Which game first gave players Pikachu as the Pokémon partner they started with?

Pokémon Yellow was the first Pokémon game to give players Pikachu as their starting partner.

Released in Japan in 1998 and internationally from 1999, Pokémon Yellow is an enhanced version of the first-generation games. It was designed to reflect the television anime more closely, so Professor Oak gives the player a Pikachu rather than allowing a choice among Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.

The Pikachu received in Yellow follows the player outside its Poké Ball and refuses to evolve with a Thunder Stone. The game also places Jessie and James of Team Rocket into the story, further connecting it to the anime. Players can still obtain the original three starter Pokémon during the adventure.

Pokémon Yellow is sometimes mistaken for being the first game to feature Pikachu prominently, but Pikachu already appeared in Pokémon Red and Green. Yellow’s distinction is that Pikachu is the player’s fixed opening partner, replacing the starter-selection system used in the earlier games.