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, films and trading cards. In the anime and games, Pikachu communicates almost entirely by repeating variations of its own name, with pika pika becoming its most familiar and cheerful call. That simple, instantly recognisable cry spread far beyond the original series through fan edits, reaction videos and short-form memes, where it now works as shorthand for cuteness, excitement and nostalgia.