Pikachu is the mascot of Pokemon, the Japanese media franchise that began with video games in 1996 and grew into a long-running animated series. The character is known for its high-pitched voice and expressive sounds, which made short Pikachu clips popular for memes and reaction videos as Pokemon remained a global favourite. Online, the laughing version is commonly shared as a cute, lighthearted reaction rather than a direct quote from one scene, and it continues to appear in edits, streams and short-form videos because the character is instantly recognisable across generations.