When people think of Pokémon, one of the first Pocket Monsters that comes to mind is Pikachu, but Pikachu was not always the face of the franchise. Pikachu has been the mascot of Pokémon for over 25 years, but that wasn't always the plan. There were other Pokémon who could have been the series mascot and changed the face of the franchise - Poliwhirl and Clefairy.
Pikachu has been synonymous with Pokémon for many years, even though he was not on the cover art of Pokémon Red and Blue. Pikachu's popularity increased immensely after it appeared in the Pokémon anime series as Ash Ketchum's companion and was on its first cover for Pokémon Yellow, where Pikachu won't enter its Poké Ball. Since then, Pikachu has appeared in all Pokémon games, including some titles with its namesake, all 24 seasons of the Pokémon anime, the movie Detective Pikachu, and the Pokémon manga. It can be seen everywhere from television commercials to the side of an airplane.
Pikachu was not slated to be the mascot of Pokémon originally, though. When the first Pokémon games were released, Poliwhirl was a part of a lot of merchandise. There was also talk of Clefairy becoming the face of the Pokémon franchise. However, Game Freak and Nintendo had their reasons for moving forward with Pikachu.
Pikachu Was Almost Passed Up For Poliwhirl & Clefairy As Pokémon Mascot
Poliwhirl, the tadpole Pokémon, was almost the Pokémon mascot at the beginning of the franchise. Poliwhirl was present on the logo for the first Pokémon Center store in Tokyo. Poliwhirl was also featured on the cover of TIME magazine. There is a good reason for all of the Poliwhirl hype: It was one of Satoshi Tajiri's favorite Pokémon. Tajiri is the creator of the Pokémon franchise and one of the founders of Game Freak. However, Poliwhirl's popularity never caught on as much as that of Pikachu's.
Clefairy was another contender for Pokémon mascot. Clefairy was the main character's first Pokémon in the game's first manga series released soon after Pokémon Red and Blue. Clefairy, in the manga, was Red's first Pokémon. However, the manga was only released in Japan and has a bit of a sordid reputation that is definitely not safe for work. This may be the reason Clefairy ended up not being the face of the Pokémon franchise. There was also talk that Game Freak believed that Clefairy, being pink, would appeal more to girl gamers whereas Pikachu appeals to everyone.
Pikachu, as Pokémon's mascot, is one of the most widely recognizable Pokémon across the franchise, even when Pikachu has undergone design changes. Pikachu has shown up in most Pokémon games, anime, and tons of merchandise. This was not always the plan though. Fans almost saw either Poliwhirl or Clefairy as the mascot for Pokémon. It looks as if Pikachu will stay the mascot for the Pokémon franchise, but who knows what the future will hold with the new Pokémon coming in Generation 9.