Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Pikachu 7-Star Tera Raid May Be Intentionally Underwhelming

gamerant.com:

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet has announced the next 7-Star Tera Raid Event will feature its iconic mascot Pikachu for trainers to battle and catch. This Pikachu will have the Water Tera Type and know the special move Surf, in reference to the classic Surfing Pikachu featured in both the Pokemon Anime and TCG. While this announcement may seem underwhelming compared to the previous 7-Star Tera Raid Event for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet that featured Greninja, there are other factors to point to this event being a precursor to something bigger coming on Pokemon Day.

The past iterations of these events have been an exciting way for players to get certain monsters otherwise unavailable inPokemon Scarlet and Violet, such as Charizard, Cinderace, and Greninja. However, Pikachu is already widely available within the Gen 9 games, and while it is the series' mascot, giving it Surf doesn't really add anything particularly special or useful to the critter outside of the small reference to Surfing Pikachu. While many fans were expecting something more exciting to coincide with the series' anniversary on February 27, the best may still be announced as part of the special Pokemon Presents showcase airing on the same day.

What to Expect from Pokemon Day 2023

Prior to the announcement of Pikachu being the spotlight creature for the 7-Star Tera Raid Event, many were speculating on other potential mons that could be featured during the event to match the likes of previously featured mons. The Hisuian Forms of the starters from Pokemon Legends: Arceus were a common suggestion given that their data is in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, but they are unavailable until Pokemon Home compatibility is added. Even Legendary Pokemon like Mewtwo were