Pachirisu

Pachirisu
Pokémon character
Pachirisu in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
First gamePokémon Diamond and Pearl (2006)
Voiced byChinami Nishimura
In-universe information
SpeciesPokémon
TypeElectric

Pachirisu (/pɑːtʃiˈriːsuː/ ⓘ; Japanese: パチリス) is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon media franchise. First introduced in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, it has since appeared in multiple games, including Pokémon Go and the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Classified as an Electric-type Pokémon, Pachirisu is a blue-and-white squirrel with yellow sacs on its cheeks. It is considered the "Pikachu clone" of the fourth generation of Pokémon. Pachirisu was used by Se-Jun Park in the Pokémon World Championships in 2014, which resulted in widespread coverage, with many analyzing or praising the usage of Pachirisu in the tournament.

Conception and development

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Pachirisu is a species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for the Pokémon media franchise. Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video games Pokémon Red and Green for the Game Boy, which were later released in North America as Pokémon Red and Blue in 1998.[1] In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon.[2] Each Pokémon have one or two elemental types, which define its advantages and disadvantages when battling other Pokémon.[3] A major goal in each game is to complete the Pokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species.[2]

Pachirisu is an Electric-type Pokémon, featuring blue-and-white fur, a fluffy tail, and yellow cheeks.[4] Pachirisu resembles a squirrel.[5] It is considered the "Pikachu clone"- a traditionally Electric-typed Pokémon that resembles the design of series mascot Pikachu-[6] of the fourth generation of Pokémon, owing to its design, which greatly resembles Pikachu's.[7] Pachirisu's name comes from the Japanese "pachipachi" and "risu," the first being the sound of an electric crackle and the second being the Japanese word for squirrel.[8] Pachirisu has been voiced in the Pokémon anime series by Chinami Nishimura.[9]

Appearances

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Pachirisu first appeared in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, where it could be captured in the wild by players.[10] It also appeared the games' remakes, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.[11] It has since appeared in other mainline entries in the Pokémon series, including Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.[4] It also appears in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.[12] In addition to traditional Pokémon games, it also appears in other Pokémon games, such as Pokémon Go[13] (where it is only found in Canada, Alaska and Russia)[13] and the Pokémon Trading Card Game.[14] It appeared in the Pokémon anime under the ownership of major character Dawn.[15]

Critical reception

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A screenshot of the Pokémon World Championships stream, where Pachirisu is using Follow Me. Pachirisu's unique role and contrast with standard Pokémon used in competitive play was met with praise.

Identified as one of the cutest Pokémon in the series and a popular mascot,[16][17] Pachirisu came into prominence due to its an unexpected usage at the Pokémon World Championships in 2014, due in part to it traditionally being seen as a weak battling Pokémon in competitive Pokémon communities. Pachirisu was essential to the victory of the tournament's winner, Se Jun Park, who built Pachirisu around being able to take a lot of attacks from its opponents, as well as to be able to redirect powerful attacks towards it.[18] When asked in an interview why he chose Pachirisu, Park stated that he knew people were expecting a Pokémon to fill Pachirisu's role, and wanted to use a Pokémon for the role that people would not expect.[18] He later elaborated that he chose Pachirisu to serve as a support to his Gyarados, as Pachirisu's unique traits partnered well with Gyarados.[19][20] Pachirisu's moveset also helped it deal with Pokémon that would normally stop it from performing well. Park expressed his enjoyment of Pachirisu, and the surprise he experienced over how excited people were for Pachirisu in the tournament.[20] The success of Pachirisu in the competition lead to the audience chanting its name and cheering when Park sent it out. Patricia Hernandez of Kotaku appreciated Pachirisu's use, feeling like it made the competition more entertaining while still showing a strategic value.[18] Park has since become known as Pachirisu-san among the fanbase due to his usage of Pachirisu in the tournament.[21]

MeriStation staff discussed the legacy of Pachirisu's performance, describing how Park's Pachrisu symbolized his idealism for people to use their favorite creatures to win battles. They also described how Pachirisu has become less effective competitively in later entries in the series, due to a combination of changes to game mechanics and certain Pokémon being able to do what Pachirisu does more effectively.[22] Pokémon designer Junichi Masuda described how surprising Pachirisu's success was for everyone, calling it "awesome."[23] In the 2015 Italian Pokemon Video Game Championships, a Pachirisu based on Park's Pachirisu was distributed to attendees.[24] A similar event was held in Korea.[17] In 2022, The Pokémon Company did a promotional video in that year's Pokémon World Championships, featuring Pachirisu fighting Garchomp, Tyranitar, and Salamence, which was well-received by both audience members and Nintendo World Report writer Willem Hilhorst.[25] A video by The Pokémon Company in 2024 hailed Park's usage of Pachirisu as being "arguably the most iconic moment in competitive history."[26] Park later used a Pachirisu in the 2024 Pokémon World Championships, which took place ten years after Park's original win with Pachirisu. Spectators became excited, audibly cheering when Pachirisu was sent out.[26] though he did not end up moving onto the second day of the competition.[27]

Pachirisu's popularity has been influenced by its use in the 2014 competition, resulting in a strong following by fans of the series, with large amounts of fanworks, such as fan art, subsequently following.[5] Kotaku writer Kenneth Shepard regarded it as an iconic Pikachu clone, and the only one of them to have a significant impact, due to its role in official Pokémon competitions.[7] Polygon writers Kevin Slackie and Moises Taveras ranked Pachirisu among the top 150 best Pokemon for similar reasons, feeling that Pachirisu showed that any Pokémon could be good in the right hands.[28] IGN writer Dale Bashir expressed disappointment that Pachirisu did not appear in Pokémon Sword and Shield, particularly due to its success in the 2014 tournament, comparing it positively to two other squirrel Pokémon in the games, Skwovet and Greedent.[29] The success of Pachirisu in the 2014 tournament inspired player Giovanni Costa to try and use Eevee, another Pokémon seen as weak in competitive formats, just like what Park did for Pachirisu, with Costa thinking it was "cool" that Park turned Pachirisu into a good Pokémon.[30] The creator of the blog Hamsmogon commented on how the use of Pokémon like Pachirisu and Rotom helped demonstrate the diversity of competitive Pokémon, while competitive player Carfer praised it for being a symbol of "creativity and innovation" in competitive video gaming.[22] VG247 writer Kat Bailey was also inspired by Park's performance with Pachirisu to change up how she approached competitive Pokémon, particularly in Double Battles, the format used in the Championships[31] Park later performed a challenge run of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl where he only used Pachirisu, each one designed with a specific niche. Inside Games writer Sushi felt that it was poetic that Pachirisu faced off against Garchomp at the end of this challenge, mirroring the 2014 competition.[17]

References

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  1. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (December 25, 2016). "Pokémon Red & Blue – A Look Back At The 20-Year Journey To Catch 'Em All". Game Informer. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Allison, Anne (May 2006). Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination. University of California Press. pp. 192–197. ISBN 9780520938991.
  3. ^ Pokémon Deluxe Essential Handbook. Scholastic Inc. July 28, 2015. p. 5. ISBN 9780545795661.
  4. ^ a b Taguiami, Rhenn (April 23, 2023). "Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: How to Get Pachirisu". Game Rant. Archived from the original on December 23, 2023. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Catherine (August 19, 2024). "10 years after making Pokemon history with a squirrel, the former world champion returned to Worlds 2024 with his iconic mascot in tow". GamesRadar+. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Iwamasa, Karli (April 7, 2020). "Pokemon: Every Pikachu Clone, Ranked". TheGamer. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Shepard, Kenneth (July 10, 2023). "Ranking Pikachu Clones From Worst To Best". Kotaku. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  8. ^ Leggett, Kitty (November 26, 2022). "The 10 Most Obscure Origins For Pokémon Names". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 14, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  9. ^ "劇場版ポケットモンスター ダイヤモンド&パール ディアルガVSパルキアVSダークライ｜アニメキャスト・映画・最新情報一覧 | アニメイトタイムズ". 劇場版ポケットモンスター ダイヤモンド&パール ディアルガVSパルキアVSダークライ｜アニメキャスト・映画・最新情報一覧 | アニメイトタイムズ (in Japanese). Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  10. ^ Wyche, Jerrad (May 7, 2020). "Pokémon: Ranking The 10 Most Adorable Pokémon From Diamond & Pearl". TheGamer. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  11. ^ O'Connor, Quinton (December 4, 2021). "The Best Electric-Type Pokemon In Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl". TheGamer. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  12. ^ Seong, Renri (March 7, 2022). "Pokemon Legends: Arceus — Request 35: Battling with Pachirisu". Game Rant. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Goldfarb, Andrew (October 16, 2018). "First Pokemon from Diamond and Pearl Are Now Available in Pokemon Go". IGN. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  14. ^ Dwyer, Theo (July 29, 2023). "The Cards Of Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet Part 47: Pachirisu". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  15. ^ Lacerna, Michael (January 17, 2022). "Pokémon Short Spotlights Piplup and Dawn's Party". CBR. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  16. ^ James, Ford (January 28, 2020). "Top 20 cutest Pokemon of all time". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c Sushi (December 10, 2021). "伝説の「パチリスさん」、再び！『ポケモン ダイパリメイク』で激ムズな四天王＆シロナをアイテム無しで打ち破る". Inside Games. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c Hernandez, Patricia (August 18, 2014). "Nobody Expected This Pokémon To Win The Championship Last Weekend". Kotaku. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  19. ^ Sushi (September 3, 2014). "「パチリス」が大活躍した事で話題の「ポケモンWCS2014」その詳細をお届け". Inside Games. Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Nakamura, Toshi (April 23, 2015). "How to Become Pokémon World Champion". Kotaku. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  21. ^ Otsuka, Sawadee (July 2, 2022). "『ポケモン』"パチリスさん"が史上初の三冠へ！？韓国のパク・セジュン選手が偉業を達成中". Inside Games. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Pokémon competitivo: el legado de Pachirisu en VGC". MeriStation. August 24, 2018. Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  23. ^ Bailey, Kat (March 9, 2018). "The Rise of Nintendo's Curiously Divisive Competitive Communities". VG247. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  24. ^ Atonelli, Di Lorenzo (May 29, 2015). "I Campionati Nazionali di Videogiochi e del Gioco di Carte Collezionabili Pokémon presto in arrivo in Italia". IGN. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  25. ^ Hilhorst, Willem (August 29, 2022). "How My Love for Pokémon Was Revitalized During the Pokémon World Championships in London". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  26. ^ a b Diaz, Ana (August 20, 2024). "This Pokémon made a historic return at the 2024 World Championships". Polygon. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  27. ^ Hoffer, Christian (August 17, 2024). "Pokemon's Most Iconic Competitor Makes Surprise Appearance After 10 Years". Comicbook.com. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  28. ^ Slackie, Kevin; Taveras, Moises (January 11, 2024). "The 150 Best Pokémon". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  29. ^ Bashir, Dale (November 5, 2020). "10 Pokémon Who Sadly Didn't Make The Cut in Sword and Shield's DLCs". IGN. Archived from the original on February 27, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  30. ^ Krell, Jason (January 30, 2017). "One Man's Quest To Redeem Eevee In Competitive Pokémon". Kotaku. Archived from the original on January 3, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  31. ^ Bailey, Kat (August 24, 2016). "Cover Story: A Day at the 2016 Pokémon World Championships Made Me Wonder if I Could Be a Master Again Too". VG247. Archived from the original on March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
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