Pichu

Pichu (, Pichu) is the Tiny Mouse Pokémon from the series. It debuted in the series' second generation, and is present as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate after being absent from both Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. 4.

Origin
Pichu is a small, rodent-like Pokémon characterized by its yellow fur, flat, triangular ears, and pink cheeks. It is categorized within the Pokédex at #172 as the "Tiny Mouse Pokémon". As both the pre-evolved form of Pikachu and a, Pichu is much less powerful than its evolved forms. While it cannot learn some moves that Pikachu and Raichu can, it can learn three moves (, and ) that its evolved forms could not learn until Pokémon Sword and Shield. Pichu only evolves into Pikachu when it achieves a very high level of with its Trainer.

The explains that the electricity pouches in Pichu's cheeks are still small and unable to store much electricity. This, in turn, makes it inexperienced with handling electrical attacks, to the point that it occasionally inflicts damage to itself. While this does not actually occur in the Pokémon games (outside of two instances where it is a universal mechanic), it has nevertheless been demonstrated in the Pokémon anime, in  and the Super Smash Bros. series.

Pichu's inexperience with handling electricity may also result in spontaneously discharging if amused or startled. Despite its small size, it can zap even adult humans, but surprises itself whenever it does so. When it plays with other Pichu, they may short out electricity with each other, creating a shower of sparks, startling them and causing them to start crying.

Pichu becomes more adept at storing electricity as it grows older, and will start playing with other Pichu by touching tails and discharging sparks in apparent mutual tests of courage. It charges itself with electricity more easily on days that either have very dry air or thunderclouds, in which case the crackling of static electricity can be heard coming off of it.

If the parent of a Pichu holds a while the egg is produced, that Pichu will know Volt Tackle when it hatches. This is the only way other than move tutoring for any member of Pichu's evolutionary line to learn Volt Tackle. It is also not an egg move, meaning a parent that knows Volt Tackle is unable to pass the move down to its descendants.

Like Pikachu, Pichu has a special variant of its species; in Pichu's case, it is, which debuted in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. True to her name, Spiky-eared Pichu features three spiky tufts of fur on her left ear. Spiky-eared Pichu also deviates from other members of her species by knowing and, having different  stats and, most notably, her inability to evolve or be traded outside HeartGold and SoulSilver and her incompatibility with the  by extension. The latter two traits are later explained by as a side effect of her constantly traveling through time with.

As a playable character
Pichu is a playable unlockable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee. As confirmed in a development news update shortly after Melee's release, Pichu was purposed to be a "joke character" because of its status as an inferior clone of that possesses more weaknesses and weaker strengths. Its most infamous flaw is based on its Pokédex description of unintentionally harming itself with its own electricity: whenever Pichu performs an electrical attack, it will sustain 1%-4% recoil damage. Along with this, Pichu is the lightest character in Melee, giving it extremely poor endurance. Although its agility and okay juggling capabilities were more recently highlighted, such positives are insufficient to offset its multitude of cons, resulting in Pichu currently ranking 22nd out of 26 on the Melee tier list in the D tier.

Trophies
As a playable character, Pichu has three trophies - a normal trophy won beating the with Pichu on any difficulty, and "Smash Red" and "Smash Blue" trophies are acquired by beating the Adventure and All-Star modes, respectively.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Pichu is one of the five playable characters in Melee who did not return as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, along with Dr. Mario, Mewtwo, Roy and Young Link. It is also the only character who neither has unfinished data on Brawl's disc, nor a new playable character as a successor. Instead, Pichu only appears as a trophy. However, its ability to wall jump and the blue goggles from its blue alternate costume were given to.

Trophy
Pichu makes an appearance in Brawl as a collectible trophy. It is obtained by completing All-Star Mode without using a continue. The trophy describes Pichu's appearance in the Pokémon games, and makes no reference whatsoever to its appearance in Melee.

In Super Smash Bros. 4
Once again, Pichu only appears as a trophy in, while references it via Palutena's Guidance regarding. Once again, Pikachu still has Pichu's blue goggles and Pichu's wall jump.

As a playable character


After a two-installment absence, Pichu returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This marks its first playable appearance in the Super Smash Bros. series in 17 years, a distinction shared with fellow Melee newcomer Young Link. In addition, appears in this game as a playable character via Pichu's alternate costumes. Ultimate also marks her first appearance in any form of official media (video games or otherwise) in nearly a decade. Oddly enough, unlike Pikachu Libre, Spiky-eared Pichu does not have an obtainable Fighter Spirit.

Pichu still functions as a lighter, polarized clone of Pikachu, yet it has nevertheless been somewhat de-cloned (though not to the same extent as previous clones due to it not receiving as many entirely original moves), thanks to several of its moves having received modified animations, functionality changes and/or frame data adjustments, as well as Pikachu gaining a new neutral aerial. Presumably due to its previous status as a "joke character" in Melee, Pichu has been buffed greatly. Although several of Pichu's moves had their recoil damage increased in update 3.1.0, a few of these nerfs were undone in update 11.0.0. As a result, Pichu is considered by many to be a viable character, albeit not to same degree as before update 3.1.0.

Despite the term "Echo Fighter" being used in Ultimate to denote clones, Pichu is not labeled as such, and no official reason has been given for this oddity. However, it is worth noting that clone characters introduced before SSB4 are not labeled as Echo Fighters.

Trivia

 * Pichu is the only playable character in Smash whose console of origin is the Game Boy Color.
 * Pichu is the only playable.
 * Despite Pichu using both and  as part of its moveset, Pichu cannot legitimately learn either move in the Pokémon.
 * Pichu is the only character in the series with non-special attacks that inflict recoil damage.