumdex}}}
Generation II Gold The rain clouds it carries let it fire thunderbolts at will. They say that it descended with lightning. Silver A Pokémon that races across the land while barking a cry that sounds like crashing thunder. Crystal This rough Pokémon stores energy in its body, then sweeps across the land, shooting off Template:M2. Stadium 2 The rain clouds it carries let it fire thunderbolts at will. They say that it descended with lightning.
Generation III Ruby Raikou embodies the speed of lightning. The roars of this Pokémon send shock waves shuddering through the air and shake the ground as if lightning bolts had come crashing down. Sapphire Raikou embodies the speed of lightning. The roars of this Pokémon send shock waves shuddering through the air and shake the ground as if lightning bolts had come crashing down. Emerald Raikou embodies the speed of lightning. Its roars send shock waves shuddering through the air and ground as if lightning bolts were crashing down. FireRed This Pokémon races across the land while barking a cry that sounds like crashing thunder. LeafGreen The rain clouds it carries let it fire thunderbolts at will. They say that it descended with lightning.
Generation IV Diamond It is said to have fallen with lightning. It can fire thunderbolts from the rain clouds on its back. Pearl It is said to have fallen with lightning. It can fire thunderbolts from the rain clouds on its back. Platinum {{{platinumdex}}} HeartGold {{{heartgolddex}}} SoulSilver {{{soulsilverdex}}}
Generation V Black {{{blackdex}}} White {{{whitedex}}} Black 2 {{{black2dex}}} White 2 {{{white2dex}}}
Generation VI X Unknown Y Unknown

Game locations

This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation II.
Generation I Red Blue None Trade Blue (Japan) None Trade Yellow None Trade
Generation II Gold Silver One Roaming Johto Crystal One Roaming Johto
Generation III Ruby Sapphire None Trade Emerald None Trade FireRed LeafGreen One Roaming Kanto Colosseum One Shadow Pokémon Laboratory (Shadow) XD None Trade
Generation IV Diamond Pearl None Pal Park Platinum None Pal Park HeartGold SoulSilver None Trade Pal Park Mountain Pokéwalker None
Generation V Black White None Trade Black 2 White 2 None Trade Dream World None
Generation VI X Y None Trade

In side games

Game	Location
Pokémon Trozei!	Random Agent Cards Mr. Who's Den
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (Red and Blue)	Lightning Field (30F)
Pokémon Ranger	Fiore Temple
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (Time and Darkness)	Concealed Ruins (B20F)

Base stats

Stat		Range
		At Lv. 50	At Lv. 100
HP: 90		150 - 197	290 - 384
Attack: 85		81 - 150	157 - 295
Defense: 75		72 - 139	139 - 273
Sp. Atk: 115		108 - 183	211 - 361
Sp. Def: 100		94 - 167	184 - 328
Speed: 115		108 - 183	211 - 361
Total: 580	Other Pokémon with this total
Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and (if applicable) a hindering nature. Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and (if applicable) a helpful nature.

Type effectiveness

Under normal battle conditions in Generation V, this Pokémon is:

Damaged normally by: Normal 1× Fighting 1× Flying ½× Poison 1× Ground 2× Rock 1× Bug 1× Ghost 1× Steel ½× Fire 1× Water 1× Grass 1× Electric ½× Psychic 1× Ice 1× Dragon 1× Dark 1× None

Weak to: Normal 1× Fighting 1× Flying ½× Poison 1× Ground 2× Rock 1× Bug 1× Ghost 1× Steel ½× Fire 1× Water 1× Grass 1× Electric ½× Psychic 1× Ice 1× Dragon 1× Dark 1× None

Immune to: Normal 1× Fighting 1× Flying ½× Poison 1× Ground 2× Rock 1× Bug 1× Ghost 1× Steel ½× Fire 1× Water 1× Grass 1× Electric ½× Psychic 1× Ice 1× Dragon 1× Dark 1× None

Resistant to: Normal 1× Fighting 1× Flying ½× Poison 1× Ground 2× Rock 1× Bug 1× Ghost 1× Steel ½× Fire 1× Water 1× Grass 1× Electric ½× Psychic 1× Ice 1× Dragon 1× Dark 1× None

Learnset

By leveling up

|- style="text-align:center" | style="text-align:left" | electric | style="background:#FAC000" |  electric 

| style=" background:#FFF" | 4 | style=" background:#FFF" | 2 | style=" background:#FFF" | Raikou | style="display:none; background:#FFF" | {{{6}}} Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Movelist/note

By breeding

None.

By tutoring

|- style="background:#9DC1B7" | colspan="13" | Bold indicates a move that gets STAB
Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only from an Evolution of this Pokémon
A colored initial indicates that the move is not available to be tutored in this game,
while a colored background indicates that the move is available. |} |}

Special moves

Shadow moves	<span style="color:#{{{2}}};">Level 40+	Purified moves
Shadow Rush	File:Box colo 243.png	Rain Dance	Water
--		Leer	Normal
--		Quick Attack	Normal
--		Thunder	Electric

Sprites

Gen	Game
I	Red	Blue	Yellow		Red (Ja)	Green	Back
	This Pokémon did not appear during Generation I.
II	Gold	Silver	Crystal				Back
III	Ruby	Sapphire	Emerald		FireRed	LeafGreen	Back
IV	Diamond	Pearl	Platinum		HeartGold	SoulSilver	Back
V	Black	White	Black 2	White 2			Back

For other sprites and images, please see Raikou images on Bulbagarden Archives.

Trivia

File:RaikouEntry.jpg

Raikou in Jimmy's Pokédex.

• Raikou is the only Pokémon in the anime whose image on the Pokédex was of stylized art rather than Ken Sugimori's official artwork for it.
• In the Template:4Kids dub of the anime, Raikou's name is frequently mispronounced as rai-kuu rather than rai-ko.
• Raikou's sprites in Pokémon Gold and Silver portrayed it as having an orange cape and lacked the four-point star on its face. This was corrected in Pokémon Crystal, but the Crystal back-sprite still showed it with the orange cape, due to Gold, Silver and Crystal having the same back-sprites for each Pokémon.
• Raikou is the only one of the legendary beasts that has not had an appearance in a feature-length movie.
• Raikou is the only pre-Generation IV legendary Pokémon that Ash hasn't encountered in real life. However, he did see one's tail and a mecha-Raikou inside Wattson's Gym.
• Raikou is also currently the only legendary Pokémon from Generation II to not appear in a feature movie (although a Ho-Oh featured in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew was Mew in disguise).
• In the anime, the four-pointed star on its face is blue, in the games it is white/light blue.
• In its Generation III sprites, Raikou has six points on the end of its tail, while in the Generation IV sprites, there are only five.

Origin

Raikou's appearance resembles the tiger with its stripes and coat color. However due to its extremely long canine teeths, some suspect it is based on the extinct feline sabertooth tiger.

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. This Pokémon is also based on a demon of Japanese lore, the 雷獣 raijū.

In other languages

• German: Raikou
• French: Raikou
• Korean: 라이코 Raiko
• Chinese: 雷皇

Related articles

• Legendary beasts

External links

• Article on Wikipedia
• Rakurai, the fanlisting for Raikou

Legendary Pokémon

Generation I

Generation II

Generation III

Generation IV

Generation V

Generation VI

Generation VII

Generation VIII

Generation IX

See also: Mythical Pokémon

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This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.