If Pokemon Had a Different Mascot

[Osprey]

Doubt they would use something like Charizard or anything remotely similiar. As popular as he is, he's too "monstrous" looking that normally appeals more to older kids with not enough of the "cute" factor that would appeal to young boys and girls. They'd probably go with something else cute like the stage 1 starters or even Eevee. I'd say second to Pikachu, Eevee is a recognizable face to the franchise, has a ton of evolutions, can sell a lot of toys, has a ton of promotions revolved around it; I'd say it's a good contender for a Pokemon mascot next to Pikachu.

I figured Charizard might land the spot because it's already one of Pokemon's unofficial second-tier mascots anyways. Sure, it might not have the cutesy look going for it, but what it does have is the appearance of a badass dragon with a flaming tail, perfect for advertising Pokemon's main gameplay mechanic of battling. The anime's recognized this; many of the fiercest battles have included Ash's Charizard as the powerhouse. I can't speak for everyone else, but I was drawn to the Charmander line as a seven-year-old just because of how cool Charizard looked.

 

[skyradiant]

Something I just realized is that Pikachu is the mascot because of what Lysson stated ^: its not too masculine or feminine, so it appeals to both genders. The problem with Charizard is that it's definitely overtly masculine, so it would alienate potential fans into more feminine and cutesy stuff.

 

[Victorica]

If in general the whole Pokemon franchise, I think Eevee would've been the most suitable replacement. I do like Pikachu a lot but if Pikachu was to be replaced, what better Pokemon could fill the role of being the franchise's mascot as one who had multiple evolutions in multiple generations? ><

 

[Pandora]

bulbasaur or charizard

 

[Lufenium]

Clefairy, Jigglypuff or Eevee would be my guesses. I think my personal choice would be Eevee.

Jigglypuff is popular, Clefairy was GF's original choice, and Eevee is also rather popular, and is a walking mascot for evolutionary methods. All three are adorable to boot.

 

[Bulbatwo]

I would have to go with Eevee too, but I wouldn't mind if Charmander was the mascot.
If they went with the original idea (Clefairy) it would've been terrible decision in my opinion.

 

[GhostFingers]

Metapod, because it's the Destroyer of Worlds, yo.

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

I know this won't happen but I want Arceus as the mascot.

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

Eevee, definitely. Just like Pikachu, Eevee is a cute, kinda gender-neutral Pokemon that appeals to to a wide variety of people. The main reason why I think that Eevee should have been the mascot, though, is how the cute little fuzzball represents a major part of Pokemon: Evolution. Eevee can evolve into 8 different Pokemon through different methods. Its the whole evolution gimmick of Eevee that really helps it represent a major component of the series in a better way than Pikachu...Who's evolution gets casted aside so frequently in favor of Pikachu.

 

[pkmnlegend]

That would be Clefairy since it was originally going to be Ash's partner.

 

[SquadalaGuy]

Eevee. But I think Eevee sucks. But I would love Eevee if it was the mascot...but Pikachu is the mascot.

So the mascot should be Mew instead.

 

[Boss1708]

When people say Eevee, they are not taking in account a key element of marketing: COLOR. Color is as important as design, really.

A franchise mascot HAS to be of bright colors, to draw the attention. It will simply not sell as well, otherwise.

Which is why Pikachu is perfect for a mascot, and which is why Charizard is a very good candidate, imo.

Joltik as well, I think.

 

[Enzap]

When people say Eevee, they are not taking in account a key element of marketing: COLOR. Color is as important as design, really.

A franchise mascot HAS to be of bright colors, to draw the attention. It will simply not sell as well, otherwise.

Which is why Pikachu is perfect for a mascot, and which is why Charizard is a very good candidate, imo.

Joltik as well, I think.

I agree with this completely. Brown things don't attract kids attention quite like a brightly colored critter does. This has been my main concern with everyone saying Eevee should be the mascot. It's cute, it's fluffy, it has multiple evolutions to choose from, but color is such a major element.

I think body shape is also an important aspect. Think about other popular children's cartoon or tv show icons. Agumon, Totoro, Elmo, Barney, Mickey Mouse, they're all bipedal. Most people are seen as pets, so quadripeds work fine, but for the mascot, a child is more likely to be drawn to it if it looks more personable and they can relate to it on some element. Pikachu looks like a creature that would be fun to cuddle and interact with on a deeper level than just as a pet.

As for Joltik, I have to disagree because of what I said in the last paragraph, and even though it's fluffy and bright, it's also a spider/tick. That's not exactly what you'd want as the face of a children's game where there are lots of other equally cuddly and more appropriate Pokemon to choose from.

 

[Boss1708]

I agree with this completely. Brown things don't attract kids attention quite like a brightly colored critter does. This has been my main concern with everyone saying Eevee should be the mascot. It's cute, it's fluffy, it has multiple evolutions to choose from, but color is such a major element.

I think body shape is also an important aspect. Think about other popular children's cartoon or tv show icons. Agumon, Totoro, Elmo, Barney, Mickey Mouse, they're all bipedal. Most people are seen as pets, so quadripeds work fine, but for the mascot, a child is more likely to be drawn to it if it looks more personable and they can relate to it on some element. Pikachu looks like a creature that would be fun to cuddle and interact with on a deeper level than just as a pet.

As for Joltik, I have to disagree because of what I said in the last paragraph, and even though it's fluffy and bright, it's also a spider/tick. That's not exactly what you'd want as the face of a children's game where there are lots of other equally cuddly and more appropriate Pokemon to choose from.

Exactly! I'm glad I am not the only to notice it. Color is so important! But not only for little kid's attention: the human mind inconsciously relates certain colors to certain experiences and feelings. Pikachu's yellow makes me think of a happy, sunny day, ready to play and have an adventure! It's this kind of feeling that Pikachu's yellow is meant to give.

I also agree a bipedal creature is a better choice, but I still think Joltik can be a very good support merchandising character, if not a main one.

 

[SquadalaGuy]

I agree with this completely. Brown things don't attract kids attention quite like a brightly colored critter does. This has been my main concern with everyone saying Eevee should be the mascot. It's cute, it's fluffy, it has multiple evolutions to choose from, but color is such a major element.

I think body shape is also an important aspect. Think about other popular children's cartoon or tv show icons. Agumon, Totoro, Elmo, Barney, Mickey Mouse, they're all bipedal. Most people are seen as pets, so quadripeds work fine, but for the mascot, a child is more likely to be drawn to it if it looks more personable and they can relate to it on some element. Pikachu looks like a creature that would be fun to cuddle and interact with on a deeper level than just as a pet.

As for Joltik, I have to disagree because of what I said in the last paragraph, and even though it's fluffy and bright, it's also a spider/tick. That's not exactly what you'd want as the face of a children's game where there are lots of other equally cuddly and more appropriate Pokemon to choose from.

Brown things huh? You mean kids hate brown stuff like 'crap'? Ok, that was a stupid joke, but still.