Cosplay Pikachu

Cosplay Pikachu (Japanese: おきがえ・ピカチュウ Clothes-changing Pikachu) is a variant female that is able to be dressed up into five different costumes corresponding to each of the five Contest conditions (ness,, ness, ness, and ness), and learn exclusive moves which are linked to these costumes.

Without a costume, Cosplay Pikachu has the appearance of a female Pikachu with a black heart on the tip of its tail (fitting the heart-shaped notch all female Pikachu have on their tail).

In the core series
In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, after the first time the player takes part in a Pokémon Contest Spectacular, an NPC will give the player Cosplay Pikachu because according to her it matches the player's costume; the Cosplay Pikachu she gives the player will be in the Pikachu Rock Star costume for male players or the Pikachu Pop Star costume for female players. When obtained, Cosplay Pikachu will have its and its Contest condition in each category is equally elevated. Cosplay Pikachu cannot be.

Cosplay Pikachu can switch between costumes at any time by going to any Contest Hall in the Hoenn region and talking to the in the green room. This Pokémon Breeder can also remove the costume.

Upon removing a costume, Cosplay Pikachu will forget the special move associated with the previous costume. Upon putting on a new costume, Cosplay Pikachu will learn the special move associated with the new costume. When changing costume, if Cosplay Pikachu knows four moves but not the special move of its previous costume, the player will be prompted to replace a move with the new exclusive move (Cosplay Pikachu cannot put on the new costume unless it does). If Cosplay Pikachu's only known move is the special move and the costume is removed, then it will learn. Cosplay Pikachu can remain in a costume even if it forgets the associated special move.

Unlike other Pikachu, Cosplay Pikachu is in the, meaning it cannot breed. It also cannot evolve into and is unaffected by the Eviolite. Like any Pikachu, though, Cosplay Pikachu is affected by the Light Ball.

Cosplay Pikachu cannot be deposited in Pokémon Bank, nor can it be traded via Wonder Trade or Global Trade System.

Pokkén Tournament
Pikachu Libre was first announced alongside the Wii U port of the game (standard Pikachu is also a character). Pikachu Libre was later released as an additional fighter on the original arcade version.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Pikachu Libre is one of 's alternate skins in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

In the anime
Five Pikachu wearing the Cosplay Pikachu outfits appeared in Lights! Camera! Pika!, under the ownership of Frank. Out of these, Pikachu Rock Star and Pikachu Libre were shown to be regular male Pikachu, while the others were female Pikachu with a black heart marking on their tails like in the games.

Frank was filming, with Pikachu Libre acting as the villain and the others as residents of Pikachu Land. Seeing Ash's Pikachu, he decided to give it the role of the movie's hero, "Super Pikachu". With and  helping out, the movie was successfully filmed and completed.

One of each Cosplay Pikachu variant appeared in Hoopa and the Clash of Ages, amongst the multiple Pikachu summoned by as part of a prank against Ash and. After initially panicking due to their new surroundings, the entire Pikachu horde, including the Cosplay Pikachu, was calmed down by Ash's Pikachu and sent back to their original homes in an orderly fashion with the help of Hoopa's portals.

Multiple Cosplay Pikachu also appeared in the extra scenes of the Poké TV program for XY101, called Performer News, in which they were seen performing in Pokémon Showcases.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga
In Omega Alpha Adventure 3, Cosplay Pikachu were introduced to by Lisia. Lisia revealed that created the concept of Pokémon wearing costumes for s, and even made matching costumes for their s to wear. There are several Cosplay Pikachu, all but one of which are male; the only exception was Pikachu Pop Star. They reappeared in a flashback in Omega Alpha Adventure 7.

In the TCG
This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Cosplay Pikachu in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Trivia

 * Cosplay Pikachu shares several similarities with 's Spiky-eared Pichu. Both are female-only variants of the evolution line who were introduced in remakes. They are both incapable of evolving, breeding, being traded, or being transferred to later games. They also both cannot be obtained, though Shiny models exist in the game code for them.
 * Despite no longer being present in the game data of the Generation VII games, a poster featuring Pikachu Pop Star is on the wall in Mimikyu's room in the Thrifty Megamart (Abandoned Site).

Trivia

 * In most official books, these costumes are stated to have come from Kanto despite originating from the remade Hoenn or Kalos (depending on the person).