Red's Pikachu

This article is about Red's Pikachu in various media. For a specific instance of this character, see Red's Pikachu (disambiguation).

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Red's Pikachu レッドのピカチュウ Red's Pikachu

Red's Pikachu in Pokémon Generations

Debuts in Pokémon Yellow Version Caught at Professor Oak's Laboratory (Yellow) Kanto (Origins) Viridian Forest (Generations and Masters EX) Gender Male Ability Static Current location With Red

This Pokémon has not evolved.

Voice actor Japanese English As Pikachu Ikue Otani (games) Fumiko Orikasa (Generations)

Red's Pikachu (Japanese: レッドのピカチュウ Red's Pikachu) is typically Red's first Pokémon in various media. It is based on Ash's Pikachu from Pokémon the Series, and it is one of Red's signature Pokémon.

In the core series games

Pokémon Yellow

Main article: Pikachu (Yellow)

Pikachu first appearing as a wild Pokémon

Pikachu first appears along the outskirts of Route 1, where Professor Oak will encounter and catch it. When the player visits Professor Oak's Laboratory, Oak had intended to give an Eevee to the player to start their Pokémon journey, but his impatient grandson Blue takes it instead. So that the player still has a Pokémon, Oak gives the player the Pikachu he just caught instead. After battling against Blue for the first time, the Pikachu chooses to stay out of its Poké Ball and follow the player as long as it is in the party and not fainted.

As an non-player character

In Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, Red can be battled in Mt. Silver Cave with a level 81 Pikachu on his team. At the time, his Pikachu was the highest leveled Pokémon that could be battled in the main series. This Pikachu is likely to have been based on Red's Pikachu from Pokémon Yellow. Although Red doesn't use his Pikachu when battled in Pokémon Stadium 2, he still makes a cameo appearance during the game's end credits, battling Blue's Eevee.

Red's challenge at Mt. Silver returns in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. He still uses Pikachu in these games; he is now level 88. Again, at the time, Pikachu was the highest level Trainer-owned Pokémon in the series. In the final battle, he is holding a Light Ball, while he knows the four moves used by Ash's Pikachu most often prior to the release of the games, during Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl.

Red can be battled in the Champions Tournament of Pokémon World Tournament in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. He uses his Pikachu as his signature Pokémon once again in the battle, though it, like all opponent Pokémon in the PWT, varies in gender.

Red can be battled in Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon. He uses his Pikachu when battled at the entrance of the Battle Tree. However, Pikachu is not in Red's pool of usable Pokémon inside the Battle Tree proper. He can also be battled in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, once again using Pikachu as the leading member of his team.

Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal

	Type: Electric Unknown Held item: None
Pikachu♂ Lv.81
Charm Normal   --       Quick Attack Normal   --       Thunderbolt Electric   --       Thunder Electric   --

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

	Type: Electric Unknown Ability: Static Held item: Light Ball
Pikachu♂ Lv.88
Volt Tackle Electric Physical   --       Iron Tail Steel Physical   --       Quick Attack Normal Physical   --       Thunderbolt Electric Special   --

Pokémon Black 2 and White 2
Pokémon World Tournament

	Type: Electric Unknown Ability: Static Held item: Light Ball
Pikachu♂/♀ Lv.50
Fake Out Normal Physical   --       Iron Tail Steel Physical   --       Volt Tackle Electric Physical   --       Brick Break Fighting Physical   --

Pokémon Sun, Moon,
Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon

	Type: Electric Unknown Ability: Static Held item: Light Ball
Pikachu♂ Lv.70/74
Volt Tackle Electric Physical   --       Quick Attack Normal Physical   --       Light Screen Psychic Status   --       Nuzzle Electric Physical   --

Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!
and Let's Go, Eevee!

	Type: Electric Unknown Mega Stone: None
Pikachu♂ Lv.85
Thunderbolt Electric Special   --       Brick Break Fighting Physical   --       Iron Tail Steel Physical   --       Reflect Psychic Status   --

Gallery

Artwork

Early artwork with Red, Blue, and Charizard	Concept artwork for Kotobukiya ArtFx J figurines	20th Anniversary Artwork from Pokémon Center Online by Emi Ando
Red and Pikachu concept artwork for Kotobukiya ArtFx J figurines by Ken Sugimori	Artwork of Silence Bridge by Hitoshi Ariga	Artwork by Ken Sugimori
Raw artwork of the Dream League package art by Naoki Saito	Red andPikachu on a GAME FREAK postcard from New Year's 2006	Red and Pikachu in a TCG Artwork

Sprites

Sprite from Gold	Sprite from Silver	Sprite from Crystal	Sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver	Sprites from Black 2 and White 2		Model from Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon	Model from Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!

In the spin-off games

Pokémon Masters EX

Main article: Red (Masters) → Pikachu

Red forms a sync pair with Pikachu in Pokémon Masters EX. It is capable of Gigantamaxing.

Dex	Trainer		NDex	Pokémon		Type	Weakness	Role	EX role	Base potential	Availability
#084		Sygna Suit (Thunderbolt) Red	#0025		Pikachu♂ Gigantamax	Electric	Ground			★★★★★☆EX	Master Fair Sync Pair Scout

In the anime

Pikachu in Pokémon Origins

Pokémon Origins

Red's Pikachu briefly appeared in File 4: Charizard, where Red was seen catching it with a Poké Ball.

Pokémon Generations

Pikachu appeared in The Adventure, where it was encountered and captured by Red in Viridian Forest. It was later seen encountering a Caterpie in the same forest, a group of Wooper in Ecruteak City, a Vigoroth near the Weather Institute, a Probopass and Regigigas outside of the Snowpoint Temple, a Volcarona and Landorus at the Relic Castle, and a Noivern and Zygarde in Terminus Cave.

Personality and characteristics

Initially, Pikachu had a childlike personality, seemingly being curious and inexperienced. However, as time went on, it gained more self-confidence and experience.

Moves used

Using Iron Tail	Move First Used In Thunder Shock The Adventure Iron Tail The Adventure Volt Tackle The Adventure Electro Ball The Adventure Thunderbolt The Adventure
A † shows that the move was used recently, unless all moves fit this case or there are fewer than five known moves.

Pokémon the Series

Pikachu with Red and Clefairy in the anime

In Lights, Camerupt, Action!, Red from the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga appears with his Pikachu and Clefairy as characters in one of Ash's favorite films. Much like in the manga, Red's Pikachu appears to be the only Pokémon around that isn't able to talk.

Ash's Pikachu

Main article: Ash's Pikachu

Ash's Pikachu is the loose anime counterpart of Red's Pikachu. The player receiving a Pikachu instead of one of the Kanto first partner Pokémon in Pokémon Yellow is based on Ash's Pikachu.

Some alternate versions of Ash Ketchum have a Pikachu as well: this includes Mirror Ash, Alternate World Ash, the Ash Ketchum who debuted in Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, as well as the Ash Ketchum from A Ripple in Time.

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Main article: Pika

Pika is Red's Pikachu in the Pokémon Adventures manga.

Pokémon Pocket Monsters

Main article: Red's Pikachu (Pocket Monsters)

Red has a Pikachu in the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga.

Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure

Pikachu in Pocket Monsters HGSS Jō's Big Adventure

Red's Pikachu debuted as a silhouette alongside its Trainer in JBA5. It then physically debuted in JBA6, where it briefly appeared alongside his Trainer as Jō reached the summit of Mt. Silver, ready to challenge Red to a battle.

Ash's Pikachu in the manga

Main article: Ash's Pikachu → In the manga

Ash's Pikachu, the loose counterpart of Red's Pikachu, appears in several manga, including the anime-based Ash & Pikachu, The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl, the manga adaptations of the anime movies, as well as a cameo in Magical Pokémon Journey.

In the TCG

Red's Pikachu is featured in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The following is a list of cards featuring Pikachu.

Pikachu Cards listed with a blue background are only legal to use in the current Expanded format. Cards listed with a green background are legal to use in both the current Standard and Expanded formats.
Card	Type	English Expansion	Rarity	#	Japanese Expansion	Rarity	#
Red's Pikachu					SM-P Promotional cards		270/SM-P
Pikachu		Cosmic Eclipse		241/236	Dream League		054/049
Pikachu					VMAX Climax		222/184
Pikachu					VMAX Climax		223/184

Artwork

Artwork from the Bandai Carddass card

Merchandise

Red & Pikachu accessories

The third phase of Pokémon Center 20th Anniversary celebrations began on July 13, 2018, upon which numerous items of Pokémon Center-exclusive merchandise were made for sale. These items all feature Red and his Pikachu in an illustration by Ken Sugimori, specially commissioned as a "thank you" to customers for their continued patronage over the years. Several TCG items were among those available, which included:

Deck case: Each deck case comes with two card dividers featuring the same illustration and capacity to store up to 180 cards.

Red & Pikachu Deck Case (Japanese: デッキケース レッド＆ピカチュウ)

Playmat:

Red & Pikachu Rubber Playmat (Japanese: ラバープレイマット レッド＆ピカチュウ)

Sleeves: Each pack contains 64 card sleeves.

Red & Pikachu Sleeves (Japanese: デッキシールド レッド＆ピカチュウ Deck Shield: Red & Pikachu)

File: Each 4-ring file includes eight 9-pocket sheets for card display and a card divider featuring a negative-color image of Red & Pikachu.

Red & Pikachu Collection File (Japanese: コレクションファイル レッド＆ピカチュウ)

Product images:

Red & Pikachu Deck Case	Red & Pikachu Rubber Playmat	Red & Pikachu Sleeves	Red & Pikachu Collection File
The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins
The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins
The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins
The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins	The Sneak-Peek Tins

Trivia

Pikachu and Red on the first Pokémon Power

• Red and Pikachu appeared on the cover of the first Pokémon Power magazine.
• At level 88, Pikachu is tied with Cynthia's Garchomp in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl for being the highest level Trainer-owned Pokémon outside of a battle facility.

See also

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

• Ash's Pikachu
• Pika
• Pikachu (Yellow)

Notes

This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games.