Pikachu is the electric mouse mascot of Pokemon, the Japanese franchise that began with video games in 1996 and grew into anime, films and trading cards. Voiced in the anime by Ikue Otani with only variations of his own name, Pikachu's vocal clips are widely reused online as reaction sounds. This coughing version circulated on soundboards and in meme edits because the familiar cute voice works instantly as shorthand for being sick, embarrassed or caught off guard, even without any video.