Pokémon has one major unsolved mystery surrounding Ash's Pikachu. For some reason, Pikachu is far more powerful than other wild Pikachu. In fact, it's so powerful that Team Rocket desperately wants to steal it. However, it has never been explained why this specific Pikachu is so strong -- although several fans have theories, one of which points to the very first episode of the anime.
Five years ago, Reddit user u/Nachington went on Reddit's fan theory subreddit to suggest that the reason Ash's Pikachu is so powerful can be found in the first episode of the anime. In this episode, called "Pokémon - I Choose You!", Ash is first introduced to Pikachu and the pair set out on their adventure. At first, Ash and Pikachu don't get on, leading to Ash and several bystanders getting electric shocks. However, while traveling, Ash angers a Spearow and is chased by an entire flock of birds. He tries to escape on Misty's bike, but the Spearow flock makes Ash crash before surrounding him. Pikachu, moved by Ash's desire to save him, jumps into the air to attack but gets struck by lightning while in the air. This strike boosts the power of Pikachu's Thunder Shock attack, causing it to decimate the Spearow flock in a single blow.
In the next episode, Team Rocket makes their first appearance. While Pikachu is hurt, he is healed when the Pokémon Center's backup power system, a horde of Pikachu, surrounds him and gives him an electric shock. After this, Pikachu requests that Ash give him more power. Pikachu then absorbs the power from Misty's pedal-powered bike light before shocking Team Rocket. After escaping, Team Rocket notes that Ash's Pikachu is very rare and not like other Pikachu, suggesting that even at this point, this particular Pokémon is more powerful than others.
This actually fits the theory perfectly. If Pikachu can absorb electrical energy and power itself up, then a lightning strike, which tends to contain around 300 million volts, would undoubtedly make it ludicrously strong. It would also get Pikachu's body used to large amounts of power, allowing it to store more electrical energy than usual. Several other parts of the series back up this reading of the situation, as we see Pikachu absorbing power from objects several times. One of the most notable of these events occurs in Episode 5. While preparing for his rematch with Brock, Ash hooks Pikachu up to a hydroelectric powerplant to boost his strength. This eventually causes Pikachu to overload the generator. However, it should be noted that the river is dry, so Ash generates the power by physically moving the turbine. This suggests that Pikachu must have a lot of natural electrical energy to overload a generator designed to handle powerplant power levels.
However, some details detract from this theory. In Episode 1, for instance, both Ash's mom and Professor Oak note that Pikachu is unusual, and Oak even says there is a problem with Pikachu but doesn't elaborate further. Later in the same episode, Pikachu shocks a massive crowd of people and knocks them down, just as he does to Team Rocket in Episode 2. However, he hadn't absorbed power beforehand, suggesting that he already has a powerful Thunder Shock attack before the lightning strike.
Is Pikachu's immense strength due to the lightning strike, or is he naturally stronger than usual? While we'll never know for sure, it does make for some compelling fan theories that allow viewers to examine the Pokémon world from a whole new perspective. Pokémon's many episodes make it rather easy to craft fan theories, and this is all part of the fun of online fandom, as everyone can come up with and share their own personal theories with the world.
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