Why Pikachu?

[Escapefromwhatever]

So, as we all know, Pikachu is friggin' awesome. Seeing him hit Team Rocket with thunderbolt after thunderbolt is oh so satisfying. But why, exactly, do you think Pikachu was chosen to be the Pokemon mascot. It's certainly not the most powerful pokemon, and arguably not the cutest. It's type is electric, which doesn't really make as much of a statement as, say, psychic (just at look at how awe-inspiring Lugia is). So why is it that Nintendo chose this bizarre little mouse as the face of its new mega-franchise? The roster, even with just the original 151, was full of plenty of other good choices- Mew, for example. Not only was it cute, but it was, and continues to be, one of the most powerful pokemon in the game. Yet it was pushed aside to make way for Pikachu. What do you suppose it is about Pikachu that stole the hearts of, as the continuing popularity of Pokemon proves, several generations?

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

It's because Pikachu appeals to everyone. It's brightly coloured, easy to spot and is cute and cuddly, and it shoots frickin lightning. Looking a tother Pokémon, it's even smaller and can be seen as the underdog, whom everyone roots for really. What's not to love?

[small]D'aww lookaddit[/small]

 

[WaywardHaymaker]

Pikachu is undeniably average. It's not the best, not the cutest, not the coolest, but it IS the most famous. Probably because it's role in the anime is Ash's sidekick, and it'd be a bit unfair for everyone else if he rode on the back of a Lugia everywhere.

 

[Sir Kemper]

It's because Pikachu appeals to everyone. It's brightly coloured, easy to spot and is cute and cuddly, and it shoots frickin lightning. What's not to love?

Dawwwww, Who's a wittle fwuffy wat, who's a wittle fwuffy wat.

Seriously, how can you not love that?

 

[Wolfgurl]

It's because Pikachu appeals to everyone. It's brightly coloured, easy to spot and is cute and cuddly, and it shoots frickin lightning. Looking a tother Pokémon, it's even smaller and can be seen as the underdog, whom everyone roots for really. What's not to love?

[small]D'aww lookaddit[/small]

he has a point!

 

[reg42]

Because it's a different Pokemon from the games (which if I'm correct, started before the series), and... C'mon, just look at him!

 

[Musclepunch]

psychic (just at look at how awe-inspiring Lugia is). /quote] Lugia is Water/Ice not psychic.

 

[Escapefromwhatever]

psychic (just at look at how awe-inspiring Lugia is). /quote] Lugia is Water/Ice not psychic.

I would beg to differ. [http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Lugia_%28Pok%C3%A9mon%29]

 

[Russian_Assassin]

But he's so yellow! LOOK AT HIM!

 

[Brad Shepard]

Its because Charmander was already gone at the start of the anime.

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[adderseal]

Because he's small and looks vulnerable, so we instantly want him to do well. And he's just so cute too!

 

[temporalcrux]

[small]D'aww lookaddit[/small]

Fixed it for ya.

 

[InvisibleSeal]

The starting pokemon had to start of quite weak (so something like Mew might have been too powerful).

Plus the other starters were water, fire and leaf types - makes sense to have a lightning pokemon. And Pikachu was by far the cutest of those, I believe .

Spoiler: Just because I've always wanted to paste this, and I have no idea where I got this picture from

 

[Cherry Cola]

Probably because it's role in the anime is Ash's sidekick

And the question of the thread is why that is.

So... Well, not really a helpful answer.

OT: I guess they wanted a pokemon that wasn't super-rare, but still a bit rare, and that wouldn't evolve. Then of course, because the starter pokemons from the original Pokemon were Fire, Water and Grass, they needed another element for Yellow. Something quite different from those three. Rock was too boring, and there wasn't any cute cuddly pokemons that didn't evolve in that group anyway, so Electricity was really the best option.

 

[Hexenwolf]

Probably because it's role in the anime is Ash's sidekick

And the question of the thread is why that is.

So... Well, not really a helpful answer.

OT: I guess they wanted a pokemon that wasn't super-rare, but still a bit rare, and that wouldn't evolve. Then of course, because the starter pokemons from the original Pokemon were Fire, Water and Grass, they needed another element for Yellow. Something quite different from those three. Rock was too boring, and there wasn't any cute cuddly pokemons that didn't evolve in that group anyway, so Electricity was really the best option.

Didn't evolve? What do you think Raichu is?

 

[Zaldin]

Probably because it's role in the anime is Ash's sidekick

And the question of the thread is why that is.

So... Well, not really a helpful answer.

OT: I guess they wanted a pokemon that wasn't super-rare, but still a bit rare, and that wouldn't evolve. Then of course, because the starter pokemons from the original Pokemon were Fire, Water and Grass, they needed another element for Yellow. Something quite different from those three. Rock was too boring, and there wasn't any cute cuddly pokemons that didn't evolve in that group anyway, so Electricity was really the best option.

Didn't evolve? What do you think Raichu is?

A stone evolution, not an evolution by level.

 

[Cherry Cola]

Probably because it's role in the anime is Ash's sidekick

And the question of the thread is why that is.

So... Well, not really a helpful answer.

OT: I guess they wanted a pokemon that wasn't super-rare, but still a bit rare, and that wouldn't evolve. Then of course, because the starter pokemons from the original Pokemon were Fire, Water and Grass, they needed another element for Yellow. Something quite different from those three. Rock was too boring, and there wasn't any cute cuddly pokemons that didn't evolve in that group anyway, so Electricity was really the best option.

Didn't evolve? What do you think Raichu is?

Pikachu doesn't evolve by itself. It needs a thunderstone. Therefore, the show could have Pikachu as an eternal mascot because there wasn't any need for massive plot holes to keep it in its original state.

 

[Uszi]

I always thought that if I could, Growlith would be my side kick.

No as Iconic as Pikachu though.
Maybe it's the red cheeks?

 

[Sir Ollie]

Didn't evolve? What do you think Raichu is?

Pretty sure he's talking about the anime because Ash's Pikachu never evolved.