The player is given Pikachu at the start of Pokémon Yellow.
Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition was released in Japan in 1998 and later internationally in 1999. The game was designed to resemble the Pokémon anime more closely than Pokémon Red and Blue, so Pikachu serves as the player’s initial partner.
Unlike the selectable starters in the earlier games, Yellow’s Pikachu refuses to stay inside its Poké Ball and follows the player in the overworld. Its friendship can also be checked through its reactions, making it a more visible companion than most early-game Pokémon.
Players can still obtain Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle during the adventure, but none of them is the starting gift. Eevee is associated with Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, another game inspired partly by Yellow, which causes a common mix-up.