Where Does Pokemon's Shocked Pikachu Meme Come From?
A new investigation has revealed exactly where Pokemon's shocked Pikachu meme comes from, with its surprising origin in the franchise's anime.
17th Jan 2023 13:39
Images via The Pokemon Company
Where Does Pokemon's Shocked Pikachu Meme Come From?
A new investigation has revealed exactly where Pokemon's shocked Pikachu meme comes from, with its surprising origin in the franchise's anime.
17th Jan 2023 13:39
Images via The Pokemon Company
Both mainstream and deep-cut, Pokemon memes are everywhere. From Surskit saying "A," to the series dedicating too hard to Servine's "Who's that Pokemon?" segment, and that disgusting Vaporeon theory, Pokemon has had a wealth of contributions to pop culture
But, when thinking about Pokemon memes, one leaps to mind - and many fans have wondered where exactly it has come from. There's so much of the anime to crawl through to get there, but now, the source of the shocked Pikachu meme has been found.
What Is The Origin Of Suprised Pikachu?
The meme of a Pikachu looking utterly shocked and appalled has become a mainstay in reaction image folders everywhere, but for some time, fans simply haven't had the drive to seek out its origins.
Next time you wonder if you can go back and watch the birth of this meme-worthy legend, now you can. Though fans haven't been keen to go digging for the image in the Pokemon anime, a simple rewatch from the start would've led them to it pretty quickly.
ScreenRant has pointed out that the frame that features the distantly shocked Pikachu comes from the tenth episode of the Pokemon series. If you want to find it, the episode is called "Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village."
Why Is Shocked Pikachu So Shocked?
It's an extreme reaction from the cast of the show, but they're all pretty shocked for good reason. The episode sees Misty trying to fight an Oddish with her Starmie, but in a surprise twist, a Bulbasaur leaps out of nowhere and wipes the Starmie out.
Ash quickly jumps in and sends out his Butterfree - using Sleep Powder to try and knock out the vegetative dinosaur. Instead, Bulbasaur blows the sleep powder back and looks like an undefeatable menace. Pikachu's shock is actually in response to this turn of events, stunned as anything.
Despite its legendary status, KnowYouMeme says the meme was first used as a reaction in 2018, meaning Shocked Pikachu isn't actually as old as you'd think. It's interesting to see the origins of a meme that has since become so iconic. Thanks for all the shock, little guy, it has been very useful indeed.
About The Author
Joseph Kime
Joseph Kime is the Senior Trending News Journalist for GGRecon from Devon, UK. Before graduating from MarJon University with a degree in Journalism, he started writing music reviews for his own website before writing for the likes of FANDOM, Zavvi and The Digital Fix. He is host of the Big Screen Book Club podcast, and author of Building A Universe, a book that chronicles the history of superhero movies. His favourite games include DOOM (2016), Celeste and Pokemon Emerald.
