Which artist designed Pikachu for the Pokémon video-game franchise?

Atsuko Nishida designed Pikachu for the Pokémon video-game franchise.

Nishida was working at Game Freak when the development team wanted more cute Pokémon designs. She created Pikachu and also designed other important species, including Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle.

Accounts of Pikachu’s design often mention squirrels because Nishida was fascinated by them at the time. The cheeks were inspired by squirrels storing food, although Satoshi Tajiri later identified the finished creature as a mouse Pokémon. Early concepts also included a planned third evolution beyond Raichu, but that idea was abandoned.

Ken Sugimori finalized and unified the artwork used for the original games and promotional material, so he is sometimes incorrectly named as Pikachu’s sole creator. Nishida’s specific contribution was the initial design of the Pikachu species, which later became Pokémon’s best-known mascot.