Which Pokémon is the franchise’s best-known mascot?

Pikachu is the best-known mascot of the Pokémon franchise.

Pikachu is an Electric-type Pokémon designed by Atsuko Nishida and Ken Sugimori. Its bright yellow appearance, red cheek pouches and distinctive tail made it easy to recognize in games, animation and merchandise.

The anime made Pikachu especially famous by giving one to Ash Ketchum as his first companion. Unlike the player’s usual starter choice in Pokémon Red and Green, Ash’s Pikachu initially refuses to stay inside its Poké Ball and travels beside him.

Pikachu is also the franchise’s representative in promotional art, spin-off games and collaborations. Its popularity helped make Pokémon recognizable even to people who had never played the original Game Boy games.