Pachirisu

Pachirisu is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. First introduced in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, it has since appeared in multiple games, including Pokémon Go and the Pokémon Trading Card Game, as well as various merchandise.

Classified as an Electric-type Pokémon, Pachirisu is a blue-and-white squirrel with yellow sacs on its cheeks. It is considered the "Pikachu clone" of the fourth generation of Pokémon. Pachirisu was used by Se-Jun Park in the Pokémon World Championships in 2014, which resulted in widespread coverage, with many analyzing or praising the usage of Pachirisu in the tournament.

Conception and development
Pachirisu is a fictional species of Pokémon created for the Pokémon franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the series began in Japan in 1996 with the release of the video games Pokémon Red and Blue for the Game Boy. In these games, the player assumes the role of a Pokémon Trainer whose goal is to capture and train Pokémon. Players use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon, and some can transform into stronger species through a process called evolution via various means, such as exposure to specific items.

Pachirisu is an Electric-type Pokémon, featuring blue-and-white fur, a fluffy tail, and yellow cheeks. It is considered the "Pikachu clone" of the fourth generation of Pokémon, owing to its design. Pachirisu's name comes from the Japanese "pachipachi" and "risu," the first being the sound of an electric crackle and the second being the Japanese word for squirrel.

Appearances
Pachirisu first appeared in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, where it was one of the Pokémon players could capture to use on their team. It also appeared in re-releases of the games, including Pokémon Platinum and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. It has since appeared in most mainline entries in the Pokémon series, with the exception of Pokémon Sword and Shield, where Pachirisu was one of many Pokémon left out of the game. It also appears in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. In addition to traditional Pokémon games, it also appears in other Pokémon games, such as Pokémon Go (where it is only found in Canada, Alaska and Russia) and the Pokémon Trading Card Game. It appeared in the Pokémon anime under the ownership of major character Dawn.

Critical reception
Identified as one of the cutest Pokémon in the series and a popular mascot, Pachirisu came into prominence due to its unexpected performance in the Pokémon World Championships in 2014, due in part to its inclusion in the "Never Used" tier on the Smogon website. Kotaku writer Patricia Hernandez noted that people would be excused for writing off Pachirisu as being nothing more than a "bad Pikachu knockoff," commenting that it didn't seem like the most notable Pokémon. Pachirisu was essential to the victory of the tournament's winner, Se Jun Park, who built Pachirisu around being able to take a lot of hits while forcing opponents to focus on it in Double Battles. The success of Pachirisu in the competition lead to the audience chanting its name and cheering when Park sent it out. Hernandez appreciated Pachirisu's use, feeling like it made the competition more entertaining while still having strategic value.

When asked in an interview why he chose Pachirisu, Park stated that he knew people were expecting a Pokémon to fill Pachirisu's role, and wanted to use an unexpected Pokémon. He later elaborated that he chose Pachirisu to serve as a support to Gyarados, thanks to a combination of Follow Me and Volt Absorb. Additionally, it featured moves like "Nuzzle and "Super Fang" to help deal with Pokémon like Ludicolo and Zapdos. Park also expressed his enjoyment of Pachirisu, and the surprise he experienced over how excited people were for Pachirisu in the tournament,. He has since become known as Pachirisu-san. MeriStation staff discussed the legacy of Pachirisu's performance, noting how Park's idealism for people to use their favorite creatures to win battles, and commenting that Pachirisu served as a symbol of that. They also noted how Pachirisu has become less effective competitively in later entries in the series, due to a combination of changes to game mechanics and certain Pokémon being able to do what Pachirisu does more effectively.

Pokémon designer Junichi Masuda noted how surprising Pachirisu's success was for everyone, calling it "awesome." In the 2015 Italian Pokemon Video Game Championships, a Pachirisu based on Park's Pachirisu was distributed to attendees. A similar event was held in Korea. In 2022, The Pokémon Company did a promotional video in that year's Pokémon World Championships, featuring Pachirisu fighting Garchomp, Tyranitar, and Salamence, which was well-received by both audience members and Nintendo World Report writer Willem Hilhorst.

Pachirisu's popularity has been influenced by its use in the 2014 competition, with Kotaku writer Kenneth Shepard regarding it as an iconic Pikachu clone, noting it as the only clone to make waves in Pokémon competitions. Polygon writers Kevin Slackie and Moises Taveras ranked Pachirisu among the top 150 best Pokemon for similar reasons, feeling that Pachirisu showed that any Pokémon could be good in the right hands. IGN writer Dale Bashir expressed disappointment that Pachirisu did not appear in Pokémon Sword and Shield, particularly due to its success in the 2014 tournament, comparing it positively to two other squirrel Pokémon in the games, Skwovet and Greedent. The success of Pachirisu in this tournament inspired player Giovanni Costa to do for Eevee what Park did for Pachirisu, thinking it was cool that Park turned Pachirisu into a good Pokémon. The creator of the blog Hamsmogon commented on how the use of Pokémon like Pachirisu and Rotom helped demonstrate the diversity of competitive Pokémon, while competitive player Carfer praised it for being a symbol of "creativity and innovation" in competitive video gaming. VG247 writer Kat Bailey was also inspired by Park's performance with Pachirisu to change up how she approaches competitive Pokémon, particularly Double Battles. Park performed a challenge run of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl where he only uses Pachirisu, each one designed with a specific niche. Inside Games writer Sushi felt that it was poetic that Pachirisu faced off against Garchomp at the end of this challenge, mirroring the 2014 competition.