Mutant Possum Goes Viral Over Uncanny ‘Pokemon’ Resemblance

Every creature might want to be the best like no one ever was, but only one can reach that lofty mantle. At long last, it seems one animal in Australia is ready to battle for the title, and Pikachu the Possum has what it takes to take the crown.

After all, the critter looks exactly like Ash Ketchum’s best friend, and netizens are falling for the golden possum’s charm.

Recently, reports cropped up from Australia that caught the attention of Pokemon fans worldwide. In a piece by The Age, the site confirmed a mutated possum was brought into a Melbourne animal clinic that bares a striking resemblance to Pikachu.

As you can see above, the special possum is plenty cute and giving even the most ardent rodent haters reason to pause. Thanks to a mutation, the newly found possum has golden yellow fur, and its overly large ears make it look even more like Pikachu. This is why clinic caretakers were quick to name the possum Pikachu, and the critter has since gone viral.

According to reports, the possum’s so-called Pikachu Mutation stems from a lack of melanin. The gap makes the possum’s fur a yellow shade, but vets say the girl is in good health. Despite her auspicious coloring, Pikachu is doing better now that she’s been brought to a clinic, but her caretakers says she’ll likely be kept from the wild. After all, Pikachu’s coloring makes her an easy target, and Pokemon fans know Team Rocket is a ruthless organization even on the best of days.

While Pikachu’s coloring has gone viral, vets did make it clear this mutation isn’t unheard of. Unfortunately, most wild possums who have this mutation don’t survive long because they are easy targets. Caroline Dazey, a representative of Wildlife Victoria, said the region has “little pockets” of these possums, but their exact locations haven’t been made public.

Pikachu the Possum is now ready to live a healthier life after completing her clinic stay, and fans are happy to see her story end well. After all, Nurse Joy would want every Pokemon to live a happy, healthy life… and this possum is the closest will get to real-world Pokemon.

So, do you see the resemblance here? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!