Pikachu
The electric yellow mouse of the Pokémon franchise — likely the most globally recognized fictional creature created since 1990.
Origin
Pokémon launched on Game Boy in Japan in 1996 (US 1998) as Pokémon Red and Blue. Trainers capture and battle creatures with the slogan 'Gotta catch 'em all' (151 in the original game, now over a thousand). Pikachu was elevated from one of many to franchise face after the anime made him Ash Ketchum's signature partner. Pokémon is the highest-grossing media franchise in history, ahead of Mickey Mouse, Star Wars, and Marvel — driven mainly by toys and trading cards, not games. The 2016 Pokémon GO mobile game put it back in headlines worldwide.
Modern usage
Pikachu's silhouette is universal — used on flags at protests, on hospital signs in Japan, in the surprised-Pikachu meme. 'Gotta catch 'em all' has detached from Pokémon to mean any completionist drive (sticker albums, trophy collecting, app reviews). The franchise itself is shorthand for 'enduring childhood IP that became enormous.'
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