The Pikachu Problem

This blog post has been in my head for weeks. I have gone over it with my brother a dozen times. Whenever I tell someone not aware of this situation, their reaction is a mixture of shock and dismay. I am here to tell you that there is more than one Pikachu.

I was ever so diligently putting the Beginning Readers books in order at work one day when something grabbed my attention, a book titled Meet Ash’s Pikachu. I knew logically that I had handled said book plenty of times, but this time, like a lightning bolt created by some kind of small, yellow, electric monster, it hit me. Why did they need to designate who this Pikachu belonged to?

I ran immediately to the closest Pokemon expert, my brother, obviously. I demanded to know, is there more than one Pikachu in Pokesburg? (San Pokese? Pokeattanooga?) Yes, he confirmed, I believe in a slightly abashed tone. He went on, and I think this is a direct quote, “There are thousands. They are like rats.”

What the hey? My first question in response, “Why all the hoopla about Pikachu?” I am actually serious with my stunned disbelief here. The little dude is the face of a franchise, and there are thousands? I haven’t asked Jeffery this question yet, but why, if Pokemon species are so populated and moreover, laden with monstrous powers, do they allow themselves to be functionally imprisoned by tiny red balls??

My next question to my brother, of course, “Why ‘Gotta Catch ‘Em All’? Why not ‘Maybe One of Each’?” The idea of catching all the Pokemon now takes on a sinister feel, to me. It takes the idea of dominion over beasts to a completely different level. This is some supervillain level nefariousness. Even Noah needed only two of each species. Catch all the Pokemon? How many of those tiny balls would you need?

This is sheer madness, Nintendo.