Pikachu

Pikachu is an Electric-Type Pokémon and one of the most famous creatures in the  franchise. It is the Pokémon #25 of the National Pokédex. It is a playable character in the  series.

Character description
Pikachu is a small mouse-like Pokémon with short, yellow fur (with brown markings on the back), pointy, black-tipped ears, red circles on its cheeks, and a tail in the shape of a lightning bolt. It lives in forests in groups away from people, and it keeps its tail raised as it monitors its surroundings. The tail is sometimes struck by lightning in this pose, and it will try to bite whatever yanks its tail. Its red cheeks are electricity-storing pouches which appear to become electrically charged overnight while Pikachu sleeps. It occasionally discharges electricity when it is dozy after waking up. Shooting out stored-up electricity from its cheeks is its primary offensive measure; if threatened, angered, or attacked, it discharges the electricity from its cheeks at the offender. When it releases pent-up energy in a full-on burst, the electric power unleashed is equal to a bona-fide lightning bolt. When several Pikachu gather together, the collective electricity among them may build and cause a lightning storm. It occasionally uses an electric shock to recharge a fellow Pikachu that is in a weakened state. An intelligent species, it jolts any new thing it comes across as a way of inspecting it. Whenever it comes across a hard berry, it uses its electricity to roast the berry to make it tender enough to eat, and it jolts any new thing it comes across. If you come across a blackened berry, it is evidence that a Pikachu mistook the intensity of its charge.

In the main series of video games, Pikachu is a relatively weak Electric-type Pokémon that can be found early in the original game. Unlike certain special monsters that had plot elements wrapped around them (such as Mewtwo), Pikachu was just another Pokémon that could be caught, evolved into its higher form, Raichu, and had no bearing on the story. However, Pikachu's popularity in the anime, where it was the first and primary Pokémon of the main character, Ash Ketchum, eventually led to its starring its own specialized version of the Game Boy game (the Yellow version, which was largely based on the anime), as the first Pokémon that the player obtained. Pikachu's role in the game was intensely elaborated on, as several events on the game depended on how Pikachu felt towards the player. Depending on the player's actions towards Pikachu, the electric mouse Pokémon would exhibit a variety of emotions when spoken to, varying from frustration, to amusement, to complete adoration. Pikachu's happiness was sometimes a prerequisite for certain rewards in the game, such as attaining the three Pokémon that could be chosen as starters from the Red and Blue versions.

Pikachu has not had a starring role in any of the main games in the series since then, but it has been featured in every prominent hand held RPG since the franchise, usually bringing something new with it each time. In Pokémon Gold and Silver, released for the Game Boy Color in 2000, Pikachu gained a new evolutionary phase in the form of Pichu. It also gained an item called the Light Ball, which doubled Pikachu's Special Attack when held. However the item was only obtainable when trading a Pikachu over from the Yellow version. The Emerald version of Pokémon Advance gave Pikachu an Egg Move exclusive to it and its family, called Volt Tackle, which was an exceptionally powerful Electric-attack with a large recoil. The Diamond and Pearl versions of the recently released DS title introduced cosmetic differences between genders for certain species of Pokémon, and Pikachu was one of them, with the females having a dent at the end of their tail. The Light Ball also gained a new feature in this game - allowing both Pikachu's normal and Special Attacks to be doubled.

Pikachu has also been in virtually every Pokémon-related spin-off game ever released, sometimes as the star or a main character, and other times just featured among the hundreds of other Pokémon in the series. Notable Pikachu-centric games include Hey You, Pikachu! for the Nintendo 64, where the player could talk to Pikachu using the microphone, Pokémon Channel, which is usually regarded as a spiritual sequel to the previous title, PokePark Wii: Pikachu's Great Adventure is a game that has Pikachu as the main character and the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, where Pikachu is one of 16 Pokémon that the player can start out as. Pikachu has also been made into a Tamagotchi-style virtual pet called the Pocket Pikachu, which was a little LCD device that owners can clip onto their belt. Whenever the user took a step, it would register on the system, which would give Pikachu points in the form of "watts". It is described as quadruped.

In Super Smash Flash
Pikachu is one of the many playable characters featured in Super Smash Flash and is the only starter character of the Pokémon franchise. Most of its attacks come from the Super Smash Bros. series. Pikachu is tied for 29th on the tier list, alongside, in the bottom tier.

In Super Smash Flash 2
Pikachu returns as a veteran in Super Smash Flash 2. Pikachu's sprite design is based on its appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee while its moveset has been further expanded from the official Super Smash Bros. games. Pikachu is ranked 10th of A tier on the current tier list.

Trivia

 * Pikachu's Japanese voice actor is Ikue Ōtani, who also voices Tony Tony Chopper from the  series.