The (De Facto) Series Mascot

I've referred to the mascot of the Pokémon series (and franchise) often in this blog, which is none other than the electric mouse Pokémon Pikachu. That reference is often accompanied by the words "de facto". These words form a common Latin expression that literally means "by fact". And it really is true: no matter what new Pokémon appear, what people like and use, and whatever situation is involved, when it comes to Pokémon, the fact is that none are more representative of the series than Pikachu.

Pikachu is one of the Pokémon of the first generation. It is a common Pokémon, though only found in certain places and circumstances. It is not a major part of the first-generation games, except for one: the Yellow Version, also dubbed the "Special Pikachu Edition". This game is a restructured form of the Red and Green versions based on the Pokémon anime, which was (and still is) indeed popular in its own right, and still continues to feature the dynamic duo of Ash and Pikachu. Not many subsequent games are majorly based on the anime, but Pikachu continues to be present in them, sometimes even enhanced as in the Cosplay Pikachu and the Regional Cap Pikachu, the latter of which are based on the anime.

The "de facto" part, then, must be derived from this popularity due to the anime. Pikachu becomes the Pokémon that most people recognize even if they have not played the games but have at least watched a (good) portion of the anime. If the anime wasn't popular among people, then Pikachu wouldn't, for example, be promoting the Japanese national soccer team, or be featured in a primary role in the PokéPark games. These are all different situations that could (and do) involve other and/or newer Pokémon than Pikachu, but it is always included simply because it is recognizable. Pikachu is popular through the anime, and by that fact, it becomes representative of the series.

It is undeniable that Pikachu has a certain popularity attributed to it by way of the Pokémon anime. The continued presence of Ash and Pikachu only affirms the fact that Pikachu is emblematic as one of the creatures of the series, and this translates to popularity for representing the series and franchise overall. Despite all that have been added to Pokémon, this very much remains the case. In that sense, it really is "de facto" by way of this situation.