Many Pokemon enthusiasts are unaware of the intriguing origin behind Pikachu's name.

For fans of the series, the endearing yellow critter known as Pikachu is instantly recognisable. Pikachu darted onto the scene with the 1996 release of Pokemon Red and Blue , which arrived in North America and Europe in 1998 and swiftly became an emblematic figure for the brand.

In the animated series, Ash Ketchum befriends Pikachu as his first companion, and the affinity for Pikachu continued into the video game . In 1998 (1999 in the US and 2000 in Europe), Pokemon Yellow hit the shelves, giving gamers the chance to commence their adventures with Pikachu too.

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This iconic Pokemon has since graced almost every mainline game, starred in numerous films, and even headlined its standalone feature, Detective Pikachu, in 2019. But one mystery still remains - where did the beloved creature get its name?

As we mark National Pokemon Day today (February 27th), let's uncover the hidden layers of Pikachu's name. A woman named Sayaka unveiled the secret on TikTok, explaining that the name is a blend of two Japanese terms.

The adorable and iconic Pikachu's name has a fascinating origin rooted in Japanese onomatopoeia. The first part of the name, "pika", is derived from the Japanese term for the sound of a lightning flash or the sparkle of something shiny. The latter half, "chu", mimics the squeak of a mouse. Combined, they essentially mean "lightning mouse", which perfectly encapsulates Pikachu's electric nature.

In a 2009 interview, series director Junichi Masuda admitted that crafting Pikachu's name was particularly challenging because it needed to resonate with fans globally.

He explained: "Yes, it's incredibly difficult! Especially [coming] up with a name [that] is universal here, in the US or Europe, such as Pikachu, Dialga, Palkia, and Lucario. Those are the names that you have to come up with, appealing to all of the audiences. That's very difficult."

Pikachu's evolved form, Raichu, follows a similar naming pattern. "Chu" retains its meaning, while "Rai" is taken from the Japanese character for "thunder".

However, the pre-evolution, Pichu, breaks this trend. This tinier version wasn't part of the original game lineup and only appeared in the second generation with Pokemon Gold and Silver, without any hidden meaning in its name. Pikachu was already a big deal when the Pokémon world introduced Pichu, who got a name that doesn't hold much significance; it seems like just a cute spin-off of Pikachu to embody a tinier or baby version.

But here's something you might not know: there were once plans for a third evolution following Raichu named Gorochu. This extra evolution never made it to the game due to worries about the limited space on the original game cartridges and issues with keeping the game fair and balanced. The "goro" in the would-be Gorochu is a bit of sound symbolism meant to evoke the rumble of thunder.

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