What Animal Is Pikachu? Developer Reveals Story Behind This Cute Pokemon's Origin

Pokémon was originally a game where players build a team of pocket monsters of different types to battle other monsters and become the best. The iconic Pikachu is the face of Pokémon and the game has become a worldwide phenomenon.

Pikachu, a creature that bears resemblance to a blend of rabbit and mouse, has consistently been categorized as a "mouse" in the Pokémon digital reference book, known as the Pokédex. But, the developer of Pikachu has verified that it doesn't fit into either classification of mouse or rabbit. So, what exactly is Pikachu?

What Animal is Pikachu?

According to McGill University, Pikachu is just one of 493 fictional species of Pokémon created by Satoshi Tajiri for his multi-billion-dollar media franchise that spans video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and various other forms of media.

Pikachu character is a companion to Ash Ketchum, the franchise's protagonist, and is an iconic character in the Pokémon franchise, commonly depicted in media and merchandise, and is often considered the franchise's unofficial mascot.

This Pokémon's name represents a combination of Japanese onomatopoeias, "pika" for a spark or lightning, and "chuu" for a mouse's squeak. The visual design of Pikachu used in the franchise's Advanced Generation series, released in 2003, was created by Ken Sugimori's team.

Their ability to discharge electric discharges of varying intensity through glandular pouches in their cheeks allows them to store and release lightning bolts to defend themselves and battle their trainers.

Pikachu is yellow with brown stripes on their backs, black-tipped ears, and red electrical pouches on their cheeks. One unique feature of Pikachu is its lightning-bolt-shaped tail.

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What Animal Is Pikachu?

The developers of the famous game Pokémon confirmed for the first time that the character of Pikachu was conceptualized not as a mouse, but as a squirrel, Star Advertiser reports. Pikachu has been a part of the franchise since the first game was released in 1996 for Nintendo's Game Boy.

Designers Ken Sugimori and Atsuko Nishida from Game Freak, Inc., developed Pikachu as a "cute monster" character that used electric attacks and had two forms of evolution. Nishida chose a squirrel shape for its prototype.

Nishida initially designed a character that resembled the vertically long daifuku rice confectionery with ears. The character was then adapted to appear cuter by combining the design with a squirrel that Nishida wished to keep as a pet at that time. The prototype that was created by Nishida on a computer screen consists of large pixels.

Sugimori then drew the illustrated version of the design that was later named Pikachu. Despite that confirmation, it is still classified as a mouse character. Designer Nishida hopes that more people can connect with Pikachu through the story behind its creation, and the game's fans are excited to learn about the character's origin.

Facts About Squirrels

Squirrels are rodents that come in over 200 different species around the world, except for Australia. As per National Geographic, squirrels range from the tiny African pygmy squirrel, at only five inches long, to the three-foot-long Indian giant squirrel.

Squirrels have four front teeth that continue to grow throughout their lives, and different types of squirrels live in trees or burrow systems. Ground squirrels eat small animals while tree squirrels primarily feast on nuts, acorns, berries, and even tree sap.

Flying squirrels glide through the air using flaps of skin connecting their limbs to their bodies. Female squirrels generally have multiple litters each year and care for their blind offspring for two to three months.

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