Summary

today , it ’s well-fixed to accept Pikachu ’s role as the official mascot of thePokémonfranchise as a foregone conclusion , but that was n’t always the casing . Pikachu has been around since the very beginning , as one of the original 150 Pokémon with a national Pokédex turn of 25 . But its popularity has hold out throughout the decades . Pikachu is at the forefront of two mainline games andcountlessPokémonspin - offs , include the practical favourite gameHey You , Pikachuand theDetective Pikachugame - turn - picture serial publication .

But Pikachu was n’t always the series ' mascot - in fact , another Pokémon was almost chosen for the theatrical role , but was replaced for a litany of reasons . It ’s been a tenacious journey to the top , butPikachu still predominate as thePokémonmascot even 28 years later .

Pokémon is take with incredibly charming creatures , but some scary much more visual charm than others . There ’s a reason some Pokémon are so iconic !

Colalge style image featuring Pikachu, Skitty, and Mew from Pokemon

Clefairy Was Almost Chosen As Pokémon’s Mascot Instead Of Pikachu

How Pikachu Rose To Prominence

Before Pikachu cemented its place as the prescribed mascot , another Pokémon was considered - the precious , pinkish Fairy - type Clefairy . Clefairy was create by designer Ken Sugimori , according to an audience inYomiuri(translated into English bySiliconera ) . Conceived from the beginning as a cutePokémon , Clefairy was briefly considered for the role of prescribed series mascot , where it would ’ve played a polar function in marketing and merchandising . However , Pikachu finally win out .

Pikachu’s Popularity Makes It The Perfect Pokémon Mascot

Pikachu’s Role In The Anime Made Pokémon A Hit

Butit was Pikachu ’s outsize role in thePokémonanime that finally made it the series ' sole definitive mascot . In an interview for the officialPokémonwebsite ( which has since been removed , but is preserved by a interlingual rendition viaPolygon ) Game Freak atomic number 27 - father Ken Sugimori explain that Pikachu ’s starring use was no stroke . None of the starters fromRed , Green , orBluewould’ve answer , as they would alienate players who had select different appetizer , as if they had made the " wrong " option . So producers at OLM , Inc. , the company behind thePokémonanime , suggest Pikachu .

Redesigns were proposed for many Pokémon prior to the game ’s release in the West . Pikachu was nearly turned into an anthropomorphic tiger , but these designs were finally scrapped .

Pikachu was a rare uncovering in the original secret plan , which , like many Pokémon since , made it a legend among players . That made Pikachu a receive cheek for the anime ’s confidential information . Between the gum anime and the game , Pokémonwas an insistent success , in no belittled part due to Ash ’s Pikachu . democratic with both boys and female child , Pikachu was polish off the target demographic . It featured heavily in the marketing and merchandise , slowly but for sure becoming its official mascot . The following year , Pikachu starred in its very own biz -Pokémon Yellow- and the series has never looked back since .

Every Classic Game Boy Pokemon Game Ranked

The Pokémon serial launched in Japan in 1996 releasing a total of three Generations on the Game Boy . Here is every classic Pokémon plot ranked .

Pikachu ’s live on popularity evidence it ’s realize its place as the prescribed series mascot . To this solar day , it ’s the first affair most associate withPokémon , whether they ’ve played every secret plan on twenty-four hour period one , or have never touched a trading lineup in their life . It ’s a worldwide merchandising fireball with four balloons pay to it in the Macy ’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to date . As the face of the enfranchisement , it would n’t be a stretch to say that Pikachu is at least partially responsible forPokémon ’s smash - hit success .

Sources : Yomiuri , Siliconera , Polygon

Pikachu

Spanning over twenty - five years , Pokemon , have it away as Pocket Monsters in Japan , is the multimedia enfranchisement created jointly by Nintendo , Game Freak , and Creatures . conceive by Satoshi Tajiri in association with Ken Sugimori and Junichi Masuda , Pokemon is localise in fictitious worlds where people live together with tameable beast recognise as Pokemon . Humans who catch , lift , and combat the brute are make love as Pokemon Trainers . They head out on extensive journeys across their continents to raise their Pokemon with the ultimate finish of vie in tournaments to become the champion . Pokemon cross several massive belongings , from a long - running renovate serial publication to a successful trading card game , to the medium that started it all , television game . In addition , Pokemon begin the " two - game " style where two versions of a biz would release and include different Pokemon / features between the versions , encouraging players to fulfil up with others and swap so they could " take hold of ‘em all . "

Pikachu from Pokémon Yellow Version beside a more modern-looking version from Pokémon Horizons anime.

Pokemon and Clefairy models with old school Pokemon environment in backgroud

Pokemon Franchise Image

Spanning over twenty-five years, Pokemon, known as Pocket Monsters in Japan, is the multimedia franchise created jointly by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. Conceptualized by Satoshi Tajiri in association with Ken Sugimori and Junichi Masuda, Pokemon is set in fictional worlds where people live together with tamable creatures known as Pokemon. Humans who catch, raise, and battle the creatures are known as Pokemon Trainers. They head out on extensive journeys across their continents to raise their Pokemon with the ultimate goal of competing in tournaments to become the champion. Pokemon spans several massive properties, from a long-running animated series to a successful trading card game, to the medium that started it all, video games. In addition, Pokemon began the “two-game” trend where two versions of a game would release and include different Pokemon/features between the versions, encouraging players to meet up with others and trade so they could “catch ‘em all."

Pokemon