While it is not known toevolve into or from any other Pokémon, theParadox PokémonRaging Bolt is said to be either an ancient relative of Raikou or a version of it from a parallel timeline.
Along withEntei andSuicune, Raikou is one of thelegendary beasts resurrected byHo-Oh after the burning of theBrass Tower, said to represent the lightning strike which ignited the fire.
Raikou is a quadrupedal, yellow,tiger-likePokémon with black stripes and a white underside. It has a thin, light blue tail with sharp angles and a spark-shaped formation at the end. Most of its face consists of thick, white fur and shorter yellow fur around its red eyes. Raikou's muzzle is a light blue "X" and it has a black faceplate with two bumps that cover its forehead, nose, and ears. Raikou has two long fangs that make its appearance similar to thesaber-toothed cat. Its large claws each converge to form a single point and never retract. Extra fur hangs off its body in front of its thighs. Raikou has a mane across its back that resembles dull purple rain clouds and allows it to shoot bolts of lightning.
150 years ago,Brass Tower inJohto was hit by a lightning bolt, causing it to catch on a huge fire and would be later put out by a sudden downpout.Three unnamed Pokémon perished in the fire, however, theLegendary PokémonHo-Oh granted the trio new life, one of those Pokémon was revived as Raikou, which represents the lightning that struck the now Burned Tower.
A proverb claims that Raikou descended from the sky with a lightning bolt. Raikou is able to fly by creating storm clouds, as depicted in thePokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs (animated special). InThe Legend of Thunder!, Raikou is shown to be distrustful of humans, though it may form some friendship with those who help it. Raikou tends to appear during thunderstorms and when other Electric-type Pokémon are in danger. Raikou is said to represent the speed of lightning and can control storm clouds at will. Raikou races acrossgrasslands while barking cries that sound like thunder. Raikou's cries can also send shock waves in the air while shaking the ground at the same time. Raikou lovesRaikou Treats made bySnacksworth, who once encountered and raced up a mountain with it in the past.Raging Bolt bears a resemblance to Raikou. According to Occulture, Raging Bolt is believed to be an ancestor of Raikou.
As mentioned in theSleep Style Dex, while Raikou is sleeping, its breath makes a rumbling sound similar to distant thunder.[1] The moment Raikou awakens, it will quickly travel the lands, with a roar sounding similar to a crashing thunder. Raikou is known to enjoy eating Raikou Biscuits. Raikou can be lured over to a sleeping spot using the Raikou Incense. Raikou has three different sleep styles it sleeps in:Energy-Storing Sleep,Meditative Sleep, andLightning Sleep.
In allGeneration VI games, during the Super Double Battle challenge in theBattle Maison, Battle ChatelaineEvelyn will use a Raikou as part of her team.
The rain clouds it carries let it fire thunderbolts at will. They say that it descended with lightning.(Pokémon Red, Silver, or Crystal inserted) APokémon that races across the land while barking a cry that sounds like crashing thunder.(Pokémon Blue, Gold, or Yellow inserted)
Raikou embodies the speed of lightning. The roars of thisPokémon send shock waves shuddering through the air and shake the ground as if lightning bolts had come crashing down.
Raikou embodies the speed of lightning. The roars of this Pokémon send shock waves shuddering through the air and shake the ground as if lightning bolts had come crashing down.
This Pokémon embodies the speed of lightning. It's said that when Raikou sleeps deeply, you can hear a rumbling like distant thunder in its breath. When it wakes, it sweeps once more across the land, roaring like crashing thunder.
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.
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.
This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Where does this play in Sleep? Other songs
Raikou is the onlyPokémon in theanimated series whose image on thePokédex was of stylized art rather than the standard art by the series character designer.
Raikou'seffort valueyield of 1 Special Attack and 2 Speed is unique.
In theNintendo Space World '97 demo of Pokémon Gold and Silver, Raikou is seen with a design resembling a jackal. In the final game, Raikou is seen with an orange mane, more subdued faceplate, and lacking its blue "whiskers". This was changed inPokémon Crystal, which more accurately depicts Raikou's final design.
When asked if thelegendary beasts were based on any particular animals, Muneo Saitō explained that afterEntei's design came to be lion-like, he decided to incorporate leopard-like and tiger-like elements for Suicune and Raikou, respectively. Raikou's creation process was described as difficult, as "Raikou took many twists and turns; there was even a blue thunder version with a drum on its back".[7]
Raikou is partially based on atiger.[7] Raikou's long upper fangs bear a resemblance to those of asaber-toothed tiger. Raikou and itsElectric typing represent the lightning that struck theBrass Tower according to its legend; whileEntei represents the fire that burned it, andSuicune represents the rain that put it out.
One of the earlier designs for Raikou having a drum on its back may hint at it also being based onRaijin— a Japanese god of lightning and thunder, depicted as carryingtaiko drums to create the sound of thunder. Raijin is often givenoni features, a supernatural creature often associated with tiger pelts. It may have also been inspired byraijū, a lightning creature that can take the form of various animals and is said to be Raijin's companion.
The flowing purple cloud on Raikou's back seems to be based on a darknimbostratus cloud orcumulonimbus cloud, the latter being associated with thunderstorms. This detail may also hint at Raikou being based on theNue, a chimeric creature depicted with the limbs (and sometimes the body) of a tiger and accompanied by black clouds that it can shapeshift into.
Name origin
Raikou may be derived from 雷rai (thunder) or 雷光raikō (lightning) and 公kō (lord/duke) or 皇kō (emperor), where the former forms a reference to 雷公Léigōng (Thunder Duke, god of thunder in Chinese mythology).
In other languages
Language
Title
Meaning
Japanese
ライコウRaikou
From雷rai,雷光raikō,公kō, and皇kō, as well as 雷公Léigōng
↑Sleep Style Dex entry: "This Pokémon embodies the speed of lightning. It's said that when Raikou sleeps deeply, you can hear a rumbling like distant thunder in its breath. When it wakes, it sweeps once more across the land, roaring like crashing thunder."
This Pokémon article is part ofProject Pokédex, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
Micle Berry (100%)
Gold Bottle Cap (100%)
For other sprites and images, please seeRaikou images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
Space World '97 demo sprite
Gold and Silver sprite
Crystal sprite
