Gaming - News
Details About Pikachu Only True Fans Noticed
By DALEY WILHELM
Not Number One
Even though Pikachu is the number one most recognized Pokemon, maybe of all time, Pikachu is far from the very first pocket monster. Pikachu ranks at number 25 in the PokeDex, meaning that designers took their sweet time before getting around to creating what would eventually become their mascot.
Loves Ketchup
Ash's Pikachu has an infatuation with ketchup, a legendary love affair that began in episode 42 of the anime entitled "Showdown at Dark City." In the episode, a Scyther tries to attack Pikachu, but is blinded by a bottle of ketchup, causing it to attack its own trainer instead, and Team Rocket also gets deluged in ketchup in the tomato-y episode.
Heart Tail
Female Pikachu have a distinctive notch in their tail, giving it a heart-shaped appearance, which is frankly adorable. Males have a straight-edged tail, just like Ash's Pikachu, and when female Pikachu evolve into Raichu, their tails aren't heart-shaped, just a bit less pointy than the males of the species.
Slimmed Down
Over time, due to influence from the anime, Pikachu has slimmed down and is no longer the ball of electricity it once was. Pikachu now has a much more athletic look, possibly because it does a lot more than throw around thunderbolts in the anime — the Pikachu of today runs, jumps, and even dances.
Can Fly & Surf
Despite being an electric-type Pokemon with no wings or fins, Pikachu can learn the moves Surf and Fly. In “Pokemon Yellow,” “Silver,” “Gold,” and “Crystal,” Pikachu will appear on a surfboard if the player chooses to surf on a Pikachu, and the flying Pikachu variant uses multi-colored helium balloons to achieve flight and can be found in the opening of “Pokemon Yellow.”
