After accompanying Ash for several years in the Pokémon world, Ash’s Pikachu appears to lose its strength once again upon entering a new region, despite receiving training and traveling with its trainer all this time.
Since the start of the Pokémon anime, Pikachu has been a constant companion of Ash. Initially, Ash was inexperienced and struggled to take care of his Pokémon, which caused friction between him and Pikachu. However, they were able to reconcile and overcome their differences. Even when Ash traveled to new regions and formed new teams of Pokémon, Pikachu remained a steadfast companion by his side.
It’s logical to assume that Pikachu would become virtually invincible after training and fighting alongside Ash for a long time. However, each time Pikachu ventures into a new region, all its power seems to vanish suddenly. It even loses battles against feeble Pokémon under novice trainers. While some viewers speculate that this is done to prevent the anime from becoming monotonous, there could be plausible explanations within the show’s universe for this recurring phenomenon.
Pikachu Was Sick at the Beginning of Ash’s Hoenn Journey
Anime enthusiasts appreciate storylines that revolve around underdeveloped characters who gradually evolve and ascend to greater heights. However, they are not fond of witnessing these characters becoming excessively dominant. If the Pokémon anime solely depicted Ash and Pikachu consistently winning without facing defeat or learning new skills, the show would certainly become monotonous and uninteresting. This would result in their journey to become the ultimate Pokémon trainers appearing too effortless.
Numerous incidents occurring within the storyline seem to have negatively impacted the strength of the electric mouse. In the Season 5 finale titled “Hoenn Alone,” Ash and Pikachu are traveling via boat when Team Rocket ambushes them and captures Pikachu. The trio then restrains Pikachu to a magnet and activates it, resulting in a significant depletion of Pikachu’s power and causing it to become severely ill. Given that an electric type such as Pikachu is exposed to an electromagnet, the outcome of the incident should come as no surprise.
Ash’s Pikachu Was Struck by an Intense Electrical Attack
Ash and Pikachu seem to have a tendency to suffer misfortune by sustaining serious injuries at the beginning of every new region they venture into. In Episode 1 of Season 14, “In the Shadow of Zekrom,” the pair makes their first appearance in the Unova region. As they arrive, they encounter a peculiar dark cloud in the sky, from which blue lightning bolts emanate. In the midst of the ensuing turmoil, Pikachu gets struck by one of these bolts, which is later discovered to have been caused by the legendary electric Pokémon known as Zekrom.
This significant decrease in strength appears to be affirmed when Pikachu is vanquished by a seemingly feeble Snivy. Even though the way Pokémon become stronger in the anime differs from how it works in the games, followers have frequently criticized Ash for this seemingly implausible defeat.
Although some fans were frustrated with the situation, it is possible that Zekrom’s immense power played a major role in Ash and Pikachu having to experience various challenges all over again, both in terms of physical strength and knowledge. Even though the encounters with Team Rocket and Zekrom may seem like simple plot devices, they have made Ash and Pikachu’s Pokémon journey compelling and fraught with difficulties.
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