Clefairy was initially considered alongside Pikachu as a Pokémon franchise mascot.
During early merchandising discussions, Pikachu and Clefairy were both considered as possible lead characters. Pikachu ultimately became the better mascot choice because its design appealed broadly to children and could work for both boys and girls.
The anime strengthened that decision. Rather than giving Ash one of the three game starters—Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle—the producers gave him Pikachu. That avoided favoring one starter over the others and created a distinctive partner character who could appear across the series.
Clefairy still had an important early role: it appeared prominently in the Pokémon manga Pokémon Pocket Monsters and was associated with the franchise’s original creature designs. However, it did not become the enduring global symbol. Jigglypuff, Eevee, and Meowth later became highly recognizable, but they were not the original alternative identified alongside Pikachu in the mascot discussion.