Pikachu, Mouse Or Rabbit?

By TokoyamiTheDark

Everyone knows the most popular Pokemon, Pikachu. It is a mouse Pokemon, but somehow, something ticks my head off, and it’s about Pikachu’s name and species. See, a pika is actually a lagomorphs, not a mouse, which gives confusion about Pikachu being a mouse but named after a rabbit. An American pika also has short, round ears, unlike most bunnies, while Pikachu has long ears. So, the question here is; was Pikachu originally intended to be a rabbit? These questions will most likely remains unanswered, but let’s go on some information about a pika rabbit. They are quite small, and you could hold one in your hand. Like domestic rabbits, pikas can also eat hamster’s or guinea pig’s food. Mice, on their own, eat almost anything, and like cheese, of course. They sometimes gnaw electric cords like most rodents would do. They breed very quickly but their life span is very short. Does Pikachu have all of these features? Well, I don’t think so, as Pikachu seems more like a cross between a mouse and a pika. I don’t know why, but I’m sure this was intended, as many Pokemon are based on various animals. Pikachu also moves like a rabbit, not like a mouse. Watch closely and you’ll notice. The Anime is the best example to see a moving Pikachu. There are also various other things that Pikachu might have that doesn’t match a mouse’s way to live, but another animal’s way to live.

Pikachu is known ever since Pokemon has begun in Japan in 1995, and its popularity is still growing today. In fact, during the Pokemon craze in 1999, when someone heard the word ‘Pokemon’, they instantly thought of Pikachu. This was the case at elementary school, where Pokemon was the frenzy for all children in there. I even remember wearing a Raichu costume during Halloween, but I lost it in a fire long, long ago.

Also, when looking at other ‘mouse’ Pokemon, like Rattata or Sandshrew, I think the same way about them than I’m thinking about Pikachu. Rattata’s name says it ; it’s a rat. Rats are different from mice, as people would definitively prefer mice than rats. Rattata USED to be a Rat Pokemon until Gen III, when it became a Mouse Pokemon. Sandshrew, on its own, looks like more an armadillo than a mouse, as I don’t remember mice having a tough skin, or mice that curl themselves for defense. Sandslash gives an even worst example over mice, as it is more a porcupine than a mouse, obliviously. Even though all these animals are rodents, I personally think that Pichu, Pikachu, Raichu, Sandshrew and Sandslash aren’t actually mice and should not be described as a mouse Pokemon. Honestly, this is what I think when I compared them to real-life animals they were based on. I think the PokeDex should be more accurate about a Pokemon species. Well, that’s all for that confusing and short article. Who knows, you might encounter one of these animals in real life…

Tags: Pichu, Pikachu, Raichu, Rattata, Sandshrew