'Pokemon' Anime Artwork Imagines Pikachu's Lost Evolution

Pokemon is keeping busy these days, so it can be difficult keeping up with its headlines. Between [...]

By Megan Peters

Pokemon is keeping busy these days, so it can be difficult keeping up with its headlines. Between its anime and video games, the iconic franchise has more than ever to share with fans, and it seems one fan has made it a mission to realize one recent reveal with the power of anime.

For those out of the loop with Pokemon, fans got a better look at Pikachu's lost evolution this year. The pocket monster is the mascot for all things Pokemon, and its evolution Raichu is a favorite with fans. As it turns out, a third was pitched for Pikachu just like other starters such as Charmander, and a fan has imagined Gorochu's look for anime fans.

Taking to Twitter, VivinkArt posted their rendition of Gorochu in the anime awhile back. The drawing dates back to the first report revealing the evolution's existence, but it has resurfaced in light of an alleged leak of Pokemon Red and Green's early beta.

As you can see above, Gorochu is a pretty intimidating creature. The electric-type ditches Pikachu's primarily yellow color scheme for one that is red, but its cheeks and ears baring the classic coloring. Its stout body makes Gorochu the ideal creature to use tackle, and its wickedly jagged tail plays more off Raichu than Pikachu thanks to its slender base.

For now, there is no word on Gorochu becoming an official part of Pokemon's world, but fans have grown attached to the creature. The franchise's latest beta leak appears to have revealed a beta sprite for Gorochu in-game, adding to the Game Freak artwork first leaked in 2018. The initial story is what clued fans into Gorochu's creation and ultimate scrapping.

Still, some fans are holding out hope that Pikachu may get another evolution down the road. As Pokemon expands, new methods for powering up pocket monsters have grown. Regions like Alola revealed all sorts of unseen evolutions for generation one favorites and even altered the look of several Pokemon like Vulpix. Perhaps a future region on Ash Ketchum's itinerary will introduce him to Gorochu someday, and if so, here's to hoping the stoutly monster gets on well with Pikachu!

So, what do you make of this lost Pikachu evolution? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

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