The 'Surprised Pikachu' meme originated from a screen capture of the Pokémon anime, specifically from the episode 'Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village.' It features the character Pikachu with his mouth agape in a look of stunned disbelief. The meme became a viral sensation on Tumblr and Reddit in 2018, typically used to represent a situation where someone performs an action with a highly predictable negative outcome, yet acts shocked when that outcome occurs. It has since become a staple of internet culture, serving as the go-to reaction for mock surprise and self-inflicted irony.