Which Pokémon is the franchise's famous electric mascot?

Pikachu is Pokémon's famous electric mascot. The yellow Mouse Pokémon is a central character in the games, anime, merchandise, trading cards, and promotional artwork.

Pikachu was designed by Atsuko Nishida and finalized by Ken Sugimori. In the anime, Ash Ketchum receives Pikachu as his first partner, and their relationship becomes the series' emotional centerpiece. Pikachu's recognizable yellow body, red cheek pouches, and lightning-bolt tail made it easy to identify across languages and media.

Pikachu is an Electric-type Pokémon in the main series. Its Pokédex number is 025, and it evolves from Pichu when friendship is high and evolves into Raichu when exposed to a Thunder Stone. The anime's popularity helped make Pikachu the most internationally recognizable Pokémon, even though it is not the franchise's first Pokédex entry.