Isn’t it weird that Pikachu, the mascot of Pokemon and arguably the most recognized video game character in the world, has an adorable baby version and no one seems to care? I would have thought Pichu would be equal to, if not more popular than Pikachu itself, but for some reason, it seems like the whole world is pretty ambivalent towards baby Pikachu. Pichu might not even be the most popular baby Pokemon, thanks to Togepi. So what’s the deal? Does everyone hate Pichu?

I’m sure there are some Pichu fans out there. It’s one of the 80-ish fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and some even consider it to be a top-tier character. Pichu made an adorable appearance in New Pokemon Snap this year, cuddling up with Grookey and wearing a flower crown. I don’t think Nintendo has ignored Pichu, but I certainly don’t think Pichu gets the fanfare it deserves.

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For one thing, there hasn’t been a single Pichu card printed during the Sword & Shield era. We’ve seen dozens of Pikachu cards of course. There’s been one in every set, and the most valuable card in last year’s Vivid Voltage set is still the rainbow VMAX Pikachu by a wide margin (the second most valuable card is the Full Art Pikachu V). With the upcoming 25th-anniversary Celebration collection, we’ve already seen previews of tons of iconic reprints of Pikachu cards, and yet not a single mention of Pichu.

If you check out the official merch on Pokemon center, you’ll find two unavailable Pichu plushies, an out-of-stock mug, and a couple of pins and shirts that feature Pichu, Pikachu, and Raichu. That’s literally it for Pichu. It’s not totally unbelievable that Pikachu would have more collectibles out there than Pichu, but Pichu has four, and Pikachu has 756.

Spiky-Eared-Pichu

Let’s just take a step back for a second and analyze the design of Pichu. Start with a Pikachu, then make its body smaller and its head bigger. Already you’ve gotten exponentially cuter. Then make its ears gigantic and give them a more triangular shape and add a more complex pattern. Shrink its tail down and give it a little black fur collar that looks like a bowtie. I love Pikachu as much as the next fella, but Pichu is a 10/10 Pokemon and I just can’t believe you all don’t see that.

Pichu are a lot more social than Pikachu too. They’re playful and mischievous, and according to Pokemon Pearl, “they play with others by touching tails and setting off sparks. This appears to be a test of courage.” Is that not the most adorable thing you’ve ever heard? Pichu are still learning to store electricity in their cheeks, and often send out jolts if they get startled. In the Pokemon Sapphire Pokedex, it’s said that Pichu may short out electricity when playing with other Pichu, which will surprise it and cause it to start crying. The sweet babies have more personality in the tips of their stubby tails than Pikachu does in its entire body, and it’s a crime that it isn’t more popular. You may not like it, but this is what peak Pokemon performance looks like.

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