Tag: pikachu

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.

Hey Bill, because Pikachu evolves into Alohan Raichu due to it’s diet in Aloha, theoretically could a pokemon evolve into a new form anywhere if their diet is changed?

It’s possible! Pokémon are very adaptable in ways that frequently surprise the research community. For another example, who would have thought that some pokémon will evolve if they know a particular move or if a metal coat and a lot of radiation were applied to them? Pikachu isn’t even the only one that evolves into a different form thanks to its diet, either; sylveon is just an eeveelution that evolves after being fed delicious treats (and, all right, petted and groomed enough too).

The point is, new and fascinating evolutionary requirements for already discovered pokémon are found all the time, and just when you’ve found what you’d think is the most unusual, a new, more interesting one is discovered. So who knows? Perhaps goldeen will evolve into an undiscovered pokémon after eating an entire box of tea biscuits.

As a disclaimer, I am not encouraging anyone to feed their goldeen an entire box of tea biscuits.

I’m surprised you’re adding that disclaimer on your own. —LH

Well, it needed to be said. Start with one tea biscuit, then work your way up. Starting with the whole box at once is far too ambitious for a goldeen. —Bill

Bill… —LH

What’s the deal with that pikachu that can get different moves by changing costumes? Can they all do that?

No, just very specific pikachu.

Or, well, to be more accurate, it’s pikachu who have been specially trained for shows, and even then, you need to have a pikachu with a certain temperament. It’s acting, in a sense: pikachu assume roles associated with their costumes, and in the process of focusing so much on their roles, they manage to develop abilities that fit their characters. In a way, it’s further proof that the pikachu line is more adaptable than scientists initially thought … or that pokémon as a whole are.

(Personally, though, I’m a bit envious. Think of how much more effective my costumes would be if I could develop the abilities of the pokémon I’m studying, just by focusing on assuming its character!)

Considering the fact that you’re working on a mega aerodactyl costume, I think I speak for everyone when I say it’s a relief you can’t. —LH

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

Do all mimikyu choose to look like pikachu, or are there some that disguise themselves as other pokemon?

For whatever reason, mimikyu fixate on pikachu and pikachu alone (likely due to pikachu’s popularity as a mascot, actually, but that’s a subject for another ask). While it’s possible to give a mimikyu another costume and while it’s possible for a mimikyu to temporarily don another costume of a popular pokémon (such as clefairy) in order to attain that level of popularity, they’ll generally go back to their pikachu costumes rather quickly, I’m afraid.

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.)

When my pikachu evolved from pichu, it’s electric sacks on its cheeks stayed pink instead of turning red. I’ve taken him to the Pokémon center and he has a clean bill of health. Is this occurrence common?

Absolutely. While all pokémon have a common coloration, an individual specimen’s coat, pelt, or so forth can actually vary wildly from the standard. And that’s not even referring to “shiny” pokémon or albino or melanistic ones. The variation can be as minor as a pikachu’s cheeks being the wrong shade.

So yes, anonymous, what your pikachu is displaying is actually a common occurrence, albeit not quite as common of one as the completely standard red-cheeked pikachu.