Raikou (Pokémon)

In The Legend of Thunder!, Team Rocket members Attila and Hun attempted to capture a Raikou, but failed.

A Shiny Raikou appeared alongside the other members of its trio in Zoroark: Master of Illusions.

A Raikou appeared at the end of Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs (Part 2).

Raikou debuted in Houndoom's Special Delivery, where Togepi and a Houndoom briefly spotted it before it disappeared.

A Raikou appeared in a flashback in For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll!.

A Raikou appeared in the opening sequence of Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.

A Raikou appeared in the opening sequence of Arceus and the Jewel of Life.

In Three Sides to Every Story!, Dawn's Piplup's dream featured a Raikou.

In I Choose You!, Ash, Verity, and Sorrel saw a Raikou as they approached Mount Tensei, but it disappeared before they could get a better look.

A silhouetted Raikou appeared in a fantasy in Healing the Healer!.

Raikou in Pokémon Generations

A wild Raikou appeared in Ecruteak City in The Reawakening, during a flashback about the creation of the legendary beasts.

A Raikou briefly appeared as a silhouette in GOTCHA!.

Main article: Raikou (M13)

Raikou appeared in the manga adaptation of the fourth and final Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl movie, Zoroark: Master of Illusions.

A Raikou appeared in PMHGSS04 and PMHGSS05.

A Raikou appeared in JBA3.

Main article: Raikou (Adventures)

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Raikou first appeared as a beam of light in Slugging It Out With Slugma. Its first proper appearance was in Really Raikou & Entirely Entei I. It was revealed in Hello, Lickitung that Yellow had unintentionally freed the Legendary beasts from their imprisonment at the Burned Tower, from which they then left to roam Johto and Kanto in search for a Trainer to team up with in the battle against the Masked Man. Raikou eventually chose Lt. Surge as its Trainer. After the Masked Man was defeated, Raikou returned to the wild.

In Never Spritz a Knotty Sudowoodo, Anabel was revealed to have caught Raikou in Johto for use at the Battle Frontier.

	Spoilers end here.

A Raikou appeared in Gold and Black VS Team Rocket and The Legendary Pokémon.

A Raikou first appeared in GDZ58.

A Raikou appeared in Find the Legendary Pokémon!!.

When released from a Poké Ball, Raikou releases a powerful Spark attack that electrocutes any opponents that get caught in it. Raikou is the only Legendary beast that does not return in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

These Thunder Pokémon travel near and far, blasting out electrified whirlwinds. They carry storm clouds on their backs, so they can produce lightning regardless of the local weather; it's even said that they descended to the earth with via lightning bolts. Their extreme quickness lends itself to flight, so they're very hard to capture.

Raikou appears as a trophy.

NA: Was that a bolt of lightning flashing by, on the ground instead of the air? Then it could have been Raikou. A rumble of thunder in the distance, but not a cloud in the sky? Sounds like Raikou's roar to us. It is said that this wild Pokémon perished in the Johto region once, but Ho-Oh was so filled with sorrow at the loss that Raikou was resurrected.

PAL: If you see a bolt of lightning flash across the ground instead of from the sky, you may have just caught a glimpse of Raikou. And if you hear a peal of thunder that lasts longer than it should, that may be Raikou's roar. It's said that this wild yet majestic Pokémon once perished in the Johto region, but Ho-Oh, filled with sorrow, resurrected it.

Raikou appears as a Spirit alongside Entei and Suicune.

• Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: Raikou first appears alongside Suicune up on Revelation Mountain where they confronted Krookodile believing he turned Entei to stone but discovered Nuzleaf was responsible and was turned to stone. Raikou later helped the player and partner escape from the Voidlands.

Raikou is available in Sword and Shield Version 1.3.0+ and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

SwSh

Generation VIII Other generations: II - III - IV - V - VI - VII

TM   Move   Type   Cat.   Pwr.   Acc.   PP  TM08 TM08 Hyper Beam Normal Special 150150 090}}90% 5 TM09 TM09 Giga Impact Normal Physical 150150 090}}90% 5 TM14 TM14 Thunder Wave Electric Status 0000— 090}}90% 20 TM15 TM15 Dig Ground Physical 08080 100}}100% 10 TM17 TM17 Light Screen Psychic Status 0000— 00—}}—% 30 TM18 TM18 Reflect Psychic Status 0000— 00—}}—% 20 TM21 TM21 Rest Psychic Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TM24 TM24 Snore Normal Special 05050 100}}100% 15 TM25 TM25 Protect Normal Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TM32 TM32 Sandstorm Rock Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TM33 TM33 Rain Dance Water Status 0000— 00—}}—% 5 TM34 TM34 Sunny Day Fire Status 0000— 00—}}—% 5 TM39 TM39 Facade Normal Physical 07070 100}}100% 20 TM40 TM40 Swift Normal Special 06060 00—}}—% 20 TM41 TM41 Helping Hand Normal Status 0000— 00—}}—% 20 TM46 TM46 Weather Ball Normal Special 05050 100}}100% 10 TM66 TM66 Thunder Fang Electric Physical 06565 095}}95% 15 TM76 TM76 Round Normal Special 06060 100}}100% 15 TM80 TM80 Volt Switch Electric Special 07070 100}}100% 20 TM81 TM81 Bulldoze Ground Physical 06060 100}}100% 20 TM85 TM85 Snarl Dark Special 05555 095}}95% 15 TM90 TM90 Electric Terrain Electric Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TM93 TM93 Eerie Impulse Electric Status 0000— 100}}100% 15 TR01 TR01 Body Slam Normal Physical 08585 100}}100% 15 TR08 TR08 Thunderbolt Electric Special 09090 100}}100% 15 TR09 TR09 Thunder Electric Special 110110 070}}70% 10 TR12 TR12 Agility Psychic Status 0000— 00—}}—% 30 TR20 TR20 Substitute Normal Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TR26 TR26 Endure Normal Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TR27 TR27 Sleep Talk Normal Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TR31 TR31 Iron Tail Steel Physical 100100 075}}75% 15 TR32 TR32 Crunch Dark Physical 08080 100}}100% 15 TR33 TR33 Shadow Ball Ghost Special 08080 100}}100% 15 TR49 TR49 Calm Mind Psychic Status 0000— 00—}}—% 20 TR56 TR56 Aura Sphere Fighting Special 08080 00—}}—% 20 TR74 TR74 Iron Head Steel Physical 08080 100}}100% 15 TR84 TR84 Scald Water Special 08080 100}}100% 15 TR86 TR86 Wild Charge Electric Physical 09090 100}}100% 15 TR95 TR95 Throat Chop Dark Physical 08080 100}}100% 15

Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Raikou Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an evolution of Raikou Click on the generation numbers at the top to see TM moves from other generations

BDSP

Generation VIII Other generations: II - III - IV - V - VI - VII

TM   Move   Type   Cat.   Pwr.   Acc.   PP  TM04 TM04 Calm Mind Psychic Status 0000— —}}—% 20 TM05 TM05 Roar Normal Status 0000— —}}—% 20 TM11 TM11 Sunny Day Fire Status 0000— —}}—% 5 TM15 TM15 Hyper Beam Normal Special 150150 090}}90% 5 TM16 TM16 Light Screen Psychic Status 0000— —}}—% 30 TM17 TM17 Protect Normal Status 0000— —}}—% 10 TM18 TM18 Rain Dance Water Status 0000— —}}—% 5 TM23 TM23 Iron Tail Steel Physical 100100 075}}75% 15 TM24 TM24 Thunderbolt Electric Special 09090 100}}100% 15 TM25 TM25 Thunder Electric Special 110110 070}}70% 10 TM28 TM28 Dig Ground Physical 08080 100}}100% 10 TM30 TM30 Shadow Ball Ghost Special 08080 100}}100% 15 TM32 TM32 Double Team Normal Status 0000— —}}—% 15 TM33 TM33 Reflect Psychic Status 0000— —}}—% 20 TM34 TM34 Shock Wave Electric Special 06060 —}}—% 20 TM37 TM37 Sandstorm Rock Status 0000— —}}—% 10 TM42 TM42 Facade Normal Physical 07070 100}}100% 20 TM43 TM43 Volt Switch Electric Special 07070 100}}100% 20 TM44 TM44 Rest Psychic Status 0000— —}}—% 10 TM49 TM49 Scald Water Special 08080 100}}100% 15 TM57 TM57 Charge Beam Electric Special 05050 090}}90% 10 TM58 TM58 Endure Normal Status 0000— —}}—% 10 TM68 TM68 Giga Impact Normal Physical 150150 090}}90% 5 TM70 TM70 Flash Normal Status 0000— 100}}100% 20 TM73 TM73 Thunder Wave Electric Status 0000— 090}}90% 20 TM77 TM77 Psych Up Normal Status 0000— —}}—% 10 TM78 TM78 Snarl Dark Special 05555 095}}95% 15 TM82 TM82 Sleep Talk Normal Status 0000— —}}—% 10 TM83 TM83 Bulldoze Ground Physical 06060 100}}100% 20 TM87 TM87 Swagger Normal Status 0000— 085}}85% 15 TM90 TM90 Substitute Normal Status 0000— —}}—% 10 TM93 TM93 Cut Normal Physical 05050 095}}95% 30 TM96 TM96 Strength Normal Physical 08080 100}}100% 15 TM98 TM98 Rock Smash Fighting Physical 04040 100}}100% 15 XTM100 TM100 Rock Climb Normal Physical 09090 085}}85% 20

Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Raikou Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an evolution of Raikou Click on the generation numbers at the top to see TM moves from other generations

When asked about the basis behind Raikou's design, Muneo Saitō described the process to be difficult, as "Raikou took many twists and turns; there was even a blue thunder version with a drum on its back", but it eventually fell into a tiger-like design.[2][3]

Its long upper fangs bear a resemblance to those of smilodon, commonly known as the saber-toothed tiger.

Raikou may have also been inspired by thunder and lightning gods of most cultures surrounding the world, mostly the 雷獣 raijū (lit. thunder beast), a thunder demon of Japanese lore and is said to be Raijin's companion. It is said to be a creature that could take the form of various animals.

The flowing purple cloud on its back seems to be based on a cumulonimbus cloud, which is most often associated with thunderstorms.

Raikou could be taken to mean 雷光 raikou (lightning), which is also the inspiration for the name of raijū, or it may be a combination of 雷 rai (thunder) and 皇 kō (emperor). It may also derive from 雷公 raikō (thunder duke), the on'yomi rendering of Lei Gong, a Taoist/Daoist deity.