| Pachirisu | |
|---|---|
| Pokémon character | |
 Pachirisu inPokémon Diamond andPearl | |
| First game | Pokémon Diamond andPearl (2006) |
| Voiced by | Chinami Nishimura |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Pokémon |
| Type | Electric |
Pachirisu (/pɑːtʃiˈriːsuː/ ⓘ;Japanese:パチリス) is aPokémon species inNintendo andGame Freak'sPokémon media franchise. First introduced in the video gamesPokémon Diamond andPearl, it has since appeared in multiple games, includingPokémon Go and thePokémon 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 thefourth generation ofPokémon. Pachirisu was used bySe-Jun Park in thePokémon World Championships in 2014, which resulted in widespread coverage, with many analyzing or praising the usage of Pachirisu in the tournament.
Pachirisu is a species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for thePokémon media franchise. Developed byGame Freak and published byNintendo, the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video gamesPokémon Red andGreen for theGame Boy, which were later released in North America asPokémon Red andBlue 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 has 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 thePokédex, 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 thefourth generation ofPokémon.[7] Pachirisu's name comes from the Japanese words "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 thePokémon anime series byChinami Nishimura.[9]
Pachirisu first appeared in the 2006 video gamesPokémon Diamond andPearl, where it could be captured in the wild by players.[10] It also appeared the games' remakes,Pokémon Brilliant Diamond andShining Pearl.[11] It has since appeared in other mainline entries in thePokémon series, includingPokémon Scarlet andViolet.[4] It also appears inPokémon Legends: Arceus.[12] In addition to traditionalPokémon games, it also appears in otherPokémon games, such asPokémon Go[13] (where it is only found inCanada,Alaska andRussia)[13] and thePokémon Trading Card Game.[14] It appeared in thePokémon anime under the ownership of major characterDawn.[15]
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 thePokémon World Championships in 2014, due in part to it traditionally being seen as a weak battling Pokémon incompetitivePokémon communities. Pachirisu was essential to the victory of the tournament's winner,Park Se-jun, 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 another 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 hisGyarados, 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 ofKotaku 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 designerJunichi 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 fightingGarchomp,Tyranitar, andSalamence, which was well-received by both audience members andNintendo World Report writer Willem Hilhorst.[25] A video byThe 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 officialPokémon 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 inPokémon Sword andShield, particularly due to its success in the 2014 tournament, comparing it positively to two other squirrel Pokémon in the games,Skwovet andGreedent.[29] The success of Pachirisu in the 2014 tournament inspired player Giovanni Costa to try and useEevee, 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 andRotom 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 ofBrilliant Diamond andShining 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]
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