Best Pikachu nicknames for any Pokémon game

When it comes to the Pokémon franchise, the first Pokémon that almost always comes to everyone’s mind is Pikachu—the unofficial mascot of the franchise ever since Pokémon Yellow and the official TV show began.

Most fans just know Pikachu by their name, but one of the best additions to any Pokémon game is nicknaming each of your beloved ‘mon—and that’s no different for everyone’s favorite electric mouse.

Here are some of the best Pikachu nicknames you can choose, across all generations of Pokémon.

The best general Pikachu nicknames in Pokémon

To start, let’s look over the best of the most common Pikachu nicknames you might see other people use over the years.

First off, probably one of the most used nicknames for Pikachu is Sparky, which sounds like a traditional pet name for a cat or dog but fits even better for an electric Pokémon. This list has some slightly more unique names that still fall under that more general nickname bracket, like:

• Cheeks (the red spots where Pikachu conducts electricity)
• Flash (a popular superhero from the DC Universe and also a TM/HM in Pokémon)
• Detective (from the Detective Pikachu movie and games)
• Joules (a unit of energy)
• Ray (a name, but also referencing a ray of light or energy)
• Ash (to reference Ash Ketchum and his partnership with his Pikachu)

Related: Pokémon fans debate which ‘mon has the most clever name

Pikachu nicknames to use from other popular media

Now, while some of the names above link to content in the Pokémon franchise, sometimes it’s fun to mix Pokémon with the names of characters from other games, anime, movies, or even ancient history.

• Killua (character from anime Hunter X Hunter that uses electricity)
• Hammond (hamster hero from Overwatch franchise)
• Pinky (from TV show Pinky and the Brain)
• Brain (also from TV show Pinky and the Brain)
• Raiden (from the Metal Gear Solid franchise)
• Zeus (from Greek mythology)
• Thor (from Norse mythology and the Marvel movies)
• Set (a deity from ancient Egyptian mythology)

If none of the names on this list fit what you’re looking for, feel free to be creative and name it anything you want. However, if you want to be a bit more unique, you can try and find characters from content you enjoy and fit them into Pokémon.

Related: One Legendary Pokémon challenge has Scarlet and Violet players swearing off repeat attempts

For example, naming your entire party (including your Pikachu) off of the characters in Persona 5, or units from Fire Emblem, can add some enjoyment. If you do go with that Persona 5 example, Ryuiji probably fits Pikachu best because of his blonde hair, but you could just as easily pick any other name.

At the end of the day, the best part of naming a Pokémon isn’t always the creation of the name, it’s the bond you build when you fight alongside them.