Puka

If you were looking for the Pokémon Trading Card Game player, see Kyle Sucevich.

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Puka マイケル Michael ?

Puka

Debuts in The Pi-Kahuna Caught at Seafoam Islands Gender Male Ability Unknown Current location With Victor

This Pokémon has not evolved.

Voice actor Japanese English As Pikachu Chika Sakamoto

Puka (Japanese: マイケル Michael) is a surfing Pikachu that appeared in The Pi-Kahuna.

History

Puka in his youth

Victor and Puka

Puka is at least twenty years old, having been first found by surfing enthusiast Victor shortly after he failed to conquer a large wave, "Humunga-Dunga" (Japanese: ビッグ・チューズデー Big Tuesday). Victor was trying to emulate a feat achieved by his surfing hero Jan two decades ago. Puka looks noticeably older and larger than Ash's Pikachu, with wrinkles beneath his eyes. His ears have a different shape, similar to mini-humps, while most Pikachu ears are straight and pointy. His eyes are blue, while Ash's Pikachu's eyes, as well as most Pikachu eyes, are dark brown. Puka can sense big waves coming to the Seafoam Islands beach where he lives, causing his eyes to glow. Incidentally, he does not use any Electric-type attacks throughout the entire episode, even when captured by Team Rocket (Ash's Pikachu does the attacking). Whether Puka can in fact use any Electric attacks is up for debate, since his cheeks do not spark during the episode either.

Puka is rescued by Victor after Team Rocket's submarine is attacked by a family of angry Gyarados. At that moment, Humunga-Dunga makes its scheduled appearance, twenty years after Victor first fell to it. Ash and his friends watch from the beach as Victor, with Puka on his surfboard, successfully ride the big wave and plant a flag atop the rock, right next to where Jan first placed his flag after riding the wave. Puka and Victor return to shore to be greeted by Ash, Misty, and Brock, as well as by young children looking up to Victor in awe. In a similar fashion to what his hero did after riding the big wave, Victor tells two young surfers, "You can do it, too!"

Since that episode, Puka and Victor have not been seen again. It can be presumed they remain at the beach house where they are shown to live.

Personality and characteristics

Puka was shown to get along with Victor very well ever since the time they first met.

Trivia

• Puka's English name comes from Puka shells, which are pieces of a shell belonging to a snail. They are used to make jewelry, and are very popular in Hawaii. "Puka" is also somewhat similar to "Pika", as in "Pikachu". Puka's Japanese name comes from American actor Jan-Michael Vincent.
• Puka might be based on the minigame of the Surfing Pikachu, located in Pokémon Yellow Version in Route 19, near Seafoam Islands.

Related articles

For more information on this Pokémon's species, see Pikachu.

This article is part of Project COD, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each one-time character of the Pokémon animated series.