Hi Professor, I was in the local pokecenter waiting for my pokemon to get a clean bill of health when there was a power outage, But Joy assured us there was nothing to be worried about as the Center’s power came back up. I was curious sense im minoring as a electrical engineer and Joy was ok showing me the generator room, six voltorb “Chattering” away sending electricity into a device! I was curious if you had any rough numbers on how much power pokemon put out, Pikachu, voltorb, ect, thank you!

This is an excellent question, and the answer might be a little alarming. You see, pokémon are capable of generating not just electricity but full-on artificial lightning bolts that are practically identical to those seen during a thunderstorm (despite the obvious lack of equal distance), which means that at maximum power, under ideal conditions (even without enhancements), a particularly strong electric-type can generate a literally billion-watt strike. Some pikachu are known to exceed even this, especially with the assistance of certain types of Z-crystal, and there is one on record capable of exceeding this naturally. Because of these documented cases, however, researchers don’t entirely know these pikachu are anomalies or actually indicators that pokémon that are traditionally thought to be stronger than that species (fully evolved electric-types and legendaries, to name a few) can wield something even more powerful.

Of course, for human-friendly purposes such as in battle, as generators, and so forth, pokémon are fully capable of holding back. For example, a single voltorb instructed to put out electricity to power a pokémon center might restrain itself to a 80-volt/50 kW state. I still wouldn’t recommend angering one or touching one when it’s working, but it’s enough to power a building if need be.

And to reassure everyone, younger electric-types such as pichu don’t have fully developed electrical sacs and therefore can’t actually wield electricity quite as intense as the above-mentioned pokémon. At most, a pichu might discharge around 1200 volts of electricity into a target. That might sound like a lot, but keep in mind that that’s more or less the voltage you would experience at the wrong end of a Taser.

…or, okay, that’s still a lot.

The point is it’s difficult to say as it depends on the circumstance, the species, and the individual in question, but either way, it’s enough to power a building and to drive researchers to emphasize the usual amount of caution when handling the magical, element-wielding creatures with whom we coexist.

Pikachu

bills-pokedex:

Pichu
The Tiny Mouse Pokémon
Type: Electric
Official Registration #: 172
Entry: Trainers take caution—although cute and the first stage in a line of formidable battlers, pichu do not have a full mastery over their electrical powers until evolution. This is not to say that they aren’t that strong. On the contrary: they have the ability to generate voltages on par with their evolved forms. What they cannot do is avoid releasing said voltage when startled, happy, or simply standing in an empty room doing absolutely nothing, and suffice to say, this is why many of the reports of electrocution among Johtonians have to do with this very pokémon.

Pikachu
The Mouse Pokémon
Type: Electric
Official Registration #: 25
Entry: The evolved form of pichu, in response to closeness with its trainer. Due to its adorable appearance, its intelligence, and its penchant for doing tricks for treats, pikachu has become an extremely popular choice for a pet. However, should you wish to keep one, never forget that pikachu are still potentially dangerous electric rodents. This is not just a note concerning its ability to generate thousands of volts of electricity, nor is it simply a warning concerning its tendency to release electricity during thunderstorms or upon waking up each morning. It is also a note that this rodent can and will chew through wires if left unattended, and chargers compatible with Leppa-brand laptops run anywhere from ¥3500 to ¥9400 each.

Raichu
The Mouse Pokémon
Type: Electric
Official Registration #: 26
Entry: The evolved form of pikachu, by exposure to thunder stone. A raichu’s tail acts as its grounding wire. When a raichu stores too much electricity in its electrical sacs, it plants its tail and discharges electricity directly into the ground. This is vital to the well-being of an individual raichu, as not only do they gather electricity from their surroundings, but they also grow increasingly aggressive as their electrical stores grow. In that sense, a raichu is much like a drunken relative on Christmas, the sort who gets increasingly offensive the more alcohol he consumes until he needs to be escorted to a safe room to discharge a long and barely intelligible rant. …Not that this writer has seen his father do any of this at any point in his life.

Raichu (Alola form)
The Mouse Pokémon
Type: Electric/Psychic
Official Registration #: 26
Entry: The evolved form of pikachu, by exposure to thunder stone within the region of Alola. It’s said that the catalyst that enables a pikachu to attain this rounder, more spiritually-inclined form upon evolution is the consumption of Alolan pancakes, which are fluffier and spicier than any other pancake in the world. If this seems at all ridiculous to you, reader, then clearly, you have yet to try Alolan pancakes. They are, in the author’s opinion, an experience.

For the record, Bill is referring to literal pancakes. —LH

Of course. The figurative sort of pancake people from Goldenrod know about is the Unovan pancake, which, I assure you, I have never tried. —Bill

Well, that’s shocking. —LH

…no pun intended, oh my God, Bill. —LH

My Pichu and my Pidgey are great friends, but lately Pichu has been having trouble controlling his Electric-type powers. I understand that this is a problem many Pichu have, but this has started to ruin the friendship! When Pichu’s excited, sometimes sparks will fly out from his cheeks, zapping poor Pidgey! Because of this, Pichu has become more hesitant about playing with Pidgey, which is making Pidgey confused and sad. What should I as their trainer do to repair their friendship?

The only thing you can do, anonymous: train your pichu. Your pichu and pidgey’s problem stems from a lack of control. However, if you train him, focusing on control over his electrical powers (through accuracy exercises and the like), you should be able to teach him to manage his abilities on his own.

Alternatively, you’ll bring him closer to evolution, which itself is a good thing because pikachu naturally have better control over their electrical powers than pichu do. (They have larger, more developed electrical sacs, and their tail is better suited for grounding.)

I have an albino pichu that was rescued from drowning, possibly by a very horrid previous owner. He’s very shy and now that I’ve had him for while (3 months) and he’s comfortable with me I want to introduce him to my team more. I have a sylveon, a pikachu, a gardivor, and a flygon. How should I go about introducing them?

It may be easier than you think, anonymous. Unless your team would have any reason to lash out at your pichu or unless they show any hostility towards him, it’s likely they’ll accept him with open arms, especially if you establish the fact that he’s their latest teammate. Also, don’t forget to inform them that your pichu is shy and came from an abusive trainer, and tell them that as such, they should treat your pichu gently until he becomes more comfortable with them.

That said, the tricky part is figuring out how to keep your pichu calm. It may be best to introduce your team members one at a time to him so he doesn’t become overwhelmed. It would be best to introduce your pikachu to him first, as it is a member of the same evolutionary family and is thus the most familiar pokémon to him that you have. Wait until your pichu seems comfortable interacting with your pikachu, then follow with your sylveon (an affectionate mammalian pokémon and thus most likely to be gentle with him) and your gardevoir (an empath and thus a pokémon ready to adapt to his moods), in that order. Hold off on introducing your flygon until your pichu has grown accustomed to your other pokémon—and you, for that matter. Then introduce them to one another in a very comfortable environment stocked with food and toys that may put your pokémon at ease. It may be a good idea to let the pokémon your pichu trusts the most (out of pikachu, gardevoir, and sylveon) to help keep him calm and to assist in facilitating his interactions with your flygon.

In short, it’s likely that your team will accept your pichu; it’s just that you should introduce your pichu slowly and with plenty of patience to make sure he’s comfortable at all times.

Best of luck, anonymous!

{This is not a missing ask. I just accidentally deleted it because my inbox was showing it twice when only one copy existed. Or in other words, the mun is an idiot, and I apologize. D:}

Hm. First off, determine whether or not your pichu is incapable of evolving or if he simply refuses to evolve. I suspect, given the fact that the two of you have been together for a long time, the latter is the case here. If that’s so, this may be a sign of the opposite: your pichu cares about you so deeply he may be afraid that evolving will change his relationship with you or his ability to help you. Evolution brings about a shift in personality, after all, so if you’ve reached a deep bond with him as a pichu, that may change once he undergoes the evolutionary process. I must say, though, that while wild pikachu can be ornery, tamed ones are very quick to bond with humans. His fear is valid, but he shouldn’t worry as much.

If this is the case, it’s important to reassure him that you will still be his friend and still try your hardest to maintain your friendship after he changes form. Also bring up the fact that pikachu are a little more expressive than pichu (they have, for example, more digits with which to sign, as well as a full tail and ears to add to their signals), so his evolution shouldn’t hinder his ability to communicate with you. If anything, it should help you, as pikachu with close bonds with their trainers can also adopt their emotional reactions, which may aid him in his attempts in communicating your thoughts to others.

Of course, this isn’t the only reason why he may be resisting evolution. The other reason may be a personal one: he may simply prefer to be a pichu because he feels more comfortable that way. If that’s the case, then let him know you support him wholeheartedly and that if he ever changes his mind, you will still stand by him. This will allow him to be a bit more comfortable and feel more in control of who he is, which will only help his emotional health.

If, however, he’s incapable of evolving, I would open up a conversation with him to at least eliminate the possibility that something about your relationship is bothering him. If he’s happy, then I would take him to Nurse Joy for a checkup. There are a few very rare conditions that prevent pichu from evolving, even if their evolutionary requirements are met. Some, such as spike-ear syndrome or pikachu-color syndrome (both of which are marked by self-explanatory physical traits) are actually genetic mutations that result in a pichu being locked in a single form for different reasons. Scientists aren’t entirely sure why spike-ear syndrome are incapable of evolving, but those with pikachu-color syndrome are born with a blend of pikachu and pichu genetics. In other words, their bodies think they’re both pikachu and pichu at the same time and blocks evolution because they can’t tell on a genetic level what evolutionary requirements are necessary to evolve. Thus, all of the requirements for the pichu line cancel each other out and render the resulting pichu stagnant.

In other words, @terra-bunny-collector-edition, don’t worry too much! If you’ve treated your pokémon with love and care, then even if happiness with their trainer is an evolutionary requirement for them, the outright refusal to evolve (rather than the inability to do so) is only a sign that they’re comfortable with you and their forms. And if it’s a genetic condition instead, it’s very likely not an issue that will harm your pichu in the long run.

Pikachu

Pichu
The Tiny Mouse Pokémon
Type: Electric
Official Registration #: 172
Entry: Trainers take caution—although cute and the first stage in a line of formidable battlers, pichu do not have a full mastery over their electrical powers until evolution. This is not to say that they aren’t that strong. On the contrary: they have the ability to generate voltages on par with their evolved forms. What they cannot do is avoid releasing said voltage when startled, happy, or simply standing in an empty room doing absolutely nothing, and suffice to say, this is why many of the reports of electrocution among Johtonians have to do with this very pokémon.

Pikachu
The Mouse Pokémon
Type: Electric
Official Registration #: 25
Entry: The evolved form of pichu, in response to closeness with its trainer. Due to its adorable appearance, its intelligence, and its penchant for doing tricks for treats, pikachu has become an extremely popular choice for a pet. However, should you wish to keep one, never forget that pikachu are still potentially dangerous electric rodents. This is not just a note concerning its ability to generate thousands of volts of electricity, nor is it simply a warning concerning its tendency to release electricity during thunderstorms or upon waking up each morning. It is also a note that this rodent can and will chew through wires if left unattended, and chargers compatible with Leppa-brand laptops run anywhere from ¥3500 to ¥9400 each.

Raichu
The Mouse Pokémon
Type: Electric
Official Registration #: 26
Entry: The evolved form of pikachu, by exposure to thunder stone. A raichu’s tail acts as its grounding wire. When a raichu stores too much electricity in its electrical sacs, it plants its tail and discharges electricity directly into the ground. This is vital to the well-being of an individual raichu, as not only do they gather electricity from their surroundings, but they also grow increasingly aggressive as their electrical stores grow. In that sense, a raichu is much like a drunken relative on Christmas, the sort who gets increasingly offensive the more alcohol he consumes until he needs to be escorted to a safe room to discharge a long and barely intelligible rant. …Not that this writer has seen his father do any of this at any point in his life.