Pikachu is probably the most popular Pokémon, but apparently, there are some things that we do not know about the cute and cuddly electric mouse.
It is well known that Pikachu evolves into Raichu, which still looks very similar to Pikachu aside from the color. However, we have just learned that Pikachu once had a third evolution form named Gorochu.
Pikachu Third Evolution: Gorochu
In the 22 years of the Pokémon franchise, it should not come as a surprise that there have been many rejected Pokémon designs. However, in an interview with Japanese newspaper Yomiuri, Atsuko Nishida, the original illustrator of Pikachu, made a shocking revelation.
In the translated version of the interview by Siliconera, Nishida revealed that Pikachu once had three forms. After evolving into Raichu, the next stage was supposed to be Gorochu.
Gorochu, however, apparently did not look like Pikachu or Raichu, just with a different color. Nishida revealed that Gorochu had fangs and a pair of horns, dropping the cute and cuddly design of its two earlier forms and going with a terrifying look.
Gorochu, however, did not make it into the final roster of 151 first-generation Pokémon. It was not rejected because of how it looked though, with original Pokémon design legend Ken Sugimori saying that there was no problem with its scary appearance.
According to Sugimori, Gorochu was taken out of the original Pokémon games due to "game balance" issues, which makes you wonder what kind of skills it had beyond the electric attacks of Pikachu and Raichu.
In case anybody was wondering how they came up with these names, Siliconera noted that the "Rai" from Raichu is derived from the Japanese word for thunder. The "Goro" from Gorochu, meanwhile, is derived from "Goro-Goro," which is the Japanese onomatopoeia for the rumbling caused by thunder. The name also brings to mind the menacing four-armed warrior from the Mortal Kombat franchise, which just makes the thought of Gorochu even scarier.
The Popularity Of 'Pokémon' Today
With or without Gorochu as the third form of Pikachu, the popularity of the Pokémon franchise has blossomed over the years. The franchise has become so popular that, according to rumors, a Pokémon theme park will soon rise in Universal Studios Florida.
Pokémon has gone a long way, with the highly anticipated Pokémon RPG for the Nintendo Switch to introduce the brand-new eighth-generation Pokémon. Meanwhile, mobile game Pokémon GO may no longer be as popular during its launch, but it is still going strong with the launch of real-world events and the addition of new Pokémon to catch.
