Editing Raichu (section)

==Conception and development==
Raichu is a species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for the ''[[Pokémon]]'' media franchise. Developed by [[Game Freak]] and published by [[Nintendo]], the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Green'' for the [[Game Boy]], which were later released in North America as [[Pokémon Red and Blue|''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'']] in 1998.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/12/25/pok-233-mon-red-amp-blue-a-look-back-at-the-20-year-journey-to-catch-em-all.aspx |title=''Pokémon Red'' & ''Blue'' – A Look Back At The 20-Year Journey To Catch 'Em All |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |last=Hilliard |first=Kyle |date=December 25, 2016 |access-date=January 22, 2024 |archive-date=October 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001192920/https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/12/25/pok-233-mon-red-amp-blue-a-look-back-at-the-20-year-journey-to-catch-em-all.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon. Some Pokémon can transform into stronger species through a process called [[Gameplay of Pokémon#Pokémon evolution|evolution]] via various means, such as exposure to specific items.<ref name="millenial"/> Each Pokémon have one or two elemental types, which define its advantages and disadvantages when battling other Pokémon.<ref>{{cite book |title=Pokémon Deluxe Essential Handbook |date=July 28, 2015 |publisher=[[Scholastic Inc.]] |page=5 |isbn=9780545795661}}</ref> A major goal in each game is to complete the [[Pokédex]], a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species.<ref name="millenial">{{cite book |title=Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination |first=Anne |last=Allison |date=May 2006 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |isbn=9780520938991 |pages=192–197}}</ref>

Midway through ''Red'' and ''Blue''{{'}}s development, lead designer [[Ken Sugimori]] felt that the game needed more "cute" Pokémon and was struggling to conceive of such designs. Attributing it to his male perspective, he brought in female Game Freak staff including [[Atsuko Nishida]] to join the development team. Tasked with developing the [[Pikachu]] species and its evolutionary line, she was given specific guidelines to work with, namely its role as an Electric-type Pokémon, that it evolved twice, and that the final evolution should "look strong".<ref name="nishida"/> Pikachu evolves into Raichu through use of the game's "Thunder Stone" item.<ref name="gamesradar"/> Raichu was originally planned to evolve into a Pokémon species dubbed Gorochu, but this was cut due to [[ROM cartridge|cartridge]] space concerns.<ref name="nishida"/> Later in the franchise, Sugimori would create a Pokémon that evolved into Pikachu named [[Pichu]] to complete the trinity.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=Pocket Games |title=Pokémon Breeding |page=46 |date=Winter 2001 |issue=5 |issn=1524-3567}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/23/pokemon-creators-on-platinum |website=[[IGN]] |first=Craig |last=Harris |accessdate=2024-08-11 |date=2012-05-11 |title=Pokemon Creators on Platinum}}</ref> Nishida developed the original Raichu [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] using a single color identity chosen to work within the [[Super Game Boy]]'s hardware limitations.<ref name="nishida"/><ref name=EeveeDesigner>{{cite web |last1=Morrissy |first1=Kim |title=Pokémon Designers Reflect on History of Eevee's Design |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2018-09-10/pokemon-designers-reflect-on-history-of-eevee-design/.136529 |website=[[Anime News Network]] |access-date=18 August 2020 |archive-date=2022-11-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126003606/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2018-09-10/pokemon-designers-reflect-on-history-of-eevee-design/.136529 |url-status=live }}</ref> Afterwards, the design was finalized by Sugimori who, towards the end of development, drew the promotional art of all the species to give them a unified look and make any last-minute changes.<ref name="sugimori"/>

===Design===
[[File:Pokemon Alolan Raichu Art.png|thumb|left|alt=Concept art showcasing an orange mouse creature in a variety of poses including hovering while riding its tail in the same manner as a surfboard|Nishida wanted to give Raichu's Alolan form a "soft and fluffy" appearance. She also defined Alolan Raichu's means of movement, with the Pokémon levitating on its tail and gliding on it like a surfboard.]]
Standing 2{{Nbsp}}ft 7{{Nbsp}}in (79{{Nbsp}}cm) tall,<ref name="pokedex">{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403083738/http://guides.ign.com:80/guides/9846/page_134.html|archivedate=2012-04-03|url=http://guides.ign.com/guides/9846/page_134.html |title=Pokémon Details #026 Raichu |website=[[IGN]] |accessdate=2010-09-25}}</ref> Raichu is significantly taller than Pikachu, which stands at 1{{Nbsp}}ft 4{{Nbsp}}in (41{{Nbsp}}cm).<ref>{{cite web |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403083712/http://guides.ign.com/guides/9846/page_122.html |archivedate=2012-04-03 |url=http://guides.ign.com/guides/9846/page_122.html |title=Pokémon Details #025 Pikachu |website=[[IGN]] |accessdate=2024-09-12}}</ref> Raichu is a [[bipedal]] [[rodent]] with long ears and feet but short arms. It has orange skin, a white belly, brown paws, and tan-colored soles on its feet. Its [[wikt:bifurcation|bifurcated]] ears meanwhile are brown on the outside and yellow on the inside, and it has yellow cheek sacs.<ref name="pokedex"/> Raichu was not originally intended to be based on mice, as the mouse Pokémon [[Rattata]] already existed at this point in development, and instead the species was modeled after [[squirrel]]s. Nishida stated in an interview that she was obsessed with squirrels at the time due to their "comical" movement, and had the idea to have Pikachu and Raichu store electricity in their cheeks similar to how squirrels store food. Pokémon creator [[Satoshi Tajiri]] however chose to change the species to be a type of mouse when he was designing the setting.<ref name="nishida"/> Raichu's name comes from the Japanese kanji "rai", meaning thunder, followed by "chū", which is the [[Japanese sound symbolism|Japanese onomatopoeia]] for a mouse's squeak.<ref name="pokedex"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Power-up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life |first=Chris |last=Kohler |publisher=[[BradyGames]] |year=2004 |isbn=9780744004243 |page=241}}</ref>

During the development of sequel titles [[Pokémon Sun and Moon|''Pokémon Sun'' and ''Moon'']], "Alolan form" variants of several existing Pokémon were introduced, meant to be tied thematically to the game's region, which was modeled after [[Hawaii]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2016/08/01/pokemon-sun-moon-alola-forms-teaser/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |title=''Pokemon Sun'' and ''Moon'': New Pokemon and Forms Revealed in Teaser |first=Dylan |last=Kickham |accessdate=2024-01-22 |date=2016-08-01 |archive-date=January 23, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240123041652/https://ew.com/article/2016/08/01/pokemon-sun-moon-alola-forms-teaser/ |url-status=live }}</ref> According to game director [[Shigeru Ohmori]], of all the regional forms introduced in the game, Raichu's was the hardest to create, as they felt the species was popular with fans of the franchise. A theme of it surfing on its tail was chosen due to the large amount of water surrounding the in-game region,<ref name="digitalspy">{{cite web |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/pokemon/a811374/guess-which-pokemon-sun-moon-alola-form-was-the-hardest-to-design/ |website=[[Digital Spy]] |date=2016-10-20 |first=Sam |last=Loveridge |title=Guess Which ''Pokémon Sun''/''Moon'' Alola Form was the Hardest to Design |accessdate=2023-12-20 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220181808/https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/pokemon/a811374/guess-which-pokemon-sun-moon-alola-form-was-the-hardest-to-design/ |archivedate=20 December 2023}}</ref> a concept they had previously explored with Raichu in another game, ''[[Pokémon Stadium]]''.<ref name="screenrant1"/> Asked by Sugimori to design the form, Nishida felt that Raichu's original design was far cuter than people gave it credit for, and wanted to express this by giving Alolan Raichu "soft and fluffy" appearance. When Sugimori inquired about the finished design, Nishida explained that the "motif behind the design was bread", a statement that confused him as he didn't understand the correlation. The development team gave the species an affinity for pancakes to better tie it to its motif, as well as to "play up that cuteness".<ref name="xxi">{{cite book |page=xxi |title=Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon Edition |author=[[The Pokémon Company]] |publisher=Piggyback Interactive |date=December 2017 |isbn=9781911015437}}</ref> It was given a secondary typing of Psychic, as well as a special ability called "Surge Surfer" that boosts its speed when it is in areas with an "Electric Terrain" attribute.<ref name="digitalspy"/>