In Pokémon Yellow, the player receives Pikachu as their starter Pokémon.
Pokémon Yellow is an enhanced version of Pokémon Red and Blue released in Japan in 1998. It was designed to resemble the Pokémon anime, so the player begins with Pikachu rather than choosing among Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle as in the earlier games.
Pikachu follows the player character on the overworld and reacts to the player's treatment. Its mood can improve or worsen depending on events such as leveling up or fainting. This relationship-focused feature helped distinguish Yellow from the earlier Game Boy releases.
The player's rival starts with Eevee, creating a contrast with the anime-inspired Pikachu partnership. Although players cannot select Pikachu from a three-way starter menu in Yellow, they can later obtain the original trio through in-game events.